Warp knitting machine builder Karl Mayer will be exhibiting alongside its subsidiary, Karl Mayer Malimo, a pioneer in the field of technical textiles, at this month’s Techtextil in Frankfurt. The well-known Obertshausen based company, not only builds efficient, flexible machines for producing functional textiles but it also develops new applications and markets for warp-knitted products.

Malitronic

“The end-uses currently showing the most potential are the sectors of composites for lightweight construction technology and coatings. Particular requirements here are a low weight, a long service life, and a high load-bearing capacity, requirements that can be met optimally by the multiaxial reinforcing textiles produced on the Malitronic MULTIAXIAL machine and the grid-like warp-knitted backing/coating substrates produced on the Wefttronic,” a Karl Mayer spokesperson said.

Karl Mayer says that the success of these high-speed machines in practice speaks for itself. Fabrics which are bonded by means of thermosetting or thermoplastic materials, are already being used to reinforce car bodies and aircraft components, the rotor blades of wind turbines, sports equipment and moving machine components.

“They are also being used in the construction industry as backings for the reinforcement in textile-reinforced concrete - and these are just a few of their many applications,” Karl Mayer says.

Karl Mayer expects the increased demand for lightweight components in the automotive sector and the need to generate renewable energy to lead to rapid growth in demand for products manufactured on the Malitronic MULTIAXIAL machine.

Weftronic

The Wefttronic raschel machine with magazine weft insertion mainly produces grid-like and full-width warp-knitted fabrics from high-performance yarns for use as printed advertising media in particular. Karl Mayer explains: “As well as having a low weight, these high-quality fabrics are suitable for use outdoors, which makes them ideal for use as all kinds of coating/backing substrates.”

“Karl Mayer will also be focusing on the production of textiles that match the contours of the end product at Techtextil. In particular, the double-bar raschel machines we manufacture can produce a wide range of ‘ready-to-use’ products,” the company says.

HighDistance

These include the warp-knitted spacer fabrics produced on the HighDistance machine in the shape of car seats for use in the sub-upholstery, seven-zone mattress components, and functional seamless sportswear, which can be produced in a wide range of different styles and at a high production rate on the DJ series of machines.

Karl Mayer’s innovative machine technology not only focuses on manufacturing textiles directly, but also on the preliminary stages. The company supplies the Multitens yarn tension controller from the range it acquired from Benninger’s Weaving Preparation Division, which can process technical yarns both gently and efficiently. The Rot-O-Tens is another innovative product for controlling the yarn tension. This is a motor-driven type with an efficient energy recycling system, which Karl mayer says helps to reduce the amortisation period.

Karl Mayer adds that its clients can rely completely on the Opt-O-Matic for producing warp beams for technical applications. The warping machine produces uniform band circumferences at high operating speeds, even when processing extremely sensitive yarns.

“Visitors to Techtextil 2011 can expect clearly laid-out exhibits, detailed information and knowledgeable conversations about this wide and varied range of products,” Karl Mayer says.