Wakayama - Shima Seiki, through its Italian subsidiary Shima Seiki Italia, is to participate in the A+A 2021 International Trade Fair for Safety, Security and Health at Work in Düsseldorf, Germany later this month.

Having achieved recognition as an innovation leader in the flat knitting industry through pioneering inventions such as the world’s first DSCS Digital Stitch Control System and seam-free WHOLEGARMENT knitting, Shima Seiki has entered the field of technical textiles by proposing knitting as an alternative to other manufacturing methods.

Through breakthroughs in original hardware and software technology as well as research in new materials, what was impossible to knit in the past can now not only be knit; it can be made to perform even better, the company says. At A+A, this will be demonstrated by the company’s SVR123SP computerized flat knitting machine featuring a dedicated loop presser bed that permits full use of inlay technique for the production of hybrid fabrics that feature both knit and weave characteristics,

Suited to the production of safety-oriented functional fabrics, the SVR123SP also features i-Plating inverse-plating capability for increased patterning capability, including the production of jacquard-like patterns in lightweight plain jersey stitch.

A variety of knit samples produced on SVR123SP be on display featuring anti-bacterial, fireproof and cut-resistant fabrics, including a light-weight cut-resistant apron as an alternative proposal to current heavy vinyl aprons used in the meat packing industry. Safety glove samples knitted on Shima Seiki’s glove knitting machine will also be presented.

Also demonstrated will be Shima Seiki’s SDS-ONE APEX4 3D design system. APEX4’s capability for virtual sampling is especially effective in streamlining the production process. Ultra-realistic simulation capability allows the use of virtual

samples for evaluating design variations without producing actual samples for each variation. Smart, speedy and sustainable production is possible by minimizing the time, cost and resources normally required with sample-making.

A+A 2021 takes place from 26-29th October 2021 at the Düsseldorf Fairgrounds (Messe Düsseldorf).

Shima Seiki will be in Hall 9, Booth F22