By connecting virtual design directly to machine programming, Shima Seiki and Lonati are trying to cut sampling waste, shorten lead times and make sock production more responsive.
In socks, as in much of fashion, too much time and money are still lost between sketch and shop floor. Designers create concepts, factories make physical samples, adjustments follow, and product launches slow down. Shima Seiki of Japan and Italy’s Lonati want to compress that cycle.
What is changing
The two companies are tightening the link between Shima Seiki’s APEXFiz design software and Lonati’s Orion programming system. APEXFiz allows designers to create detailed 3D virtual sock samples, rendering individual stitches in real time. Orion then checks those designs from a production perspective, modelling technical features such as stitch accuracy, yarn settings, needle count and zone-specific construction across the sock.
The bridge between the two systems is the transfer of BMP files, which allows design data to move directly into production programming.
Why it matters
This is about more than convenience. Physical sampling is costly, slow and wasteful, especially in a market that increasingly values speed, customisation and sustainability. A more integrated digital workflow reduces material waste, labour costs and development time, while improving accuracy before a machine ever starts running.
For sock makers, that means fewer sampling rounds and faster market response. For machinery suppliers, it creates stickier ecosystems built around software as much as hardware.
What happens next
The next layer is AI. Both companies see artificial intelligence as a way to refine virtual sampling, detect technical issues earlier and further shorten time-to-market. In a mature sector like socks, that kind of digital integration may prove a sharper competitive edge than the machine alone.
