Leading Italian hosiery and socks machine builder Lonati launched a new machine for the
booming shoe upper sector at ITMA Asia + CITME, the leading textile machinery show, held
in Shanghai, China last week.
Lonati launched its GOSHOES machine series ¡®under the radar¡¯ earlier this year but this was
the first time the machine had gone on show at an exhibition. In Shanghai, the Brescia
based manufacturing giant, demonstrated its DC88-XS its new 2 feed machine in 4-inch
diameter, 144 needles, knitting shoe uppers.
The DC88-XS is a double cylinder 2 feed machine for the production of shoe uppers in ribs,
plain knit, links and links jacquard ¨C with needle by needle single-magnet selection for
different rib, links patterns and links jacquard. Shadow stripe and open-work knitting
is optional. The machine has a brushless motor incorporated in the column with variable
heel and toe reciprocating motion with 2 selection points instead of pickers and needle
droppers.
The DC88X 1530XS machine, to give it its full name, is available in 4-inch diameter
in gauges 8, 9, 10 and 11. The machine is fully electronic, including yarn finger control with
easier sinkers maintenance thanks to the rotating knitting head. It has stitch cams with
independent stepper motors and mechanical takedown.
A full range of shoes with uppers knitted by the DC88-XS was on display on the combined
Lonati-Santoni booth in Shanghai.
