Development and Tasks

The International Federation of Knitting Technologists was founded in 1956. Right from the beginning it did not consider itself as a professional organisation for a particular circle. According to Art. 3 of the statutes from 1960 it was conceived to „establish friendly ties between works managers, technicians and knitting specialists from different countries and thus promote the general interests of the knitting industry and its further technical development“.
This membership structure, wanted by the founders, is still valid today, and female members were there from the beginning. Anybody having to do with knitting technology or knitted fabrics can become a member.

The counting of the annual conferences, termed International Congress since 1958, begins in 1956. Due to a number of members coming from textile machine-makers the International Congresses are not conducted in those years when the International Textile Machinery Exhibitions take place (1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007).
Countries which have organised International Congresses so far are Austria (5), Belgium, Bulgaria (3), Croatia, Czech Republic (2), Germany (5), Great Britain (3), France (2), Hungary (3), India, Israel (3), Italy (2), Poland, Russia (2), Slowenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland (3), U.S.A. (2).

The office of the International Secretariat is always at the headquarters of the International Secretary elected by the general meeting. Since 1990 the office of International Secretary was held by Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Wolfgang Schaech in his tenth elected period. At the 45. International Conference in Ljubljana on May 2010 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marcus Weber from the University of Niederrhein in Mönchengladbach was elected as new International Secretary. He began his official activity on 1.1.2011.

Today the International Federation of Knitting Technologists has national sections in Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Korea, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia and Switzerland, Turkey and Ukrainia. In addition there are individual members in Canada, Egypt, Finland and Sweden.

Objective

The aim of the International Federation is to foster contacts and the exchange of information at conferences of the national sections or the International Congresses. Thus conferences of the national sections in Austria, Germany and Switzerland are attended mutually by members of these countries (no participation fees for members). Besides special papers the programme also includes visits to firms.

Advantage of being a member in the IFKT ?

In addition to special and technological competence one also demands creativity in the development of new products today. As such it has become more important to make available as much information as possible to persons responsible for further development and production. In some areas the state-of-the-art technology can obviously be called up from the Internet. But the more important background information is obtained by personal contacts to specialist colleagues at conferences, which also provide the means of establishing new business connections.
These persons are actually responsible in the firms for transferring sample patterns, often individual pieces made with a lot of manual work, into serial production with regard to quality, production costs and availability at delivery dates, so that the product can be marketed with economic success. Many firms shift a part of their production into a foreign country, but initially retain the directives at home. Therefore a visit to a specialist conference gives the opportunity of getting to know at first hand not only a foreign company, it’s technology and employees but also to gain information on the ethical sphere. It is difficult to motivate employees for a high-quality work without having an idea of the country’s customs.

Anybody having an association to the loop and stitch is welcome to become a member of the International Federation of Knitting Technologists.


Contact Address

IFKT-International Secretariat
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marcus O. Weber
Webschulstrasse 31
D-41065 Moenchengladbach / Germany
Telephone ++ (49) 2161 186 6011
(Secretary Niederrhein University
Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology)
Telefax ++ (49) 2161 186 6013
E-mail: info@knittingfed.com