Circular knitted plush qualities are also finding increasingly interesting applications as furniture upholstery covers and also for interior panelling and seat covers in the automotive sector. Fabrics used in industrial gloves and shoes are also frequently made of plush, and plush is often seen nowadays as a lining in protective clothing used for example by fire-fighters and by the police.
As the manufacturer of different circular knitting machines for the production of plush, for years Mayer & Cie. has been offering the opportunity to profit from the benefits of circular knitting technology to address these increasingly lucrative fields of application. Mayer & Cie. presented a circular knitting machine for double plush production for the first time at the ITMA 2003.
MPU 1.4 DE is the first machine to produce double plush.
Plush circular knitting machines from Mayer & Cie. have gained a reputation over many years for the quality of their firm-piled shear plush coupled with even plush loop length for maximum reduction of yarn costs.
This is achieved by Mayer & Cie. through the use of an exemplary double sinker technique in which one of the horizontally working sinkers assumes the holding down / plush function and the other sinker assumes the knockover / plating function. The result: the formation of consistently long plush loops and excellent plating of the plush thread through the ground thread.
While this technique used only to be possible on one side – technologically speaking the face side – of the fabric, at the ITMA 2003 Mayer & Cie. presented a fully electronic plush machine for double plush production in the form of the MPU 1.4 DE. This machine also makes use of double sinker technology but in a totally new way: One loop sinker each for the front and back loop, used in conjunction with a cover sinker, permit the loop heights to be independently set and controlled on both sides of the fabric.
The MPU 1.4 DE fully electronically knits single jersey jacquard plush or terry with pattern selection of loops on one side of the fabric with either a plush or smooth reverse.
Fully electronic operation for maximum patterning versatility.
Mayer & Cie. fully electronic sinker selection operates with absolute reliability and has proven highly successful in practical everyday operation.
The plush loops on the reverse fabric side can be selected in accordance with the pattern either as no loop / loop.
The sinkers can be exchanged for different loop heights.
Another new feature of the MPU 1.4 DE is that the front, face side of the fabric can be optionally knitted as double plush by feeding in an additional yarn for loop formation. An adjusting sinker allows the height of these loops to be set at between appr. 1.5 and 3.0 mm.
The special sinker shape and control system, which are specific to MCT, ensure firm, reliable loop integration.
Pattern-perfect and fault-free
The use of electronic sinker selection technology permits rapid setting of every pattern. Diagonally adjustable stitch cams with central stitch length adjustment not only guarantee reliable needle guidance, but also simplify any change of stitch length, while keeping the needle clearance constant. There is no longer any need to reset the yarn feeder when the fabric weight is changed. Another positive effect is enhanced press-off reliability, a benefit which pays dividends particularly with lightweight fabrics.
Absolute positive needle and sinker guidance is guaranteed independently of any commands from the electronic pattern control, resulting in fault-free fabric and high production speeds.
Summary
Mayer & Cie. circular knitting machines for plush production offer wider-ranging sales scope for any circular knitting factory – scope which is further extended by the MPU 1.4 DE with its facility for double plush fabric production.
Major potential sales markets include elastic sports and leisurewear textiles, functional underwear offering outstanding wearing comfort, as well as thermal jackets. The fashion and social clothing Industry also makes use of plush fabrics in sportswear and in the form of sophisticated plush decor elements. The cuddly and cosy nature of plush explains its unique popularity as a fabric for bedclothes, bathrobes and leisure suits.
The high standard of plush quality which can be manufactured using MCT machines is ideally suited as upholstery covering material for seating furniture and car interiors, in addition to the other fields of application mentioned above. This capability means that Mayer & Cie. circular knitting machines for plush production in general, and the new MPU 1.4 DE in particular, offer capacity utilization which is independent of seasonal fluctuations. The unmistakable MCT quality standard plus the high level of achievable productivity open up an outstanding opportunity for consistently high sales.
