Shima Seiki at Pitti Filati 94

Wakayama, Japan

Shima’s SWG-XR WHOLEGARMENT machine will be shown in gauges 15L and 18L as well as a prototype machine in 22L at Pitti Filati.

Shima Seiki Italia S.p.A., the Italian subsidiary of leading Japanese computerised knitting solutions provider Shima Seiki Mfg., Ltd., will exhibit at the 94th edition of the Pitti Immagine Filati exhibition in Florence, Italy, later this month.

The Milan based subsidiary will exhibit in the CustomEasy section, which involves the concept of Fashion at Work and explores customisation in the presence of textile machinery and design software, represented in part by Shima Seiki’s lineup of WHOLEGARMENT knitting machines and APEXFiz design software.

As pioneer of seam-free complete garment knitting, Shima Seiki has been setting the standard almost exclusively with nearly 30 years of experience with its WHOLEGARMENT knitting technology. WHOLEGARMENT knitting has recently gained heavy interest from the apparel industry due to the shrinking workforce of skilled sewing and linking personnel. In this light Shima Seiki aims to garner even more interest with its new SWG-XR flagship machine that raises the benchmark for WHOLEGARMENT knitting even further.

SWG-XR features 4 needle beds for all-needle knitting of high quality WHOLEGARMENT products using the company’s original SlideNeedle, in addition to a re-designed sinker system and a compact, light-weight carriage featuring 4 systems as well as auto yarn carriers. All contribute to increased productivity of more than 25% over the previous MACH2 XS machine, as well as increased product range using a wider variety of yarn for supporting knits for all seasons, and higher quality for knitting beautiful fabrics and silhouettes; even items that were impossible to knit with the MACH2 series, including punch-lace patterns, variable stitch knitting and intarsia knitting.

Setting new standards for the next generation of waste-free, sustainable WHOLEGARMENT knitting, SWG-XR at Pitti Filati will be shown in 15L and 18L as well as a prototype machine in 22L.

APEXFiz subscription-based design software supports the creative side of fashion from planning and design to colourway evaluation, realistic fabric simulation and 3D virtual sampling. Virtual samples are a digitised version of sample making that are accurate enough to be used effectively as prototypes. By replacing physical samples, virtual samples reduce time, cost and material that otherwise go to waste. APEXFiz thereby helps to realize sustainability and digitally transform the fashion supply chain.

The product planning capability of APEXFiz is enhanced by several web services featured as part of the Shima SeikiOnline Services (Shima online) web platform. These include SHIMA Datamall digital content web service that allows users to search, browse and purchase a variety of useful data for streamlining the planning and production of fashion items, as well as the recently renewed yarnbank digital yarn sourcing web service that offers digitized yarn data by yarn companies from around the world for download and use in virtual sampling. SHIMANAVI e-learning system is also part of the online platform.

The booth also features several companies exhibiting in collaboration with Shima Seiki, including yarn manufacturers, human resource development companies, factory automation software developers and more.

Continuing from past editions of Pitti Filati are knit samples produced in collaboration with Italian designer Vittorio Branchizio, as well as other knit samples including WHOLEGARMENT knitwear.

Pitti Immagine Filati 94

24-26 January 2024

Fortezza da Basso, Florence, Italy

CustomEasy Section, Booth C/4-8

Further information

Shima Seiki Italia S.p.A.

Tel: +39 02 216621

[email protected]

www.shimaseiki.com