Knitting | Needle Movement on a Knitting Machine

Knitting is a process of fabric formation by producing a series of intermeshed loops using machine such as flatbed, V bed, or circular knitting machine.The movement of needles on a knitting machine is a critical aspect of its operation. These needles are responsible for forming stitches and are arranged in a bed or cylinder, moving up and down in a synchronized motion to create various patterns and textures in the knitted fabric.

Some of the knitting needle movements on a knitting machine by using a latch needle are as follows

Knitting Front or Face Stitch and Back Stitch

The front stitch is knitted using the needle on the front needle bed, while the back stitch is knitted using the needle on the back needle bed.

Needle Movement Tuck

In knitting, a tuck stitch is created behind the old loop using the needle on the front needle bed, while on the back needle bed, the tuck stitch is made in front of the old loop.

Needle movement transfer

When performing the transfer on a Vbed knitting machine, front needle is automatically face to face with the back needle

Split knit in the case of latch needle

Continue ReadingKnitting | Needle Movement on a Knitting Machine

Warp knitting process

In a warp knitting process, the path of the yarn moves along the length direction, In woven technologies usually length indicates the warp direction, so that’s why this type of knitting the called warp knitting.

Warp knitting process

Ina warp knit structure the loops does not look like stable loops just like weft knitting, they rather have a different network of loop intermeshing, the structure of the loop is different than weft knitting. The structural possibilities are unlimited and the designs are highly complicated

Warp Knitting Process Loop formation

Warp knitting process

In a warp knitting process, the same needle in every alternating course is catching the different yarn. If you see the notation C in the first course catching the Y1 yarn, second-course catching Y2 yarn, the third course catching Y1 yarn, and these yarn are provided by the guide to this needle and these guides take the yarn from one needle to another needle. if you follow the path of the black yarn you can see that in alternating courses it’s shifting the position of the needle.

The second-course black yarn with needle B in the third course with needle C is repeated. The guide is taking the yarn from one needle to another needle in subsequent courses for creating the structure.

And for providing yarn to each needle we have individual guides who keep changing the location in every altering course. This is how you define a design of very simple warp structures.

The role of the guide is extremely important because the movement of the guide in the subsequent course will decide how the loops in the structure look like and what type of fabric design want to create

Warp knitting process
Continue ReadingWarp knitting process

Knit Shoe | Secret Behind Knit Shoe

Knit Shoes are trendy nowadays, different kinds of attractive structures are now used to make knit shoes. Mostly using weft as well as warp knit structures. Apart from shoe uppers, manufacturers are making completely sockless shoes made up of knit structures. And the beauty of knitting is, not only you can make the product but also you can create a very beautiful surface design on the product, so that’s why knit become very popular

For controlling the fabric properties for these shoe structures using hot melt yarn. By using hot melt yarn we can create a less extensible fabric, especially on the jacquard knitting machine. And also we can create it on a warp knitting machine

knit shoe upper
knit shoe upper
knit shoe
sockless shoe

Hot melt Yarn process for making Knit Shoe

Hot melt yarn is fused with the normal filament like polyester or nylon or PP. Usually use hot melt PET which has the lower melting point, 110 degrees; or hot melt PP ( polypropylene ) which has around melting of 60 degrees celsius. And combine this filament with higher temperature polyester which is around 260 degrees celsius. After fusing these two types of filaments and creating a fabric structure. After melting the hot melting yarn the loops get locked, hence the extensibility of the fabric structure will become control

Hot melt yarn
Hot melt yarn

Continue ReadingKnit Shoe | Secret Behind Knit Shoe

Tricot Warp Knitting Machine | Best Knitting Machine

The tricot warp knitting machine technology is much faster than compared to weft knitting technologies. In this machine, loops are formed in the course direction. Three elements are used in a tricot warp knitting machine.

The first one is the needle bar, the second one is the sinker bar and the third is the guide bar. These three elements operate in a perfectly synchronized manner to make the loops. These three bars are rather fixed on a block and the whole block so all needles placed on that block will have extremely same movement, that’s why the production of the warp knitting is very fast because at the same time needles catch the yarn as well as to release old loops.

Tricot Warp Knitting Machine

Process of fabric formation in a Tricot warp Knitting Machine

Multiple guide bars, multiple sinkers, and needles are operating for a loop formation in a tricot warp knitting machine. The swinging gaude bar provides yarn and the needle rises up and down to catch the yarn and the sinker will create a sinker loop by holding the fabric, similar to the circular knitting machine. Each guide will be shifting between two needles in every course left or right depending on the fabric design and all this process is happening at a very high speed.

The yarn guide supplies the yarn to needles in alternating courses. Depending on the fabric design we can set the guide bar motions for the fabric development. Both the guide bar and the needles are synchronized properly for fabric production.

Tricot Warp Knitting Machine
Continue ReadingTricot Warp Knitting Machine | Best Knitting Machine

Warp Knitting Loop Formation | Warp Knitting Lapping

The principle of warp knitting loop formation in a warp knit structure is completely different than a weft knit structure. In a warp knitting, each needle is fed by individual guides so each needle will be getting yarn from one particular course, which means for making a course in a warp knit structure multiple guides depending on how many needles are operating on the machine. For example, if you are using 100 needles on the machine then need 100 warp yarns which will be attached to individual guides and those guides will be feeding yarn simultaneously for the entire course formation

So for making a course in a warp knitted structure you need multiple guides and they will be feeding the yarn to their respective needles

Continue ReadingWarp Knitting Loop Formation | Warp Knitting Lapping

Knitting Applications | Best Warp Knitting Applications

Similar to weft knitting warp knitting also has a very unique potential in knitting applications

The first warp knitting application is Shoe, lots of companies around the world make shoe uppers using warp knitting technologies because it gives you a very beautiful design of mesh fabric

knitting applications shoe uppers

Mosquito nets is widely popular in many countries especially in Asian countries for preventing babies from mosquitoes

knitting applications mosquito net

Composites also create warp knit structures,we can put resin inside and we can make very stable composites that we can use for wind turbines and other composites

composites

Geotextile and civil applications for fencing

geotextile

Most advanced versions are used in car seats and 3D spacer fabric has very good cushioning effect

car seats and 3d spacer

In tensile structure also use warp knitted structure it’s very rigid ,very stable and we can create a 3D network of structure using warp knitting technologies

3d network

Warp knit structures are also used for garments

garments

Medical Applications for hernia mesh for mesh fabric, its very highly stable and porous

medical applications
Continue ReadingKnitting Applications | Best Warp Knitting Applications

Knit Design Software | Best Knit Design Software

Knit design software is used to make knit programs for knitting machines. By using this software we can create patterns and simulations. There are two top knitting machine companies in the world, STOLL and SHIMA SEIKI. Both companies are using the best design software for making knitting programs, patterns and design.

Shima Seiki

One of the top knitting machine manufacturers in the world is Shima Seiki. The specialty of this machine is its accuracy, fast quality production, and its patented digital stitch control system, the short form is DSCS. Shima Seiki introduced the world-first whole garment machine in 1995. Its specialties are productivity, flexibility, reliability, and expanded patterning capacity as well as product range.

Knit Design Software

Shima Seiki Design system is called SDS ONE APEX. It supports everything from planning and design, colorways, and elastic fabric simulation to 3D visual sampling. It contributes to sustainability by eliminating waste from the fashion supply chain. The lineup consists of all one design system as well as individual design software that can be selected according to customer needs.

Shima Seiki apex knit design system
Shima Seiki Apex design system

Stoll

Stoll software introduces innovative design tools for more transparency, efficiency, and economical pattern and knitting processes. Pattern programming, connectivity with machines.

stoll design system
Continue ReadingKnit Design Software | Best Knit Design Software

V Bed Knitting Machine | Study on V bed knitting machine

V bed knitting machine is also called a flat knitting machine, V bed knitting machine has two sets of flatbeds, which means the v bed knitting machine has two needle beds, two of the needle cam for each of these beds. One cam jacket for the front bed and another cam jacket for the back bed. And we can create technical front and back loops of the same course with the help of the two sets of needles and these needles move in opposite directions at a certain point of knitting.

V bed knitting machine is the most popular machine because this gives you a lot of flexibility, you can any time close one bed and operate one single bed machine at any time you can create a single jersey as well as a double jersey depending on the design of the fabric.

V bed Knitting Machine
V bed Knitting Machine

Limitations of a Manual V bed Knitting Machine

A manual v bed knitting machine’s carrier is moving by hand. So its demerit is limited width up to 1.5 meters or maximum 2 meters and the other big problem is limited cam speed. Because an operator operates a manual v bed knitting machine by his hand so they can’t move very fast because of their biological problem, due to that the speed of these machines is very low. So the production capacity of a manual v bed knitting machine is limited.

And the other limitation is its tension variation ,when making a course moving from left to right or right to left there may be the chance of tension levels because it is done by the hand so naturally you can expect lots of tension variation on the machine because of the jerk which can be created

Limited Design Possibilities

The other fundamental limitation of manual v bed knitting machine is you can’t make Tuck, Flot loops on either of the bed. Whenever you want to make a tuck all the needles which are selected on one bed will make a tuck , when you set the flot all the needles of that particular bed will make floats. So it’s not possible to create a course where you can have tuck,flot as well as a loop in the same course

not p
Not possible
not possible loop
Not possible
possible loops
Possible

Limited Feeder Selection

The feeder is carried by the cam jacket . A manual knitting machine have maximum two feeders and you can create two or three color at maximum.

Tension variation

During the fabric creation fabric is pulled from underneath between the two needle beds with the help of dead weight because of that the tension is pulling the fabric in downward directions, so the dead weight is not uniform because there will be tension variation at a different point. It results in nonuniform nature of loops on the fabric surface

How to overcome the limitation of a Manual V bed Knitting Machine

In the last 30, 40 years many advancements has been done in weft knitting technologies .

1. Automation in cam movement

The first advancement in the machine was done in the automation of the cam movement or the carriage movement with the help of an electronic motor

2.Multiple Feeder selection

The carriage can automatically select any feeders depending on the design of the fabrics. The carriage can pick any of the carriages depending on the requirement of the fabric

3. Individual Needle selection

In this technology you can choose whatever stitch you want to create in any particular needle then there will be unlimited design possibilites

4. Racking

Racking is the relative displacement of one bed to another bed

Half pitch racking
Half pitch racking

In a conventional V, bed machine needles are placed in the form of rib gating. In this half-pitch racking, we can create a Rib structure

Zero pitch racking
Zero pitch racking

In this zero pitch needles are facing each other. An advanced knitting machine you can shift any of the beds with the respect to the opposite bed and you can create whatever design you want

Two pitch racking
Two pitch racking

In this two-pitch notation, bed 2 is shifted by 2 pitch. It means that it has shifted by two-needle points

6. Loop transfer

In this technology, we can transfer loops from one bed to another. By using it we can create Pointelle, Purl knit, cables, and aran knit structure

7.Multiple carriage

The other innovation from the productivity point of view is the multiple carriage machine. If you want to increase the productivity one carriage will make one set of fabric and the other carriage will make another set of fabric

2 carriage machine

8. Multiple cam system in a carriage

Multiple cam system will increase the productivity and this will give you a lot of flexibility

Continue ReadingV Bed Knitting Machine | Study on V bed knitting machine

Hand Flat Knitting Machine | Best Knitting Machine : Flat Knitting Machine.

Hand flat knitting machines are manually operated machines. Both single bed and double bed machines are available in the market.The hand flat knitting machine is to be operated by an operator. The setting of the hand knitting machine is also done manually as per the structure of the knit. A hand knitting machine is also called a flat knitting machine. And Double bed machine is also called V bed knitting machine.

The Hand flat knitting machine has a limitation of the feeder, as only one color can be knitted in one knitting row. The time taken for one panel is also more as compared to machines that work on power. There is also a limitation of designs that can be made on a Hand knitting machine i.e. Single Jersey,1×1,2×1 Rib, Half Milano Full Milano, Half Cardigan, Full Cardigan, Tubular knit, Cable Knit & Jacquard. But usually, only single jersey & Tubular Knit with 1×1,2×1 Rib are knitted on a hand flat knitting machine.

Single Bed Hand Flat Knitting Machine

Single Bed Home hand flat knitting machine
Single Bed Home hand knitting machine

Double Bed Knitting Machine | V Bed Knitting Machine

Double bed knitting machine is also called V bed knitting machine, V bed knitting machine has two sets of flatbeds, which means the v bed knitting machine has two needle beds, two of the needle cam for each of these beds. One cam jacket for the front bed and another cam jacket for the back bed. And we can create technical front and back loops of the same course with the help of the two sets of needles and these needles move in opposite directions at a certain point of knitting. V bed knitting machine is the most popular machine because this gives you a lot of flexibility, you can any time close one bed and operate one single bed

V bed knitting machine
Continue ReadingHand Flat Knitting Machine | Best Knitting Machine : Flat Knitting Machine.