Switzerland-based Steiger’s Vega 3.130 is a compact flat knitting machine for technical textiles. It can be equipped with warp and weft insertion for inlay applications involving high-performance yarns. It has a specific cam-box for semi-rigid yarns, as well as adapted sinker kinetics. The distance between the needle-beds can be specifically adjusted and set and other key features include a special take-down for 3D products, a new system of clamp and scissors that can cut yarns like Kevlar, and a selectable carriage inversion ramp for optimised production. The machine can also be supplied in a special format to process carbon fiber preforms for use in automotive, aerospace and industrial composite applications. Steiger has also launched a new app, which will allow, for example, a Steiger machine user in Brazil to live link to a Steiger technical expert in Europe for assistance.

The company launched the Stitch Lab in 2017, where experts in knitting and programming work together with clients on developing their future applications. In the Stitch Lab Steiger develops 3D articles for knitwear, for medical applications and for composite materials. The Vega 3.130 is a product of the Stitch Lab.

Steiger, based in Switzerland, is part of the Cixing Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of flat knitting machines.