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The Textile Magazine
August 2012
Shima Seiki machines designed
for ‘New Era of Knitting’
technology
Computerized flat
knitting machine
manufacturer Shima Seiki
of Wakayama, Japan,
celebrates its 50th
anniversary this year. For
such a technology-driven
company, this is not only
an occasion to celebrate
a milestone but an
opportunity for reflection
and self-improvement as
well.
This also comes at a time when
the knitting industry is similarly ex-
periencing a turning point. Having
taken on the role of the world’s gar-
ment manufacturing center, China,
now with its higher wages, short-
age of labor and slow lead times,
has not quite lived up to the initial
expectations placed upon it as a
sustainable centralized global mega
factory. Add to that the rapidly ris-
ing demand in domestic consump-
tion, and a production shortage is
inevitable.
Caught off-guard, many in the
industry realize that change is criti-
cal, but most are slow to react. One
thing is clear: The knitting industry
cannot sustain itself in its current
state for very long. How individual
companies perform in this upcom-
ing ‘New Era of Knitting’ depend
entirely on their ability to rethink
the status quo, complemented by
their technological capability.
To make matters worse, the cost
of manufacturing knitwear has
plunged since the introduction
of inexpensive machinery to the
Chinese market. The situation is es-
pecially severe for knit manufactur-
ers of exported goods, as they are
finding it more and more difficult
to remain profitable. The result
is diminished investment, which
extinguishes any hope for further
progress by the industry. This is the
beginning of an unfortunate spiral
of events, which the knitting indus-
try must avoid at all cost. Shima
Seiki intends to help.
At ITMA Asia, Shima Seiki
introduced new machine technol-
ogy and developments in design
software and demonstrated how
customers can exploit them imme-
diately in preparation for the ‘New
Era of Knitting’.
In these trying times, it is easy
Mr. Masahiro Shima, President