The machine-maker is betting that applied innovation—not just faster looms—will be the differentiator in filtration, composites and functional apparel.
As margins tighten in commodity textiles, machinery firms are chasing growth where performance specs trump price. KARL MAYER’s answer is a sharper focus on its core stack—warp knitting, warp preparation and technical textiles—backed by a new innovation centre designed to move ideas from sample to scalable fabric faster.
At Techtextil Frankfurt (21–24 April 2026), KARL MAYER plans to showcase developments in technical warp knits, multiaxial reinforcement fabrics and functional textiles, while also promoting its claim to be the only full-range supplier in warp preparation.
In parallel, it will run an Opening Week (21–24 April 2026) for its new TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER (TIC) at its headquarters in Obertshausen, near Frankfurt.
The exhibits point to where demand is moving:
- Hollow-fibre warp-knit mats (made on weft-insertion warp knitting machines) aimed at high-value uses—especially filtration and other engineered-fluid applications.
- Multiaxial reinforcement fabrics for composites—an area pulled by lightweighting and durability requirements across transport and infrastructure.
- Functional clothing and footwear uppers that use warp knits for repeatable performance and efficient production.
For customers, the practical question is whether the TIC shortens development cycles enough to justify capex: fewer lab-to-line iterations, faster qualification trials, and clearer routes from prototype textiles to saleable end-markets—especially filtration and composites, where validation is slow and costly.
