Highly specialised German knitting machine builder Harry Lucas celebrated the delivery of the company’s 10,000th machine in September. The happy owner of the anniversary model was German knitter Hans Minke from Wuppertal.

"This is big vote of confidence into the quality of our products and services from our customers since the foundation of our company," Mr Harry Lucas II announced during the official handover of the 10,000th machine produced since the company was founded.

Harry Lucas Textilmaschinenfabrik was founded by Mr Lucas’ father in Schleswig-Holstein in 1942. The company started off producing manually operated circular knitting machines and then moved into circular knitting machines for orthopaedic stockings. Mr Lucas II took over the running of the company in 1970 and by the early 1980’s its orthopaedic stocking machines were semi-electronically controlled.

Current Managing Director, Harry Lucas III took over the company in 1991 and in 1994 following the death of his grandfather, Lucas Textilmaschinen GmbH was founded in Chemnitz. By the late 1990s the company had extended its range into body size circular knitting machines and in 2000 it started to offer single and double jersey machines up to 32 inches in diameter.

In 2002 Harry Lucas expanded in Neumünster and developed the first spiralising machine for medium and high pressure hoses with patented yarn supply. 2005 saw the launch of the RR3-Z circular knitting machine with up to 4 systems per inch diameter and transfer rip needle and in 2007 the company developed its FSM-1K-2S flat knitting machine for glass and wire knitting.

New RR2-Z-FBR-108 for complex knee caps, ankle and arm supports

The latest model in Harry Lucas RR2 range offers the possibility for the production of cylindrical, conical and curved tubular knitted fabrics. The programming of the knitting width, the free programmable tuck control as well as the specific stitch change and the fabric takedown, which enable the production of curved articles, are only a one feature of the extensive possibilities this model offers, Harry Lucas says. Further special features of this model are 4-finger stripping device for each feeder, electronic stitch change for curved and the straight field, electronic adaptation from straight to curved knitting, 3-way needle selection and knitting with firm rim.

3-system washing and massage glove machine

Another new Lucas development is the company’s RR3-Z-PL-108 three system machine with flexible plush system and rubber inlay system which allows half of the washing glove to be knitted with soft cotton and the other half with rough monofilament. Firm rim and other knitting possibilities are freely programmable with the module MS-108.