Flat knitting machines have the potential of being used for a number of applications. The industry was focusing on knitwear, but the growth now is based on the production of upper for shoes. More applications are likely to be transferred from other production’s process to knitting, as per the head of Steiger Participations, producer of knitting machines.
“Flat knitting machines can knit in shape all types of yarns. They are very flexible for product development and constant for production in volumes. This unique capability explains why designers of various fields approach us to test the knitting technology for their specific products,” said Pierre-Yves Bonvin, CEO, Steiger Participations SA, while speaking to Fibre2Fashion.
The Switzerland based knitting machine manufacturer is part of Ningbo Cixing Co Ltd, a company devoted to promoting knitting machinery technology, based in Zhejiang, China.
Talking about the future of knitting machines, he said, “In the knitwear segment, the main driver is the personalisation of products. The Cixing group proposes a turn-key solution where customers can order personalised custom-made products on the internet. Laser scanners can be used for acquiring data on body measurements and an interactive website allows one to select their favourite articles.”
Steiger concentrates on 3D knitting and its new development such as the Taurus 2.170 XP integrates the possibility to knit 3D articles, Bonvin stated. It is primarily designed to produce complete garment knitwear and seamless 3D custom-made medical articles. It is also planned to knit preform in 3D for structural applications using glass fibre or carbon fibre.
The company has also introduced a laboratory called the Stitch Lab to share innovations with its partners. It already has several customers who have projects and samples to be produced on the machines available for demonstrations. The Taurus 2.170 XP is the highlight of this lab.
In the future, the company plans to improve its position in the high-end fashion segment, strengthen its leadership in the medical sector, and open a new profitable segment in the knitting of technical products. (KD)
