Technology

KARL MAYER is once again focusing consistently on its core technologies – warp knitting, warp preparation and technical textiles – and is driving textile innovation forward with greater determination than ever. The leading textile machinery manufacturer will be demonstrating how customers can benefit directly from this realignment at Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main from 21 to 24 April. In hall 12.0 at booth B79 at Messe Frankfurt, an exhibition clearly focused on the future will welcome visitors: the latest textile developments, fresh ideas for expanding their businesses and exciting ideas for new markets – complemented with many opportunities to swap ideas with the company’s textile experts.

As an absolute highlight marking Techtextil, KARL MAYER is opening its new TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER (TIC) in nearby Obertshausen, parallel to the trade fair. Throughout its Opening Week, trade fair visitors in particular are invited to experience this new hotspot for the future of textiles in person.

KARL MAYER opens up new opportunities
Technical warp knits are full of surprises and innovative potential, as the hollow fibre mats produced by KARL MAYER warp knitting machines with weft insertion demonstrate impressively. With their permeable surfaces, these high-performance structures take on very special tasks. As ‘artificial lungs’, they enrich blood outside the body with oxygen, clean the ink from printer cartridges and even carbonate drinks. They open up completely new perspectives, especially in filtration technology. KARL MAYER will be demonstrating how efficiently these hollow fibre warp knits can be produced during the Opening Week in Obertshausen, where the production machine will offer exciting performance demonstrations.

In addition, the diverse reinforcement fabrics produced on KARL MAYER multiaxial machines are paving the way for new applications. These will also be on display at the company’s 60 m² exhibition booth.

A further highlight of KARL MAYR’s booth will be the area of functional clothing. Visitors can look forward to innovative solutions for defense, workwear and sun protection. KARL MAYER has developed special items for the carefree enjoyment of the outdoors in summer and tested their UV protection properties. The results of the tests will be presented at Techtextil.

Warp knits ensure style, comfort and safety from head to toe: a collection of highly fashionable leisure and sports shoes demonstrates the creative potential of KARL MAYER’s efficient high-performance warp knitting machines in the production of sought-after shoe fabrics. The trade show presentation is rounded off by a video presentation on warp preparation. KARL MAYER is the only full-range supplier in this field on the market – a truly unique selling point.

Take a deeper dive into the world of our exhibits
Anyone who would like to find out more about the exhibits and their efficient production on KARL MAYER machines is cordially invited to the opening of the TIC in Obertshausen. Here, guests can discover the fascinating textile universe of KARL MAYER: inspiring pioneering textile solutions from the archive and development laboratory, as well as a modern machine area for implementing new ideas and conducting processing tests. Visitors can explore the technological and economic potential of innovative approaches in direct conversation with the experts. KARL MAYER looks forward to welcoming you!

Stay ahead of the crowd – pre-register here.

Goddiva today announced the upcoming launch of a next-generation AI virtual try-on experience, created to help customers understand how they will truly look and feel in a dress before making a purchase.

Designed initially for Goddiva VIP customers, the new technology allows users to upload their own image and visualise themselves wearing Goddiva styles across both collection pages and individual product pages. This is not a simple overlay or face-based visual. The system analyses body structure, proportions, and size data to simulate how a garment will fit, drape, and sit on the customer’s unique body shape.

By giving customers clearer expectations of fit and appearance, Goddiva aims to directly tackle some of the biggest challenges in online fashion retail – uncertainty, disappointment, and unnecessary returns.

“This is about confidence and clarity,” said Yathu Kanagaratnam, Head of Technology & AI Strategy at Goddiva.

“When customers can see themselves in a dress – not a model, not an avatar, but them – they can make better decisions. That means fewer returns, less frustration, and a far better overall experience.”

Sustainability and Privacy at the Core
The initiative also plays a meaningful role in Goddiva’s sustainability strategy. Returns are one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions in e-commerce, driven by repeat shipping, repackaging, and waste. By improving fit accuracy and purchase confidence, the virtual try-on experience is expected to significantly reduce return rates, lowering the brand’s environmental impact while saving customers time and inconvenience.

The platform is built entirely in-house, using Google Gemini alongside proprietary AI systems developed by Goddiva’s technology team. Privacy and trust are fundamental to the solution: the feature is fully GDPR-compliant, opt-in only, and customer images are processed solely to deliver the virtual try-on experience.

The Future Roadmap: Size Prediction and Video Generation
As part of the same innovation roadmap, Goddiva is also developing an AI-powered size predictor, which will use uploaded images and body analysis to guide customers toward the most suitable size. This feature is currently in development and will be released in a future phase, further strengthening fit accuracy and customer understanding.

Expanding the boundaries of digital shopping even further, Goddiva confirmed that AI video generation is also under production. This cutting-edge feature, scheduled to be available in summer 2026, will allow customers to see how fabrics move and catch the light on their own digital likeness in motion, further strengthening fit accuracy and customer understanding.

The virtual try-on experience is currently being trialled with a selected group of VIP customers, with a broader launch planned for early summer.

“This is another major step in how we reimagine online fashion,” Kanagaratnam added.

“It’s about reducing disappointment, respecting the customer’s time, and building a smarter, more responsible way to shop for occasionwear.”

The launch builds on Goddiva’s growing AI ecosystem, following the successful introduction of its AI-powered shopping and styling tools last year. Together, these innovations position Goddiva as one of the most technology-forward fashion retailers in the UK, focused on personalisation, sustainability, and long-term customer trust.

The TS330-1800, the newest addition to Mimaki’s TS330 Series

Mimaki Europe, a leading manufacturer of industrial inkjet printers and cutting plotters, announces enhancements to its dye sublimation TS330 Series, including the introduction of the TS330-1800. The entire TS330 Series is now compatible with Mimaki’s Sb411 inks in Orange, Violet, Fluorescent Pink and Fluorescent Yellow, enhancing colour flexibility and control, and offering improved vibrancy and colour accuracy. Complementing these upgrades, the new TS330-1800 is equipped with a larger print width to cater for a broader array of textile applications within fashion, sportswear, textile signage, and home décor.

The extended colour range – now totalling at 11 different inks – provides improved vibrancy and colour saturation, ideal for high-impact branding on sportswear, fabric signage and promotional merchandise. Opening up extensive ink configurations, applications can be produced with improved colour accuracy, fulfilling production needs for sectors where high colour fidelity is required.

With a maximum printing area of 1940mm, the new TS330-1800 enables users to increase their output and diversify with larger applications, such as curtains and tapestries, while bypassing time spent sewing and pattern matching. With this extended width, more panels can be placed side-by-side, reducing rows, adjustment and waste.

Arjen Evertse, Director Sales at Mimaki Europe, remarks, “Achieving eye-catching prints is becoming increasingly important when printing textiles, particularly when it comes to branded material like signage or sportswear. To cater to this market need, vibrant inks like fluorescents, give users the ability to produce more saturated, as well as more accurate, colours in their applications.

“The TS330 Series delivers reliable, high image quality, colour density and high print speeds, and so we wanted to offer print shops a larger machine to further amplify their business growth. Thanks to its larger print width, the new TS330-1800 can now accommodate larger home décor applications, a market where digitally printed textiles are in high demand, and higher output with improved layout efficiency for other applications, in addition to all the existing benefits of a TS330 printer.”

Utilising Mimaki’s OEKO-TEX® ECO-PASSPORT certified Sb411 inks, the prints achieved by the TS330 Series are both vivid and environmentally responsible. This certification allows print providers to fulfil sustainability requirements demanded by global textile brands and eco-conscious consumers. The TS330-1800 will be delivered with the standard TxLink5 Lite RIP software for improved workflow management.

The TS330-1800 will be available across EMEA in Spring 2026.

From December 16 to 19, 2025, the global textile industry will gather at ShanghaiTex at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC), where Groz-Beckert will present its latest highlights and innovations across its five product areas – Knitting, Weaving, Nonwovens, Sewing, and Spinning – at Hall N3, Booth A05.

Innovations across five product divisions
Knitting
In the Circular Knitting segment, the spotlight will be on the LCmax™, the next generation of energy-saving needles. Featuring a pioneering wave-shaped shank geometry, LCmax™ ensures optimal energy efficiency, reduced friction, and ease of handling – delivering maximum performance with minimal energy consumption.

Additionally, the cooperation with machine builder BORGFLY will be presented. Together, a new LCmax™ needle with an customized hook geometry has been developed. The first prototype of this specialized needle was delivered after just four weeks.
In collaboration with PAILUNG, Groz-Beckert introduces two new knitting systems: a transfer needle and a compound needle.
• The transfer needle Vo-Spec. 94.41-30 G 0010 sets a new industry benchmark with a needle thickness of just 0.30 mm and a 0.15 mm thin transfer clip, making it the finest of its kind. This precision enables exceptionally reliable loop transfer and opens new creative possibilities for ultra-fine fabrics.
• The new compound needle offers enhanced productivity, process reliability, and durability – even at high production speeds or when processing demanding yarns.

For applications using staple fiber yarns, the SAN™ SF staple fiber needle and SNK SF sinker combination reduces contamination and extends cleaning intervals, boosting overall efficiency.

In Flat Knitting, the cooperation with machine builder CIXING will be highlighted, where the durable VOSA-SPEC. 89.60-45 G02 needle has been developed. In addition, two specialized needles take the stage:
• The SAN™ TT, designed for particularly tight loops, ideal for technical and medical textiles.
• The SAN™ FY, engineered for processing uneven effect yarns, ensuring flawless fabric appearance even with complex designs.

The Legwear Segment will showcase dur™ needles, known for their extreme durability and precision in fine hosiery production. Complementing these are new system parts, including toe-closing components that guarantee uniform loop transfer and perfect fabric finish.

In Warp Knitting, Groz-Beckert presents its expanding module range and an innovative guide needle for Piezo-Jacquard machines, setting new standards in precision, stability, and efficiency for loop formation.

Weaving
Groz-Beckert’s Weaving division will demonstrate how precision and reliability in preparation and accessories can elevate fabric production quality and efficiency.

The portfolio includes heald frames, healds, warp stop motions, drop wires, and reeds, all compatible with major weaving machines and tailored to the diverse requirements of fashion, home, and technical textiles. Special focus will be on Groz-Beckert reeds, valued for their technical precision and versatility. Whether in high-speed production or complex technical fabric manufacturing, these reeds ensure perfect thread guidance and flawless results.

Nonwovens
In Nonwovens, Groz-Beckert showcases advanced solutions for both traditional needling and carding applications.

Focusing on the card clothing sector, the product area presents its innovations from the Groz-Beckert InLine family:, The SiroLock™ plus worker and doffer wires. Their special geometry enhances machine availability and ensures consistently high carding quality across nonwoven production processes.

Sewing
The Sewing division highlights their special application needles, tailored to meet the demands of advanced sewing applications:
• SAN™ 5.2 – for technical textiles such as airbags, offering greater stability and secure loop pick-up.
• SAN™ 6 – ideal for woven fabrics like denim, with enhanced durability through GEBEDUR™ coating.
• SAN™ 10 and SAN™ 10 XS – designed for fine knits and delicate materials requiring precise stitching.
• Litespeed™ – the latest innovation, developed for high-speed or dense material sewing where needle heat buildup is critical. Its geometry reduces friction and heat, ensuring smoother processes.
• MR needle – suitable for multidirectional sewing operations offering consistent performance across changing stitch directions.
• DBxK5 SAN™ 1 – designed for embroidery on hard and sturdy materials ensuring reliable performance and clean embroidery results.

Spinning
For the Spinning industry, Groz-Beckert introduces a maintenance-free cylinder wire designed for longer service life and reduced maintenance costs. Further innovations include enhanced revolving tops optimized for fine yarn processing and stationary flats featuring a robust new aluminium profile – ensuring precision, durability, and reliability in every stage of the spinning process.

The Aurora cutting machine is the proper model for those looking for a solution with outstanding performance, a reasonable price, and the capability of growing with the company.

Thanks to the excellent electronics and mechanics typical of all FKgroup cutting machines, Aurora can cut from 8 cm of a compressed mattress up to a single ply, thanks to its adjustable suction system. For this reason, it is particularly suitable for meeting the needs of companies operating in sectors such as clothes, which demands working on large amounts of garments while preserving low energy consumption and maintenance, or fashion, where accuracy and quality are crucial.

The Aurora cutting machine is eco-friendly, thanks to its 4 kW double turbine system. These low consumptions allow substantial energy savings, a decrease in noise, and highly performing extraction. Thanks to this technology, the average consumption is 4.9 kW, one of the lowest on the market.

Aurora is available with two distinct suction units:
• with double 4 kW turbine;
• with double 5.5 kW turbine.

This possibility makes Aurora the ideal option for developing companies because it can pursue their growth.

Moreover, thanks to the Just Cut control software, Aurora allows companies to set and adjust the cutting parameters quickly, intuitively, and safely, directly from the computer.

Also, thanks to the hardware installed on the FKgroup Aurora cutting machine, remote support via Web Cam and Wi-Fi connection from a computer are always available. This hardware, together with the telephone technical assistance service, allows the operator to have access to the technical support of FKgroup 24/7.

Electronics are one of the most delicate points in any cutting machine. For this reason, FKgroup has chosen to utilize components produced by the best brands on the market. For this reason, Aurora incorporates FANUC electronics, a company recognized worldwide for its quality in the industrial automation sector.

OPTIONAL
Depending on the needs, Aurora can be customized with various options to meet specific business needs.

These are:
• Single drilling device;
• Air blade cooling (-3°);
• Blade lubrication with silicone substance;
• Motorized transfer between spreading tables;
• QRV rapid feed for high productions.

Mimaki Europe, a leading manufacturer of industrial inkjet printers and cutting plotters, announces the TS200-1600, its latest sublimation transfer inkjet printer, which will make its international debut at The Sign Show / The Print Show in Birmingham, UK (23–25 September 2025). Building on the success of the TS100, the new TS200-1600 delivers fast production speeds, high-quality and versatile applications at an affordable price point, making it an ideal solution for small shops, start-ups, and businesses looking to expand into customised goods and short-run textile production.

Powered by the same core technology behind Mimaki’s 330 Series, the TS200-1600 ensures smoother gradients, vivid colours, and outstanding accuracy without compromising on speed. Its extended eight-colour ink set includes the addition of orange and violet inks for richer tones and improved colour gamut, as well as newly developed fluorescent pink and yellow inks for vibrant, eye-catching applications, such as sportswear, custom promotional items, home décor and soft signage.

The printer runs on Mimaki’s OEKO-TEX® ECO-PASSPORT certified Sb411 inks, ensuring high-density prints that are both durable and environmentally responsible. The certification allows print providers to meet sustainability requirements demanded by global textile brands and eco-conscious consumers.

To maximise uptime and reduce waste, the TS200-1600 incorporates 2L degassed ink packs that prevent air bubbles and ensure consistent print quality. The improved ink supply system also allows operators to easily shake the inks without removing them from the printer, simplifying maintenance while maintaining reliable performance. Combined with Mimaki’s user-friendly RasterLink7 RIP software and PICT, Mimaki’s free cloud-based monitoring tool, users can streamline print management and production processes.

“The TS200-1600 represents the next step in our entry-level dye sublimation line,” comments Arjen Evertse, Director Sales at Mimaki Europe. “It brings professional-level quality and colour brilliance to customers entering the dye sublimation market, while offering a user-friendly, cost-efficient solution for short runs, proofing, and personalised applications. With its eco-friendly inks and Mimaki’s core technologies, it also supports a more sustainable production process.”

With its compact footprint, environmentally friendly and safe inks, and support for a wide range of polyester fabrics and coated substrates, the TS200-1600 is positioned as an accessible yet powerful solution for businesses aiming to capture new opportunities within rigid substrate applications for custom goods and gifts, as well as in the on-demand textile market.

The new printer will also be showcased at All2Print (Romania, 30 September-3 October), Viscom Italia (Italy, 1-3 October), Sign Istanbul (Türkiye, 2-5 October), and Grafima (Serbia, 8-11 October).