Basic Warp Knitting Terms and Principles

In a warp knitted structure, each loop in the horizontal direction is made from a different thread and the
number of threads used to produce such a fabric is at least equal to the number of loops in a horizontal
row. One can say that in a warp knitted fabric the threads run roughly in a vertical direction. The diagram
shown illustrates the most basic warp knitted structure made by a single set of ends fed from a single
warp.

Fig: Warp Knitting

Every needle is fed by a separate end of yarn, from which a loop is formed. In order to connect the loops
into a fabric, the ends shog between the needles – meaning that the guide bars through which these yarns
are fed move from one needle position to another. In this manner each knitting needle draws a new loop
through the loop formed by another end of yarn in the previous knitting cycle. The accompanying diagram
shows four complete wales. Notice how the red yarn is knitting in combination with two other yarns. From
this basic section of fabric, it can be seen that at least one set of ends of yarns, equaling the number of
needles in the machine, is necessary to produce the fabric.

General terms:
Some terms are common for both warp and weft knitting like, stitch/loop length, course, wale, structure,
stitch density etc. and some are only used for warp knitting.
Loops are termed laps in warp knitting because the guides lap the warp yarn around the needles in order
to form the loops, the laps may be either open or closed. So, lap is a length of yarn in a warp knitted fabric
that consists of an overlap and of an underlap.

a) Open Lap:
An open lap is produced either when the underlap is in the same direction
as the overlap, or it is omitted so that the next overlap commences from
the space where the previous overlap finished.
b) Closed Lap:
A closed lap is produced when an underlap follows in the opposite
direction to the overlap and thus laps the thread around both sides of the
needles.
c) Overlap:
Overlap is a length of yarn in a warp knitted fabric that has been placed over
the needle during loop formation.
d) Underlap:
Underlap is a length of yarn in a warp knitted fabric that connects two
overlaps in consecutive courses.
e) Quality:
The length of cloth knitted during one rack measured in inches or centimeter is called the quality.
f) Run-in/rack:
It is the length of yarn in inches (or centimeter) fed to the needles per rack of 480 courses. Rack is related
with total stitches produced per 480 courses.

Basic Warp Knitting Elements:

In both Tricot and Raschel, yarns coming from the beam as parallel sheet are converted into fabric by loop
formation before being wound in open width form on the cloth roller. Although the said two types
machines differ to certain features, their loop formation technique is almost similar and the functional
elements required for the purpose are as discussed in the undergoing.
 a) Needles and needle bar:
All the three types of needles (bearded, latch & compound) are used in warp knitting as well. Whatever
may be the type of needle, all the needles move up and down together for loop formation, i.e., all the loops
in a course are made simultaneously. So instead of giving motion to the individual needles, all the needles
are connected/fixed to a bar called needle bar and the needle bar is lifted up and lowered down by means

of a cam fitted outside the machine, generally at the driving side. Needles are set in tricks cut in the needle
bed of the machine.

b) Sinkers and sinker bar:

The sinker is a thin plate of metal which is placed between
every two needles. The sinkers are usually cast in units
(Fig.), 1 inch long, which in turn are screwed into a bar
called sinker bar. The sinkers are given almost linear
horizontal (forward and backward) motion through the
sinker bar. The drive generally comes from a crank or
eccentric arrangement. The neb and the throat of the sinker
are used to hold down the fabric while the belly of the
sinker is used as a knocking over platform.
c) Guide and Guide Bar:
Guides are thin metal plates drilled with a hole in their lower end through a warp end may be threaded if
required. The guides are held together at their upper end in a metal lead of 1-inch width (Fig.) and are
spaced in it to the same gauge as the machine. The leads in turn are attached to a horizontal bar to form a
complete guide bar assembly bar, so that the guides hang from it with each one occupying a position at
rest midway between two adjacent needles. In this position the needles do not receive the warp yarns. The
needles only receive the warp yarns in their hooks if the guides wrap or lap the yarns across the needles.
For the purpose, the guide bars are given a compound lapping movement. The number of guide bars in a
machine is equal to the number of warp beams and each guide bar contains guides equal to the number of
yarns in each warp beam. All guides in a conventional guide bar produce an identical lapping movement
at the same time and therefore have requirements of same warp tension and rate of feed although yarns
may differ in color and composition. But the two guide bars may have different lapping movement where
requirement of warp feed and warp tension may vary also.

Needle Bar Movement:

The needle bar is lifted up and lowered down for the purpose of loop formation. During upward movement,
the old loop is cleared and needle catches the yarn wrapped around it by the guide and forms the new loop
during the downward movement. Such movement is imparted on the needle bar by means of a cam or
eccentric fitted on a shaft called eccentric shaft. The shaft extends to the full width of the machine and the
cam is located outside the machine, generally at the driving side. The cam is kept in an enclosed oil bath
in order to have less vibration, noise, heat generation but higher life (Fig.).
Guide Bar Movement:
In order to feed the yarn to the needle for loop formation as well as to
connect the adjacent wales, the guides of a guide bar are required to
execute a compound lapping movement. This compound lapping
movement (Fig.) is composed of two separately derived motions –
swinging and shogging. A swinging motion and a shogging motion
act at right angle to each other in order to form overlap and underlap.
The swinging motion of the guides takes place either from the front
of the needles to the back or from the back of the needles to the front.
The two swinging movements produce the two side limbs when
combined with the overlap shog. The shogging movement of the
guide bar is the lateral motion of the guides which occur parallel to
the needle bar. The shogging movement of guides may be from left
to right or from right to left. Moreover, the extent of shog may vary from cycle to cycle or from bar to
bar. The shogging of the guide bar may occur either in the front of the needles or at the back of the needles
and accordingly produces the overlaps or underlaps. A shogging movement can occur when the guides
have swung clear of the needle heads on the back or front of machine. The occurrence, timing, direction
and extent of each shog is separately controlled for each guide bar by its pattern chain links or pattern
wheel attached to a horizontal pattern shaft driven from the main cam shaft. The shogging motion of the
guide bar with the help of pattern wheel and chain link will be explained later.

The combined effect of underlap and overlap is the lapping of yarn around the needle. Depending upon
the relative direction of underlap and overlap there are two types of laps – closed lap and open lap. The
loops made of closed and open lap are shown in Fig. A closed lap is produced when an underlap follows
in the opposite direction to the overlap and thus laps the thread around both sides of the needle.

Development of lapping diagrams and chain notations

Lapping diagrams are drawn around horizontal rows of points that represent needles in plan view, usually
assuming the pattern mechanism to be on the right. As the guides position themselves in the spaces
between needles, the positions between the vertical columns of points can be given chain link numbers
commencing with the ‘0’ position, which is to the right of the right-hand column of points.
Provided the direction and extent of the
overlaps are correctly indicated in the
lapping diagram and chain notation, the
underlaps will always be correctly
positioned as each extends from the end
of one overlap to the start of the next.
Figure 23.4A represents a diagrammatic
plan view of a two-course repeat
sequence. S1 and S2 represent the
swinging motions and O and U represent
the overlap and underlap shogs at each
course. In the lapping diagram (Fig.
23.4C), the first overlap will be drawn in
a curve over a point from space ‘1’ to
space ‘0’ and the second from space ‘2’
to space ‘3’. The lapping diagram is
completed by joining the overlaps to
each other with underlaps and the chain
is notated as 1-0/2-3/ where-represents
an overlap and / an underlap. The
shogging movements are produced by
the transition from one link to the next,
whereas the swinging motions occur
whilst the push-rod roller of the guide bar
is in the centre, so that no shog is produced.
Five basic overlap/underlap variations:

All guide bar lapping movements are composed of one or more of the following five lapping variations:
a) Closed lap- an overlap followed by an underlap in the opposite direction.
b) Open lap- an overlap followed by an underlap in the same direction.
c) Open lap- only overlaps and no underlaps.
d) Laying-in- only underlaps and no overlaps.
e) Miss-lapping- neither overlaps nor underlaps.
Yarn Consumption for Guide Bars
The yarn consumption of each guide bar is called “run‐in” and is measured as the length of each yarn
knitted into the fabric during 480 knitting cycles. In warp knitting, all the yarn ends threaded through the
guides of one guide bar knit the same construction and are fed equally. The working cycle of 480 knit
courses is called a “rack”. A longer run‐in knits longer loops and slacker fabric with fewer courses per
inch. A shorter run‐in produces shorter loops and tighter fabric with more courses per inch.

Warp Knitting Capabilities Summary

Warp knitting has many unique advantages over other fabric formation systems. Some of these are
highlighted below as a summary for the warp knitting module.
1. Higher production rates than weaving.
2. A wide variety of fabric constructions.
3. Large working widths.
4. A low stress rate on the yarns which allows the use of fibers such as glass, aramid, and carbon,
particularly in weft‐inserted fabrics.
5. Fabrics can be directionally structured.
6. Three dimensional structures can be knitted on double needle bar raschel machines.
7. With weft‐insertion, uni‐axial, multi‐axial, and composite structures can be produced on single needle
bar Raschel machines.

Applications of Warp Knitted fabrics:

Warp knitted fabrics have several industrial uses, including producing mosquito netting, tulle fabrics,
sportswear, shoe fabric, fabrics for printing and advertising, coating substrates and laminating
backgrounds. The warp knitting process is also being used to create bio-textiles. Sectors can be considered
as:
- Inner wears (brassieres, panties, camisoles, girdles, sleepwear, hook & eye tape.)
- Apparel (sportswear lining, track suits, leisure wear and safety reflective vests.)
- Household (mattress, furnishing, laundry bags, mosquito nets & aquarium fish nets.)
- Shoes (inner lining and inner sole lining in sports shoes and industrial safety shoes.)
- Automotive (car cushion, head rest lining, sun shades and lining for motorbike helmets.)
- Industrial (pvc/pu backing, production masks, caps and gloves (for the electronic industry.)