Long John Group Adopted New Jacquard Knitting Tech
The manufacturer upgraded its production line to improve flexibility when knitting performance footwear fabrics.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Manufacturing
Long John Group installed the Karl Mayer RDJ 7/3 double needle bar Jacquard machine at its manufacturing facility in Indonesia on 20 August 2026. The new equipment allows for complex fabric structures to be created directly during the knitting process.
Why it matters
By incorporating three wireless Jacquard bars, the firm aims to increase production flexibility for performance footwear fabrics. The move allows the manufacturer to create three-dimensional structures and varied functional zones in a single production step.
Long John Group has produced materials for more than 313 million pairs of shoes since its founding in 1983. The firm operates manufacturing facilities across Taiwan, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
The players
Long John Group
A global textile manufacturer with facilities in Taiwan, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia that has supplied materials for over 313 million pairs of shoes.
Karl Mayer
An industrial textile machinery manufacturer that develops high-performance knitting and warp preparation technology.
Jeff Wen
The founder of Long John Group who established the company in 1983.
The details
The RDJ 7/3 machine utilizes three wireless Jacquard bars to control fabric construction. This mechanism enables manufacturers to define functional zones and three-dimensional geometries within a single knitting cycle. By integrating this technology, Long John Group can transition between different fabric designs more efficiently, reducing the need for secondary processing steps in footwear construction.
Timeline
1983: Long John Group was founded.
2012: The firm made its first investment in Karl Mayer machinery.
20 August 2026: The RDJ 7/3 machine officially launched at the Indonesia plant.
19-23 November 2026: Karl Mayer will demonstrate the machine in Changzhou.
Market Landscape
The adoption of the RDJ 7/3 machine follows the company's established pattern of investing in Karl Mayer hardware, which began in 2012. This upgrade reflects a broader industry trend toward integrating complex structural capabilities directly into the primary knitting process.
Manufacturers of performance footwear should monitor how integrated Jacquard bar technology alters per-unit production times and material waste. Evaluating such machinery investments is critical for firms seeking to match the functional complexity required by high-end footwear brands.
The takeaway
The move demonstrates how advanced machinery can consolidate multi-step fabrication into a single automated process for specialized textile firms. Operators should track the production lead times of peers utilizing multi-bar Jacquard systems to identify benchmarks for knitting efficiency.
What happens next
Karl Mayer will host a public demonstration of the RDJ 7/3 machine in Changzhou on 19, 20, 21, and 23 November 2026.
Further reading
For more on the latest equipment trends, visit the Manufacturing section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Knitting Industry.
