Engineering
The full range of development skills
Development skills
We use 3D CAD software to adapt draft designs for knitting machine components to be developed to KERN-LIEBERS production technology. To meet requirements regarding the load and service life of the knitting machine parts, we use powerful FEM calculation software and test the results for service life.
In the resulting parts drawing (customer), all tolerances are closely examined in terms of economic producibility. The drawing is optimized to ensure that as many additional operations as possible can be omitted or replaced by more cost-effective manufacturing processes.
To test the individual parts or assembly designs resulting from this process, we can quickly produce prototypes. For important functional dimensions, we also make targeted use of overall tolerance fields to limit sample testing.
Forming processes such as bending and stamping, fine blanking and normal stamping are calculated, analyzed and optimized using numerical simulations. Development times and costs for production tools are reduced, as is the cost of testing and optimization.
With this approach, KERN-LIEBERS helps to keep costs for new developments of components for knitting systems as low as possible. And the time "from prototype to standard part" is minimized too.

The characteristics and costs of a product are determined early, in the development phase for your knitting machine components. That's why is a production-oriented design of each individual component in a product is of crucial importance. With the wide range of manufacturing options available to us, we are able to incorporate the specific advantages of each separate process into the product development process.
Before we create tools for the production of the knitting machine components, the forming processes are simulated in detail. One very interesting by-product of this process for you as a customer is that we can provide you with the result of the simulation, with the geometric particulars (indentations, die marks, burrs etc.) and the material-specific properties (hardening, residual stress, microcracks etc.). Before you receive hardware in the form of samples, you can incorporate the simulation results into the overall product.
A big plus here is that the technologies and expertise of the entire KERN-LIEBERS group of companies is available to draw on. Our experts work closely together in this area.
The technologies include
- Wire-cutting and die sinking
- Laser and water jet cutting
- CNC stamping and bending
- Embossing, stamping, fine blanking in sample frames and in production and test presses
- CNC milling, turning and grinding
- All common heat treatment processes and special hardening processes
- Tumbling
- Honing
- Ceramic shot peening
- Wobble riveting, hot riveting, caulking
- Laser welding

To secure and enhance our competitiveness, all processes and procedures are subject to continuous and ongoing further development. These measures and developments are coordinated by our central production planning department, working together with the specialist departments.
Timely implementation is ensured by shop floor management at the production and management levels, with coordination of everyone involved in the process on a daily basis. New potential is developed by means of both the CIP and the company suggestion system.

The basis for the approach to high-volume production of your knitting machine components is always the customer offer. Responsibility for the approach is assumed in each case by the product manager, who working together with central production planning coordinates tool design, manufacture of the resources required, and workflow. The product manager is responsible for the content of test planning and for initial production until the approval of an initial sample inspection report.
When the initial production run is complete, a review is carried out. The workflow is optimized. Resources are adjusted if necessary. On approval of the initial sample inspection report, the product is ready for high-volume production.
