HK's advanced knitting technologies presented in China

The 13th China (Dongguan) International Textile and Clothing Industry Fair (DTC) held between 28 and 31 March 2012 is one of the largest textile machinery exhibitions held in southern China.

It showcases newly developed machines and technologies covering a wide range of areas such as sewing and stitching, embroidery, weaving, CAD/CAM systems, printing and ERP. Up to 500 exhibitors took part and the fair has attracted over 30,000 visitors annually in recent years. Therefore, The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel made use of this platform to introduce the latest research deliverables, especially the advanced knitting technologies.

Mr Barry Tai, Business Development Manager of The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), talked about Hong Kong R&D and the application of knitting technologies during the technical seminar on 29 March 2012. A newly developed low pressure relaxation process for knitwear products has been developed which consumes less energy, water and time during processing, compared with the conventional washing and tumble drying (WTD) cycle.

Smart interactive functional clothing which is responsive to the kinetics and physiological changes of the human body and changes of environmental conditions, has been developed through the application of clothing physiology, biomimetics, nanotechnology and advanced apparel evaluation technology.

Other presented projects included novel design and evaluation technologies for the production of high-performance running and cycling wear, advanced functional clothing CAD simulation system and shape memory materials finishing technology. These deliverables are already open for licensing.

Since the participants came from various business areas of the industry, Mr Tai also gave an account of all other available commercialised deliverables. These include production technologies of new textile machinery, finishing technologies, an inventory management system and a sales forecast system.

Apart from the participation in the seminar, our representatives exchanged views with various industry counterparts during the exhibition. We introduced our work and support to the industry, making in-depth discussions with individual exhibitors to explore collaboration opportunities. Besides, we also took the opportunity to update our knowledge of the latest industry developments in machinery and technologies. This helps us conduct more projects which can better address the needs of the industry.