BNH 30303

Knitting Technology II
Chapter 5
WARP KNITTED FABRICS PROPERTIES
Fabric Weight, Thickness, Density
Dimensional stability due to laundry
Bursting
Mrs Nurul Zakiah Binti Zamri Tan

Properties of Fabric
Fabric properties refer to how the fabric will
perform when it is used.
A fabrics working characteristics refer to how it
behaves or handles when it is being made into a
product.
Appearance, texture and properties are affected
by fabric constructions techniques

The fibre/yarn content, fabric construction and

finishing processes determine the fabric's
aesthetic,
functional Functional
and comfort properties.
Aesthetic
Comfort
properties
properties
properties
fabric looks and feels
this gives textile
products their appeal
Handle
Drape
Colour and pattern
Appearance
Lustre

how fabric will

perform when it is
used
Strength
Durability
Crease resistance
Flame resistance
Stain resistance
Water resistance
Aftercare

Absorbency
Breathability
Elasticity
Softness
Stretch
Warmth

Weaving
Woven fabric is
generally crisp and
not stretchy. It can
be as thin as
chiffon or as thick
as denim.
Ravel/fray edges

Warp Knitting

Weft Knitting

Is usually stretchy and supple

It can be as thin as mesh or as thick as
sweatshirt fleece.
Thin as womans sock or thick as
upholsterys fabric
Advantages of knitted fabrics
Knits do not fray at the edge
Knit (particularly weft) have much more
stretch than woven leisure wearing and
sportswear
More open and air easy to pass trough

Weaving

Knitting

Construction Interlacing of 2 set of

yarn to form a fabric
Structure

Interlooping of 2 set of
yarn to form a fabric

Elasticity

crispy

Fabric
Density and
Cover

can be produced in
extremely tight and
higher coverage.
Density variation is
much higher

higher extensibility and

instant recovery ability
Looser in structure

Thickness

Thicker and softer

Weaving

Warp
Knitting
Plain weave fabric Full Tricot
used for tents, sails, Locknit
rucksacks
Reverse
Locknit
Satin weaves- very Satin
smooth and
Queenscor
sometimes shiny
d
surface lingerie
Sharkskin
Lace
Herringbone
Crochet
weaves from
waltex
different colour yarn
create a pattern

Weft Knitting
Single jersey used for t-shirt
Double jersey thicker & less
elastic than single jersey
Rib knit very elastic
structure useful for cuff and
garments that need to be
close fitting
Alpaca Stitch Fabric, Argyle,
Birds Eye, Bourrelet, Cable
Stitch Fabric, Cardigan Fabric,
Pique, Eighthlock, Intarsia,
Jacquard Knit, Knitted Velour,

GENERAL
PROPERTIES
OF WARPthe
KNITTED
Knitted
without elastane
fabric tend to be more rigid, more
dimensionally stable and stronger
than weft knitted fabric. However
woven fabric give better
properties than warp and weft
knitted fabric
Warp
better
Warp knitting,
knitted >generally
Weft knitted
<
suited to filament
yarns, tends to
Woven
be more oriented towards
applications where engineering,
physical properties and high
production speeds are most

FABRIC
Finer gauge
than weft
knitted fabric
that is, it has
Tend
to be
smaller
thinner
than
stitches.
weft knitted
fabrics but
thicker
than
Unlike weft
woven
knitted
fabric,
warp knitted
fabric is
difficult to

Tricot

Locknit

Light weightThe FGB

>BGB
elasticity
than full
tricot.
smooth
sheen.
It has a
soft
handle

Satin

Reverse Locknit Sharkskin

the longer more rigid

underlaps, fabric
because
the
the BGB
resultant
long
fabric is
underlaps
known as
satin which are
trapped by
is a
the shorter
lustrous
soft fabric FGB

Sharkskin is
more rigid
and more
stable in a
lengthwise
direction
than satin
fabric due to
shorter
underlap
movement

Queenscord

More rigid
than
sharkskin
fabric.
Front bar
produces
shortest
possible
underlap.

THINK TANK!!
You are a designer for a baby care retailer and
you are designing a new range of products
including baby clothes and bedding. You have
been given two set of fabric samples, one knitted
and the other is woven.
i) Which set of fabric samples would you choose
ii) Why are these the best fabrics for babies

Properties of warp knitted Fabric

Fabric Weight, Thickness, Density

Dimensional stability due to laundry
Bursting
Properties like rigidity, air permeability, bursting
strength, etc. and GSM of the fabric change with
change in loop length.

Fabric Weight
Looking at the weight can help
you to decide if it will be the
most suitableFabric
fabric for its end
categories
use.
Light weight
Chiffon
Linen
Organza
Cheesecloth
Lace
Voile
Mesh
Habutai

Medium
weight

Heavy weight

Sateen
Upholstery fabric
Oxford
Canvas
Velvet
Brocade
Taffeta
Poplin
Charmeuse
Denim
Peau de soie.

Organza

Cheesecloth

Fabric weight is a most important characteristic of a

knitted fabric
It is one of the ways in which fabrics are classified.
How fabric weight affects application
Fabric thickness
The heavier the weight, generally the thicker the fabric
will be.
But sometimes it cannot tell the thickness of the fabric.
The weight of fabric is involves types of yarns or fibre
that were used.
Fabric used
Different knitted fabric and yarns will be different

Measurement of fabrics weight

In can be measured by:
Formula
GSM Cutter
Fabric consumption
GSM cutter is the most accurate and
comfortable method to use.
We can see GSM in paper, but also seen in
t-shirts
GSM can determines the thickness

GSM is a metric measurement

meaning grams per square metre
It is how much 1 square metre of
fabric weights
The higher the GSM number the
denser the fabric will be
Usually weight is important to know
when deal with the production and
raw material of fabrics

Fabric thickness
The thickness is measured with a touching
system, by lowering a plate of defined weight
and size onto the textile surface and detecting
the height in which the plate stops.
While this measurement usually results in
realistic values for woven fabrics, knitted
fabrics often show a significant influence of
the thickness resulting from the applied
weight.
Properties such as warmth and bulk are
dependent on fabric thickness.
Thicker fabrics generally entrap more air
within the fabric structure, creating a thicker

 Fabric weight and thickness are affects by

Yarn count and machine gauge
Fabric structure
Stitch density
Type of finish

Bursting
Tensile strength are generally use for woven fabric where
there are definite warp and weft direction which strength can
be measured
Fabric such as knitted material, lace or non woven do not have
warp and weft direction.
Bursting strength test is an alternative method to measure the
strength of knitted fabric
For knitted fabric, when exposed to linear stress, knitted fabric
are extend rapidly and change to rope like form
Free edge curly towards centre and finally break when the
edge leaves the jaw of testing machine
To overcome this, the fabric should be held on all edges and
tension applied all around the tested fabric

Principle
Sample fabric is clamped on a rubber diaphragm which
is in circle shaped.
An increasing fluid pressure is applied to under side of
the diaphragm until the sample fabric is tear.
The operating fluid may be liquid or a gas

FACTORS THAT AFFECT BURSTING

STRENGTH
}Coarser yarn size gives greater bursting strength
}Higher stitch density gives higher bursting strength
}Different surface finishes on the fabric will affecting the
bursting properties

Fabric Density
Fabric density indicate how much yarn is in a
metre square
Fabric density determines fabrics strength and
thickness, stability and abrasion resistance.
Smaller loop size will have more wales and
courses per centimetre than an differently similar
fabric will be heavier.
Density is the distance between individual
stitches in a knitted fabric : course and wales of
stitches in a fill. The closer the rows are to each

Dimensional stability due to laundry

It is a measurement of the linear

dimensional change and
appearance of fabrics resulting from
exposure to laundry.
The ability of fabric to keep in shape
after washing
Dimensional stability of knitted
fabrics is lower than woven fabrics.