German textile machinery maker Karl Mayer has launched a biaxial warp knitting machine built specifically for the wind power industry, and will present it at its Chinese site during ITMA Asia 2026. The MULTIPLY BX is designed to produce non-crimp fabrics for rotor blades faster than the company’s existing wind-focused machine, as manufacturers in growth markets such as China look to raise output.
The machine processes glass fibers into reinforcing textiles with a high share of filler yarns, light weft yarns and long stitch lengths. These materials are in strong demand for the unidirectional reinforcement of wind turbine blades. Karl Mayer said this narrow specialization is what drives the machine’s productivity.
Running at 1,600 to 2,200 min⁻¹ depending on stitch length, the MULTIPLY BX reaches up to 500 meters per hour, the company said. That makes it 20 to 25 percent more productive than the MAX GLASS ECO, which is also established in the wind power market. Performance peaks at stitch lengths of 4 to 5 millimeters, typical for wind products. Filler threads of up to 2,400 tex are combined with transverse weft yarns of 100 to 200 tex, prioritizing longitudinal fiber reinforcement. The weight ratio of filler to weft yarns in the finished fabric is typically 6:1.
“When developing the MULTIPLY BX, we consistently focused on the needs of our wind power customers,” said Dr. Jürgen Tröltzsch, product specialist for composite machines at Karl Mayer Technical Textiles. Tröltzsch said the company looks forward to a wide-ranging discussion about the machine during the Product Show at ITMA Asia 2026.
The design builds on the MAX GLASS ECO, from which Karl Mayer adopted the operating concept, selected technology components and the basic structure of the laying system. The main changes affect weft insertion width and the warp knitting zone. The weft carriage has been widened from 8 inches to 12 inches for parallel weft insertion and to 16 inches for cross weft insertion.
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In the knitting zone, an adjusted needle lift movement reduces so-called fish eyes, the hole-shaped defects that appear when needles pierce the laid fabric and weaken the mechanical performance of semi-finished products. The lever movement has also been optimized to limit vibration at high speed, which the company said means smoother operation, less wear and a more comfortable environment for operators.
Working width rises from 101 to 103 inches, allowing better material use when the fabric is cut into the narrow strips that rotor blade makers process further.
Karl Mayer is positioning the machine as a specialized, cost-effective route to high-performance reinforcement textiles for rotor blades. It will run live at the Karl Mayer (China) Product Show in Changzhou on Nov. 19 to 21 and on Nov. 23.