"Mayer & Cie. (MCT) is exhibiting weft knitting machine study at this year’s ITMA exhibition. The study will demonstrate a new technique of manufacturing textile fabrics. The long-established German firm is taking a fresh look at a proven procedure, weft knitting, and combining it with circular knitting. Especially in view of the bearded needle technology used the new procedure offers benefits in terms of needle service life and gentle yarn processing."

Mayer & Cie. (MCT) is exhibiting weft knitting machine study at this year’s ITMA exhibition. The study will demonstrate a new technique of manufacturing textile fabrics. The long-established German firm is taking a fresh look at a proven procedure, weft knitting, and combining it with circular knitting. Especially in view of the bearded needle technology used the new procedure offers benefits in terms of needle service life and gentle yarn processing. The company sees further potential in the higher working speed that bearded needle technology makes possible.

The most striking difference between a conventional circular knitting machine and the Weftnit 3.2 is the needles it uses. In the past, all Mayer circular knitting machines have used latch needles; the Weftnit 3.2 relies on bearded needles. That has several advantages for the user. As the head of a bearded needle is thinner than that of a latch needle, stitch formation is especially gentle. This effect is enhanced if the stitch forming is based on the weft knitting principle using only two steps and requiring a lower yarn tension than circular knitting does. Bearded needles can be expected to have a longer service life – an effect that will be reflected in production costs. The same is true of the fact that a machine with bearded needles is easier to use overall. With a conventional circular knitting machine the operator must open the needle latches after sack removal and before knitting on again, which calls for some experience. With the Weftnit 3.2 that is no longer required.

Another key feature of the Weftnit 3.2 is its product. Single jersey fabric manufactured on this machine differs in look and feel from fabric produced on a circular knitting machine: “The knitted fabric is a little firmer overall than what we are used to; you can feel and see that,” says Marcus Mayer.In addition, the Weftnit 3.2, working with four needle tracks, produces all of the popular single jersey structures, such as piqué and double piqué, terry cloth, two-thread fleece and single jersey plated. Due to its distinctively gentle stitch formation the Weftnit 3.2 also scores points for processing critical yarns, as extensive tests by the circular knitting technology leader have shown.