CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Aim: To study about the circular knitting machine and its function.

Introduction: Knitting is a process of manufacturing a fabric by the intermeshing of loops of yarns. When one loop is drawn through another loop a stitch is formed. Stitches may be formed in horizontal or in vertical direction. The main forms of knitting are Weft knitting Warp knitting The loops formed in horizontal direction are called as coarse. The loops formed in vertical direction are called as Wales. Circular knitting machine is a weft knitting machine, here loops are formed in horizontal direction. Description: The circular knitting machine consists of three major section (i.e.) yarn supply, knitting elements and fabric take down. The figure shows machine frame indicating its various parts. The knitting elements such as needles, sinkers, cylinder, cams and feeders are supported at centre called as knitting zone. Yarn packages are mounted at the over head creels and yarns are fed to knitting zone through yarn guides stop motions and feeders. The knitted fabric goes down inside the cylinder towards the centre of machine drawn into the take down device and finally collected on a roll winding mechanism,. A fabric spreader gradually converts tubular fabric into double layer folded fabric by preventing formation of pleats or creases. Loop formation in circular knitting by latch needle: Latch needle as shown in fig1, in a partly raised position. The last loop in the fabric is on the needle at position2. the needle has been raised so that last loop of the fabric placed in the hook of needle. At3, the needle has been lowered its latch has been closed by the last loop of the fabric. When the needle is further lowered the last loop thrown into the fabric as a new loop like this the cycle is repeated, Main parts of circular knitting machine: Cylinder: The needles are maintained in a needle bed which is a metal cylinder tricks are cut in the outside wall of the cylinder to hold the needles. The number of tricks cut per inch is called the cut of the machine. A needle is placed into each trick so that the back of the needle lies against the needle bed. The needles are perfectly vertical and butts protrudes, this butts mores along the cam track which gives desired motion of the needle. Sinker: A sinker is another knitting element which is a thin metal strip used between each needle to assist in knitting by holding down the formed stitches and helping to form stitches. There is a sinker ring in which tricks are cut radially s that sinkers are held horizontally. The butt of the sinker is actuated by sinker cam so that the sinker cam move horizontally at the appropriate time of the needle movement. Cam: It consists of guard cam, a raising or clearing cam, a stitching cam and up-throw cam and running cam. Out of these cams the stitch can and up-throw cam and running cam. Out of these cams the stitch cam controls the downward movement of the needles by

adjusting its vertical movement. If the stitch cam is raised then a shorter loop is drawn below sinker level and a fighter fabric will result with lowering of stitch cam a stitch length will increase and a flimsy fabric will result. Take-up mechanism: This mechanism is bolted to the under side of the gear ring. The cloth is drawn form the sinkers between the two fluted rollers which exerts a constant tension. Below the take of which the knitted cloth is wound in a roll form. Result: Thus the function and working of circular knitting machine are studied.

Knitting Needles Aim: To study about the features of various types of knitting needles. Introduction: The needles are most important stitch/loop forming element. They are displaced vertical up and down mounted into the tricks or cuts of knitting cylinder. There are 3 types of needles namely, Latch needle Spring bearded needle and Compound needle Description: Latch needle: It consists of a hooked portion at top with a latch or spoon riveted at a certain distance from the head of the needle. If forms a stitch or loop with a simple up and down movements. Latch needles are given individual movements sliding in grooves called the tricks of the cylinder. The latch can swing freely. The stem or shank is a straight portion of the needle with a protruding butt. Some distance from the end of needle in vertical direction is given through this butt part of the needle. The latch needles are mainly used in circular weft knitting machine for single knit and double knit fabric. They are also used for the purl fabrics and in V-bed and flat bed knitting machine and on raschel warp knitting machine. The latch needles are self acting, they require only previous loop on the stem and do not require any outside agencies to close the hook. The swinging latch has a cup at the end to fit the hook in grooves when the latch is closed. The latch is riveted to the stem. The needles are coarser in dimensions than the spring beard needles. The latch needles are expensive because of assembly of needle and latch. Spring beard needle: Mostly commonly used on tricot warp knitting machine. The main parts are 1. Head: The hooked portion of stem of the needle to draw the new yarn form the loop and intermesh through old loop. 2. Beard: The continuation of hooked portion which has a good springiness and shape of a beard on chin. 3. Eye: A groove cut in the stem to receive the pointed tip of the beard when it is pressed in by the pressure so that new loop is entrapped. 4. Stem: It is the needle around which the loop is formed and fabric is hold with the last loop on it.

5. Butt: It is the bent for locating the machine or is cast with other needles in a metal load. External assistant is needed to close the beard. Less expensive than latch needles. Superior knitted stitches can be produced. Most of warp knitting machine like tricot, simplex, and mlange machines use the beard needle. Compound Needle: It has been most popular in warp knitting. It consist of a hollow steel tube of a finer gauge in which a hook closing element which is also a steel tube of fine gauge is inserted. The upper end of this element covers the tip of the needle hook when it is raised. It is the combination of latch and beard needle. Strain is not put on the yarn during the loop formation and the movement required to form a loop is about to that of latch or beard needle. Both members of a compound needle have a straight movement instead of swinging movement. Very expensive one. Result: Thus the features of needles has been studied.

Effect of Stitch Length on Knitted Fabric Quality Aim: To study about the effect of stitch length on knitted fabric quality. Introduction: Length of yarn in a loop is called as stitch length and number of loops per inch is called stitch density. Stitch length is one of a major factor that decides the fabric quality and the uniformity of the stitch length provides attractive appearance to fabric. Description: 1. Weight of the fabric: While increasing stitch length the number of loops per inch cams down and the GSM of fabric will decrease. While decreasing stitch length the number of loops per inch goes up and GSM of fabric will increase. So we have to maintain uniform stitch length. 2. Dimensional Stability or Spiraled: Dimensional distortions of loops in fabric is called as spiraled. While increasing the loop length the dimensional distortion will be more and decreasing the loop length the dimensional distortion will be reduced or less. 3. Stiffness: Stiffness of the long stitch length or loop length of fabric will be less when compared to short stitch length fabric. 4. Bursting Strength (or) Tear Strength: Bursting strength of the short loop length fabric is high compared to the long loop length fabric. 5. Abrasion Resistance: The abrasion resistance of short stitch length fabric is more than the fabric with loop stitch length. 6. Shrinkage: Shrinkage is more in long loop length fabric compared to short stitch length fabric. 7. Comfort on feel: The long loop length fabric feels very fine where the short loop length fabric feels coarser. 8. Elasticity: The elasticity of the short stitch length fabric is less than the long loop length fabric. So the dimensional stability of short stitch length fabric is increased. 9. Cover Factor: Stitch density of long stitch length fabric is low compared to short stitch length fabric. So the cover factor of the long stitch length fabric is less than short stitch length fabric. 10. Pilling: Pilling is more in long loop length fabric and less in short loop length fabric. 11. Water absorbency: Due to more stitch density water absorbency of short stitch length fabric is more than the long loop length fabric. 12. Air permeability: Due to long loop length the air permeability of long stitch length fabric is higher than the short loop length fabric.

13. Dye Pick Up: Dye pick up is more in short loop length fabric than long stitch length fabric. 14. Quality on Printing: Printing quality is higher in short loop length fabric than long stitch length fabric due to pin holes formed on printed surface of the long loop length fabric. 15. Quality on Embroidery: Embroidery quality on short stitch length fabric is very high when compared to long stitch length fabric. Therefore

Setting of Various Machine Parameters on Circular Knitting Machine Aim: To study about the setting of various machine parameters on circular knitting machine. Introduction: The quality of knitted fabric mainly depends on machine setting like yarn tension, needle detector, cams, fabric tension and yarn feeding mechanism. Description: 1. Yarn Tension: The object of uniform tension is to steady the yarn between the cone and the needle. The following tables gives a recommended yarn tension in grams for different fibres. Fibre Cotton Wool Viscose rayon Glass Nylon Polyester Grams 5 to 8 1 to 2 4 to 7 6 to 8 6 to 8 3 to 4

2. Positive yarn feeder setting: The positive yarn feeder is used to store one coarse length of yarn and present it to the knitting cycle. Fabrics knitted with positive feed device are of much better quality and ensures constant yarn feed at all the feeders in the machine. Depending upon the count of yarn and fibre the setting of positive yarn feeder will be varied. 3. Needle Detector: The needle detector are used to detect damaged needles and yarn stop motion to stop the machines in case of a yarn break. This detectors setting will be varied depends upon the type of needle (spring beard, latch and compound needle). 4. Cam Setting: It consists of guard cams, clearing cam, running cam and stitch cam. Out of these cams the stitch cam can be adjustable. If the stitch cam is raised then shorter loop is drawn below the sinker level and a tighter fabric will result. With lowering of stitch cam the loop length will increase and flimsy fabric will result. 5.Fabric Tension: In circular knitting the tubular fabric from the needles (knitting Zone) is converted into flattened double layer and rolled. During such conversions, irregular tension are developed which leads to unwanted winkled, crease marks and stitch deformation to overcome this problem knitting machine are equipped with spreader which apply more uniform tension to the fabric. The width of the spreader can be adjustable depending upon the width of the fabric and GSM of the fabric. This results in the required evenness of the take down tension of the knitting machine and leads to a uniform stitch shape across entire fabric width. Result:

Thus the setting of various parameters on circular knitting machine has been studied.