Professional audience from all over the world was captivated by KARL MAYER’s machinery

June 26, 2014 f4_root

Successful ITMA ASIA + CITME 2014 in Shanghai, 16-20.06.2014

High expectations accompanied the KARL MAYER team to this year’s trade fair for textile machines ITMA ASIA + CITME in Shanghai – and all these expectations have even been exceeded. The experts of this German textile machinery manufacturer received a huge rush of visitors from a lot of countries around the world. The company’s modern, elegant and inviting exhibition stand provided an adequate setting for lively expert discussions, for the presentation of innovative machinery as well as of attractive textiles, in particular of sophisticated lace fabrics produced on these machines. But it was not only the crowd of prospective buyers that filled Oliver Mathews, KARL MAYER’s Sales Vice President, with great satisfaction. In fact, it was rather the presence of executives and decision makers of small and medium-sized companies who ensured the very high quality of the sales talks. Last but not least, by participating in the fair KARL MAER and its customers could generate good business.

Customers from more and more Asian countries
A major feature of this event was the remarkably high degree of internationality of the KARL MAYER visitors: „Despite the somewhat cautious Chinese market, compared to last year’s trade fair“, explained Oliver Mathews, „our stand was overcrowded during all the exhibition days. And this is due to the considerable boost from the Near and Middle East, in particular from India and Turkey. These two countries are a strong driving force for the market, and we considerably benefit from this increasing demand for textile machines“. At the same KARL MAYER is exposed to a high competitive pressure. On the exhibition stands around KARL MAYER it was particularly striking how the international competitors try to copy the market and technology leader from Germany. Technology, material and even the corporate color serve as original for imitations (fakes).

Lace machines with an unforgettable impression
A real eye-catcher during the trade fair was the completely redeveloped JL 65/1B Fashion as well as the all-over pattern with bourdon-cord made on this machine and intended for the fashion sector which attracted the attention of customers from all lace markets. They immediately realized the high potential offered by the new Jacquardtronic® Lace in terms of product differentiation. When processing thick yarns this newcomer shifts the limits from 1,500 dtex to up to 3,250 dtex. Already on the second day of the exhibition it was possible to sell the first JL 65/1 B Fashion machines.
The second highlight for lace manufacturers, the MT 51/1/32, being a highly productive Textronic® Lace equipped with Jacquard bars, sets new standards in terms of its high capacity to manufacture a wide range of patterned lace bands and all-over fabrics. During the trade fair the Multibar Textronic® Lace in a gauge of E 24 produced trendy all-over lace articles for outerwear. Already before the first public machine presentation in Shanghai, several customers had already purchased this innovative machine, thus, showing their complete confidence in the well-known KARL MAYER quality.
Moreover, the clip strings – KARL MAYER’s innovative, flexible system of pattern guide fingers, was first showcased at ITMA ASIA + CITME. During the trade fair the visitors had the opportunity to convince themselves of the high operator convenience of the new clip process and of the reliable and sturdy construction of the entire system. On its stand, KARL MAYER provided functioning setting tables which could be used by the visitors to produce short string bars.

In-house show at KARL MAYER’s production location was pulling the crowds
But wait, there’s more: Several large groups of customers from Turkey, India, Bangladesh, Korea and Japan accepted a long journey to KARL MAYER‘s Chinese company in Changzhou in order to see another lace machine in operation: namely, a machine belonging to the Multibar Lace series which since recently is also being offered in a working width of 210″. The excursionists were impressed by the high efficiency and extended patterning possibilities of the extra-wide lace Raschel machine. During the exhibition this 210”-wide Multibar Lace produced up to four 50”-wide panels at the same time, for example for saris, reaching a speed of up to 800 min-1.
During a guided tour through the factory the visitors were also impressed by the ultra-modern and highly efficient production location. The roughly 120 guests became aware that KARL MAYER China sets the same high quality standards as does the production in the German parent company.

Tricot machines impress with speed
Moreover, at the KARL MAYER exhibition stand the public could clearly see how the formerly independent LIBA company has gradually been integrated into KARL MAYER Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH since its acquisition by end of 2013. During the trade fair a COPCENTRA 2K+E, in a working width of 174” and a gauge of E 32, was displayed from LIBA’s portfolio, manufacturing an elastic mesh structure for the apparel sector.
Moreover, KARL MAYER also presented a new HKS 2-M belonging to the range of
high-performance tricot machines. This newcomer represents a further increase in efficiency when it comes to the production of plain warp-knitted fabrics on two-bar high-performance tricot machines.
In addition to the machines, the visitors also had the chance to see the patterning possibilities of KARL MAYER’s EL control system on tricot machines. Main focus was on the advantages offered during designing compared to the use of pattern disks, main applications of the EL control system and patterning with 3D live simulations. Alongside this offer, KARL MAYER announced an extended program for the Chinese KARL MAYER Academy. Starting from December three-day training courses for the handling of the EL control system will be held in Changzhou at periodical intervals.

Jeans and glass fiber – KARL MAYER’s versatile portfolio
The smallest exhibit on KARL MAYER‘s stand definitely did not attract the smallest number of visitors: The model of the indigo dye-sizing unit Indig-O-Matic, whose original has a length of more than hundred meters, attracted the attention of curious customers from the denim trade. As supplier of complete solutions for the denim technology, the Warp Preparation Business Unit presented the following machines from its comprehensive product range for the manufacture of jeans fabrics: a Ball Warper, a Long Chain Beamer and the DiscTens yarn tensioner. By means of the displayed technology and the entire presentation at the trade fair KARL MAYER demonstrated its innovative power in the denim sector, attracting the interest of the audience, explained Martin Küppers, Vice President Sales and Marketing of KARL MAYER’s Warp Preparation business unit. “Our machines have always been surrounded by visitors”, he went on to say. Of course, the guests mainly came from China, but also from India; many of them came from Turkey, Bangladesh, South America and Europe. In other words: ITMA ASIA + CITME 2014 was “a really successful international exhibition”, concluded Martin Küppers.
At the end of the exhibition KARL MAYER’s Warp Preparation unit was happy to conclude a lot of firm orders. Long Chain Beamers and Ball Warpers were sold but also warp sampling machines, sectional warpers and sizing units.

The visitors also showed a high demand for and great interest in the products of KARL MAYER’s Technical Textiles Business Unit – in spite of the trade fair’s main focus on garments. „Our offer of machines for glass composites especially attracted the attention of Chinese glass fiber manufacturers who visited our stand“, said Jochen Schmidt, President of the Business Unit Technical Textiles. „China is increasingly developing to an international supplier for glass fiber production. Glass fiber structures are being produced more and more in this country:”

Once again it became clear that KARL MAYER has taken the right path, especially based on its product portfolio, in view of its orientation towards the Asian and in particular Chinese markets, and above all in terms of its clear commitment to innovation and quality. The reward is the satisfaction with a successful trade fair and with good business prospects.

KARL MAYER welcomed its guests