Production Process of Knit Garments

Knitting:

Knitting is considered to be the second most frequently used method of fabric construction, after weaving. It is one of the several ways to turn thread or yarn into cloth. It is similar to crochet in the sense that it consists of loops pulled through other loops. In other words, knitting is the process of construction of a fabric made of interlocking loops of yarn by means of needles. The loops may be either loosely or closely constructed, according to the purpose of the fabric. The loops or stitches are interlocked using a needle which holds the existing loop and a new loop is formed in front of the old loop. The old loop is then brought over the new loop to form the knitted fabric. Knitting is different from weaving in the sense that a single piece of yarn can be used to create fabric. The knitted fabric consists of horizontal rows known as courses and vertical columns of loops known as Wales.

 Production Process of Knit Garments

Production Flowchart of Knitting Section:

Sample fabric
↓
Design analysis
↓
Machine selection
↓
Setting the machine for the specific design
↓
Sample Knitting
↓
Sample approval
↓
Bulk Production
↓
Grey fabric inspection

Production Process of Knit Garments:

1. Firstly, knitting manager gets a production shit from the merchandiser as accordance as consumer requirements then he informs or orders production officer about it.
2. Production officer informs technical in charge and knows about machine in which the production will be running.
3. Technical in charge calls for leader of mechanical fitter troops, they two take decision about machine for production considering machine condition, production capacity, maintenance complexity, etc.
4. Production officer with experienced mechanical fitter adjusts required stitch length and grey GSM for required final GSM.
5. Supervisor checks daily production regularity and make operator conscious about finishing tin due time.
6. Operators operate machine in high attention as if there were no faults in the fabrics. If he thinks or sure about any fabric fault, then he calls for the mechanical fitters in duty. Mechanical fitter then fixes it if he can or he informs technical in charge. Then he comes in spot.
7. After required production and final inspection in 4-point system, they sent in dyeing section.

Yarn Feeding Mechanism in Knitting Machine

Yarn Feeding Mechanism:

The yarn fed to the needles in order to form the fabric must be conveyed along a predetermined path from the spool/cone to the knitting zone. The various motions along this path guide the yarn (thread guides), adjust the yarn tension (yarn pensioners’), and check for eventual yarn breaks.

Yarn Feeding Mechanism in Knitting

The yarn is taken down from the spool arranged on a special holder called creel if placed beside the machine, or rack if placed above it. The yarn is then guided into the knitting zone through the thread guide, which is typically a small plate with a steel eyelet for the yarn. In order to obtain particular designs such as intarsia and vanisé effects, the machines are equipped with special thread guides.

A uniform feeding tension is fundamental for obtaining regular loops. On flat-bed machines, this parameter is controlled through the yarn tensioner, which consists essentially of a metal arm adjusted by means of springs in order to contrast and level off the spool unwinding tension peaks. On circular knitting machines, the yarn feeding control on the various systems is performed with various methods.

Yarn Path Sequence from Creel to Needle:

Creel
↓
Cone
↓
Tube
↓
Tube/Pipe
↓
Magnetic Tensioner
↓
Sensor
↓
Ceramic Eye Pot
↓
Yarn Wheel (Positive/negative feeder)
↓
Previous Sensor Guide
↓
Sensor
↓
After Sensor Guide
↓
Ceramic Eye Pot (feeder Ring)
↓
Feeder
↓
Needle

Feeding Device:
There are two types of feed device.

1. Positive feed device
2. Negative feed device

Positive feed device:
Positive feed device is a knitted loop-shape and loop-length control device which employs small pulleys moved by belts, or gears etc., to exactly control the yarn feeding speed and keep it constant.

Positive feed device

Positive feed device are designed to overcome loop-shape and loop-length variation by positively supplying yarn at the correct rate under low yarn tension to the knitting point instead of allowing the latch needles or loop forming sinkers to draw loops whose length could be affected by varying yarn input tension.

A continuous tape driven from the machine drive by a single pulley encircles the machine above the feeders and provides identical and constant feed for any yarn threaded through the nip it forms with a free running feed wheel at each feed position.

The faster the tape speed relative to the machine speeds, the faster the rate of yarn feed and the longer the resultant course length. The tape speed is altered by adjusting the scrolled segments of the drive pulley (V.D.Q pulley) to produce a larger or smaller driving circumference.

Negative Feed Device:
Negative feed device is a knitted loop-shape and loop-length control device as a yarn guide which employs direct drive by yarn tension. In negative feed device, yarn is not wrapped.

Negative feed device