Established in 1919 Santoni is the very first Italian sock knitting machine manufacturer. In 1989 it became part of the Lonati Group, a Group that operates in several different sectors of activity, i.e., textile engineering, electronics, iron and steel manufacture, agriculture, financing, real estate, research, and multi-utility and Instruction. In the last 20 years, Santoni has developed a series of circular electronic “Seamlesswear” knitting machines becoming a worldwide leader in this technology.
Santoni introduces on the market a piece of big news: through an innovative and patented mechatronic device, the Seamless knitting machine SM8-TOP2ST allows the production of garments with needle-by-needle / sinker-by-sinker selective terry. The selective terry can be placed in any area of the garment improving its technical-functional performance.
These knitted tubulars can be worn either in a conventional way, with the terry on the inside, or turning them inside out, to have the terry on the outside. On the one hand, the terry, being in the internal part of the garment, plays a cushioning function, providing greater softness, comfort, and breathability. On the other hand, the terry, being placed outside the garment, enhances it, especially from an aesthetic point of view. The selective terry provides a high added value mainly to technical garments, such as those presented in the preview at ISPO 2023.
Project new generation period panty: Advanced machine technology meets performance viscose fibers
During the ITMF annual conference, held in Keqiao Shaoxing, China, on November 4-6, 2023, Santoni and Kelheim Fibres were awarded for their project New Generation Period Panty: Advanced Machine Technology meets Performance Viscose Fibres. Santoni and Kelheim Fibres have recently teamed up to produce an innovative and sustainable menstrual underwear garment based on advanced machine technology and high-quality performance viscose fibres. The product consists of a soft outer layer and an inlay made from special wood-based fibres from Kelheim. The soft outer layer is produced on Santoni circular knitting machines, which significantly reduces the amount of cutting waste or even allows production with zero waste.
The Santoni XT-Machine, originally developed for the footwear market, is used for the functional inlay of the period panty. This unique machine allows the production of several layers with different yarns and knitting structures. This enables all the layers of the inlay – the absorption and distribution layer ADL, the absorbent core, and the back layer – to be knitted in a single tube. This reduces production time and costs and enables zero-waste production. The result is a sustainable and high-performance product that combines comfort and functionality.
