Warp knitted Structure

Warp Knit Structure

Warp knitting is defined as a stitch forming process in
which the yarns are supplied to the knitting zone
parallel to the selvedge of the fabric, i.e. in the
direction of the wales.
In warp knitting, every knitting needle is supplied with
at least one separate yarn.
In order to connect the stitches to form a fabric, the
yarns are deflected laterally between the needles.
In this manner a knitting needle often draws the new
yarn loop through the knitted loop formed by another
end of yarn in the previous knitting cycle.

Open and Closed Stitches

Overlap Characteristics
Shog usually across one needle hook.
Every needle receives an overlapped loop from
at least one guide at every knitting cycle.
Two side limbs of the loop are produced.
Rare to shog across two needle hooks due to
high yarn tensions and poor fabric appearance.

Under lap Characteristics

Generally ranges from 0 to 3 needle spaces
Could be four or more needle spaces
depending on design and fabric structure
Long under laps cause a reduction in knitting
efficiency and production speed
Underlaps and overlaps are essential in warp
knit structures

The actual guide bar motion consists of an

under lap, swing-through, overlap and swingback movement, and this motion is known as
lapping.

 On point paper notation, the needle spaces are

numbered from the right hand side for a machine
which has its pattern mechanism on the right hand
side.
The opposite would be true for a machine having its
pattern mechanism on the left side of the machine.
On tricot machines, needle spaces are numbered using
whole numbers beginning with 0.
Occasionally, on Raschel machines, the needle spaces
are numbered beginning with 0 and using only even
whole numbers such as 2, 4, 6, etc. after that.

Yarn Consumption for Guide Bars

Runin yarn consumption of each guide bar
Rack the length of yarn consumed in 480 knitting cycles
used as a measurement for runin
Each guide bar knits the same construction and fed
equally
A longer runin produces longer loops and slacker fabric
A shorter runin produces shorter loops and tighter fabric
Runin Ratio
Term used when knitting with more than one guide bar
It is the relative amount of yarn fed from each warp and
written as a ratio
Ratio is different for different fabric constructions and
qualities

Single Bar Structures

A plain warp knitted structure is produced on a single
needle bar. The resulting structures are known as single
face fabrics.
Rib and interlock warp knitted structures are produced
on double needle bars, and these structures are known
as double face fabrics.
In single face structures (plain), stitches are visible
on one side, known as the technical face, and on the
other side (known as the technical back) only
underlaps are visible.

Pillar stitch (or chain stitch)

It is a stitch construction where lapping of a yarn guide
takes place over the same needle.
As there are no lateral connections between the
neighboring wales, the stitches are only interconnected
in the direction of the wales.

 Due to the absence of underlaps, a fabric is not

created, only chains of disconnected wales.
Single bar pillar lap is technically possible only on
Raschel machines where the trick plate acts a knockover bed.
On a tricot machine the sinkers are unable to control
the position of the old loop when there is no under lap
(pillar stitch) and so the knitting of pillar stitch on
Open or closed pillar stitches can be
produced depending on the guide bar
movement.

Tricot lapping or 1 x 1
The laps are executed in alternate overlap and under lap
motions on two defined needles.
This stitch creates a textile fabric as the underlaps connect both
the courses and the wales.
The simplest of this group of structures is made between two
adjacent needles.
Tricot lapping or 1 x 1 is the simplest of these movements,
producing overlaps in alternate wales at alternate courses with
only one yarn crossing between adjacent wales
The laps are executed in alternate overlap and under lap
motions on two defined needles.
This stitch creates a textile fabric as the underlaps connect both
the courses and the wales.
The simplest of this group of structures is made between two
adjacent needles.

 Two yarns will cross between wales

with a 2x1 or cord lap, three yarns
with a 3x1 or satin lap, four yarns
with a 4x1 or velvet lap, etc.

Atlas Lap
The atlas construction differs in that the laps
are continued over two or more courses in one
direction and then return in the other direction
to the point where they started.
Lapping movement
0-1/2-1/3-2/4-3/5-4/3-4/2-3/1-2/

Tricot Two Bar Fabric Characteristics

Single bar fabrics tend to be dimensionally unstable.
Single bar fabrics exhibit an unbalanced loop structure and
loop inclination.
Most tricot fabrics are two bar with fully threaded guides.
Two separate warps feed into these fabrics, each going through
different lapping motions.
The relative movement of the two guide bars along with the
magnitude of shogging, determines the appearance and
properties of the fabrics.
Each guide bar contributes a yarn to every overlap and the two
underlaps lap to a different angle, extent, or direction.
Normally the yarns of the front guide bar tend to dominate the
face as well as the back of the fabric.