Knitting in

Technical Textiles

Machinery developments in warp

knitting

Higher machine speeds, (up to 3500cpm)

Finer gauges (up to 40 needles per inch)
Wider machines (up to 260 inches)
Increased number of guide bars (up to 78 guide bars)
Special attachments such as cut presser, fall plate,
swan warp, etc.

Machinery developments in warp

knitting
Some speciality raschel machines such as Co-wenit and Jacquard machines and, more recently,
redesigned full-width weft insertion raschel and
tricot machines
High speed direct-warping machines and
electronic yarn inspection equipment during
warping
Electronic stop motions for the knitting machines
Larger knitting beams and cloth batches
Modern heat-setting and beam-dyeing machinery

Machinery developments in warp

knitting
Electronic warp let-off, electronic patterning,
electronic jacquard and electronic fabric take-up
mechanisms
Loop-raised fabrics
Stable constructions, such as sharkskins,
queenscord, etc.
Various net constructions utilising synthetic yarns
Mono-, bi-, tri- and multiaxial structures for
technical applications
Three-dimensional and shaped (fashioned)
structures for medical and other high technology
products.

Pattern Mechanism
Direct drive to guide bar by linear motor, it can be
to the accuracy of 0.01mm.

Knitted Geotextile
Knitted geotextiles have exceptional tear strength.
Additional strength can be designed and built-in to the
weft direction such that a bi-axial high tensile, high
strength warp/weft geotextile becomes a reality; e.g.
500kNm warp and 500k Nm weft.
Knitted geotextiles can incorporate an additional
fabric to form a true composite geotextile, the fabric
being simply knitted-in.
The individual yarns in the warp knitted weft-insertion
geotextile are straight when incorporated, so they are
able to take-up the strain immediately on loading.
Those in woven geotextiles are interlaced.

Knitted Wire
In the car industry, knitted wire
components are used as filters in airbag systems, as vibration dampeners,
and for thermal insulation and noise
reduction purposes. Knitted wire fabrics
prove very efficient particularly in
terms of elasticity, corrosion, thermal
resistance and long service life.

Warp Knitted Nets

Warp knitted nets have knot-free joints giving
greater strength and lower weights;
extremely open fabric uses very little yarn;
fabric density is adjustable and can be
adjusted to the requirements of sunlight.
Different sizes and shapes of net openings
can be produced. They are dimensionally
stable, slip-resistant, and do not require a
stabilising finish.

Composites
Composites are products formed by combining two
or more discrete physical phases, usually a solid
matrix and a fibrous reinforcing material.The
reinforcing component often consists of or is made
up from hightenacity fibres as the strain-resistant
structure, and is surrounded by a polymer matrix
that acts as a rigidising adhesive holding the fibrous
component(s) in place.
Such composites are used for high-performance
parts having low specific weight. One objective is to
replace metallic materials. Fibres with high tenacity
can be used simultaneously with low-stretch, highmodular filament yarns. These include glass fibres,
carbon, and aramide. The strength of the composite
is also determined by the position of the yarns and

Warp knitted multi-axial weft

insertion fabrics

Warp knitted multi-axial weft insertion

fabrics
Multi-axial layered fabrics are structures fixed by a stitch
system retaining the several parallel yarn layers (Fig. 30.3).
The yarn layers may have different orientations, differing yarn
densities of the individual layers, and may include fibre webs
and fleeces, film tapes, foams, etc.
Due to the drawn and parallel yarn layers, multi-axial layered
fabrics are particularly suitable for bonding by resinous or
polymeric materials to produce fibre polymer composites.
The Liba Copcentra tricot machine has a multi-axial,
magazine weft-insertion. It has been developed to stitch bond
composite fibre mats at high production rates. The feeding
conveyor is approximately 15-metres long and is located at
the back of the machine. Each creel-supplied yarn sheet layer
is laid across or along the width of the conveyor at a specified
angle. The continuous mat of yarn layers is conveyed through
the knitting machine where the compound needles, supplied
with warp threads, stitch through and stabilise the structure.

Warp knitted multi-axial weft

insertion fabrics
The standard arrangement uses 5 weft-insertion
systems of which 3 systems supply parallel weft
and 2 systems supply diagonal weft. Each
diagonal weft thread layer can be laid at any
adjustable angle from 6045 degrees (or 9045
degrees on request). The density of each layer can
be varied and is not dependent upon the gauge.
Non-woven webs can be fed into the knitting zone
above or below the yarn conveyor; two guide bars
can be used for stitch forming. The machine has a
working width up to 245 inches (622 cm) in a
gauge range of E 6 to E 24, and has a production
speed of 1200 courses per minute.

Stitch bonding or web knitting

Stitch bonding or web knitting

Whereas warp and weft knitting construct fabrics from
yarns, stitch bonding constructs fabrics from a
medium such as a fibrous web using purely
mechanical means. It is therefore a highly-productive
method of producing textile substrates for industrial
end-uses.
Using horizontally-mounted compound needles, the
medium can be pierced by the pointed needle heads,
so it is ideal for the production of textile composites.
It is stitch-bonded either right through the structure
or only on one surface in order to stabilise it.
Dependent upon the model, additional yarns or fibres
may or may not be supplied to the needles. Yarn
layers, webs, films or materials such as glass fibres,
rockwool, or re-cycled products can be processed.

Stitch bonding or web knitting

A special version of the machine for processing
fibre glass into a web has now been developed.
The fibre glass is fed to a chopper behind the
machine. This cuts the glass fibres into predetermined lengths (25100mm).The chopped
strands are randomly arranged in the form of a
mat on a conveyor belt that feeds to the stitch
forming area where they are bonded by means
of a quilted seam.
The mat is used to make reinforced plastic
mouldings such as safety helmets and vehicle
bodywork.

Spacer Fabric

Warp Knit Spacer

Fabrics
Breathable
cushioning elements
3D warp-knitted
fabrics are making
inroads into the
actual mattresses
themselves.

Double Needle Bar Spacer Fabric

Spacer Fabric
A spacer fabric is a double-faced fabric knitted on a double
needle bar machine. The distance between the two
surfaces is retained after compression by the resilience of
the pile yarn (usually mono-filament) that passes between
them.
One reason for the development of spacer fabrics was an
attempt to replace toxic, laminated-layer foam with a
single, synthetic fibre type fabric, thus facilitating future recycling (Fig. 30.5).
Spacer fabrics are manufactured according to their function
and have three variable components: fabric construction,
yarn material and finishing. The hollow centre of the fabric
may be filled with solid, liquid or gaseous materials (air can
be used for insulation). Yarns with good moisture
transportation properties may also be employed.

Spacer Fabric
Partly-threaded guide bars can produce open-hole
structures on each surface and air circulation can occur in
the two millimetre space between the two surfaces. An
important advantage is the low weight in proportion to the
large volume.
The compression resistance can be adjusted by using
different yarn counts in the rigid, synthetic mono-filament
spacer yarns that connect the two surfaces of the fabric.
Additional spacer yarns can be used where the choice of
type of yarn determines properties such as moisture
transport, absorbency, compression resistance, drapability,
and thermal conductivity. The spacing can be up to 60mm
and widths up to 4400mm. Fine fabrics knitted on E 32
raschels range in thickness between 1 and 4mm.
End-uses for spacer fabrics include moulded bra cups,
padding, and linings [9]. Medical applications are also
being investigated .

Laying-in

Laying-in
Laying-in is achieved in warp knitting by causing a guide bar
to only underlap; its threads will be held in the technical
back of the structure only if a guide bar in front of it is
overlapping. The yarn will inlay on top of the overlaps
during knitting so that, as the guides of the knitting bar
swing through the needles for the next overlap, their
underlaps will be laid on top of the inlay yarn, trapping it
into the back of the fabric.
An inlaid yarn may pass across part or all of the knitting
width or it may be introduced in a warp direction. Using a
weft insertion device, a full-width weft may be introduced.
The laying-in guide may be specially designed to take
coarse or unconventional yarns or to achieve a longer than
normal underlap, and a pattern mechanism designed only
for laying-in may be used as in the case of weft insertion.
The raschel is particularly suitable for laying-in and
sometimes the machine is designed to eliminate the
swinging movement for the laying-in bars. On the crochet
machine, the action of the knitting bar and the inlay bars is

Fall Plate
Fig. 27.2 Multipurpose fall-plate
raschel machine
[Karl Mayer].
Bars 1, 2, 3 fallplate
guide bars;
bar 4 knitting guide
bar; bars 5, 6 inlay
guide bars. L = latch
opening wire;
S = holding-down

Fall Plate Knitting

Fall Plate in Action

Fall Plate Loop Structure

Raschel Fall Plate Fabric

Two Needle Bar Warp Knitting

Two Needle Bar Warp Knitting

Two Needle Bar Warp Knitting

Plain tricot structures knitted with two full set guide
bars are by far the most popular of all warp knitted
structures and are mainly based on a two-course
repeat cycle with a change of direction lap at each
course. Although the majority have been made on
28-gauge tricot machines using 40 denier nylon,
other gauges, yarn types and counts, and also
raschel machines, are used.
The two bars make different lapping movements
because, if they were both to make the same
lapping movement a structure having single needle
bar characteristics would be produced. Each guide
bar contributes a thread to every overlap and the
two underlaps can be clearly distinguished as they
lap to a different angle, extent or direction. Under

Full Width
Weft
Insertion

Full-width weft insertion

Full-width weft insertion

When the needles are in the lowered position
during the warp knitting cycle, a so called open
shed effect is created at the back of the
machine. It is then possible for a weft yarn, laid
across the full width of the machine, to be carried
forward by special weft insertion bits over the
needle heads and deposited on top of the
overlaps on the needles and against the yarn
passing down to them from the guide bars. In this
way, the inserted weft will become trapped
between the overlaps and underlaps in the same
manner as an inlay yarn when the needles rise
but, unlike the latter, the weft will run horizontally
across the complete course of loops.

Full-width weft insertion

This technique is less restrictive for fancy and irregular
yarns than for inlay and, as a weft covers the full
fabric width, yarn can be supplied from individual
packages.
It has the major advantage that weft can be prepared
and laid in advance of the timing of the insertion so
that it has less effect on the knitting machine speed.
The single traversing weft is laid across the back of the
machine by a cable-driven carrier that reciprocates on
two parallel rods. At the end of the traverse, the
selvedge return loop passes around a vertical pin that
holds the weft in place until required, whilst the carrier
continues its traverse. The weft pins are attached to
the needle bar so that the two descend together,
releasing the full-width weft at the moment when the
weft bits, one above every alternate sinker, advance

Full-width weft insertion

This method of weft insertion produces a selvedged
effect with the weft rising at the selvedge from one
course of insertion to the next. The knitting width is
sometimes divided into a number of knitting widths,
each having a reciprocating weft carrier. In this way,
narrow-width fabrics suitable for dish-cloths can be
produced.
Insertion of the cotton weft may be interrupted between
each piece, triggering a scanning electronic eye that
operates a hot wire to melt the empty nylon pillar
stitches across the course. Thus, each piece is
automatically separated and heat-sealed.
Machines with inlay and knitting bars are used in the
production of sun filter curtaining. These employ a
pattern chain control of the weft insertion from one
end of the machine so that insertion can occur as