Most people relate textiles to clothing and home furnishings. However, the material in our everyday life is also indispensable in the technical field. In this area, we are a leading manufacturer and developer of technical fabrics, TEC-KNIT is in the detail: Whether in motor vehicles, military camouflage nets, medical implants or aerospace components. TEC-KNIT drives along, flies along, protects, heats and much more.
Tradition meets innovation: Since 1983, all the threads have been converging here in Rhede, Westphalia. Being a family-run and training company, our native place is close to our hearts. From here, we export our intelligent and future-oriented fabrics worldwide.
Learn moreThanks to our cross-sector knowledge in handling materials, we are the right partner when it comes to custom and application-specific solutions. Our think tank CCTT (Creative Centre for Technical Textiles)based in Munich, is constantly setting new trends and standards in terms of function, protection and mechanics. As a result of cooperation with established institutes and universities throughout Germany and in other European countries, TEC-KNIT plays a leading role in the field of innovative knitted fabrics – whether in the aerospace, industrial, medical, automotive, defence or lightweight design industries.
This is a unidirectional non-crimp fabric of glass rovings with grammage of 80 to 2500 grams per square metre. The advantages include drapability, the setting threads adaptable to PES, glass and metal, and the built-in functions such as heating or sensing. Glass-KNIT is applied, for example, in the fields of wind power, automotive, sports and construction.
This unidirectional non-crimp fabric made of carbon rovings with fineness of 12 to 50K with grammage of 200 to 2000 grams per square metre impresses with its setting thread out of PES, glass and or metal. Functions such as heating or sensing can be integrated into the drapable fabric. It is used in lightweight construction with complex shapes and impresses with its low-waste processing.
Our solutions provide a heating function on various fabric substrates. The pure metal heaters cover a wide range of temperatures. The use of tungsten alloys also enables high temperature applications. Examples of applications include steering wheel or seat heaters, mould heaters in lightweight construction, or interior heaters in cars and aircraft.
Fabric grids fulfil a wide range of functions when areas are to be separated from one another, for example, for aesthetic, organisational or protective reasons. Versatile designs guarantee any type of application. Our sturdy products meet common crash test requirements. The fabric meshes are used, for example, as safety nets, or for passenger safety in vehicles.
For our thermal insulations, we use glass and metal spacers that protect the interior against heat and cold, or ensure a uniform temperature. This knitted fabric is used, for example, in the manufacture of hoses or nomex articles in the field of occupational safety.
We are the right partner when it comes to innovative knitted fabrics. Examples:
Protection against vandalism
Cut protection
Energy-absorbing knit
Fabric airbag hinge
Copper heating with contacting
EMC shielding
Heating on elastic base
Partition net
Carbo-KNIT ®
Heated steering wheel
Elastic glass
Heavy copper mat
Textile reinforcement
We set high standards for ourselves when selecting the materials for our products in order to achieve top-notch quality. Below is a small selection of the materials we use:
Two locations, one common denominator: TEC-KNIT CreativCenter für Technische Textilien GmbH consists of two business segments. TEC-KNIT at its headquarters in the Westphalian town of Rhede, and Creative Centre for Technical Textiles in Munich. While Rhede focuses on production, Munich redesigns fabric to meet complex requirements with innovative solutions.
TEC-KNIT is a traditional production company for technical fabrics. Our strength lies in the interaction of the individual sectors. Everything from a single source: With its own warping department, high quality can already be ensured inwarp preparation. New developments allow flexible responses. The fabric production uses a wide range of specialised warp knitting machines to produce both closed and open fabrics (such as nets or grids), as well as hoses and spacing materials (3D). During subsequent finishing, the stentering frame allows thermo-setting up to a product width of 250 centimetres, as well as finishing with light coating, anti-flaming, anti-static and more. Textiles can be cut, punched and sewn in the confection department. Of course, this also applies to special products. Another special feature is the tailoring of fabric heating systems. Before a product leaves the factory, it is put through its paces in the testing laboratory. Trusted textile: TEC-KNIT is ISO 9001 certified as a supplier to the automotive industry. Selected products meet the standard 100 by Oeko-Tex.
Find out more about our products here.
In the Creative Centre for Technical Textiles (CCTT), products are developed ready for the market in collaboration with industrial customers. In the think tank, creative ideas are used to make innovations in the field of fibre and plastics processing. The researchers and developers also contribute their know-how to publicly funded research projects. Here are some examples:
Wolfgang Hoeck founded TEC-KNIT in 1983. The graduate engineer comes from a Westphalian manufacturing family, which can look back on over 100 years of experience in textile production. His new approach: specialisation in technical warp knitted fabrics. From the beginning, the focus has been on research and development – a commitment that pays off: TEC-KNIT is developing into one of the leading companies for innovative warp knitted fabrics. New developments and research are being implemented in cooperation with institutions and universities around the world. In 2011, TEC-KNIT was renamed Creativ Center für technische Textilien GmbH, following which Sebastian Hoeck, son of the company founder, joined the company.
There is now an outsourced development department: CCTT in Munich-Riemerling. With its membership in the competence cluster MAICarbon, one of the 15 leading clusters of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the goal is to implement CFRP technology on a large industrial scale for various user industries in Germany. The main aim is to make the material carbon suitable for mass production applications and to develop the region into a European competence centre for CFRP lightweight construction, which covers the entire value added chain of CFRP technology and helps the represented partners in the key technology of CFRP to become world market leaders. (For further information, please visit)
Today, the company has 30 employees and numerous customers in Germany and abroad. The goal is the development and production of cutting-edge products. At the same time, TEC-KNIT GmbH remains true to its traditional values as a family-run company. The conception and implementation of new ideas and solutions has always been part of it.
01. June 1905
Foundation of Hoeck & Starting Mechanische Weberei oHG in the Industriestraße in Rhede. The focus was on the production of cotton sacks. Special product: Towel and wipe pouches, own printing house.
1933
Following the death of the founder, Josef Hoeck, and the change of name to Leinen- und Baumwollweberei Karl Hoeck KG (Linen & Cotton Weaving Mill), the main focus was on the production of nettle fabric.
1949/1950
The plant was relocated to Am Böwing in Rhede. Wolfgang Hoeck was born here on 10 September 1949.
1955
First warp knitting machines and crochet fabric machines were used.
1978
Wolfgang Hoeck joined the company as Managing Director.
1983
Wolfgang Hoeck established the engineering office of Dipl-Ing. Wolfgang Hoeck which, in turn, formed the basis of the company TEC-KNIT Wolfgang Hoeck in 1984.
The main product: Warp knitted nets
1995
Innovation award of TECHTEXTIL/Frankfurt for "knitted heating elements"
1997
First use of knitted low-voltage heaters in the automotive industry
1999
Purchase of the company building, Am Böwing 10 in Rhede, formerly Karl Hoeck KG (birthplace of Wolfgang Hoeck), expansion of the production area from 1,500 to 3,000 square metres
2000
Development of warp knitted fabric for space antennas, based on 30-μm fine wire made of gold-plated molybdenum
2004
ISO 9001 certification of the quality management system
2009
Sebastian Hoeck joined the company in the fourth generation
2009
Foundation of TEC-KNIT CreativCenterrum für technische Textilien GmbH in Munich 2011 Project partner at the BMBF leading cluster MAI Carbon
2011
Finalist in the innovation award of the German economy
2016
Investment in a modern stentering frame from Brückner Trockentechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Leonberg
2017
Expansion of production and warehouse space by 1000 square metres
2017
Investment in a modern warping plant from the company Karl Mayer Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Obertshausen
2018
Expansion of production capacities by procurement of additional knitting machines
TEC-KNIT is a highly regarded employer in the region. We are a traditional, family-owned business with attractive employee benefits and are looking for motivated full-time and part-time employees for our production.
In my opinion, tradition and innovation are not opposing concepts, but go rather hand in hand. I run our family business in the fourth generation on a traditional basis.
It is our tradition to focus on the well-being of our employees and a long-term and sustainable relationship with our customers, suppliers, business partners and project partners. We ensure this high standard on the basis of consistent high quality, trusting communication, and multifaceted creativity.
But there is also a tradition in our development of innovative textile solutions.
We know the possibilities and limitations of materials and processes. In the future, we want to go beyond these limits for you and with you. This is how we maintain our strong position in the textile location of Germany.
Management
Management
Financial Management / Authorised Signatory
Works Management
Application Technology / R&D
Process Technology / R&D
Processing
