l Preface l Contents l Readme

(formerly Knitting Technology)

The Authors
Chandrasekhar Iyer graduated in textile technology from the University of Bombay, did an M.Sc. post-graduate study at the University of Manchester and obtained his doctorate from the University of Stuttgart. After gaining experience with spinning machinery makers, the man-made fibre industry and in scientific research, he was a Reader and tenured Professor from 1972 in the Department of Textiles and Clothing at the Reutlingen University, from where he retired in 2002. He read on industrial processing engineering and technology in the field of knitting, the planning and organisation of knitting mills as well as filament production and processing. He also instructed in a course for Industrial Master Fitters at Reutlingen. He still gives lectures on a part-time basis, is responsible for staple and filament yarn technology as well as industrial textiles in short courses for the industry and does occassional consultancy work. He has published a number of articles not only on knitting technology in German, Indian and several European technical journals. As Officer of International Relations in Reutlingen he was particularly interested in fostering the exchange of students and lecturers with foreign educational institutions and gave short-term lectures and papers at several of these universities. In addition to his contribution to this book he is also responsible for its English version.

Bernd Mammel was a lecturer from 1963 to 1999 in Reutlingen at the "Tech" (Technical College), which is officially known as the Otto Johannsen Technikum. It has an associated organisation with the Reutlingen University and is in the same campus area. He was responsible for industrial process engineering and technology in the field of knitting. He also gave part-time lectures in machine drawing in the Department of Textiles and Clothing at the Reutlingen University. From 1992 until his retirement he was Head of the Technical College. Bernd Mammel has strived since years for the further education of specialists. Apart from his teaching and consultancy work he is, in this connection, also the author of a number of technical publications and was the chairman of the examination committee of the Reutlingen Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the course for Industrial Master Fitters in Textiles. In addition was for 17 years the Head of the VDI (Association of German Engineers) work group on Textiles and Clothing at the Reutlingen Centre for textile education, which is one of the largest in Germany.

Wolfgang Schch has worked in various knitting mills and in textile scientific research after completing his post-graduate study in mechanical engineering at the University of Stuttgart. As a Reader at the Reutlingen University since 1965 he read on industrial processing engineering, technology and product designing in the field of knitting in the Department of Textiles, which he also headed until he retired in 2002. As a long-time secretary of the German National Section of the International Federation of Knitting Technologists and as International General Secretary of this institution, he still stands up for the maintenance of contacts and for the exchange of information between experts on a national as well as an international level.

Iyer / Mammel / Schch

Circular Knitting
Technology Process Structures Yarns Quality

Reprint second edition

bei Meisenbach Bamberg

Circular Knitting is translated from German by co-author Chandrasekhar Iyer. The German original edition entitled Rundstricken. Theorie und Praxis der Maschentechnik (ISBN 3-87525-052-4) has likewise been published by the publishing house Meisenbach GmbH in Bamberg in 1992, 1995 and 2004.

Third edition. 1992, 1995 and 2004, Meisenbach GmbH, Franz-Ludwig-Strasse 7a, D-96047 Bamberg (Germany)

Die Deutsche Bibliothek CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Iyer, Chandrasekhar: Circular knitting : technology, process, structures, yarns, quality / Iyer/Mammel /Schch. 3., ed. Bamberg : Meisenbach, 2004 Dt. Ausg. u.d.T.: Iyer, Chandrasekhar: Rundstricken ISBN 3-87525-066-4 NE: Mammel, Bernd; Schch, Wolfgang

The velours upholstery fabric pictured on the cover in original size has been knitted on a MCPE machine by Mayer & Cie., diameter 30, gauge E20. Ground yarn: PES dtex 167f 32/1, plush yarn: polyacrylic Nm 50/2

Contents

01
01.1 01.1.1 01.1.2 01.1.3 01.1.4

Knitting Technique ... 1

Fundamentals of stitch formation ... 1 400 years of mechanical stitch formation ... 1 An outline of knitting machines ... 6 Stitch formation with latch needles ... 9 Structural elements in knitted fabrics ... 10
01.1.4.1 01.1.4.2 01.1.4.3 01.1.4,4 01.1.4.5 01.1.4.6 Loop 10 Stitch 10 / Plain stitch / Purl stitch/ Needle loop / Sinker loop Tuck loop 10 Floatstitch 10 Weft 10 Filler 10 Arrangement of structural elements 12 Plain knitted fabrics ... 12 Double knit fabrics (rib fabrics) 12 Double knit rib fabrics / Double knit interlock fabrics Double knit purl fabrics ... 12

01.1.5

Basic knitted structures ... 12

01.1.5.1 01.1.5.2 01.1.5.3

01.1.5.4

01 .2 01.2.1

Processes for large circular knitting machines 14 Plain (single face) technique with latch needles 14
01.2.1.1 01.2.1.2 01.2.1.3 01.2.1.4 01.2.1.5 01.2.1.6 Rest or ground position, Pos. 1 ... 16 Tucking-in position, Pos. 2 ... 16 Clearing position, Pos. 3 ... 16 Yarn presenting position, Pos. 4 16 Cast-on position, Pos. 5 ... 17 Knock-over position, Pos. 6 ... 17

01.2.2 01.2.3

Single face relative technology with latch needles ... 18 Compound needle technique ... 20
01 .2.3.1 01 .2.3.2 Plain technique with compound needles ... 20 Plain relative technique with compound needles 24 Coordination between cylinder and dial grooves 27 Rib setting of cylinder and dial / Interlock setting of cylinder and dial / Conversion from rib to interlock setting Coordination between cylinder and dial cams ... 29 Synchronised timing between cylinder and dial cams Delayed timing between cylinder and dial cams / Conditions for the use of delayed timing for dial and cylinder cams Rib stitch formation ... 38 Purl stitch formation and needle transfer ... 38

01.2.4

Rib technique ... 27

01.2.4.1

01.2.4.2

01 2.5

Purl technique ... 38

01.2.5.1 01.2.5.2 Contents

01.3 01.3.1

Characteristics of circular knitting machines ... 44 Machine pitch and machine gauge ... 44
01.3.1.1 01.3.1.2 01 3.1.3 Machine pitch ... 44 English machine gauge ... 44 Pitch values for circular knitting machines with special pattern devices and for small circular knitting machines ... 44 Relation between machine pitch, English gauge, machine nominal diameter and number of needles ... 44 Effective machine pitches (machine gauges) ... 44

01.3.1.4 01.3.1.5

01.3.2 01.3.3 01.3.4 01.3.5 01.4 01.4.1 01.4.2

Machine nominal diameter ... 45 Number of feeders / feeder density ... 45 Production speed, number of machine revolutions ... 45 Efficiency value / speed factor ... 46 Machine elements ... 46 Frame ... 46 Machine drive ... 48
01.4.2.1 01.4.2.2 01.4.2.3 01.4.2.4 Motor ... 48 Number of revolutions of the machine ... 49 Brake ... 51 Drive arrangement ... 52 Needles ... 53 Holding-down / Knocking-over sinkers ... 58 Needle beds on circular knitting machines ... 60

01.4.3

Knitting elements ... 52

01.4.3.1 01.4.3.2 01.4.3.3

01.4.4 01.4.5

Yarn feeder and its correct setting ... 61 Needle and sinker control units (cams) ... 63
01.4.5.1 01.4.5.2 01.4.5,3 01.4.5.4 Sliding cams .. 65 Flexible cams ... 66 Changeable cams ... 67 Alteration of course density through couliering ... 68 Vertical couliering / Diagonal couliering / Central couliering / Vertical adjustment of needle dial Fabric Fabric Fabric Fabric spreader ... 72 tensioning and winding devices ... 72 tensioning and winding devices with mechanical drive / tensioning and winding devices with electrical drive

01.4.6

Fabric take-down ... 72

01.4.6.1 01.4.6.2

01.4.7

Yarn supply ... 79

01.4.7.1 01.4.7.2 Cone carrier device ... 79 Yarn delivery devices (Yarn metering and storage devices on circular knitting machines) ... 84 Yarn delivery devices for constant yarn delivery, yarn metering devices / Devices with constant yarn delivery per unit time, Yarn metering devices with yarn reserve (Positive yarn feeders) / Devices with variable yarn delivery per unit time and yarn reserve (Storage yarn feeders) Yarn monitoring / Needle monitoring / Fabric monitoring / Lubricating and oiling systems / Cleaning systems

01.4.8

Monitoring and maintenance systems ... 94

VI

Contents

02
02.1 02.1.1 02.1.2 02.2 02.2.1 02.2.2 02.3 02.3.1 02.3.2 02.3.3

Needle Control and its Equipment ... 97

Direct needle control ... 97 Control through cam parts ... 97 Control through pattern wheel ... 98 Indirect needle control ... 101 Indirect needle control with fixed control sinker arrangement ... 101 Indirect needle control through pattern drum ... 103 Electronically controlled needle selection on circular knitting machines ... 106 Needle control through film tape ... 106 Needle control through machine memory ... 108 Pattern design and production preparation ... 111

03
03.1 03.1.1 03.1.2 03.2 03.2.1 03.2.2 03.3 03.3.1 03.3.2 03.4

Additional Equipment Patterning ... 113

Equipment for fleecy fabrics ... 113 Simple fleecy ... 113 Three-thread fleecy ... 113 Equipment for plush fabrics ... 118
Quality demands on plush

Unpatterned plush ... 118 Jacquard plush ... 122

The construction of the presentation technique

Yarn changer devices / stripers ... 126 Yarn changer device with mechanical control ... 126 Yarn changer device with electronical control ... 128 Wrap finger technique ... 132

04
04.1 04.1.1 04.1.2 04.1.3 04.2 04.2.1 04.2.2 04.3 04.3.1 04.3.2 04.3.3

Circular Knitting Machines for Garment Length Fabrics ... 135

Rib and purl techniques ... 136 Fibres and yarns ... 136 Stitch density and quality ... 136 Performance ... 136 Purl pullover circular knitting machine ... 137 Double selection at the lower cylinder ... 137 Selection at the upper cylinder ... 138 Rib pullover circular knitting machine ... 140 Free individual needle selection in the knitting feeders ... 141 Means of free selection in the transfer feeders ... 141 Principle of selection ... 142

Contents

VII

05

Maehines for High-Pile Fabrics ... 144

06
06.1 06.1.1 06.1.2 06.2

Other Machines ... 146

Methods for loop transfer ... 146 Transferring of sinker loops ... 146 Transferring of needle loops ... 146 Machines for the production of transfer patterns ... 147
Cylinder transfer feeder, control sinker cam range / Cylinder transfer feeder, needle cam range ... 150

07
07.1 07.1.1 07.1.2 07.1.3

Knitted and Fabric Structures ... 152

Pattern analysis of weft knits ... 152 Tools and technical aids ... 152 Methodical pattern analysis ... 152 Representation of weft knitted fabrics ... 154
07.1.3.1 07.1.3.2 07.1.3.3 07.1.3.4 Representation through mesh structure ... 154 Representation through technical notation (yarn path) ... 154 Symbols used for representation of needles ... 154 Representation of structural elements ... 155

07.2 07.3 07.3.1 07.3.2

Basic structures ... 156 Patterned structures ... 156 Patterned structures with one needle type ... 156 Patterned structures with two needle types ... 157
Plain structures / Rib patterned structures / Rib patterned interlock structures

07.3.3 07.4 07.5

Patterned structures with four needle types ... 161 Plated structures... 162 Speciality structures... 162
Fleecy/Three-thread fleecy / Interlock fleecy / Plush

07.6 07.6.1

Jacquard structures ... 163 Colour jacquard structures ... 163

Single jersey colour jacquard / Single jersey colour jacquard with binding-in of floating yarns (three-way technique) / Rib colour jacquard / Horizontal striper backing / Vertical striper backing / Twill backing

07.6.2 07.6.3 07.6.4 07.6.5

Rib relief jacquard structures ... 166

Single relief rib jacquards / Double relief rib jacquard

VIII

Contents

Rib tuck jacquard ... 170 Rib lock jacquard ... 170 Rib transfer jacquard ... 170

07.7

Symbolic adjointment between structure and process ... 171

Plain circular knitting machines ... 172 Rib circular knitting machines ... 178

07.8

Transposition of jacquard patterns onto a jacquard circular knitting machine with mechanical indirect needle control ... 182

08
08.1 08.2 08.2.1 08.2.2 08.2.3

Yarns for Circular Knitting...

Fibre materials ... 188 Count ... 190 Direct system and its units ... 190 Indirect system and its units ... 191
Metric number (Nm) / English number (Ne)

188

Count calculation and denotion for plies ... 191

08.2.3.1 Ply with yarns of the same count ... 194 Calculation of count on the direct system / Denotion based on the direct system / Calculation of count on the indirect system / Denotion based on the indirect system Ply with yarns of differing counts ... 194 Calculation of count on the direct system / Denotion based on the direct system / Calculation of count based on the indirect system / Denotion based on the indirect system

08.2.3.2

08.3 08.3.1

Staple fibre yarns... 195 Spinning systems...

08.3.1.1 08.3.1.2 08.3.1.3 08.3.1.4

195

Cotton spinning system ... 196 Carded yarn / Combed yarn Worsted spinning system ... 197 Semi-worsted spinning system ... 197 Woollen spinning system .. 198 Ring spinning ... 198 Unconventional spinning techniques ... 199 OE rotor spinning / Other spinning techniques: Friction spinning / Air jet spinning / Cover spinning / Yarns with ply resemblance / Self-twist spinning / Ply spinning Process-based properties ... 202 Fibre-based properties ... 202

08.3.2

Spinning techniques for staple fibre yarns ... 198

08.3.2.1 08.3.2.2

08.3.3

Comparison between ring and rotor yarns ... 201

08.3.3.1 08.3.3.2

08.4 08.4.1 08.4.2

Filament yarns ... 203 The most important raw materials ... 203 Filament yarn types ... 203
08.4.2.1 08.4.2.2 08.4.2.3 08,4.2.4 08.4.2.5 Monofilament yarn ... 203 Multifilament yarns ... 203 Minifil yarns ... 203 Comingled yarn ... 204 Microfilament yarn ... 204

Contents

IX

08.4.3

Flat and textured filament yarns ... 204

08.4.3.1 08.4.3.2 08.4.3.3 08.4.3.4 08.4.3.5 08.4,3.6 False twist process ... 204 Bicomponent process ... 206 Knit-de-knit process ... 206 Air texturing process ... 207 Single yarn / Parallel yarn / Core-sheath yarn Other texturing processes ... 208 Properties of textured yarns ... 208 Primary properties: Extension and elasticity / Volume / Secondary properties: Weight / Dyeing behaviour / Handle / Perspiration / Air textured yarn

08.5 08.5.1

Fibre blending in yarns and fabrics ... 209 Types of blend ... 210
08.5.1.1 08.5.1.2 Intimate blending ... 210 Core-sheath structures ... 210 Covering / Bicomponent yarns / Air textured yarns / Open end yarns The real ply ... 211 Comingled yarns ... 211 Feeder blending ... 211

08.5.1.3 08.5.1.4 08.5.1.5

08.6 08.7 08.7.1 08.7.2 08.7.3

Yarn count and machine gauge ... 212 Knitting demands on yarns ... 216 Tenacity and breaking extension ... 216 Elasticity ... 218 Friction ... 218
08.7.3.1 08.7.3.2 08.7.3.3 Waxing of staple fibre yarns ... 219 Finishing of filarment yarns ... 220 Surface of yarn and abradant ... 220

08.7.4 08.7.5 08.7.6 08.8 08.8.1 08.8.2 08.8.3

Yarn evenness ... 221 Yarn count deviation ... 222 Take-off behaviour of yarns ... 223 Yarn supply for circular knitting machines ... 224 Draw twist bobbin ... 224 Draw winder bobbin ... 224 Cross-wound bobbin ... 224
08.8.3.1 08.8.3.2 Package size ... 225 Package shape ... 225 Cylindrical shape / Biconical shape / Conical shape Random winding ... 226 Precision winding ... 226 Digital winding ... 227

08.8.4

Winding methods for cross-wound bobbins ... 226

08.8.4.1 08.8.4.2 08.8.4.3

08.8.5 08.8.6 08.8.7 08.8.8 08.8.9 08.8.10

Wind-on speed ... 227 Package hardness ... 228 Take-off yarn tension ... 228 Friction between yarn and cross-wound package ... 229 Negative yarn withdrawal ... 229 Positive yarn withdrawal ... 229 Literature to chapter 08... 230

Contents

08.9

09
09.1 09.1.1

Quality and Production Monitoring ... 231

Faults and its causes in circular knitting ... 231 Pre-requisites for faultless knitwear production ... 231
09.1.1.1 09.1.1.2 Pre-requisites on the circular knitting machine ... 231 General production conditions for knitting ... 232 Selection of proper yarn count I Relation between knitted structures and processing problems / Setting of the knitting machine / Yarn storage / Air conditioning of the knitting plant / Cleaning of knitting machines Yarn pre-requisites ... 234 Influence of dyeing processes / Influence of spinning processes / Influence of the winding process / Factors affecting yarn production / Relationship between yarn properties and knitted fabric qualities

09.1.1.3

09.1.2

Frequent faults in knitted fabrics, their definition, cause and elimination ... 237
09.1.2.1 09.1.2.2 Definition of faults ... 237 Causes of faults and their avoidance ... 238 Cracks or holes / Drop stitches / Cloth fall-out / Snags / Tuck and double stitches / Bunching-up / Vertical stripes / Horizontal stripes / Soil stripes / Colour fly / Distorted stitches

09.1.3 09.2 09.3

Literature ... 248 Operational data acquisition ... 248 Production calculations ... 250

10
10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4

Appendage for Tables ... 252

Machine pitch and machine gauge ... 252 Nominal machine diameters ... 254 Number of feeders ... 256 Yarn counts ... 258

11 12

Fluff Blower Devices ... 262 Index ... 265

Contents

XI

01 Knitting Technique

Individual needle motion

V-bed machines rectilinear

Circular knitting machines radial

12

Knitting Machines

Collective needle motion

Straight bar machines rectilinear

Loop wheel machines radial

Warp knitting machines rectilinear

Positions

Positions

Dial cam

Cylinder cam

Dial cam

Cylinder cam

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110

Latch needles for single Jersey and ribbed fabric circular knitting machines

112

Double hook latch needles (Groz-Beckert) for Links/Links circular knitting machines

edge

ring

02 Needle Control
and its Equipment

208

sinker

sinkers

clearing

clearing

N2,

03 Additional
Patterning Equipment

04 Circular Knitting Machines

for Garment Length Fabrics

05 Machines
for High-Pile Fabrics

06 Other Machines

07 Knitted
and Fabric Structures

08 Yarns for Circular Knitting

09 Quality and
Production Monitoring

10 Appendage for Tables

11 Fluff Blower Devices

12

Index

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