At the Première Vision show to take place this month in New York, Shima Seiki will exhibit at booth A3 at PIER 94, 711 12th Avenue within the new 'Manufacturing' area dedicated to technical and logistical manufacturing solutions as the sole machine technologist with a machine exhibit.

Shima Seiki’s novel SRY computerized flat knitting machine with specialized loop presser beds that provide unprecedented capability especially with inlay patterns. Inlay fabric is produced by inserting yarn into knit fabric in a weave fashion, offering new and exciting possibilities in hybrid knit-weave textiles that open up opportunities for expansion into markets for wovens will also be on display at Première Vision.

Given current conditions in garment manufacturing especially in the U.S., Shima Seiki says that its proposals at Première Vision New York should be of timely significance. Reinforcing the Made in USA movement for returning garment production back on-shore, consumer trends such as increase in online shopping activity have also changed supply chain requirements, with growing demand for mass customization and short turnaround.

The combination of Shima Seiki’s WHOLEGARMENT knitting technology and SDS-ONE APEX3 3D design system, the company said that it offers an ideal manufacturing model to support just that.

Because of their capability to produce elegant items in their entirety in 3D without the need for sewing or linking, WHOLEGARMENT knitting machines realize high-quality quick response production thanks to reduced lead times as well as reduced dependence on labour. These qualities are maximized with the latest MACH2XS series WHOLEGARMENT knitting machines.

According to Shima Seiki, WHOLEGARMENT knitting, together with the aforementioned SDS-ONE APEX3, form a synergy that provides revolutionary game-changing flexibility in the knit supply chain. Ultra-realistic simulation capability on APEX3 allows Virtual Sampling to minimise the time- and cost-impact that the sample-making process has on current manufacturing. With this new manufacturing model, the production cycle can be shortened to such an extent that on-demand production is possible without being limited to seasonal cycles.

To further enhance the planning and design capability of APEX3, Shima Seiki’s new web-based fashion service “staf” (shima trend archive and forecast) will also be demonstrated. staf provides a massive collection of fashion related content including an archive of fashion and colour trends covering the past 50 years. This information can be neatly organised on a virtual concept board that can be shared across various devices, improving on planning efficiency significantly.