KNITTING

TECHNOLOGY
Govardhana Rao Chilukoti &
Siva Jagadish Kumar M
Assistant Professor
Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology &
Research Deemed to be university
KNITTING TECHNOLOGY

 Introduction to knitting
 Definitions and classifications

 Weft Knitting
 Different types of machines,
 Fundamental principles of knitting,
 Basic knitting elements,
 Different types of needles,
 Knitting action,
 Preparation of yarn for knitting,
 Quality control systems of knitted fabrics,
 Production calculations
 Warp Knitting
 Classification of machines and their principles,
 principles of knitting for single needle bed,
 double needle bed, high and low bar lace raschel and
multipurpose machines with special attachments.

 Types of needles
 Functions of various knitting elements

 machine gauge

 let- off motions

 method of fabric quality control – run in

measurement
 yarn feeding and tension control. Yarn
preparation and warping systems.
 Chain links,
 Development of lapping diagrams and chain
notations.
 Basic over lap/under lap variations,

 Plain Tricot structures knitted with two full set

guide bars,
 two bar tricot, lock knit, reverse lock knit etc.
INTRODUCTION TO KNITTING
 Weaving is a process of fabric forming by the
interlacement of warp and weft yarns. Knitting is
a process of fabric forming by the intermeshing of
loops of yarns. When one loop is drawn through
another, loop stitch is formed. Stitches may be
formed in horizontal or vertical direction.

 The two main forms of knitting:

 Weft Knitting &
 Warp Knitting
 Weft knitting is a method of forming a fabric in
which the loops are made in horizontal way from
a single yarn and intermeshing of loops take
place in a circular or flat form on acrosswise
basis. In this method, feeding is one yarn at a
time, to a multiplicity of fashion. Most of the weft
knitting is of tubular form
 Warp knitting is a method of fabric forming in
which the loops are made in a vertical way along
the length of the fabric from each warp yarns and
intermeshing of loops takes place in a flat form of
lengthwise basis. Here, numerous ends of yarns
are being fed simultaneously to individual
needles placed in a lateral fashion. Most of the
knitted structures are flat or open width form.
DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATION

 Open Loop: The open loop is one in which the

loop forming yarns does not cross at the bottom of
the loop.
 Closed Loop: In Closed loop, the legs
of the loop cross so that the loop
closing takes place.

 Face Loop: During loop formation,

when the new loop emerges through
the old loop from back to the face (or
front) side, it is called as face loop or
weft knit loop.

 Back Loop: If the new loop passes

from the face side to the back side of
old loop, it is called as back loop or
weft purl loop.
 Technical Face: The side of the knitted fabric that
consists all of face or knit loops, is called technical
face of the fabric.
 Technical Back: The side of the knitted fabric
having full of back or purl loops is called needle loop.
Normally the reverse side of the technical face is the
technical back.
 Needle Loop: The upper part of the loop
produced by the needle drawing the yarn is called
as needle loop.
 Sinker Loop: The lower part of the knitted loop
is technically referred as sinker loop. It is the
connection of two legs belonging to the
neighbouring stitches lying laterally
 Course: The series of loops those are connected
horizontally, continuously are called as courses.
 Wales: The series of loops that intermeshes
vertically are known as wales
 Stitch density: It is the number of stitches per
unit area of a knitted fabric. It determines the
area of the fabric.
 Over lap: This term refers mainly to warp knitting.
Lateral movements of the guide bars on the front side
(or hook side) of the needle is called over lap. This
movement is normally restricted to one needle space.
 Under lap: This term also refers to warp knitting.
Lateral movements of the guide bars at the backside
of the needles are called under lap. This movement
related to the needle space is variable according to
the construction of the fabric
 Single Jersey: The weft knitted fabrics produced
with one set of needles (both in tubular or flat
forms) are called as single jersey or plain knitted
fabrics.
 Double Jersey: Weft knitted fabrics
(tubular/flat) produced with two sets of needles
mounted in two needle beds are called as double
jersey or double knit fabrics.
CLASSIFICATION
WEFT KNITTING MACHINES - CLASSIFICATION
WARP KNITTING MACHINES - CLASSIFICATION
DIFFERENT TYPES OF MACHINES
BASIC KNITTING ELEMENTS
CREELS
 Creels are the knitting elements which carry the
yarn packages to feed the knitting zone. The number
of feeders in the knitting machine is equal to the
number of cones in the creels. Reserve cones also can
be placed in each position.
FEEDERS/STRIPERS
 Feeders are the yarn guides placed close to the
needles to the full circumference of the knitting
zone. The feeders feed the yarn into the needle hooks
and control the needle latches in their open position
while the needle attain their clearing position. They
consist of a yarn guiding hole and a bevel edge to
guard the latches of the approaching needles. They
are slightly curved to the corresponding curvature of
the needle bed.
NEEDLE:
SINKERS
 Sinker is a thin metal plate with action at right
angles to and fro between adjoining needles.
 It may perform one or more of the following
functions:
 Loop formation
 Holding down, and
 Knocking over.

 The main object of a sinker is to assist the

needles in loop formation by sinking or knitting the
newly laid yarns into a loop. As its forward edges
of catch advantages between the two adjoining
needles. This is only for bearded needle where as
in case of latch needles and warp knitting loop
formation is not the function of sinkers
SINKERS OPERATION
1. The held loop is positioned in the throat of the
sinker when the sinker moves forward and the
needle moves upward for clearing. The held loop
is held by the throat and hence its movement
along the needle is restricted.
2. The sinker remains at its forward position when
the needle attains its clearing position.
3. The sinker retracts when the needle comes down after
feeding. At this stage, due to sinkers retraction, fabric or
held loop is eased out. Also the sinker belly supported the
fabric or held loop and hence its movements along the
needle is prevented.
4. Sinker remains in backward position and the needle
descends to its lowest position draw– ing the new loop
through the old one.
5. Before the needle ascends, the sinker moves forward to
push the knitted fabric a little and to hold the old loop
away from the head of the needle and to be in a position to
control the fabric
CYLINDER
 The cylinder is a steel circular bed having
grooves/tricks/cuts on its outer periphery into which the
needles are mounted. With reference to the tricks, the
needles move vertically up and down by their butt being in
contact with the cam track. The number of tricks per inch
i.e., number of needles per inch decides the gauge of the
machine
DIAL
 Dial is the upper steel needle bed used in double
knit machines. Into the grooves of the dial, the
needles are mounted horizontally and are
allowed to move radially in and out by their dial
cams. The number of grooves per unit space
conforms with the cylinder gauge in most of the
cases
CAMS
 The knitting cams are hardened steels and they are the
assembly of different cam plates so that a track for butt
can be arranged. Each needle movement is obtained by
means of cams acting on the needle butts.
FABRIC SPREADER
 In circular knitting, the tubular fabric descends from the
needles is converged into flattened double layer and
rolled into yard goods. During such conversion, irregular
tensions are developed throughout the fabric due to
distance variations which leads to unwanted wrinkles,
crease marks and stitch deformations. They can be only
removed with great difficulty during fabric finishing. To
overcome this problem knitting machines are equipped
with spreaders which apply a more uniform tension to
the fabric
DRIVE (MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL)
TYPES OF NEEDLES

 The needles are the most important stitch forming

elements. They are displaced vertically up and down
and are mounted into the tricks or cuts of the
knitting cylinder. There are three types of needles
namely.
 Latch needle
 Spring bearded needle, and
 Compound needle
LOOP FORMING SEQUENCE OF LATCH
NEEDLE
LOOP FORMING SEQUENCE OF SPRING
BEARDED NEEDLE
LOOP FORMING SEQUENCE OF COMPOUND
NEEDLE
PRODUCTION CALCULATIONS