From the Sector

The identification of profitable new niche markets has been central to the success and continuous expansion of Germany’s Dolinschek, a leading knitting, dyeing and finishing specialist, located in Burladingen in Baden-Württemberg.

“There is so much more to textiles than just clothing,” says Theo Dolinschek, who runs the company with his brother Erwin. “We handle many different technical materials such as automotive components, geotextiles and wallcoverings, but also those for more unusual applications such as inlays for extractor hoods, cut protection fabrics and even wool felts which are employed as insulation on wind turbines.

“We have also recently started to produce compression stockings in a variety of colours, because not everyone wants them black, beige or skin coloured. The most important product areas for us now are in sportswear, corsetry and lingerie, as well as orthopedic and medical products, workwear and protective clothing, but in addition, many other technical applications.”

The Dolinschek brothers moved their business to the historic site of the former Ambrosius Heim textile company in Burladingen in 2001 in order to expand. At the time, the company – founded by their father in 1980 as a textile wholesaler before moving into dyeing – employed just 13 people. Within a year, the company had bought additional space at the site.

Now, with Theo in charge of technology and sales, and Erwin responsible for production, the company employs almost 100 people and operates on an integrated site of 35,000 square metres.

In 2005, a laminating department was established by the company and since 2012 investment in knitting machines has been ongoing.

“The further we went into vertical integration, the more of our own products we were able to position on the market and so we were also able to make ourselves more independent,” says Theo. “We have continued to develop and today we can produce high-quality fabrics for many fields, with 42 knitting machines, 36 dyeing machines, three stenter frames and many other production and processing machines.”

Dolinschek has also developed its own proprietary TMG dyeing machines which have subsequently been successfully sold to many other companies all over the world. There are currently 11 of these machines  in operation at the Burladingen site and around 45 installed at other companies.

For finishing technology, however, the company relies on Monforts, and has installed a new seven chamber Montex TwinAir stenter range with a Montex®Coat coating unit in knife execution, enabling the coating of dimensionally stable knitted fabrics with polyurethane or acrylate. Another unique feature is the Teflon-coated (non-stick) transportation belt through the system.

The Montex line is also equipped with integrated heat recovery and exhaust gas purification to ensure the most resource-efficient processing available on the market. The exhaust air goes from the Monforts heat recovery system into an existing air/water heat recovery system and then into an electrostatic precipitator.

Highly-intuitive Monforts Qualitex visualisation software allows all machine functions and process parameters to be assessed and controlled easily.

SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A. will exhibit at the 91st edition of the Pitti Immagine Filati exhibition in Florence, Italy from 29th June till 1st July, 2022. Products exhibited will include the SWG-FIRST124 and N.SIR123SP computerized flat knitting machines as well as APEXFiz™ design software.

The renewed SWG-FIRST124 is a synthesis of all of SHIMA SEIKI’s experience and know-how in computerized shaped knitting, realizing a tremendous range of knitting from full-fashioning and rib shaping to integral knitting. This all-purpose capability is made possible by the revolutionary SlideNeedle™, which, together with loop pressers and transfer jacks, offers remarkable variety, expanding the boundaries of flat knitting with the capability to produce garments that were previously impossible to produce.

The N.SIR123SP computerized knitting machine with intarsia capability features a special loop presser bed for producing hybrid inlay fabrics with both knit and weave characteristics. N.SIR123SP will also feature the special i-Plating option, capable of alternating yarn colors in any pattern, producing jacquard-like designs using plain jersey stitch. Plating can be performed within the same course and for individual needles. In combination with the loop presser and spring-type moveable sinker system even greater diversity in knit design is possible.

APEXFiz™ is subscription-based design software that supports the creative side of fashion from planning and design to colorway evaluation, realistic fabric simulation and 3D virtual sampling. Virtual samples are a digitized version of sample making that are accurate enough to be used effectively as prototypes, replacing physical sampling and consequently reducing time, cost and material that otherwise go to waste. APEXFiz™ thereby helps to realize sustainability and digitally transform the fashion supply chain.

Continuing from past editions of Pitti Filati are knit samples produced in collaboration with Italian designer Vittorio Branchizio. Staff at the SHIMA SEIKI booth will be donning knit uniforms produced as a collaborative effort between SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA, knitting companies and yarn companies.

SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. announces the release of its new "SHIMA Datamall™" digital content web service.

SHIMA Datamall™ is an online service that allows users to search, browse and purchase a variety of useful data for the planning, production and sales of fashion items. With SHIMA Datamall, users of the SDS®-ONE APEX series 3D design system, APEXFiz™ Design subscription software and SHIMA SEIKI flat knitting machines will be able to streamline their operations and further promote the digital transformation of textile manufacturing, thereby realizing a shift toward sustainable manufacturing.

Digital content available on SHIMA Datamall™, together with yarn data from the yarnbank™ digital yarn sourcing web service, are meant to support knit manufacturing from planning and design to production and sales, by arranging the data on SDS®-ONE APEX and APEXFiz™.

Membership is not limited to users of SHIMA SEIKI products. Anyone can search and browse from digital data comprising over 6,000 items, free of charge. Information gathered on SHIMA Datamall is useful for product planning and ideas for new collections. SHIMA SEIKI users can furthermore purchase and download data to facilitate communication with suppliers.

Leading knit solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its U.S. subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI U.S.A. INC., will participate in the Techtextil North America exhibition in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. this month. Under the theme “techKNITians—Technical Engineered Knit Applications,” the company will display its latest computerized flat knitting machines and computer graphic design system technology, aimed at promoting knitted applications in the field of technical textiles.

Pioneered by SHIMA SEIKI, WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology is capable of producing knitted items in their entirety without the need for sewing, and allows complex 3D forms to be knit such as car seat covers and interior furnishings. Selective compression allows control over placement and amount of pressure for various compression wear in sports and medical applications. The seam-free nature of WHOLEGARMENT® also ensures continuity of yarn, allowing functional yarns such as conductive yarns to wrap around the entire body without interruption, for applications in smart garments and wearable technology. Demonstrating the latest in WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology at Techtextil will be the flagship MACH2XS machine that features the company’s original SlideNeedle™ on 4 needle beds and patented springloaded full-time sinker system. Capable of WHOLEGARMENT® knitting in all-needles, MACH2XS offers great flexibility for knitting high-quality WHOLEGARMENT® products with a seemingly endless variety of knit patterns at very high speed and efficiency, all while minimizing dependence upon labor-intensive sewing and linking. At Techtextil North America MACH2XS will be shown knitting a seam-free balaclava in one entire piece using fire-resistant yarn.

Also shown will be the SWG091N2 compact WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine, also featuring SlideNeedle™ technology. Capable of producing small knitted items from safety gloves and compression socks to more sophisticated industrial applications such as tubular shields and harnesses, SWG091N2 offers unique solutions for the automotive, aerospace, sports, medical, safety, outdoor and other markets by knitting items in 3D without seams. SWG091N2 will be knitting fire-resistant gloves at Techtextil North America. SHIMA SEIKI’s SDS®-ONE APEX4 3D design system will also be available for demonstrations in design and simulation of various technical textiles. Of particular interest is its ultra-realistic simulation capability that realizes virtual sampling. When numerous variations must be evaluated before arriving at a final design, virtual product samples can be used to streamline the decision-making process by minimizing the enormous amount of time and cost normally associated with producing actual physical samples for each variation. The sustainability factor is also undeniable considering the amount of material normally gone to waste in the sampling stage.

This month, the circular knitting machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. is launching its upgrade kits for circular knitting machines that are already successfully in use by customers. With tailor-made packages, the company wants to give its users the opportunity to take advantage of technological progress in their existing machines. The aim is to improve the performance of the existing machines and to extend their service life. In addition to the machine-specific upgrade kits, the company now starts offering tailormade spare parts packages. They are intended to ensure machine availability and equip customers with spare parts for standard situations. In addition, they offer a degree of independence from possible failures in the supply chain and rising transport costs.

Longevity, a popular product property
“Longevity of our circular knitting machines is definitely a property that our satisfied customers mention regularly”, Mayer & Cie. sales director Wolfgang Müller says. The company estimates that up to 50 percent of all the circular knitting machines it has ever made are still around in the market somewhere.

Upgrades boost performance and value
Value retention, maintenance and upgrades for existing machines are a key issue for the company – and for the customers who successfully use existing Mayer & Cie equipment. That’s why the company recently launched customised upgrade kits to improve the long-term performance of machines.

Low budget, clear benefit
Compared to a new machine, upgrade kits are a low-cost investment that deliver clearly defined benefits. For example, an improved yarn guide ensures a significant increase in the plating reliability and output of the machine in question.

Most of the upgrade kits is machine-specific; the aforementioned yarn guide ensures a boost in productivity for the Relanit 3.2 II and Relanit 3.2 S. For S4 machines an optimised fluff blowing device can be the solution. It ensures that less fluff is knitted in and thereby improves the fabric quality. It also reduces downtimes that would otherwise be required for cleaning. Upgrade kits suitable for most Mayer & Cie. machines are the edge trimmer to open a fabric hose before the fabric’s rolling-up and the laying facility for high-quality hose fabric.

Spare part packages: Inside is what is required
In addition to individual upgrade kits Mayer & Cie. now offers spare parts packages. They too are customised for individual machines. When purchasing a machine, the customer can also order a small or a large spare parts package. Selected specially for the machine in question, it contains the most important consumables and spare parts.
The new spare parts packages also increase customers’ independence of supply chain failures and rising transport costs.

In pandemic year 2020 circular knitting machine manufacturer Mayer & Cie. (MCT) has further improved its leading position in Turkey. So the country continues to be one of the company’s strongest and most consistent sales markets. Even in difficult years, the manufacturer and its longstanding Turkish representative Mayer Mümessillik have achieved positive results. The reasons for this year’s success, as Mayer & Cie. sees it, are the transfer of production to locations close to Europe, Turkey’s state-of-theart machinery and the increase in demand for comfortable clothing that is suitable as home office wear.

Turkish market is a growth market despite corona setback
“Compared to 2019, we anticipate a growth in the Turkish market even though the corona situation was a serious setback in the second quarter of 2020,” says Stefan Bühler, Mayer & Cie.’s regional sales manager for Turkey.

Mayer & Cie. got off to a strong start on the Bosporus in the first quarter of 2020 with additional positive effects until mid-March. This was due to a desire for production locations close to Europe. In the second quarter, during the lockdown, demand largely ground to a halt. Government measures helped to cushion the downturn. Says Ahmet M. Öğretmen, general manager of MCT’s Turkish sales partner Mayer Mümessillik: “In the second quarter, GDP was down by about 10 percent, so we got off lightly.”

Since July 2020, orders for Mayer & Cie. circular knitting machines have bounced back again. Ahmet M. Öğretmen sees an interplay of reasons for this recovery. The main reason, he says, is the low exchange rate of the Turkish lira, which has boosted exports of ready-made textiles. The Turkish daily Hürriyet reports, with reference to the Turkish state news agency, 11 percent year-on-year growth in August 2020. The most important export markets, the newspaper says, are Germany, the UK and Spain. Between them, they account for around half of exports totalling € 1.27 billion.* “This demand must be fulfilled,” Öğretmen says. “That leads to investment in machinery by manufacturers.”

Relanit is synonymous with single jersey
The machines of choice for Turkish knitwear manufacturers are regularly Mayer & Cie. machines. The long-established German firm’s share of the Turkish market is substantially higher than in other markets. The manufacturer’s position is particularly strong in the market for plain single jersey fabrics, with the Relanit 3.2 HS being the machine of choice. It achieves an extraordinarily high level of productivity, especially in processing elastomer yarns. It also handles a wide range of yarns reliably.

“Interlock is Mayer & Cie.”
Mayer & Cie. is one of the leader in the second major circular knitting discipline, rib and interlock fabrics. The machines used for double jersey fabrics are the OV 3.2 QCe, the D4 2.2 II and the D4 3.2 II. The OV 3.2 QCe knits interlock, 8-lock structures, spacers and fine gauge with 3.2 systems. The D4 2.2 II is another stalwart for rib, 8-lock and interlock. The 8-lock D4 3.2 II is the machine of choice for firms that want to manufacture structures such as Piqué, Punto di Roma or Thermal in addition to interlock.

The MBF 3.2 is another top seller in Turkey. A three-thread fleece machine, it knits fabrics for sportsand leisurewear such as hoodies and is very much in keeping with the trend in home office year 2020. “Comfortable clothing is circular knitted,” says Ahmet M. Öğretmen, “and we benefit from that of course.”

One of the world’s most state-of-the-art machine parks are in Turkey
Another advantage is the modernity of the Turkish machine park, which is doubly attractive in view of Turkey’s weak currency. Says Mayer Mümessillik general manager Öğretmen: “In the past 10 to 20 years there has been very heavy investment in high-quality machines. As a consequence we have the world’s youngest and most up-to-date production facilities.” Combined with geographical proximity to the main export markets in Europe that should prove a growth driver in the years ahead – and keep demand for Mayer & Cie. machines brisk and high.

*More informationen here.