The Karl Mayer subsidiary recently opened its showroom equipped with high-tech machines at its Chemnitz site and aims to have a second facility ready by the end of the year in Naila in Bavari. The customers can try out various weft-insertion warp knitting machines and a biaxial warp knitting machine. Naila, on the other hand, is the first point of contact for multiaxial warp knitting machines.

According to the Sales Manager, Hagen Lotzmann, it is important for its customers to see the value of any new investments with the opportunity for clients to conduct trials as part of their new product ideas. The processing trials can show if and how the desired objectives can be achieved, and also what changes need to be made to the machine technology.

The Wefttronic II RS is a high-speed raschel machine with weft insertion facility that is ideal for producing coating carriers and advertising substrates having a high tear resistance. It delivers impressive values in terms of productivity, operating reliability and product quality. Thanks to the use of modern materials and complex technical features, especially for the drives and weft insertion elements, these machines are extremely fast and also handle the yarn gently. A Wefttronic II RS 2, 268", gauge E 18, and two Wefttronic II RS 3, gauge E 8, with a working width of 268" and 184" respectively, are housed in the Chemnitz showroom.

The high speed Wefttronic II HKS with weft insertion facility produces lightweight, weft-inserted, warp-knitted textiles with high stitch densities in a wide range of gauges. A completely new machine gauge of E 40 is also now available. A Wefttronic II HKS 2, 213", gauge E 40, is housed in the showroom. This unique machine extends the scope for designing products, especially for interlinings. Top-quality interlinings having weights similar to woven fabrics can be produced on this innovative machine at speeds of up to 1,500 min-1. Bars made from CFRP and the Kamcos 2 system guarantee high-precision processing and a first-rate operating reliability. The weft insertion and fabric take-down systems have been optimised on this machine series, which also guarantees rapid setting-up times.

The Biaxtronic CO is a high-speed warp knitting machine processes with continuous filament yarns made from glass fibres to produce biaxial textiles and composite structures. A feature of this machine is that the weft yarn is inserted in line with the stitches and is not pierced or damaged – an advantage that is opening up new potential in the design of biaxial textiles for producing the rotor blades of wind turbines, for example. When using conventional glass fibres, higher strength values can be achieved or, when the strength values are the same, new material configurations can be worked. Chopped glass strand mats and nonwoven mats can also be integrated into the textiles. The technology is such that the warp and weft yarns are incorporated into the textile structure so that they are completely straight, and they can also be processed extremely efficiently. At a speed of up to 1,400 min-1, the maximum production rate is 6.5 m textile/min.

Other performance features of this machine include the fact that it can be operated intuitively using a touchscreen monitor, and is equipped with a well-thought-out material feed system. The weft yarns are inserted reliably and processed gently using a complementary laying device as a yarn compensator. Four separate delivery units are used to feed in the filler yarns separately. These technical features, together with all the other performance features of this biaxial warp knitting machine, can be demonstrated on a Biaxtronic CO, 101", gauge E7.

Multiaxial warp knitting machines produce multiaxial textiles for applications where a high strength and rigidity for a low weight are required, i.e. in the composites sector. The machines are economical; they can be operated easily, and deliver impressive, high quality products – and customers will be able to see this for themselves from December 2016 onwards in Naila. Once the showroom has been upgraded, a COP MAX 4, 101", gauge E 5, and a COP MAX 5, 50", gauge E 5, will be available for carrying out customer trials and performance demonstrations. With three variably adjustable weft insertion systems, these two machines manufacture products having different characteristics.

The COP MAX 5 specializes in using carbon fibres. It processes spread carbon tapes with an adjustable laying angle of from +30° to –30° to preferably produce textiles having low weights. While, the COP MAX 4 is ideal for producing multilayered, multiaxial, textile structures with angles of +20° to -20°. The starting materials may be carbon, as well as glass and aramid fibres.

Karl Mayer’s two showrooms are aimed at the technical textiles market. In Chemnitz, customers are now able to experience the latest technology in the company’s showrooms.