Knitted Fabric

By: D. Gopalakrishnan

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Textile Management, Coimbatore – 641004

dgk_psgtech@yahoo.co.in

The production of various types of industrial fabrics for industrial application is almost as old as the
mechanical weaving operation itself, and these end uses are important today. What are new and
extremely attractive to the manufacturer are the growth in industrial textiles and its application in the
sectors such as agriculture, construction, geotextiles, automotive, protective apparel, electronics etc.
This rapid increase in market potential has led these high profile manufacturers to develop specialized
fabric for knitting and serving the end purpose efficiently. In this paper focused various knitted fabrics
used for manufacturing of industrial textiles have been reviewed.

1. INTRODUTION

Knitting is one of several ways to turn thread or yarn into cloth (compare to weaving, crochet). Unlike
woven fabric, knitted fabric consists entirely of horizontal parallel courses of yarn. The courses are joined
to each other by interlocking loops in which a short loop of one course of yarn is wrapped over the bight
of another course. Knitting can be done either by hand, described below, or by knitting machine. In
practice, hand knitting is usually begun (or "cast on") by forming a base series of twisted loops of yarn on
a knitting needle. A second knitting needle is then used to reach through each loop (or stitch) in
succession in order to snag a bight of yarn and pull a length back through the loop. This forms a new
stitch. Work can proceed in the round (circular knitting) or by going back and forth in rows. Knitting can
also be done by machines, which use a different mechanical system to produce nearly identical results.

The knitting process consists of interconnecting loops of yarn on powered automated machines. The
machines are equipped with rows of small, hooked needles to draw formed yarn loops through
previously formed loops. The fabric is designed to take force in two directions (0° and 90°). For this can
be used roving of glass, high tenacity polyester, armid or carbon as pillar threads and weft threads.
These fabrics are used for reinforced composites.

Considering though orientation of the force taking yarns (0°, 90°) this fabric is comparable to a woven
fabric. However, there is the advantage that yarns are directly oriented and lie absolutely straight in the
fabric. This means that there is no loss of tenacity as in the woven due to its crimp effect. Furthermore,
the yarn-protective inlay system prevents all fiber damage.

1.1. Innovation
3D-Glass-textiles, manufactured on double needle bar high speed Raschel machines of LIBA find ever
more fields of application within the area of composite materials, technical textiles.

1.2. Manufacturing properties

Made of 100% e-glass, one uses the capillary function of the glass, i.e. when absorbing the resin, the
commodity sets up itself automatically to the desired height.

1.3. Variety

Whether as isolation layer in the boat- and container construction or as double-walled tanks, these so-
called spacer fabrics perform particularly well. Caused by the fabric construction, after laminating, a
more stable, lightweight and ductile composite develops.

1.4. Flexibility

Depending on the final product, the thickness of the fabric can be adjusted between 3mm to 15mm
directly at the machine. By using a special design technique, a thickness of even 25 mm can be
achieved.

1.5. Applications:

Composite reinforcements (Sandwich-constructions)

Container
Tanks
Boats
Aircraft
Sport shoes
Medical textiles and Mattress

2. Geotextiles Application

Geotextiles are permeable textile materials which are designed for use in civil engineering applications
such as erosion control, soil reinforcement, separation, filtration and drainage etc. Geotextiles are
forecast to be the fastest growing sector within the market for technical textiles. At least 70% of all
geotextile fabrics fall into the category of nonwoven geotextiles and at least 25% are woven both warp
knitted and weft knitted structures are used in the manufacture of geotextiles.

Warp knitting is well established in this area and an extremely wide range of structures spanning from
nets and grids to monoaxial, biaxial, triaxial, multiaxial as well as composite and three-dimensional
spacer materials are all used as geotextiles. Grid shape structures grip the soil more effectively than
plain smooth fabrics. Also, for extremely high performance and critical applications – such as land
reclamation, construction of high walls and water reservoir embankments – high strength (up to 1000 k N
m-1) biaxial raschel structures are more suitable. These fabrics have high strength, low extensibility, and
high modulus, above all, high tear strength.

A new and novel technology has been developed and commercialised at Bolton Institute, which enables
the manufacture of monoaxial and biaxial specialist natural fibre geotextile structures for soil
reinforcement. The technology is based on flat knitting, in which high strength coarse and hairy natural
fibre yarns such as sisal, coir etc can be inlaid in the machine or cross, or both directions and
incorporated within a knitted structure made from jute, flax and other natural fibre yarns, such as cotton,
viscose, Tencal, wool etc.

It is possible to manufacture designer natural fibre geotextile structures for specific short-term solutions.
These Directionally Structured Textile Fabrics have been patented, and are currently being
commercialised for mass production. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the novel weft knitted structures and
Figures 3, 4 and 5 shows the modified mechanically operated flat machine which enables either warp or
weft or both threads to be incorporated within the fabric structure.

2.1. Knitted Spacer Fabrics

Warp and weft knitted spacer fabrics continue to find new and novel product applications and it is
generally recognized that spacer fabrics will be extensively used in the future in a wide range of
products, mainly due to the fact that an extremely wide range of possibilities are available to tailor make
their aesthetical, functional and technical properties for applications.

2.1.1. Warp Knitted Spacer Fabrics

Warp knitted spacer fabrics are structures that consist of two separately-produced fabric layers which
are joined back to back. The two layers can be produced from different materials and can have
completely different structures. The yarns which join the two face fabrics can either fix the layers directly
or space them apart. It is this three-dimensional space which is the special feature of these structures.
Typically, spacer fabrics can be from 1 to 15 mm thick, with the two faces being from 0.4 to 1 mm thick.
The major single feature of warp knitted spacer fabrics is that virtually any thickness can be obtained,
depending upon the type of machinery used and the type of yarns and structures used. The warp knitted
spacer fabric with a thickness of over 100 mm (4 inches) for use as a seating fabric for sports cars.

Spacer structure manufactured in one process

• Up to 15 mm spacer distance
• Up to 3, 3 m full fabric width
• Large pattern variety for outside cover fabric and
spacer structure

3. Karl Mayer spacer machine RD6N:

In which guide bars 1 and 2 knit the front base fabric on the front needle bar only and guide bars 5 and 6
knit the other separate base fabric on the back needle bar only. Guide bars 3 and 4, which carry the
spacer threads knit on both needle bars in succession. The thickness of the spacer depends upon the
distance between the two needle bars and can be varied between 1 and 15 mm. In theory the material
used in guide bars 1 and 2; 3 and 4; and 5 and 6 can be different, as well as the structure of the two
base fabrics can be completely different. It is possible to vary the structure from an inelastic, elastic,
solid, net or a specific textured surface independently in each face fabric. Furthermore, the compression
and resilience properties of the spacer can be altered at will, depending upon the material and the
pattern chains of the threads in guide bars 3 and 4.

The major benefit of using spacer material is to replace polyurethane, neoprene and other types of
foams which are laminated to textile fabrics for creating bulk, softness, flexibility, resilience etc. These
foams, however, have some serious drawbacks. For instance, foams are generally flammable; they are
extremely uncomfortable due to extremely small cavities. Their thermo physiological properties are poor,
their compression and resilience properties deteriorate with time and their mouldability, delamination,
maintenance of original thickness when moulded into complex three-dimensional shapes, washing and
drying properties are often poor and not up to the standard required. Relatively stiff monofilaments
generally used as spacer material, more or less overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks associated
with laminated structures

The major product applications for warp knitted spacer materials are: car seat covers (both solid or net
structures in the face or back or both surfaces); automotive interiors (lining for doors, roofs, convertible
hoods etc); seat heating systems for cars; mud flaps for lorries and buses; insoles and face fabric for
sports and other shoes; lining for rubber and other boots; protective inner lining; mattress underlays and
mattress covers for prevention and management of incontinence, pressure sores as well as for children’s
beds; diving and surfing suits; sports equipment; high-performance sportswear; reinforcement for
composite structures; bras; underwear; swimwear; shoulder pads; fluid filters; geotextiles; bandages;
plaster casts; braces; controlled release of drugs, antimicrobials, cosmetics etc; and finally heat and
moisture regulation fabrics.

3.1. SPACER FABRIC KNITTING

Machine details:

High speed knitting process

• 6 Guide bars
• Gauge E6 – E14
• Working width 84” (213 mm) and 130” (330 mm)
• New linear system for easy variation of
spacer fabric thickness
• Easy access to knitting elements

      

3.1.1. Weft Knitted Spacer Fabrics

Weft knitted spacer fabrics can be produced on circular double jersey machines as well as electronically
controlled flat machines. The major advantages of these structures are:

a) plain as well as colour and design and surface texture effects can be produced on the face of the
fabric knitted by the cylinder needles; and

b) Shaped and true three-dimensional structures can be produced on electronically controlled flat
machines.

The major limitations of weft knitted spacer fabrics are:

a) The thickness of the spacer is normally limited to between 2 and 10 mm

b) The basic structure of the spacer fabric is limited to either knitting the spacer threads on the dial and
tucking on the cylinder, or tucking the spacer threads on the dial and cylinder needles.
It is obviously more practical to use tuck stitches with spacer monofilament yarns in order to ensure that
the spacer yarns lie correctly inside the knitted fabric and prevent the face and back of the fabric from
having a rough or harsh feel.

Knitting Constructions

The structure of a circular knitted monofilament spacer fabric is Produced on circular interlock gaited
machines are shown in Figures. Three different yarns are required for each course:

a) Yarn for the dial needles

b) Yarn for the cylinder needles
c) Spacer yarn, normally monofilament yarn.