Performance Apparel Markets - Grado Zero Espace Srl

Performance Apparel Markets, 1st quarter 2006
Seamless knitting and stitch-free technologies
Santoni offers 18 different
types of knitting machine
in its product range and it
also produces Santoniwear
3D software
The Santoni SM4 TL2 and
Santoni SM4 TR2 are four
feed single jersey electronic
circular machines
The company’s fastest
growing markets are in
Asia, particularly China
The Santoni School offers
training courses in
seamless technology
Selectra uses Santoni
machines to make seamless
apparel for sportswear,
activewear and intimate
apparel manufacturers
Selectra claims that its
success is due partly to its
versatility
Shima Seiki started
making automated
seamless glove knitting
machines in 1965
In 1995 it launched
Wholegarment knitting
machines capable of
making an entire sweater
in 30 minutes which did
not need sewing-up
It now produces a range of
computerised
Wholegarment machines
There are 18 different types of knitting machine in Santoni’s product
range. The company also produces software such as Santoniwear
3D—a design tool which allows users to view a 3D virtual dummy on
a computer screen. A range of garments can be viewed in this way,
including underwear, sportswear, swimwear, nightwear and medical
wear.
Examples of Santoni’s machines include the SM4 TL2 and SM4 TR2,
both of which are four-feed single jersey electronic circular machines.
Both are capable of knitting single seamless garments including
underwear, outerwear, swimwear and sportswear.
The company’s fastest growing markets are in Asian countries,
particularly China. More than one quarter of sales in 2005 were made
in Asia—which was not far behind sales in the company’s largest
market, Europe.
The Santoni School provides training courses in seamless
technology.
SELECTRA INDUSTRIES
Selectra Industries is a California-based manufacturer of seamless
apparel. The company is a major supplier to a variety of sportswear,
activewear, and intimate apparel manufacturers in the Americas and
Europe, and uses Santoni seamless knitting machines to produce its
garments.
Selectra grew quickly after its establishment in 2000, and claims that
its success has been due partly to its versatility. The company works
for the intimate apparel, branded sportswear, activewear and private
label sectors. Unlike some other companies it does not focus on one
specific market.
SHIMA SEIKI
The Japan-based company Shima Seiki has been a pioneer in seamless
knitting since it was founded in 1962. It set out to make the first
automated knitting machine capable of making seamless gloves which
required no post-production sewing. It fulfilled this ambition in 1965.
In 1995, 30 years later, it launched Wholegarment knitting machines.
These were capable of producing in 30 minutes an entire sweater
which did not need sewing-up. Typically, a sweater knitted the
traditional way would have consisted of a front, back and sleeves
sewn together after being knitted. At the time of the launch, one
journalist gushed that this invention was going to change the face of
the knitting industry.
Today Shima Seiki produces a range of computerised Wholegarment
knitting machines, each of which has different specifications and can
be used for different purposes.
© Textiles Intelligence Limited 33