Warp Knitting | Producing a Shoe Fabrics Using RD 6 /1-12 from Karl Mayer

Karl Mayer Kettenwirk-Praxis 1 / 2010.

Since 2007, KARL MAYER's :successful product strategy has been to offer high-tech machines for producing more upmarket products, as well as basic versions for manufacturing cheaper products, which puts this traditional company in an ideal situation to cater for all the different sectors of the market.
This twin product line strategy was  unveiled for the first time at ITMA in Munich and was applied to the company's tricot machines. The new TM series, which was developed expressly for this strategy, soon became a firm favorite among customers, and has been effectively complementing KARL MAYER's range of tricot machines ever since.



KARL MAYER has now extended this twin product line strategy to its raschel  machines in time for this year's ITMA  ASIA show. The production machine with a trick plate spacing of 1 to 12 mm lay at the centre of this diversification strategy, and had been designed specifically for producing shoe fabrics, cushioning materials
for rucksack straps, safety belts and functional protective zones in work clothing.
Until now, the RD 6 N was the only machine that KARL MAYER had in its range for processing low to medium thickness spacer textiles. This double-bar raschel machine for producing technical and semi-technical warp-knitted spacer textiles is based on the latest state-of-the-art technology, and is aimed at customers
having very different requirements, as well as innovative, trendsetting companies.
As of June 2010, it will be complemented by a machine aimed at newcomers to this sector and markets with a high development potential. The new machine is known as the RD 6/1-12. It can reach speeds of up to 475 rpm i.e. it has a production rate of 950 stitches/min. It can work standard lappings and meets all
KARL MAYER's stringent quality specifications.

This new basic model can be produced at a competitive price, since it benefits from being manufactured in the company's Chinese factory. The result is a highly productive machine offering a standard repertoire of features and a low investment risk - in short, it is the perfect machine for meeting the requirements of the B- and C-segments of  the market. On the Asian market in particular, the new RD 6/1-12 is seen as a lucrative
alternative to domestic machines.
The technical details of .the machine include:
a working width of 138" (350 cm), gauges of E 18, :E 22 or E 24, N-pattern drive, latch needles arranged in segments, electronic fabric take-down, and a single speed
system for the beam drives. A four channel Laser stop device for controlling yarn running is available as an optional extra.
The 6 x 32'' beam frame configuration guarantees the long running  lengths that are needed to make full use of the huge productivity potential of  the RD 6/1-12. This machine, together with more of its special features, will be shown in operation at an in-house exhibition at KARL
MAYER's subsidiary in Wujin from 14 to 18 June, and also simultaneously with the ITMA ASIA fair :From 22-26 June. Large scale deliveries of this practical, high speed machine will be made once it has been launched onto the market. Some advance machines are already running extremely successfully in the plants of a
number of customers.