Stoll flat knitting technology for technical applications

12 May 2009, Reutlingen – In recent years, leading German flat knitting machine builder H. Stoll & Co, has achieved much in the quest to widen the use of knitting machines and in particular flat knitting machines in technical applications.

Flat knitting machines are mainly used in the apparel sector for producing knitted outerwear and accessories but Stoll has pioneered the use of the technology for technical applications. The company has a dedicated sales and technical team for technical textiles and works closely with customers to develop new applications.

Martin Legner, Sales Manager, Technical Textile Applications at Stoll, told Innovation in Textiles: “Based on the versatile design and shaping options of flat knitting machines Stoll has used its know-how in machine building and textile applications to push the technology forward beyond its standard use in the fashion and apparel business.”

“The chance to combine the strength of fabric shaping along with stitch techniques generating knit structures allowing to copy technical fabric characteristics which are known from textile technologies such as weaving, warp and circular knitting have made flat knitting technology a secret winner in domains where innovation, complexity and rationalisation have been asked for” , added Legner.

Stoll CMS flat knitting machines can now be found in wide ranging applications for medical devices such as orthopaedic and compression soft goods and for specially engineered upholstery and suspension fabric solutions used in the furniture industry. In addition Stoll flat knitting machines are also used for making a range of wire products and conductive knits as well as for textile substrates processed in composite products.

Stoll says that the variety of applications represent the vast creative options in material and product design. Hardly any other textile manufacturing process compared to the Stoll flat knitting technique allows the combination of complex built-up shapes with functionally or optically orientated design of the fabric by the use of specifically required materials.

During the Techtextil exhibition in Frankfurt, Stoll will exhibit a range of designs and possibilities in technical knit applications and offer customers and interested parties a platform for obtaining news and trends information.

Download Stoll technical textiles brochure