Bangkok - Thai hosiery giant OSC Socks is increasing its capacity with the purchase of a bank of the latest double cylinder hosiery knitting machines from Italy's Lonati.

The company has invested in a number of DC88X machines, a 2 feed model for the production of men’s, women’s and children’s socks in ribs, plain knit and links.

This model offers needle-needle, single-magnet selection for several rib and links patterns as well as a tuck knitting option on the first feed of the lower cylinder. The DC88X series also operates with a brushless motor incorporated in the column with variable heel and toe reciprocating motion. With two selection points instead of pickers and needle droppers, it also has electronic size control with an automatic adjustment of the stitch.

The DC88X range from 3 1/2 ins, 3 3/4 ins and 4 ins diameters and from gauges ranging from 7 to 22G. It also comes with SbyS linking with different needle thicknesses according to the machine gauge.

"The highest technology of modern socks manufacturing has just arrived at OSC’s doorstep and already start production," OSC said. "We now have the ability to cram this highest tech into our products, improving the fit and enhancing durability of a sock far beyond what you could ever imagine."

OSC, also known as Overseas Rayon Industrial Co., Ltd. was established in 1972 as one of Thailand's first hosiery manufacturers to specialize in sock manufacturing.

Since then, the company has grown to become a leading local and global supplier of high quality sports, casual and dress socks with a capacity of more than 10 million pairs of socks per year from its 22,400 square metre plant, produced in accordance with Thai Labor Standard TLS 8001-2010. The standard composition of OSC socks are 80 per cent cotton 17 per cent polyamide and 3 per cent elastane although other blends are available on request.

The company is particularly renowned for its sports socks, supplying clients such as Diadora, Fila, Football Thailand FBT, Kappa, Kool Sport, Lotto, Pan, SF, Svolme, Umbro and Yonex. Currently, approximately 20 per cent of the company's finished goods go overseas, while 80 per cent are destined for the local market. Recent new product developments also include the production of calf sleeve socks which come with compression properties.

This latest investment follows a further capacity increase in 2020 with OSC installing in a number of machines from Lonati's Goal range equipped with the SbyS (Stitch-by-Stitch) automatic toe-closing device.

The 16 machine investment included a number of different models from Lonati's single cylinder, sock knitting portfolio including the GK516DF, GK616DF3 and the GK616DF.

These machines are single feed machines that are the bestsellers from the Goal Line as, thanks to their versatility, they can produce several different items, from the very simple to the most complex, without compromising on quality and efficiency, the company says.

The GK models are available in different diameters and range of needle numbers with the automatic linking with SBYS performing a 'real linking' technique. The advantages are said to be superior quality sock finishing, more comfort and resistance compared to socks made using conventional systems. The latest generation electronics also provides control and execution of all machine commands while drawings and articles are created and managed by the Digraph 3 Plus software package, which contains a full collection of styles which the operator can combine in different ways to obtain the desired results.