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The new RJ 4/2 EL revolutionizes body mapping and expands creative possibilities – from smart lingerie to sporty athleisure designs Learn more

10.07.26

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With the addition of another member to its successful RASCHELTRONIC® family, KARL MAYER is opening up new possibilities for creative product development for warp knitting mills and brands.

The RJ 4/2 EL offers with two stitch-forming Jacquard bars entirely new design options for functional sportswear and bi-elastic lingerie. Available in gauges E 28 and E 32, this new model helps manufacturers set their collections apart from the competition. The fine E-32 gauges, in particular, impress with their clean surface, a pleasantly soft feel, and an exceptionally elegant look.

This article is about:

Intimate Apparel, Sports Textiles, Functional Textiles, Warp Knit, Productivity, Raschel Machines, Flexibility

Smart Lingerie: When Function Becomes a Design Element

In the lingerie sector, the RJ 4/2 EL offers a fresh approach to functionality in particular. Exciting options for product development include:

Delicate, soft SpotNet items with 4-Way-Stretch: The gentle, elastic mesh structures offer exceptional comfort, subtle sheerness, and an ideal fit.
Shapewear with specialized functional zones: The different functional areas can be combined as desired and, thanks to a high modulus in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, enable targeted silhouette shaping, while a low modulus ensures comfort fit – perfectly in line with the trend away from rigid shapewear toward intelligent body engineering.
Lace-like bands with color variations: The lace-like appearance, combined with striking colors, opens up new possibilities for fashionable lingerie, bralettes, and decorative trims.
Fabrics with small-repeat textural effects: The interplay of pattern and elasticity creates surfaces with fine, relief-like strucures. The look is reminiscent of the current seersucker trend in outerwear and brings fashionable textures to the lingerie sector. This opens up new possibilities for modern bralettes, loungewear, soft bras, and bodywear concepts where comfort and fashion are equally important.
Patterns with matt-shiny effects: The interplay of the materials used creates exciting contrasts with a special sense of depth and a high-quality, vibrant look – all without the use of additional colors.

SpotNet with 4-Way-Stretch

Textural effects

Matt-shiny effects

Shapewear with specialized functional zones, made in gauge E 32

AI generated

The RJ 4/2 EL offers a fresh approach to functionality.

The new design possibilities offered by the RJ 4/2 EL are particularly well-suited for premium lingerie and shapewear brands. With soft, elastic SpotNet structures, intelligently zoned shapewear, and lace-like designs featuring multicolor effects, the machine combines comfort, functionality, and fashion-forward differentiation – three key success factors in today’s lingerie market.

Performance with Style: Sportswear at the Intersection of Athletics and Aesthetics

The RJ 4/2 EL proves that performance can also be chic, showcasing its design potential for the sportswear sector. New features include:

Items with precisely placed and shaped functional zones: The integration of ventilation, compression, or support zones is a key development focus in modern performance apparel. Mesh zones with strategically designed hole sizes provide customized breathability, and compression zones can also be tailored to specific needs. The RJ 4/2 EL makes it possible to place the functional zones exactly where athletes need them – perfect body mapping for optimal temperature management, freedom of movement and support, right on the machine!
Soft stretch fabrics with jacquard mesh and holes, as well as matt-shiny effects: The combination of soft elasticity and integrated design structures meets the demand for sports textiles that are both functional and visually attractive. The appearance stands out for its clarity – the result of using pure elastane instead of core yarn.
Multicolored sportswear items: Multicolor designs create a stronger visual distinction and support the ongoing athleisure trend, in which functional clothing also serves as a fashion statement.

Advanced body mapping

3D effecs

Jacquard mesh and holes with stretch

The RJ 4/2 EL proves that performance can also be chic.

The future of sportswear is highly functional – and it looks great, too. With multicolored designs, stretchy mesh fabrics, and advanced body mapping concepts, the RJ 4/2 EL delivers exactly the features innovative brands are looking for: maximum performance without compromising on style.

Maximum flexibility and cost-effectiveness

The RJ 4/2 EL is available with a working width of 130". The unique flexibility of the new RASCHELTRONIC® is ensured by its configuration with two Jacquard bars able to make counter lapping, combined with KARL MAYER’s proven EL guide bar control system. The machine also impresses with its efficiency. It offers an excellent price-performance ratio, maximum reliability, and ease of operation.

Would you like to learn more about the patterning possibilities of the RJ 4/2 EL?

Senior Expert Textile Development Sefan Gross from the KARL MAYER TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER looks forward to answering your questions:

Stefan.Gross@karlmayer.com