TECHNOLOGY OF

FABRIC MANUFACTURE I

INTRODUCTION
TFE 2203
 KNITTING

⦿ Knitting Technology comprises all

processes that are required to
produce knitted fabrics. A knitted
fabric is a textile structure made
by the inter-looping of yarns.
 KNITTING
⦿ It is the second most popular
(and second most old) technique
of fabric or garment formation by
inter-looping one or more set of
yarns
⦿ Knitting technology has the
capacity to produce clothing
without cutting and sewing.
 HISTORY OF KNITTING
⦿ Hand knitting- the technique of
knitting by using two sticks was
invented about 3000 years ago
and was mainly practiced by
women of royal families for
making gloves, stockings and
caps. Hand knitting is a slow
process and still in practice.
 HISTORY OF KNITTING
⦿ Machine knitting- knitting
became a profession only when
males got involved around
1500AD, and gradually the
teaching on knitting started. It
was first mechanized (hand
driven flatbed) by Rev. William
Lee in 1589.
 HISTORY OF KNITTING
⦿ He began the development around
1561, after 3 years of excessive study,
patience and toil; he managed to
knit on the frame at a speed of
600loops per minute using worsted
yarn. The frame was further
perfected and the speed of knitting
increased before its commercial
appearance in 1589.
 HISTORY OF KNITTING
⦿ William Lee of England is
credited with the knit-fabric
industry because he
invented the first knitting
machine, the stocking
frame in 1589.
 HISTORY OF KNITTING
⦿ The circular knitting machine
came into the market around
1850. Since then modifications on
the knitting frame have been
continued for making better
machines to produce quality
knitted fabrics at much higher
speeds.
 HISTORY OF KNITTING
⦿ It took almost 200 years until
Crane of Nottingham applied
warp guides to Lee’s knitting
frame, an invention that gave
birth to warp knitting. In 1915 the
Tricot warp knitting machine was
built in Germany.
 KNITTED PRODUCTS
⦿ SWEATERS
⦿ BANDAGES
⦿ SWIMMING SUITS
⦿ FABRIC FOR ARTIFICIAL
HEART VALVES
⦿ ……..
 TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
⦿ LOOP
⦿ COURSE
⦿ WALE
⦿ SINGLE JERSEY
⦿ DOUBLE JERSEY
⦿ STITCH DENSITY
⦿ MACHINE GAUGE
 KNITTED STRUCTURES
⦿ The structure of knitted fabrics,
like that of all textile goods, is
determined by the dimensions,
shape and mutual disposition
of its component elements.
⦿ Yarn lengths bent into loops are
considered structural elements.
These may be of different
shapes.
 KNITTED STRUCTURES
⦿ They are produced by joining the
elements of knit structures in a certain
sequence
⦿ The properties, extensibility, ravelling,
mass, thickness, shape retention, etc.
greatly depend on the stitch and the
kind of yarn used to manufacture
them.
 CLASSIFICATION
⦿ Knitted structures are
classified into two basic
types:
• Weft(crosswise) knits, and
• warp(lengthwise) knits.
 CLASSIFICATION
⦿ This classification is based on the
direction of movement of yarn
with respect to the direction of
fabric formation.
CLASSIFICATION
WEFT KNITTING
⦿ Characterized by the
fact that each weft
yarn lies more or less
at right angles to the
direction in which the
fabric is produced
WARP KNITTING
⦿ Characterized by the
fact that each warp
yarn is more or less in
line with the direction
in which the fabric is
produced
PRODUCTION PROCESS
 PRODUCTION PROCESS
⦿ In general the rate of production in knitting is much higher with
less preparatory processes than weaving.
⦿ Circular weft knitting machines offer the greatest potential for
high speed production, because knitting can take place
continuously in the same direction of yarn feed, and the rotary
motion minimizes problems of vibration and wear and tear at high
speeds.
COMPARISON WITH WOVEN FABRIC
 COMPARISON WITH WOVEN FABRIC
⦿ The major difference between knitted and
woven structures lies in the way the yarns are
interconnected geometrically. In weaving,
two sets of parallel yarns are interconnected
by interlacing them at right angles. Different
woven structures are produced by varying this
basic principle.
⦿ In knitting, the yarns are initially formed into
loops, and then these loops are
interconnected in order to produce a textile
structure. The term interlooping is used to
describe this technique of forming fabrics
 COMPARISON WITH WOVEN FABRIC
⦿ As a result of this interlooping of yarns,
the surface of a weft or a warp
knitted fabric is more open when
compared to the surface of a
woven fabric. Due to this
interlooping of yarns a knitted fabric
could be stretched more than a
woven fabric, even when a small
force alone is applied. Once this
force is eased the fabric slowly
 ADVANTAGES OF KNITTING
⦿ Fabric can be produced from minimum number of yarns, even
only one yarn
⦿ Loop size can be varied to a wide extent and that too very easily
⦿ The extensibility and stability of the knitted fabric can be
engineered
⦿ Shaping can be done at the time of knitting on the resultant
fabric
⦿ Wastage of yarn during conversion of yarn in to fabric by knitting
is negligible
⦿ etc
 REASONS FOR GROWTH OF KNITTING
⦿ Capital investment for starting a new
knitting unit is less than that required
for other fabric-producing industries
⦿ No yarn preparatory machinery is
required in weft knitting and only
warping is needed in warp knitting
⦿ Machine productivity is high
⦿ Time required to get an order
executed is less than weaving
⦿ Etc….
END