VIGNONI - Division of the Santoni Company - now offers a patented

solution to an age old problem - that is finally resolved - with a

machine that is a great breakthrough in large diameter circular
knitted fabric…

VIGNONI OPEN PLUS

The problem in question is that of the body twist or distortion of the fabric with its consequent
finishing and wearing problems and frequent make-up wastes and headaches.
Whether it is called Body twist, or distortion, or torque, or skewness, or spiralling effect etc... these terms
refer to a serious problem that has been so common and diffused that almost everyone producing or
wearing quality knitted T-shirts has come across it : This is the displacement of the side seams after the first
washes (or even at the end of the production cycle when the garment is piece-dyed).

Distortion to the right

This defect which has ,since immemorial time, so often disturbed and worried the world of circular knitting
and knitted garment make-up manufacturers is due mainly to the torque or spiralling effect of the yarn. In a
few words, twisted yarn tends to turn on its own axis in a direction opposite that of its twist. The more the
yarn is twisted, the more marked will be the distortion of the fabric. This distortion or spiralling of the fabric
will take place towards the right or the left according to the rotation of the yarn (namely: S or Z twist).

To face this problem, the knitted or jersey garment maker has available today a few partial solutions that
have however great handicaps:
1) By using alternate S and Z twisted yarns, but here one gets an irregular aspect on the fabric (due to
the zig-zag effect of the stitches and consequently on the fabric appearance)
2) Heat Setting – which is possible only for synthetic yarns – but here one tends to modify noticeably
the touch of a fabric making it too stiff or plastic-like.
3) The so-called Balloon system Cut, possible only on traditional tubular fabrics makes it still quite
difficult to maintain constant results between the various lots of yarns and moreover prevents the
use of the Open width machines which, however, are today so indispensable to obtain a fabric
without centre crease.
In other words, none of these solutions really give results that guarantee fabric stability maintaining thereby
the fabric quality, touch etc…
The breakthrough of this problem basing ourselves on the PRINCIPLE OF THE HELICAL CUT.
To ensure the maximum stability against the twisting or spiralling of garments made from circular knitted
fabric, it is vital to have a perpendicular (at 90°) relation between the weft (horizontal lines and the edge of
the open fabric). If one has this situation already in the grey fabric, then there is no more need to use ways
of straightening the wefts in later stages. THE WEFT IS STRAIGHT FROM THE START AND THE ROWS OF
STITCHES ARE IN THEIR DEFINITE POSITION ALREADY SINCE THE BLEACHING STAGE. The fabric is
therefore stable and cannot twist or distort itself anymore.
A traditional open width machine cuts the fabric along a row of stitches (needle miss line) and does not
really consider the problem of the distortion. On the other hand if the cut is carried out according to the
twist angle, one obtains a fabric that is twist proof and cannot be deformed later in any of the subsequent
stages of finishing, dyeing nor in any normal wear and washing operations of the end user
The VIGNONI OPEN PLUS machine with HELICAL CUT (patented)

Here are some examples of results obtained after washing two fabrics knitted with the same yarn, first using
a traditional Open Width machine and then using the new VIGNONI OPEN PLUS machine.

Fabric (after washing) on a traditional machine showing the DISTORTED WEFT

Fabric (after washing) on the new VIGNONI OPEN PLUS machine showing the STRAIGHT WEFT

Due to an independent system of motor drive, the

take down of the new VIGNONI OPEN PLUS can
be set on a delayed or advanced movement
position in relation to the cylinder itself of the
machine. In this way, the knitted fabric will be cut
along a line that corresponds to the angle of
twisting.

Take-down group on the new VIGNONI OPEN

PLUS
HOW THE NEW VIGNONI OPEN PLUS machine works.
By following a simple procedure and some simple tests on a fabric sample made with 0 degree angle
(traditional machine), you can then obtain the angle of twisting of the fabric.
Then by setting the value obtained from this test (positive or negative according to the direction of the
twisting) in the parameters regulating the takedown (together with the takedown tension parameters and
fabric roller speed parameter), the machine will automatically de-phase the motion of the takedown group
from the cylinder turns, guarantying thereby the cutting and opening of the fabric according to this
predetermined angle.

Setting the electronic parameters for the takedown, for the roller and the cutting angle as seen on the
driving computer fitted on each VIGNONI ZENIT OPEN PLUS machine.

RESULTS
Samples of fabric (made in the same cotton) after passing through the stenter frame without wefts-straightening

Fabric made on a traditional open width

machine (0 degrees angle)

The needle miss together with a

dark yarn show clearly how the
weft of the fabric (horizontal
lines) is distorted
Weft
Miss needle
mark

Fabric made with the VIGNONI OPEN PLUS

having set in from the start an angle (in
that case 12°)

In this case, it is clear how the

90°
Miss needle Weft
fabric weft remains straight and
mark the perpendicular or 90° relation
between the weft and the edge of
the fabric is absolutely perfect.