#Knitting & Hosiery

2026-07-16

More Jacquard. More functionality. More fashion.

The new RJ 4/2 EL revolutionizes body mapping and expands creative possibilities – from smart lingerie to sporty athleisure designs

With the addition of another member to its successful RASCHELTRONIC® family, KARL MAYER is opening up new possibilities for creative product development for warp knitting mills and brands. The RJ 4/2 EL offers with two stitch-forming Jacquard bars entirely new design options for functional sportswear and bi-elastic lingerie. Available in gauges E 28 and E 32, this new model helps manufacturers set their collections apart from the competition. The fine E-32 gauges, in particular, impress with their clean surface, a pleasantly soft feel, and an exceptionally elegant look.

Smart lingerie: When function becomes a design element

In the lingerie sector, the RJ 4/2 EL offers a fresh approach to functionality in particular. Exciting options for product development include:

Delicate, soft SpotNet items with 4-Way-Stretch: The gentle, elastic mesh structures offer exceptional comfort, subtle sheerness, and an ideal fit.

Shapewear with specialized functional zones: The different functional areas can be combined as desired and, thanks to a high modulus in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, enable targeted silhouette shaping, while a low modulus ensures comfort fit – perfectly in line with the trend away from rigid shapewear toward intelligent body engineering.

Lace-like bands with color variations: The lace-like appearance, combined with striking colors, opens up new possibilities for fashionable lingerie, bralettes, and decorative trims.

Fabrics with small-repeat textural effects: The interplay of pattern and elasticity creates surfaces with fine, relief-like structures. The look is reminiscent of the current seersucker trend in outerwear and brings fashionable textures to the lingerie sector. This opens up new possibilities for modern bralettes, loungewear, soft bras, and bodywear concepts where comfort and fashion are equally important.

Patterns with matt-shiny effects: The interplay of the materials used creates exciting contrasts with a special sense of depth and a high-quality, vibrant look – all without the use of additional colors.

The new design possibilities offered by the RJ 4/2 EL are particularly well-suited for premium lingerie and shapewear brands. With soft, elastic SpotNet structures, intelligently zoned shapewear, and lace-like designs featuring multicolor effects, the machine combines comfort, functionality, and fashion-forward differentiation – three key success factors in today’s lingerie market.

Lingerie with matt shiny effects © 2026 KARL MAYER

Performance with style: Sportswear at the intersection of athletics and aesthetics

The RJ 4/2 EL proves that performance can also be chic, showcasing its design potential for the sportswear sector. New features include:

Items with precisely placed and shaped functional zones: The integration of ventilation, compression, or support zones is a key development focus in modern performance apparel. Mesh zones with strategically designed hole sizes provide customized breathability, and compression zones can also be tailored to specific needs. The RJ 4/2 EL also makes it possible to place the functional zones exactly where athletes need them – perfect body mapping for optimal temperature management, freedom of movement, and support, right on the machine!

Soft stretch fabrics with jacquard mesh and holes, as well as matt-shiny effects: The combination of soft elasticity and integrated design structures meets the demand for sports textiles that are both functional and visually attractive. The appearance stands out for its clarity – the result of using pure elastane instead of core yarn.

Multicolored sportswear items: Multicolor designs create a stronger visual distinction and support the ongoing athleisure trend, in which functional clothing also serves as a fashion statement.

The future of sportswear is highly functional – and it looks great, too. With multicolored designs, stretchy mesh fabrics, and advanced body mapping concepts, the RJ 4/2 EL delivers exactly the features innovative brands are looking for: maximum performance without compromising on style.

Sportswear with 3 D effects © 2026 KARL MAYER

Maximum flexibility and cost-effectiveness

The RJ 4/2 EL is available with a working width of 130". The unique flexibility of the new RASCHEL-TRONIC® is ensured by its configuration with two Jacquard bars able to make counter lapping, combined with KARL MAYER’s proven EL guide bar control system. The machine also impresses with its efficiency. It offers an excellent price-performance ratio, maximum reliability, and ease of operation.

KARL MAYER's HKS 2-SE Expands Possibilities for Premium Stretch WARP KNITS

Warp knitted fabrics with a woven look are more in demand than ever in the fashion and apparel industries. Stretch WARP KNITS, in particular, impress with their freedom of movement, breathability, and virtually wrinkle-free wear – thereby opening up new style worlds such as smart casual or business casual. When it comes to the highly efficient production of premium-quality stretch WARP KNITS, the HKS 2-SE has long been the machine of choice. KARL MAYER’s best-selling tricot machine produces standard elastic fabrics characterized by high gauges, smooth, delicate surfaces, and a soft hand feel.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

ITM 2026: Mayer & Cie. Global presents itself successfully at international industry trade fair

Mayer & Cie. Global has used ITM 2026 in Istanbul for its first major international appearance since the restart. Together with the Turkish representative Mayer Mümessillik, the company presented its premium circular knitting machines "Made in Germany", explained its future positioning within the group of companies and held talks with customers and representatives from numerous markets. The response to the restart was positive. The clear orientation of the company, the reliable worldwide network of representatives and the resumption of service and spare parts supply were welcomed by customers.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

TM WEFT, 270" – More width, more design freedom for the fashion world

KARL MAYER is expanding its successful TM WEFT series with an innovative model that opens up new possibilities, particularly in the fashion & apparel sectors. With a working width of 270", this new machine with weft-insertion not only offers significantly higher output than its narrower counterparts but is also specifically tailored to the demands of dynamic clothing market – particularly in China and Türkiye. A well-thought-out upgrade also ensures even greater design versatility.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

C&S strengthens its governance to support its evolution

C&S announces the appointment of Marco Lucietti to its Board of Directors. With extensive international experience across the textile and denim industries, Lucietti will work alongside CEO Federico Corneli, contributing to the company’s managerial development, organizational structure and long-term strategic direction.

Industrial scale meets verified governance: RE&UP is now B Corp™ certified

RE&UP, the circular-tech transforming global textile waste into high-volume Next-Gen materials, has officially become a Certified B Corporation™. The milestone establishes the industrial recycler among a select group of manufacturing infrastructure providers verified as meeting B Lab Standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.