Knitting Technology II: Lecture Note 12, 13 &14 Etsehiwot Yisma 2019

Knitting Technology II
Lecture Note 12, 13 &14

Etsehiwot yisma
2019
Quality control in warp knitting
A complete grey specification of a warp knitted fabric should include
the following details:
• Gauge of machine in needles per inch
• Number of guide bars in use
• Number of ends in each warp beam
• Types and linear densities of yarns used
• Run-in per rack of warp coming from different beams
• Knitted quality of the fabric in courses per inch or centimeter
• Order of threading of warp in each guide bar
• Lapping movement of each guide bar during one repeat of the
pattern or details of the pattern wheels or pattern chains
• Relative lateral positions of the guide bars at a given point in the
lapping movements
• Any special knitting instructions
Warp let-off
• Loop length is equally as important in warp knitting as in weft
knitting. In the form of run-in, it is determined by the warp let-off
which is either negative or positive.
• In the first arrangement, tension on the warp causes it to be pulled
from the beam as it turns against a controlled friction.
• The mechanism is self-compensating, releasing warp on demand. An
overall increase of run-in is obtained by increasing the speed of the
fabric take-up rollers, which increases the tension.
• In the second arrangement, the warp beams are positively driven to
deliver a predetermined run-in. The surface speed is monitored so
that, as the beam circumference decreases, the beam drive speed is
increased to maintain a uniform rate of let-off. The arrangement must
also be capable of catering for fluctuating let-off requirements in
patterned fabrics. Tension fluctuations that occur during the knitting
cycle are compensated by spring-loaded tension bars over which
each warp sheet passes in its path to its guide bar.
Contd…
• On multi-guide bar raschel and tricot lace machines, the
spot beams that supply the partly-threaded pattern guide
bars are completely negatively turned. These light-weight
beams turn easily and have a three-spoked star attached to
one end on which small weights are placed and positioned
in order to ensure balanced rotation. At the other end,
weights attached to a collar provide controlled friction.
• Karl Mayer have now developed a computer control unit
that, from fabric parameters inputted via a keyboard,
automatically regulates the warp let-off of the machine.
The computer receives the machine data pulses from
encoder emitters on the warp beam shafts and the main
machine shaft. Control data computed by the system is
then transmitted as pulses to the individual warp beams to
drive a series wound d.c. motor and worm gearing.
Robbing back
• The possibility of re-distribution of available yarn in a loop between the needle,
sinker and guides within a warp knitting cycle due to variation of yarn tension
and the already established concept of robbing back in weft knitting encouraged
research scientists to investigate the occurrence of robbing back in warp knitting.
In weft knitting, robbing back is described by the difference between the
maximum or theoretical loop length occurring at knitting point and the final loop
length in the fabric. But as observed by Raz [3 and 4], in traditional warp knitting
maximum loop length is not at the time of down most position of the needle but
at the landing or cast-off point before joining the fabric. So robbing back value in
warp knitting is not calculated as in weft knitting. The amount of robbing back in
warp knitting is calculated as follows:
𝑙ℎ−𝑙𝑓
Robbing back = *100
𝑙ℎ
• where lh = length of loop before casting-off on the outside of the needle hook
and lf = final loop length in fabric). The loop size on the outside of the hook is not
influenced by the machine setting and process parameters but only by the shape
and size of needle and hook closing element. As this loop length is always larger
than the final loop length in the fabric occurrence of loop length is confirmed.
Maximum robbing back of up to 80% has been observed for tighter fabric in warp
knitting.
Needle bounce and high speed knitting
• ‘Needle bounce’ is a major problem in high speed knitting. This is
caused by the needle butt being suddenly checked by the impact of
hitting the upper surface of the up-throw cam after it has accelerated
away from the lowest point of the stitch cam. At this moment, inertia at
the needle head may cause it to vibrate so violently that it may fracture;
also the up-throw cam becomes pitted in this section.
• The Reutlingen Institute of Technology has carried out a considerable
amount of research into this problem and, as a result, a new design of
latch needle with a meander-shape stem, a low smooth profile, and a
shorter hook is now manufactured by Groz-Beckert for high-speed
circular machines. The meander shape assists in the dissipation of the
impact shock before it reaches the needle head, whose shape improves
resistance to stress, as does the low profile, whilst the gently-shaped
latch is designed to open more slowly and fully onto a cushioned
position produced by a double saw cut.
Calculations relating to Warp knitting
• Calculation in knitting mainly deals with production and requirement
of raw material
• Production may be calculated either in length (yards or metres) or in
weight (kg) per unit time say shift of 8 hours.
• For production related calculations in any knitting machine, the
essential parameters are
The speed (courses per min) of the machine
Size (diameter or width) of the machine
Contraction/shrinkage of the fabric in the machine
Gain or loss in weight during processing
Loop length or course length
Gauge of the machine
Count of the yarn used
Efficiency of the machine
Contd…
• R = Machine rpm (revolution per minute)
• F = Number of feeders
• C = Courses per inch
• D = Number of needles
• N = Yarn count in English system
• E = Efficiency percentage of the machine
• l = loop length in inch
Contd…
Yarn to fabric ratio = (run-in per rack × courses per unit length) / 480
Examples for warp knitting calculations.
• Example 1. Find out the number of needles in a 48 gauge
Raschel machine of 60 inch width and calculate the widthwise
shrinkage percentage to produce a fabric with 30 wales per inch.
Solution
• Gauge in Raschel machine is defined as the number of needles
per 2 inch,
• So needles per inch = 48/2 = 24. Then total number of needles in
the machine = 60 × 24 = 1440.
• Let shrinkage % is S, then 24 number of wales will be in (1 –
S/100) of fabric,
• As per given condition, {24/(1 – S/100)} = 30
• Simplifying S = 20, So widthwise shrinkage of fabric is 20%.
Contd…
• Example 2. Find out the yarn to fabric ratio for a
warp knitted fabric with 21 c.p.c. (courses per cm) if
the run in per rack is 160 cm. What will be the %
change in the ratio if the cpc is varied to 27?
Solution
• Yarn to fabric ratio = (160 × 21) / 480 = 7 i.e., 7 cm
yarn in 1 cm fabric.
• In the second case, the ratio = (160 × 27) / 480 = 9
i.e., 9 cm yarn in 1 cm fabric
• So change in ratio = {(9 – 7) × 100}/ 9= 22.22%
Contd…
• Example 3. Estimate the length and weight of warp for the
production of 2000m sharkskin fabric with 25 c.p.c. if the
yarn to fabric ratio for the front and back guide bars are 6 and
8 respectively. The number of warp in each beam is 1600 and
count of yarn is 60 denier.
Solution
• Front bar – Length of each warp = 2000 × 6 = 12000 m
Total length of warp in front beam = 12000 × 1600 m
Weight of warp in front beam = (12000 × 1600 × 60) /(9000 ×
1000) kg = 128 kg
• Back bar – Length of each warp = 2000 × 8 = 16000 m
Total length of warp in front beam = 16000 × 1600 m
Weight of warp in front beam = (16000 × 1600 × 60) /(9000 ×
1000) kg = 170.666 kg
Total weight of warp in fabric = 128 + 170.666 = 298.666 kg.
Contd
• Example 4. A 48 inch width and 36 gauge tricot warp knitting
machine runs at 1800 courses per minute. The machine has two warp
beams, each beam is having the number of yarns equal to the number
of needles in the machine. The resultant fabric with 48 courses per
inch is 20% shorter in width than the working width of the machine. If
the run-in per rack is 1.2 m and yarn denier is 90, calculate the – a)
requirement of yarn to produce 100 m fabric, b) GSM of the fabric
and c) rate of warp let-off.
Solution
• Number of needles in the machine = Machine width × Machine Gauge
= 48 × 36 = 1728
• So number of warp yarn in each beam = 1728. Then total number of
warp yarns in the fabric = 1728 × 2 = 3456
• One rack means 480 knitting cycles i.e., 480 loops along the length of
the fabric. So length of each loop = 1.2 m / 480 = 2.5 mm
Contd…
• In one rack, length of fabric produced = 480 / 48 = 10 inch = 254 mm
• As per given condition, length of each warp in 254 mm length fabric =
1.2 m. Then length of each warp in 100 m length fabric = (1.2 × 100) /
.254 m = 472.44 m
• Total length of warp in 100 m length fabric = 472.44 × 3456 m =
1632752.6 m
• Now weight of 100 m length fabric = (1632752.6 × 90) / (9000 ×
1000) kg = 16.327 kg. So requirement of yarn to produce 100 m fabric
is 16.327 kg.
• Width of resultant fabric = 48 × (1 – 20/100) = 38.4 inch = 0.975 m.
.Area of fabric produced = 100 × 0.975 sq.m = 97.5 sq.m
• Then weight per square metre or GSM of the fabric = (16.327 × 1000)
/ 97.5 = 167.46. Length of yarn delivered from the beams per min =
1800 × 2.5 mm = 4.5 m. So rate of warp let-off is 4.5 m/min or 75
mm/s.

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Lecture Note 12, 13 &14

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