Knitting M/c Speed & Production

A 30-inch diameter machine runs at 40rpm.

Circumference of circle = πd
= 3.142 x 30
inches
π d = 94.26 inches or
239.4 cms,

In 1 min M/c Turns : 2.39.4 x 40 Meters which is aprox. 96 Mts.I

P
Speed Of P
• Increase in r.p.m. and number of feeders can lead to higher rate of production
provided efficiency remains same.
• But higher number of feeders mean handling higher number of yarns leading to
higher breakage rate. This leads to drop in efficiency.
• Similarly higher ‘r’ mean greater yarn tension (variations) and higher wear and
tear of machine, leading to a possible lowering of E .

Larger number of feeders also gives rise to skewness. This refers to the deviation
of courses from the horizontal line if the wales are held vertical.
α = tan-1 (n.c / π. d)
Where d = Tube diameter   n = Number of feeders And c = Course spacing

• Coarse fabrics from thicker yarns with large course spacing skewness is more.
• The effect of drop is noticeable when yarns of more than one color are used.
• By reducing number of feeders or/and increasing the course density, skewness
can be reduced.
 Warp Knitting Basics

01/13/22 4
 Warp Knits--the possibilities

01/13/22 5
01/13/22 6
01/13/22 7
 Weft Warp

01/13/22 8
01/13/22 9
Advantages of Warp Knitting Over Other Fabric Manufacturing Process

•The process of warp knitting a sheet of parallel yarns into a sheet of fabric is
unique in the sense that all the yarns are engaged at every instant of time in
fabric formation process. In this sense time utilization is maximized in warp
knitting process.

Weaving Vs Warp Knitting

• In the commercial mono-phase weaving process the processes of shedding,
picking and beating up occur sequentially.

Warp yarns are split first into a shed followed by picking during which the shed
lines cannot change. After that the beating up takes place. Insertion of a pick
during the beating up process is inconceivable.

This sequential nature of primary motions slows down the production process.
 Weft Knitting Vs Warp Knitting

In weft knitting, circular knitting machines process of conversion of feed yarns

takes place simultaneously at multiple locations along the periphery of the
cylinder.

Even large numbers of needles, which convert yarns into loops, remain idle
between adjacent feeders. This means that the process of addition of courses
along the active fabric edge takes place in a fragmented manner.

As many courses as there are number of feeders, But only one loop gets
added to each course at any given instant of time.

For example if the machine has 3,000 needles and 120 feeders then only 120
loops are under formation at any given instant of time and not 3, 000 loops.

In a warp knitting machine however all the needles are forming loops all the
time such that formation of all loops of an entire course takes place
simultaneously.

Accordingly all the warp threads are engaged in formation of fabric

continuously.
Unique feature of warp knitting process is effecting a change in construction.
In the process of weaving, different constructions are effected , by possible
location of a yarn follows binary principles.

Modern electronic jacquards has made it possible to achieve a very high degree of
individualization of warp threads resulting in a very high combination of the
binary locations.

In the process of weft knitting the object of selection is not the yarn but the
needles result in different weft knitted constructions.

In weft knitting, electronic selection of needle positions has resulted in a very

high degree of individualization in so far as control on the object is concerned.
In warp knitting process however this aspect of individualization is markedly
restricted.

The object of choice is neither the individual warp thread nor the individual
knitting needles but the guide bars.

Each guide bar controls a set of warp threads and therefore all warp threads
within a set behave similarly. In this sense the selection principles can be
compared to the dobby of a weaving machine, which decides upon the binary
location of a heald that controls a set of warp yarns.

However the selection of location of a guide bar is subject to a much higher

degree of freedom than the binary location of a heald, given by the extent and
direction of underlap by which a guide bar can be made to move laterally. In
this sense the selection process enjoys a much higher degree of freedom than
weft knitting or weaving process.
 Advantages of Warp Knit
Fabric
• Dimensional Stability
– In general, warp knitted fabric are more stable than weft
knitted fabric. By modifying its structure (by weft
insertion), the warp knitted can be as good as woven
fabric.
• Fabric Tightness
– The warp knitted fabrics are thighter than double knitted
fabrics and the loops are smaller than double knitted
fabric.
• Fabric appearance
– Most regular warp knitted fabrics give a nice, clean and
balanced loops on surface. Normally the technical face
and back for warp knitted are different.
 Advantages (II)
• Yarn unroving
– Yarn cannot be unroved
from a warp knit fabric
Machine Fabric Width Machine
from any edges; this is the type speed
clear difference between 2 bar tricot Over 400 cm 2000 cpm
weft knit fabrics.
Circular Under 200cm 1400 cpm
• Low Knitting cost plain
Air jet loom 600 cm 600 ppm
– The knitting cost is
inversely proportional to Shuttle loom 130 cm 150 ppm
the machine production
speed
 Disadvantages
• The warp knit is not suitable for apparel textile
because of the following drawback:
• Raw Material
– Not all materials are suitable for warp knitting,
especially those yarns with low yarn strength and
irregular surface. Normally filament yarns are for warp
knitting.
• Yarn count
– Only a fine yarn count (50-70 deniers for 2 guide bar)
is used for warp knitting. The spun yarns are seldom
made to these fine counts.
 Disadvantages (II)
• Machine Stoppage
– Warp knitting machines must be stopped for changing warp
beams and piecing the broken threads. These are normally
take hours to complete
• Pattern preparation
– For a fancy structures using multi-bar, large amount of time
and chain links have to prepare. For jacquard selection, it is
only possible on electronic raschel machine.
• Fabric Faults
– One special feature on warp knitting machine is no stop
motions is equipped. The modern machines today are
installed with optical scanner to scan the fabric and stop the
machine in case the faults occurred.
 Disadvantages (III)
• Small orders
– The warp knitted machines are built for mass production
and is not suitable for small orders and frequently changes
pattern.

Explain
• why warp knitted fabrics are seldom used on
apparel and fashion market ?
 Formation of warp knit
fabrics
• The warp knitted fabrics required one warp
yarn for a wale.

• The warp knitted fabric is formed by knitting

the warp yarns on the adjacent needles
course by course and intermesh the loops
with the neighbouring yarns to form fabric.
From the diagrams below, it is clear that if a warp knit fabric
required 1000 wales, then there must be 1000 warp yarns on the
beam and slightly more than 1000 needles on machine
 Weft Warp

01/13/22 21
 The Basic Warp Knitting Machines

classification
•All commercial warp knitting machines are of the flat-bed type, housing the needles that are group
driven. Warp knitting machines with circular beds do exist but are rarely encountered in practice.

Warp knitting systems are broadly classified into

Tricot (pronounced as tree-coe) and Raschel.

There are some fundamental differences between the two types as result of which the Raschel
machines can be employed to produce a much wider range of household and technical textiles.

The tricot machines on the other hand have a narrower palette of products to offer but can be
employed for mass production of a basic range of goods.

Essentially the Raschel technique permits the combination of a much wider range of raw materials
and constructions than tricot and it is the route to production of 3-dimensional and multiaxial warp
knits, altogether a new class of textile fabrics.
 Graphical Representation of Warp Knitting
Structures

01/13/22 24
 Summery
Warp Knit Structure
• Warp knitting is defined as a stitch forming process
in which the yarns are supplied to the knitting zone
parallel to the selvedge of the fabric, i.e. in the
direction of the wales.

• In warp knitting, every knitting needle is supplied

with at least one separate yarn.

• In order to connect the stitches to form a fabric, the

yarns are deflected laterally between the needles.

• In this manner a knitting needle often draws the new

yarn loop through the knitted loop formed by another
end of yarn in the previous knitting cycle.
01/13/22 25
 Warp Knit Structure
• A warp knitted structure is made up of two parts.
The first is the stitch itself, which is formed by
wrapping the yarn around the needle and drawing it
through the previously knitted loop.

Overlap
• This wrapping of the yarn is called an overlap. The
diagram shows the path taken by the eyelet of one
yarn guide traveling through the needle line,
making a lateral overlap (shog) and making a return
swing. This movement wraps the yarn around the
needle ready for the knock-over displacement.

01/13/22 26
 Warp Knit Structure

Underlap
• The second part of stitch formation is the
length of yarn linking together the stitches
and this is termed the underlap, which is
formed by the lateral movement of the yarns
across the needles.

01/13/22 27
 Warp Knit Structure
• The length of the underlap is defined in terms
of needle spaces.
• The longer the underlap, the more it lies at
right angles to the fabric length axis.
• The longer the underlap for a given warp the
greater the increase in lateral fabric stability,
• conversely a shorter underlap reduces the
width-wise stability and strength and
increases the lengthways stability of the
fabric.
01/13/22 28
 Warp Knit Structure
• The length of the underlap also influences the fabric weight.

• When knitting with a longer underlap, more yarn has to be

supplied to the knitting needles.

• The underlap crosses and covers more wales on its way, with the
result that the fabric becomes heavier, thicker and denser.

• Since the underlap is connected to the root of the stitch, it

causes a lateral displacement in the root of the stitch due to the
warp tension.

• The reciprocating movements of the yarn, therefore, cause the

stitch of each knitted course to incline in the same direction,
alternately to the left and to the right.

01/13/22 29
01/13/22 30
 Warp Knit Structure
Why Double Bar
In order to control both the lateral and longitudinal properties,
as well as to produce an improved fabric appearance with
correct loops, a second set of yarns is usually employed.

The second set is usually moved in the opposite direction to

the first in order to help balance the lateral forces on the
needles. The length of the underlap need not necessarily be the
same for both sets of yarns.

– Run-in: the yarn consumption during 480 knitted courses

– Rack: a working cycle of 480 knitted courses

01/13/22 31
 Warp Knit Structure
• For a given machine with a given warp:
– A longer run-in produces bigger stitches and a
generally slacker, looser fabric
– A shorter run-in produces smaller and tighter
stitches
– With more than one guide bar the ratio of the
amount of yarn fed from each warp is termed the
run-in ratio

01/13/22 32
 Lapping Diagrams
• With the exception of the very
simplest structures, it is too
time consuming to represent
warp knitted fabric using
stitch or loop diagrams. For
this reason two methods of
fabric representation are
commonly used.
– Lapping diagrams
– Numerical representation

01/13/22 33
 Looping Diagrams
Actual Guide Movement
• This is the symbolic image
of the technological process
of lapping. This diagram can
also be derived from a
stitch chart by not drawing
in the stitch legs but only
the head and feet of the
stitches.

01/13/22 34
 Open and Closed Stitches

• The stitch formed has an open or closed

character according to the direction of
the underlap and overlap motions. The
underlaps can be of differing
magnitudes and directions:

– If the underlap and overlap are in opposite

directions then the stitch formed would
have a closed character

– If the underlap and overlap are in the same

direction, then the stitch formed will have
an open character

01/13/22 35
 Open and Closed Stitches
• The stitch is open when the feet do not
cross and closed when the feet cross.
The structure of a warp knitted fabric
depends on the lapping motion of the
guide bars, and therefore the structure
could be represented by:

– Drawing a stitch or stitch chart

diagram, which takes time and is
difficult

– Lapping diagram

01/13/22 36
 Single Bar Structures
• A plain warp knitted structure is produced on a
single needle bar. The resulting structures are
known as single face fabrics. Rib and interlock
warp knitted structures are produced on double
needle barface fabrics.s, and these structures are
known as double

• In single face structures (plain), stitches are

visible on one side, known as the technical face,
and on the other side (known as the technical
back) only underlaps are visible.

01/13/22 37
 Pillar Lap
• A pillar stitch (or chain
stitch) is a stitch
construction where lapping
of a yarn guide takes place
over the same needle.

• As there are no lateral

connections between the
neighboring wales, the
stitches are only
interconnected in the
direction of the wales.

01/13/22 38
 Pillar Lap
• Due to the absence of underlaps,
a fabric is not created, only
chains of disconnected wales.

• Single bar pillar lap is technically

possible only on Raschel
machines where the trick plate
acts a knock-over bed.

• On a tricot machine the sinkers

are unable to control the
position of the old loop when
there is no underlap (pillar
stitch) and so the knitting of
pillar stitch on its own is
impossible.

01/13/22 39
 Pillar Lap
• Open or closed pillar
stitches can be
produced depending on
the guide bar
movement.

01/13/22 40
 1 and 1 Lap (Tricot Lap)
• The laps are executed in
alternate overlap and
underlap motions on two
defined needles.

• This stitch creates a textile

fabric as the underlaps
connect both the courses
and the wales.

• The simplest of this group of

structures is made between
two adjacent needles.

01/13/22 41
 1 and 1 Lap (Tricot p)
• The laps are executed in
alternate overlap and
underlap motions on two
defined needles.

• This stitch creates a textile

fabric as the underlaps
connect both the courses
and the wales.

• The simplest of this group

of structures is made
between two adjacent
needles.
01/13/22 42
 1 and 1 Lap (Tricot Lap)
• Guide bar motions:

• First course:
Under 1 needle to the right ↓(UL)
swing through 1
over 1 needle to the right ↓(OL)
Swing Back 0

01/13/22 43
 1 and 1 Lap (Tricot Lap)
• Second course:

Under 1 needle to the left ↓

swing through 1
over 1 needle to the left ↓
Swing Through 2

01/13/22 44
 1 and 1 Lap (Tricot Lap)
• Result:
• Therefore, the chain link
arrangement is:
1
0
1
2 closed 1 and 1 stitch

• As a result of the underlaps,

the diagonal sinker loops
are formed. These pull the
stitch heads of each
alternate row into the same
direction.
01/13/22 45
 2 and 1 Lap
• Swing through
→1
• swing back → 0

• swing through
→2
• swing back → 3

• swing through
→1
• swing back → 0

01/13/22 46
 3 and 1 Lap
• Swing through
→1
• swing back → 0

• swing through
→3
• swing back → 4

• swing through
→0
• swing back → 1

• swing through
→4
• swing back → 3

01/13/22 47
 4 and 1 Lap
• Swing through
→1
• swing back →0

• swing through
→4
• swing back →5

01/13/22 48
• Warp knitting is a method of making a
fabric by normal knitting means, in which
the loops made from each warp are
formed substantially along the length of
the fabric.
• Construction of warp knitted fabrics

• Warp beams

• Guide bar
• In a warp knitted structure, all
ends supplied from the same warp
sheet normally have identical
lapping movements because each
is lapped by a guide attached to
the same guide bar as shown in
figure.
 Continues…….
• Beams supply the warp sheets in parallel form to
the guide bars, whose pattern control determines
the timing and configuration as shown in figure.
• of the lapping movements in the form of overlaps
and underlaps.
• The needles intermesh the new overlaps through
the old overlaps to form the intermeshed loop
structure.
• To ensure uniform conditions of warp feed and tension, the yarn
ends are supplied from flanged beams attached to shafts that
turn to unwind the warp sheet in parallel formation.
• For convenience of handling, a number of beams may be attached
to a beam shaft to achieve the full width of the warp sheet; for
example, a warp sheet 84 inches (213 cm) wide might be supplied
from a full-width beam, from two beams each 42 inches (106 cm)
wide, or from four beams each 21 inches (53cm) wide.
• Each guide bar is normally supplied with a warp sheet from its own
beam shaft to suit its requirements of threading and rate of warp feed
for its particular lapping movement.
• Occasionally, two partly-threaded guide bars may be supplied from the
same fully-threaded beam, provided they make lapping movements of
the same extent to each other whilst moving in opposite directions.
• The minimum number of guide bars and warp sheets for commercially
acceptable structures is usually two.
• Tricot machine

• Raschel machine
• Knitting elements in bearded tricot machine
Cross-section of bearded needle tricot machine
• Tricot machines have a gauge expressed in needles per inch (E) and chain link numbering 0, 1, 2, 3,
4, etc., generally with three links per course.
• Their sinkers, which are joined to each other at the front and back, never move clear of the needles
as they combine the functions of holding-down, knocking-over, and supporting the fabric loops.
• The fabric is drawn-away towards the batching roller almost at right angles to the needle bar.
• The warp beams are accommodated in an inclined arc towards the back of the machine, with the
top beam supplying the front guide bar and the bottom beam supplying the back guide bar.
• The warp sheets pass over the top of the guide rocker-shaft to their tension rails situated at the
front of the machine.
• The machines have a simple construction and a short yarn path from the beams.
• Mechanical attention to the knitting elements is carried out at the front of the machine as the
warp beams prevent access to the back.
• As all the warp sheets are drawn over the rocker-shaft to the front of the machine it is easier to
thread up the guide bars commencing with the back bar; otherwise the front warp will obscure this
operation.
 Continues….
• The guide bars are therefore numbered from the back towards the front of the machine
because of this threading sequence.
• The conventional tricot beam arrangement generally restricts the maximum number of
beams and guide bars to four, but this is not of major importance as the majority of tricot
machines employ only two guide bars.
• The small angle of fabric take-away and the type of knitting action produce a gentle and low
tension on the structure being knitted.
• This is ideal for the high-speed production of simple, fine-gauge (28–44npi), close-knitted,
plain-and-patterned structures, particularly for lingerie and apparel, especially using two
guide bar structures with both bars overlapping and underlapping.
• In the past, the two guide bar tricot or locknit machine proved most popular in E 28 and E 32
gauge, with knitting widths of 84 and 168 inches (213 and 426cm) using 40-denier nylon.
• It is possible to knit from 10-denier nylon up to 1/20’s cotton count.
• Guides, may be cast in leads or they may be individually cranked to fit into the needle bar.
1 The rest position (a). The needles have risen to 2/3 of their full height from knock-over and
have their beards towards the back of the machine. The presser is withdrawn and the
guides are at the front of the machine with the sinkers forward, holding the old overlaps
in their throats so that they are maintained at the correct height on the needle stems.

2 Backward swing and overlap shog (b, c). After swinging through the needles to the beard
side, the guides are overlapped across the beards, usually by one needle space in
opposite directions.

3 The return swing and second rise (c, d). As the guides swing to the front, the needles rise to
their full height so that the newly-formed overlaps slip off the beards onto the stems
above the old overlaps. This arrangement reduces the amount of guide-bar swing
necessary and therefore the time required.
 Continues…..
4 Pressing (e). The needle bar descends so that the open beards cover the new
overlaps. There is a slight pause whilst the presser advances and closes the
beards.

5 Landing (f). As the sinkers withdraw, the upward curve of their bellies lands the
old overlaps onto the closed beards.

6 Knock-over and underlap shog (g). The presser is withdrawn and the continued
descent of the needle bar causes the old overlaps to be knocked-over as the
heads of the needles descend below the upper surface of the sinker bellies. The
underlap shog which can occur at any time between pressing and knock-
overusually occurs in opposite directions on the two guide bars.

7 The sinkers now move forward to hold down the fabric loops and push them away
from the ascending needles, which are rising to the rest position.
1 Needle rise and guide bar swing. With the sinkers forward holding down the fabric,
the hooks and tongues rise, with the hook rising faster, until the head of the latter
is level with the guide holes and is open. The guides then swing through to the back
of the machine.

2 The overlap and return swing. The guides shog for the overlap and swing to the front
of the machine; immediately, the hooks and the tongues start to descend with the
tongues descending more slowly, thus closing the hooks.

3 Landing and knock-over. The sinkers start to withdraw as the needles descend so that
the old loop is landed onto the closed hook and then knocked-over as it descends
below the sinker belly. At this point the underlap occurs before the needles begin
their upward rise and the sinkers move forward to hold down the fabric.
• Raschel machines originally had a gauge
expressed in needles per 2 inches (5 cm), so
that, for example, a 36-gauge raschel would
have eighteen needles per inch. Now, the
standard E gauge (needles per inch) is
generally used.
• There is a wide gauge range, from E 1 to E 32.
• Their chain links are usually numbered in even
numbers, 0, 2, 4, 6 etc., generally with two
links per course.
• Raschel sinkers perform only the function of
holding down the loops whilst the needles
rise.
 Continues…
• They are not joined together by a lead across their ends nearest to the needle
bar so they can move away clear of the needles, towards the back of the
machine, for the rest of the knitting cycle.
• The needle trickplate verge acts as a fabric support ledge and knock-over
surface.
• The fabric is drawn downwards from the needles, almost parallel to the
needle bar, at an angle of 120–160 degrees, by a series of take-down rollers.
• This creates a high take-up tension, particularly suitable for open fabric
structures such as laces and nets.
• The warp beams are arranged above the needle bar, centered over the rocker
shaft, so that warp sheets pass down to the guide bars on either side of it.
 Continues…..
• The beams are placed above the machine so that it is accessible at the front for fabric
inspection and at the back for mechanical attention to the knitting elements.
• The guide bars are threaded, commencing with the middle bars and working
outwards from either side of the rocker-shaft. They are numbered from the front of
the machine.
• With the raschel arrangement, there is accommodation for at least four 32-inch
diameter beams or large numbers of small diameter pattern bars.
• The accessibility of the raschel machine, its simple knitting action, and its strong and
efficient take-down tension make it particularly suitable for the production of coarse
gauge open-work structures employing pillar stitch, inlay lapping variations and partly
threaded guide bars.

• These are difficult to knit and hold down with the tricot arrangement of sinkers.
• Additional warp threads may be supplied at the selvedges to ensure that these
needles knit fabric overlaps, otherwise a progressive press-off of loops may occur.
• Raschel needles tend to have longer latches than weft
knitting machine needles, to ensure that the wrapped yarns
of the overlap goes onto and not below the open latch
• There is a trick-plate extending the full width of the
machine, whose walls preserve the needle spacing and
whose verge provides an edge for a clean knock-over.
• Holding-down sinkers that are thin blades, unleaded at their
forward edges, move in a horizontal plain over the top of
the trick-plate.
 Continues…..
1 Holding down. The guide bars are at the front
of the machine, completing their underlap
shog. The sinker bar moves forward to hold
the fabric down whilst the needle bar starts
to rise from knock-over.

2 Clearing. As the needle bar rises to its full

height, the old overlaps slip down onto the
stems after opening the latches, which are
prevented from flicking closed by latch
wires. The sinker bar then starts to
withdraw to allow the guide bars to overlap.

3 Overlap. The guide bars swing to the back of

the machine and then shog for the overlap.
 Continues…….
4 Return swing. As the guide bars swing to the
front, the warp threads wrap into the
needle hooks.

5 Latch closing. The needle bar descends so

that the old overlaps contact and close the
latches, trapping the new overlaps inside.
The sinker bar now starts to move
forward.

6 Knocking-over and underlap. As the needle

bar continues to descend, its head passes
below the surface of the trick-plate,
drawing the new overlap through the old
overlap which is cast-off and as the sinkers
advance over the trick-plate, the underlap
shog of the guide bar is commenced.
 Tricot Machine Raschel Machine
• Needle- Compound or Bearded • Needle- Latch or Compound
• Machine gauge- 18 to 40 NPI
• Machine gauge - 12 to 32 NPI
• Machine width - 84-210 inches
• Machine width - 75-210 inches
• Machine speed - 2000-3500 courses
• Machine speed - 500-2000
per minute

• Number of guide bars –2 to8

courses per minute

• Number of guide bars –2 to78