This is how a Relanit looked 30 years ago: Relanit 4, one of the machines presented on
ITMA in 1987, works with four needle tracks.
was a springboard for us youngsters
to acquaint ourselves with the
technology.
For that reason alone, I have always
been fascinated by the technology.
Were there uses of the Relanit that
surprised you?
Axel Brünner: Difficult yarns, poorer
qualities. That was why it was a
success in countries where these kinds
of yarn were often used.
Did that really come as a surprise to
you?
Axel Brünner: Well, it was a surprise
for the customers. For us, of course, it
was more the objective.
The relative movement and with it
fewer deflection points was precisely
the advantage we wanted to put to
good use. That was why we were very
successful right away in Egypt, for
example. The good cotton – hand-
picked – was sold by the state to
earn foreign exchange and the local
knitters were left to process the rest.
That worked extremely well with the
Relanit.
Jürgen Müller: It wasn’t only poorer
quality yarns but thicker yarns too. Yet
the machine ran at full capacity where
others would have had to slow down
by 50 per cent. The Relanit ran at 80,
90, 100 per cent.
Axel Brünner: That was then a cost
benefit for the customer because
thicker yarn costs less than finely spun
yarn.
And this is Relanit today: In the Relanit 3.2 HS relative technology ensures extraordinary
productivity, reliability and a large variety of yarn qualities that can be processed.
Did you feel proud once it was
clear that the technology was so
successful?
Axel Brünner: It’s always a good
feeling when things work! One of our
competitors was at the same level as
Mayer back then. So, it was great to
see our own machines compared with
the competition and to know that the
sales figures were good. For me that
was certainly quite an experience. If
you identify with the firm, you identify
with the product too.
Thomas Maier: It was also soon
clear that the success of the product
safeguarded our jobs. For a while, we
manufactured nothing but Relanit,
nothing else ran off the assembly line.
That proves you have got something
right and it makes you feel satisfied.
It also shows that your job is safe,
especially after the lengthy crisis of the
1970s.
Why is a technology still cutting-edge
after 30 years?
Axel Brünner: It’s like the GTI. It’s no
longer the car it was 30 or 40 years
ago; it went on to be developed to
where it is today. You have to realise
that manufacturing options today
are a far cry from what they were 30
years ago. They too have grown over
time. In the past you might well have
liked to have one part or another work
differently, but that was simply not
possible production-wise.
In production today, we are now
able to put ideas of the past into
practice. The technology has grown
over the years.
Rolf Gonser: In the past many things
were not possible to the tolerance
required or could not be manufactured
at acceptable prices.
And the customers: Do they stick
with Relanit?
Axel Brünner: Yes, some certainly do.
We have regular customers who swear
by these machines.
They are aware of the benefits and
put them to good use. For a certain
product range, the Relanit is then
their perfect solution. It wouldn’t
be true to say that it is always the
right solution, but there is a certain
product area for which it is perfect.
Better than any other machine. If the
fit is right – the product, the machine
and the customer – you are onto a
winner.
About Mayer & Cie.
Mayer & Cie. is a leading
international manufacturer of
circular knitting machines. The
company manufactures the entire
range of machines required for
making modern textiles. Fabrics
for home textiles, sportswear,
nightwear and swimwear, seat
covers, underwear and technical
uses are made on knitting
machines.