Swiss flat knitting machine builder Steiger was exhibiting for the first time last week at Techtextil, the leading German show owned by Messe Frankfurt which focuses on technical textiles.

Steiger, which is now owned by giant Chinese flat knitting machine builder Ningbo Yuren Knitting Machine Co. Ltd (Cixing brand), has always sold machines into orthopaedic goods and compression hosiery markets, but this was the first time the company had taken a stand at the world's leading technical textiles show.

Speaking at Techtextil, Sales Director Carlo Corradi said: "This is our first time at Techtextil, but I wish we had exhibited at previous shows. The response here has been very good and we are actually quite surprised at the level of interest we have found in our flat knitting technology for technical textile applications."

LIBRA 3.130

Steiger exhibited a LIBRA 3.130 machine in gauge E14 (14 needles per inch), which was producing a three dimensionally knitted object for use in a composite structure for automotive brake linings. Although the machine was using standard knitwear yarns for demonstration purposes at Techtextil, Steiger's Sales Manager Gerard Steiger told Knitting Industry that the company had actually carried out some successful trials knitting the same object in carbon fibre.

The LIBRA machine was utilising the same ‘trameur' or inlay system used in flat knitted compression hosiery production, where a heavy covered elastane yarn is floated and tucked on the back of the fabric. In this case however, the machine was laying-in a high modulus yarn to give the knitted structure low extension woven fabric like characteristics.

The compact Libra 3.130 is a three system knitting machine which is said to be 20% more productive than the company's flagship Aries series due to a shorter and lighter carriage which consequently has a faster turnaround time for greater productivity. Libra uses the same motorized yarn carriers as Aries but is equipped with 16 instead of 32.

Steiger has also developed a new set-up comb for the Libra and this can also be factory fitted to the company's budget model Gemini as an optional extra. Libra unlike Gemini is completely built in Europe.

A notable feature of the Libra 3.130 is that air is allowed to flow under the machine where the fabric exits. The back of the machine is open and there is no chute for the knitted piece to slide off the machine. It drops onto the bottom tray. According to Steiger, this eliminates static produced by the knitted piece sliding over the exit chute.

Libra is fitted with the normal Steiger takedown system and the new set up comb which does not require the needlebed to open to allow set up.

Motorised yarn carriers

Steiger showed a range of interesting samples for technical applications including a three dimensionally knitted sock with a knitted silicon gripping top. Steiger says the plated silicon top can only be achieved using its motorised yarn carriers where a high degree of speed control allows easy take off the silicon yarn from the yarn package (cake).

Steiger was purchased by Ningbo Yuren Knitting Machine Co. Ltd, producer of the Cixing brand of computerised flat knitting machines, in June last year. At the time, Ningbo Yuren claimed it was building 1000 machines per month and would manufacture up to 30,000 machines in 2010, making it the largest flat knitting machine builder in the world by a long way.

Other Chinese flat knitting machine builders also claimed to be producing record numbers of machines in 2010, due to a huge government backed hand flat machine replacement scheme.

Recent ITMF statistics show that flat knitting machine shipments were up 187% to 51,130 machines in 2010 with 37,800 (74%) destined for Chinese factories.