KNOWLEDGE

REPORT
5.3. Transfer and integrate acquired knowledge and
experience in projects; describes acquired knowledge and;
explains experiences of the project.

Franciellen de Carvalho Albuquerque (21074356)

 User needs & problems:

• Recover from muscular and joint pain in a safe way: Active people who frequently
exercise and athletes who suffer from injuries often rely on available treatments
which include harmful substances or materials, damaging their health over time. For
that reason, they need to recover from non-invasive and safe options.
• The practicality of recovering at their own convenience: Users have shown
preference for home treatments, that way they can save time and effort to
commune to a clinic.
• Reinsurance from medical organizations: Everything related to people’s health and
recovery must be approved and scientifically tested for regulators. Users must know
the money they spend on their recovery products will work.
• Joint support during practices or workouts: Athletes that suffer from injuries cannot
spend a long period of time without practicing to recover fully nowadays, for that
reason, they need to have a product that can offer support while they perform active
movements.
• Comfortability: According to the results of our questionnaire, many participants
stated not being comfortable while wearing the current ankle, knee, and elbow
braces in the market. That is an extremely important need from users since many of
them perform work outs or practices while wearing this product for stability. They
necessitate quality and comfortable braces that offer support, and it won’t bother
them.
• Have a light product that can be easily foldable: Users need braces that can be
folded, that way not taking up too much space in their backpacks and also light
materials to increase the comfort.
• Have different size options: Female users often have problems with bands that are
too big for their body, that is because many of the current products have “one size”
only.
• Easy to set up: During camera journaling the participants wore the samples offered
from Light tree ventures, and they seem to hustle while putting and wrapping the
band in their knee, elbow, and ankle. Three comments from the questionnaire also
mentioned that the adjustment could be improved to increase comfort.
• Be able to wash their bands: It is only logical that if the user wears a band during
work outs or practices, they will sweat which can make the material smell. For that
reason, they need bands that can be washed.
• Stability during activities: Another point that was noticed from the camera
journaling and the talk with the participant was that often the Velcro to wrap a band
around the knee or ankle gets loose while the user performs activities such as squat
or running, making it not very stable.

3D knitting & materials used in the project:

Knitting is a process of manufacturing a fabric by interloping of yarns. Fabric can be formed

by hand or machine knitting, but the basic principle remains the same: pulling a new loop
through the old loop.

Weft knitting:
 • The loops are formed across width of the fabric.
• In this method the fabric is produced by simple up and down movement of the
needles.

Circular knitting machines:

• Are faster than conventional flat knitting machines.

Spacer fabric:
• Spacer fabrics contain a combination of textile sheets and distance fibers, with a
porous structure that can offer high absorption capacities for medical
textile materials.
• Spacer fabrics can resist high pressure and have a directed transport of fluid and
heat.
• Innovative fabric that’s breathable, cushioned, absorbent, resilient.
• A sustainable alternative to foam, spacer fabrics offer greater durability.
• According to the end uses the spacer ends of mono-filaments may be polyester,
polyamide or polypropylene. These fabrics are designed for air-flow and cushioning
• Three-dimensional fabric omprised of an initial layer for moisture release, an interior
layer for air flow, and a third outer layer for heat dissipation.
• Circular knitting Spacer fabrics, the thickness of which can be woven from 1mm to
5mm; breathable, heat-insulating, and four-way stretch
• The properties of spacer fabrics can be engineered to suit the specific end product by
manipulating the yarns and structures used in the three different and independent
elements: face, back, and spacer.
• The fabric’s thickness can also be modified based on the application’s needs.
• Physical Properties:
o Excellent compression elasticity
o Breathability
o Air permeability
o Cushioning
o Insulation heat and cold
o Good bending performance
o Drapability
o Adjustable vapor-transport
o Recyclable
• Application:
o Automotive Textile
o Home Textile
o Sports
o Medical Textile
o Technical Textile
• Spacer fabrics are made on double-needle bar (DNB) machines. These machines have
two independent needle bar systems, each used to knit a side of the fabric.
• By traversing yarns, called spacer yarns, between the two fabric faces, the machine
creates the innermost layer.
• For our project we used:
o Outer Stiff Layer
1. Polyamide Thread/fiber
1. Polyamide fabric is stiff, has excellent resilience and tenacity. Polyamide
fabric is often used in activewear and swimwear because it's waterproof and
quick-drying, unlike natural fibers such as cotton or wool. It can also be dyed
easily in brilliant colors. (hydrophilic yarn or elastomeric yarn)

o Connective conductive layer

1. Conductive thread
1. Conductive thread can carry current the same way that wires can, which
means it can be used to create a circuit. This allows the user to sew a circuit
together, creating flexible circuits that require no soldering. Nylon coated in
copper or stainless steel
2. Pure metal fibers (not elastic)

o Inner Stretch soft layer

1. Polyester Fibre/Thread
1. This type of fabric is incredibly lightweight, and it has a noticeable ability to
wick moisture. Unlike other types of fabric, polyester mesh does not get
bogged down with sweat, and it is highly breathable.
2. Nylon Fibre/thread
1. nylon is stronger and stretchier than polyester, meaning garments made from
nylon should last longer. Nylon falls down slightly when it comes to abrasion
resistance. This material pills more easily than polyester.

Conductive Thread:

• Conductive thread can carry current the same way that wires can, which means it
can be used to create a circuit.
• There are different types of conductive thread, including some made from
copper, tin, nickel, and silver.