Flat Knitting machines

There has been much improvement in flat knitting machines over the past 20 years. Comparing a flat knitting machine using jacquard steels for needle selection with the latest state-of-the-art machine capable of knitting the whole garment, one can easily imagine how many breakthroughs were needed to make the transition. The huge improvement in the efficiency of loop transfer has effectively eliminated the flat bed purl knitting machines employing double hooked latch needles.

Development of modern V-bed machines

ITMA95 showed Tsudakoma, the knitting machine with no cam plates. And Shima Seiki with four needles beds. Typically, modem flat knitting machine will have gauges ranging from E3 to E14 and the needle bed widths of a shorter 120cm and longer 240cm. To meet the demands of the industry, the range will include machines with different numbers of knitting systems. Single system knitting is sometimes desirable but the production is low. Dual-head, single system would be a sensible choice, so that two pieces can be knitted simultaneously. The cam systems for these machines should have an electronically controlled stitch setting and varying for individual needles Loop transfer is very important function in flat knitting. The cam system should be able to perform loop transfer very efficiently for every system irrespective of carriage traverse direction, and to perform knitting and transfer at the same time in order to reduce non-productive stroke. Owing to the very efficient loop transfer, fully fashioned knitting or shaping of fabric is very common in flat knitting, and the ability to vary carriage stroke becomes important in raising production. The number of available yarn carrier should be about 12 and up to 32, with the swinging type of yam carrier for Intarsia knitting as an option.

Sinker system and Start-up comb accessories in flat knitting

The sinker system is a standard facility for versatile flat knitting machine. It is essential for knitting complex structural designs, double layer application and 3-D fabrics. To cater for the need to knit complex structure and shaped pieces, fabric rollers can programmed for an appropriate fabric take-down tension.

A start-up comb for piece-by-piece knitting is becoming standard facility for knitting machine with shorter needle bed Yam cutting and clamping devices for yam striping and cleaning is essential.

In short, they have built-in sinker and programmed take-down tension for knitting complex design and start-up comb, yarn cutter and clamping for special effect.

SHIMA FIRST machine in ITMA99

FIRST stands for Full-fashioning, Intarsia, Rib-Transfer and Sinker. Designed to be very versatile, the machine can knit everything from integral knitting to rib shaping and even the whole garment without the help of seaming and linking. The slide needle (with four needle beds) in FIRST allows the knitted loop to be held centrally all the time, leveling the tensions in both arms of the loop. Unwanted tension and friction can thus be minimized, reducing both yam breakage and loop distortion. The slide needle also allows changes in loop size regardless of gauge, even while knitting the same piece. Gauge range is no longer applicable to the FIRST machine. Instead they use slide needles of three different hook sizes, each knitting to the equivalent of a range of "gauges", e.g. 7 gauge and 12 gauge effects can be knitted on the same machine in the same piece.

ITMA 99 Survey 4, Textile Asia, August 1999