Terrot continues to lead innovation in knitting industry

Terrot, one of the top knitting machine manufacturers globally, is looking back on a positive and eventful 2018 with many international exhibitions and successful costumer projects. “After a strong start at the beginning of 2018 until August, our orders declined due to turbulence in international trade policy,” says Mr. Torsten Meile, Head of Sales, Terrot GmbH.

Mr. Torsten Meile, Head of Sales, Terrot GmbH

Terrot has a long tradition and experience in the production of knitting machines and offers a wide range of sophisticated circular knitting machines. Since 1862 the “Terrot quality” is globally recognized for outstanding machine quality and precision. Terrot features furthermore a great application flexibility, with different conversion kits, optional equipment and accessory for all Terrot machines.

In 2018, Terrot participated in ITM and ITMA Asia which were very successful. “We have a loyal customer base and this is a great base to build on existing and new partnerships for 2019. Terrot’s key global markets are Turkey, India and Vietnam. However, the company is witnessing positive trends in Uzbekistan and Brazil, which make us optimistic for 2019,” Mr. Torsten Meile added.

Talking about new technologies launches, Mr. Torsten Meile says: “Technical developments are necessary to survive on the international markets and the give us the opportunity to place ourselves in a technologically favorable position. We launched for example our first model for the production of shoe upper materials – the UCC 572-TRE. Moreover, we made a big progress in the field of ultra-fine gauge fabrics. The UCC 572-T can knit sports and functional textiles up to E24. Our Italian subsidiary also launched a completely new high productive model of Pilotelli brand with 4 feeders per inch and very high machine speeds (up to 58 rpm at 30 inch).”

Terrot invests regularly in its manufacturing facility. In 2018 the company bought a new universal machine center which is 8 times more productive compared to its older machines.

On the new innovations and applications which are under development, Mr. Torsten Meile said: “We are in the final stage for new machine innovations and of course new applications, which we will showcase at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona. In 2019 we plan to strengthen our position on the global market and maintain our market leader position in the field of special machines”.

Indian market

On the company’s performance in the Indian market, Mr. Torsten Meile said: “In 2018, we performed successfully in India, which is one of our top global markets. Our two-brand strategy with Terrot and Pilotelli made this top performance in India possible. Besides our custom-designed machines in combination with a high machine quality made this win possible.”

After sales and service

Terrot has always been known for its focus on after sales service. Mr. Torsten Meile said: “Our After Sales Team has made great developments to serve market and costumer’s needs. One significant achievement is the possibility of payment with credit card (VISA and MASTERCARD) up to an amount of Euro 5000. Our back-office people are capable of handling all customers and countries, guarantee standard offers and order confirmations within maximum 3 working days after first enquiry. We ensure short delivery times by stocking standard “fast-moving” parts and we also place great attention on on-site training via service technicians and/or application engineers. To inspire our customers with our great services is our motto.”

Finally talking about the much awaited ITMA, Mr. Torsten Meile said: “We don’t want to reveal too much, but Terrot will positively surprise all visitors with its new corporate group presentation and the new Terrot machine models. We revised all machines adapted by the market requirements. But we will finally convince our customers with our new after sales service operating system”.

Fine gauge transfer fabrics

As manufacturer for circular knitting machines Terrot has a great interest in sportswear clothing. The global knitwear market has strategically developed over the past years. The demand of athletic and sportswear is growing year by year and shows great potential. Until 2020 the share of knitwear fabrics is expected to grow further. The sportswear sector will drive the future growth. New technologies like the transfer technology by Terrot are important to support the positive drive.

Terrot is known for its modern and innovative technologies, which have been meeting the constantly changing market and costumer requirements for 155 years. One of the latest innovations is Terrot’s UCC 572-T which features the production of fine gauge transfer fabrics up to E24. The model is perfect for production of modern and innovative sportswear textiles and can knit combinations of single and double jersey structures in the upper gauge range as well as hole structures. This transfer technology is so precise that it is possible to influence the clothing characteristics during the knitting process – single knit areas boost breathability and double knits are essential for more coverage and adding texture to the final fabric. Experts call this technology “Body Mapping”, which is particularly of importance for creating comfortable sports apparel of perfect fit and functionality.

Around the world the UCC 572-T und its fine gauge technology enjoys a high level of trust. Leading sportswear brands, e.g., Nike are convinced of this technology already. Their Nike Vapor Kits are specially crafted by applying this knitting technique, called “Nike AeroSwift Technology”. Compared to standard transfer machines up to E18, Nike emphasizes the new technology is lighter, more sweat absorbent and approximately half the weight of traditional fabrics for sportswear.

The UCC 572-T is Terrot’s flagship in the production of sportswear and enjoys an excellent reputation in the market.