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Apex Mills Expands Production Capabilities to Support Textile Industry Growth




Apex Mills, a leading warp knit textile manufacturer serving industrial, commercial and military markets, expands its production and design capabilities with the addition of new machinery including a Karl Mayer RD 7/2-12 EL raschel knitting machine, the first of its kind in the United States. This state-of-the-art machine delivers flexible and technical spacer fabrics in designs far beyond what we have seen in the past.

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As the U.S. textile industry expands, more companies are looking to incorporate innovative fabric solutions into their products. Apex Mills is gearing up for this accelerated demand by expanding its production capabilities. Our new 7-bar double needle knitting machine is fully automated with the speed and ability to change patterns within a single knit run. With four to six guide bars used to construct each of the outside surfaces and up to three guide bars used to work the pile spacer, our ability to design new and innovative fabrics are greater than they have ever been.  The combinations are almost limitless and can be uniquely tailored for each application. This is especially important for products requiring high performance as well as fashion, such as the footwear and apparel markets.

Warp knit spacer fabrics consist of top and bottom surfaces with a monofilament yarn layer in between, giving the fabric depth and enabling air and moisture to permeate. The surface layers are determined by selecting the appropriate stitch densities and design elements, while the thickness is engineered by the angle and density of the pile yarns. With the addition of a seventh guide bar, enhanced patterning can be achieved resulting in a wider selection of designs and styles, as well as a greater range of function.

Whereas many knitting machines can only produce finished fabrics 60” in width, Apex Mills can deliver fabrics up to 120” in width, used for applications such as large scale projection screens, wall coverings, truck covers, and theater/staging productions.

Jonathan Kurz, Owner & CEO of Apex Mills states, “For more than 70 years we have advanced our business by increasing manufacturing efficiency, focusing on the evolving demands of the many industries we serve, and understanding what we can do to support and enhance emerging trends.  We are now exploring advanced materials that can be integrated into fibers and yarns or knit into the fabric that can sense, communicate, store energy, regulate temperature, monitor health, and more.”

To bolster efficiencies and shorten development cycles, Apex Mills also acquired newly developed 3D modeling software which allows us to design, model and manipulate fabric structures and then demonstrate them to customers before ever threading a yarn into the knitting machine. The resulting manufacturing parameters can then be directly inputted through the use of a simple thumb drive.

Founded in 1943, Apex Mills evolved into a leading textile mill engineering fabric solutions for the Department of Defense, NASA and today’s biggest brands. With all manufacturing done in the USA, our team provides in-person collaboration, on-site development, tight quality control and quicker delivery. For more information, visit www.apexmills.com.

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