Taiwan’s Da Kong Enterprises, the high quality hosiery machine manufacturer which has been servicing the industry since 1956, has recently appointed the UK agency firm of Lowesby Investments Limited, as agents for their equipment in the Americas. The territory covers Canada to Argentina, excluding Mexico where they have agents, and will also include new developments in the Caribbean Islands.
Lowesby will be operating initially out of Winchester UK, Toronto, Canada and Charlotte North Carolina.
Da Kong produces a comprehensive range of single cylinder hosiery machines for the whole market ranging from extra-large items to babies and also pantyhose. Products can be manufactured with automated toe closing on the DK-318B 3 3/4 inch, with the addition of Terry, Pattern Terry, Pelerine stitch transfer and Medical structures. Cylinder sizes range from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inchs diameter and in single feed, two feed and four feed versions.
The DK-B318D is fitted with Da Kong’s own toe closing unit and is a high efficiency single cylinder machine with 1 main feed plus 7 colour feeds for production of quality men’s to children’s plain terry and patterned socks in 3 3/4 ins diameter. The graphic design systems used are Dstyler and Dapun with the controllers from Sunone and Deimo 2900 available. Full details are available on the Da Kong web site. www.DaKong.com, the machines and the auto toe closing. Lowesby Investments is headed up by Duncan Johnson in cooperation with Mike and Mary Kate Moody of Trex from Charlotte North Carolina.
Elsewhere, Textilaties in Southern Africa, the sister company of Lowesby Investments, has just been appointed the agents for Kern-Liebers of Schramberg Germany, which have been making textile parts for over 80 years.
“We really are thrilled with this development as Kerns produce the highest quality German products,” says Mr Johnson. “Their range is over 60,000 products with over 1,000 people employed. They cover the hosiery industry, flat bed, large diameter, crochet, warp and raschel knitting parts.”
Lowesby Investments is also the UK agent for Chinese flat knitting machine builder Jin Peng which has entered the European market. The company’s ranges of electronic trim knitting machines are now available in the UK, Ireland, Canada and the USA from Lowesby and Textilaties.
Jin Peng are described as the leading Chinese trim flat knitting machine builders, offering 10 to 20G plain, mini jack and full jacquard machines. A key advantage of these machines, says Johnson, is that the needles and spare parts consumption are minimal while the fully electronic machines are inverter controlled, 220 volt single phase, without pasteboard cards or films. Programs can be stored on USB, while the needle beds are cut in-house and are equipped with Groz Beckert needles.
As well as trim manufacturing, Textilaties has been selling the machines in Southern Africa for the production of 10G knitwear for schools, promotional garments, scarfs and hats. “The widest machine is 100 ins or a huge 2.5 metres,” Johnson adds, “giving a needle bed of 1,000 needles in 10G.”
The twin carriages on the machines can be run as double systems or separated for separate collars. The number of needles knitting can be programed.
The models available are JP501 single system and JP502 double system, plain machines (High low needles). JP601 single system and JP602 double system, mini jacquard (High low plus a jack and transfer optional). JP611A single system and JP612A double system, mini jacquard – the same as JP601 and JP602 but with a special spandex cam system and the JP711 full jacquard machine. Right now the JP811 and JP812 are also in development.
As part of its service Textilaties is offering sales, installation, training, back up service and spare parts. “Textilaties has been servicing the Southern Africa Textile market for 42 years,” adds Johnson. “With the strong move towards small local manufacturing, the return of the textile industry to the UK, Canada and the USA, we feel the the JP range fits into the trim market perfectly for everyone ranging from one-man bands to large factories. These are terrific, little, modern high production machines.” Lowesby Investments is also the UK agent for circular knitting machine builder Sintelli with a new machine just sold to a company in Halifax, UK.
