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The Textile Magazine
JUly 2012
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81
tional price:performance ratio with
a high product quality, are easy to
operate, and offer a sufficient level
of flexibility, thanks to their differ-
ent working widths.
These requirements spurred Karl
Mayer Malimo on to develop a
completely new basic concept for
its raschel machines with parallel
weft insertion. The result of this
extensive development work was
the Wefttronic RS. This innova-
tive range was unveiled for the first
time at ITMA Asia, and its working
width has been constantly expanded
since then.
High efficiency and
quality
The modifications in construc-
tion, which led to the development
of the Wefttronic RS, focused
mainly on increasing the speed and
productivity. Consequently, the
entire machine space and basic con-
struction were adapted to the higher
dynamics of the warp knitting proc-
ess in order to increase the speed. In
addition to increasing the produc-
tion speed, the working width was
also extended. This enabled the
performance to be increased by up
to 20 per cent.
Another improvement in effi-
ciency offered by the new weft-in-
sertion machine has been achieved
by improving the components used
in weft insertion. For example,
the guide system of the circulating
chain has been redesigned and the
weft insertion system optimised.
The weft carriage now contains 30
yarns instead of the previous 24.
The modified weft insertion
system, with its half-inch spacing,
also guarantees fault-free
yarn laying without the
yarns sticking together,
which also increases
the product quality. In
order to produce a perfect
textile, the entire yarn
handling sequence on the
machine was analysed and
improved.
These changes in the
construction resulted in
uniform zero inlay run-ins
in the delivery unit and at
the guide rollers, thanks to
central supports and short
yarn paths for the knitting
yarns in the ground guide
bars.
Different working widths,
greater flexibility
The recent develop-
ments have concentrated
on complementing the range of
working widths available. Whereas
the first Wefttronic machine, which
appeared in 2010, had a width of
268”, a version having a width
of 138” was already available for
ShanghaiTex 2011. A Wefttronic RS
in a width of 213” was exhibited at
ITMA Asia 2012. This intermediate
width is complemented by a machine
having a width of 176”, which was
launched at the same time.
The different working widths of
the Wefttronic RS for the simulta-
neous production of several fabric
webs next to each other can be fully
utilised to achieve a high level of
operating efficiency.
All the technical features of the
Wefttronic RS are housed in the
space-saving machine configuration.
The compact construction minimises
floor space requirements and the
short distances promote easy opera-
tion. Touchscreens for man-machine
communication, the location of the
ladder on the right-hand side of the
machine, the drive, the patterning
mechanism, and optimum width
adjustment by a maximum of 60”
round off the package of features
that minimise the time and effort
involved in operating the machine.
The Wefttronic RS can be integrat-
ed in the company’s own network
or linked to the Internet to simplify
data transfer. Linking the machine
to the World Wide Web enables
Karl Mayer’s Teleservice Plus to
be accessed. Among other things,
this service speeds up fault analysis
and communication, and enables the
service centre to access the machine
on-site in real time.
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ITMA Asia + CITME 2012