TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sr No
Contents Page No.
1. Basics of Knitting 1
2.
About warp knitting machine operations 2
3. Warp knitting machine parts
3
4. Operations involved in warp knitting machine
6
5. Operating the warp knitting machine
8
6. Knitting defects causes and remedies
10
7. cleaning and waste disposal
16
8. Shift interchange
16
9. Health & safety 17
BASICS OF KNITTING
Knitting is the intermeshing or inter-looping of single yarn or single set of yarns to
produce knitted fabric. Knitting is a process of manufacturing a fabric by intermeshing of
loops of yarns.
There are mainly two basic knit structures viz. Weft knitting and Warp knitting as
detailed in the below table.

Warp Knits Weft Knits

Tricot Knit Plain Jersey Knit

Raschel Knit Purl Knit

Crochet Knit Rib Knit

Milanese Knit Patterned Knits

Double Knits

There are mainly two types of weft knit machines viz. circular knitting and Flat bed
knitting.

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ABOUT WARP KNITTING MACHINE OPERATIONS:

Warp knitting m/c is one kind of flat bed m/c. This m/c produces the knitted loops in
wales direction. There are two major classes of warp knitting m/c. They are the ‘Tricot’ &
the ‘Raschel’ warp knitting m/c. The ‘Tricot’ warp knitting m/c is also termed as
automatic warp knitting of its function.

M/CDescription:
Compound needle is used in the m/c. With the help of the pattern drum and the chain
link the patterning is done. The gears are merged in oil bath for smooth operation.
There are two back beam for yarn supply. The yarns come through guide bar and
through the needle the cloth is take down by cloth roller

Tricot warp knitting machine

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Warp knitting machine parts
Guide bars
Guide bars are supplied with yarn from each
warp beam shaft. All the yarns from one row
or shaft of beams is typically threaded
through one individual guide bar.

Needle bars
The needle bar is composed of leads
containing needles. A sufficient number of
leads will be attached to the needle bar to
establish a certain fabric width. During
machine operation, a needle bar will be rising
to engage the yarns and then descends to
form the yarn into knit loops.

Latch needles
The latch of the needle depends, for its knitting
operation, on the yarn. The loop within the
hook opens the latch when the needle rises to
the clearing position and closes it when the
needle descends for knockover. A broken yarn
causes a needle to be void of yarn, and hence,
the latch stays closed, so that no loops can be
formed. Such a needle has to be opened
manually in order to allow loop formation to
resume. Raschel machines are constructed in different gauges, ranging from 6 to 32
needles per inch.

Bearded needles
The bearded needle has a stem, around which
the needle loop is formed. The needle head is
where the stem is turned into a hook to draw
the new loop through the old loop. The beard
is the curved downward continuation of the
hook that is used to separate the trapped new
loop inside from the old loop as it slides off the
needle beard. The eye or groove of the needle
is cut in the stem to receive the pointed tip of
the beard when it is pressed, thus enclosing the new loop.

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Compound needles
Compound needles consist of two separately
controlled parts – the open hook and the sliding
closing element. The two parts rise and fall as a
single unit but, at the top of the rise, the hook moves
faster to open the hook and at the start of the fall the
hook descends faster to close the hook.

Compound needles type 2

Some types of compound needles have the sliding
element in a lead and they protrude through hollow
stems in the needle hooks, which are also contained
in leads.

Sinker
The sinker is a thin plate of metal which is placed
between each needle. The belly of the sinker is used
as a knocking‐over platform.

Guide bar motions

The guides of the guide bar are required to execute a
compound movement, composed of two separately
derived motions. A swinging motion and a shogging
movement act at right‐angles to each other in order
for their yarns to form overlap and underlap paths
that combine as one yarn path around the needles.

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Overlaps and under laps
The guide bars swing between the needles,
overlap yarns by shogging on the hook‐side of the
needles, swing back between the needles towards
the machine front and then form the underlap by
shogging on the back side of the needles which
faces the machine front.

Single springbeard needle

The needle rises to place the new loop of yarn
within the beard. At this point, the needle starts to
descend and the presser bar closes the beard.
The descending needle then pulls the new loop of
yarn through the previous loop, which was resting
on the needle stem. The previous loop is then
“knocked over” the top of the needle and is placed
in the delivered fabric.

Multiple springbeard
multiple bearded needles and multiple yarn guides
swing in and shog to form the overlaps and then
swinging out and shogging to form the underlaps.
This helps to bind the wales together to form the
fabric.

Raschel latch needles

Latch needle in the yarn feeding position with the latch
open. The sinker bar is in position to hold down the
fabric. The needle then descends, allowing the old
loop to close the latch as the new loop is pulled
through it. The old loop is knocked over the needle
hook and placed into the fabric.

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Operations involved in warp knitting machine

 Receive and correctly interpret work instructions

 Obtain the required resources and check that resources are sufficient and meet
specification
 Protect resources from damage and contamination
 Ensure equipment is ready for use
 Take appropriate action when resources and equipment do not meet requirements
 Arrange resources and equipment to ensure efficient operations
 Certify correct sett loaded before warp drawn and to correctly draw ends in ensure
that the creel, machine and any other equipment are clean and ready for use
 Ensure the correct yarn is selected
 Remove any existing yarn on the creel
 Plan the creel in sections according to the number of guide bars being used
 Thread the correct number of bobbins in the order specified for each guide bar
 Draw the warps in the correct order to the correct set of rollers and thread following
the specified warp path
 Thread the guide bars in accordance with the pattern specified
 Ensure correct engage of section/tape is achieved
 Forward warp sheet safely to next location
 Ensure new beam is efficiently loaded onto loom
 Keep the work area clean and safe throughout operations
 Prepare the area to ensure efficiency during the next stage of work operations
 Carry out any other required preparation activities
 Identify problems address them within the limits of own responsibility
 Inform the relevant person of problems encountered
 Complete and store accurate records and documentation

Mending broken thread

1 Thread break stops the machine 2 Broken thread is identified

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 3 Broken thread gripped by hook 4 Thread passed through guides

6 Thread passed through guides

5 Thread passed through guides

7 Thread passed through guides 8 Machine starts

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OPERATING THE WARP KNITTING MACHINE
 Use suitable creel.
 Ensure the creel is vibration free
 Ensure that the electronic stop motion working properly.
 Ensure the signal lamp indicate the yarn breakage (row wise).
 Ensure that yarn tension uniformly maintained & centrally adjustable between creel
& warping machine by set up of load cell system.
 To ensure yarn tension can be set as the requirements of various yarn count &
types.
 Fluff removed by air blowing nozzles on the disc on every tensioner with
programmable cleaning cycle
 Preference for cone creel capacity
 Unwind the yarn from cone
 Ensure proper knotting to draw the yarn through the guide, guide rollers and pass it
through the stopmotin ,guide bar in delivery zone
 Ensure proper functioning of knitting machine post knotting
 Collect the wastes collected during knotting and store the waste at respective
waste box
 Segregate the reusable wastes and weigh and record them in a register
 Ensure standard knotting procedure is adopted and quality of knotting is as per
standards
 Ensure minimum time is taken for knotting the yarn.
 Ensure safety while carrying out knotting activity
 Verify the quality of knotting done in the yarn
 Ensure yarn tension in the creeling section is appropriate
 Ensure proper functioning of the machine
 Collect the empty cones from creel and replace with full cone.
 Ensure whether the beam is ready fortakeoffby viewing the details in display panel
or by manual
 Keep the empty beam ready for replacement
 Keep the empty beam near the machine in manual take-off
 Ensure beam take off is carried out properly.
 Move the beam roll to warp knitting storage area
 Ensure the machine is properly restarted after take-off

Changing broken needle

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Changing needle
1 screw of broken needle loosened 2 Broken needle gripped and pulled
out

3 new needles 4 new needle adjusted in slot

5 new needle adjusted in slot 6 Screw tightened

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 7 Screw tightened 8 machine starts

Knitting defects causes and remedies

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CLEANING AND WASTE DISPOSAL

 Clean the wastes around the machine

 Segregate the wastes collected and deposit at the waste bins
 Remove the defect in cones / chesses.
 Use proper tools for cleaning as instructed by superiors
 Carryout cleaning activities in creeling zone, knitting zone, and fabric zone.
 Ensure the yarn paths, eyelets, knitting heads, machines, and working environment
are clean and free of contamination in accordance with workplace procedures.
 Ensure safety while carrying out cleaning
 Ensure the wastes collected are deposited in the respective waste box
 Ensure knitting machine area is clean

SHIFT INTERCHANGE
TAKING CHARGE OF SHIFT
 Reach atleast 10 - 15 minutes early to the work place
 Bring the necessary operational tools to the department
 Discuss with the previous shift operator and collect the information regarding the
count, process, issues faced in quality, current fabric production followed in the
knitting department.
 Discuss about current order running for which company.
 Ensure the proper functioning of machine and problems if any should be reported to
the supervisor and maintenance in- charge.
 Discuss about the current order quantity and balance quantity.
 Discuss about the new order fabric details and quantity.
 Discuss about the department cleanliness.

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HANDING OVER AT SHIFT END
 Clean the machine and department before handing over the shift.
 Hand over the necessary operational tools if any.
 Discuss with the next shift operator and give the information regarding the count,
gsm, loop length, process, issues faced in quality, and current fabric production
followed in the knitting department.
 Discuss about current order running for which company.
 Note the production details for the current shift
 Ensure the proper functioning of machine and problems if any should be reported to
the supervisor and maintenance in- charge.
 Should discuss with next operator about the current order
 Quality, quantity and balance quantity.
 Discuss about the new order fabric details and quantity.
 Discuss about the department cleanliness.

HEALTH & SAFETY

 Comply with health and safety related instructions applicable to the workplace
 Use and maintain personal protective equipment such as “ ear plug”, “ nose mask “ “
head cap” etc., as per protocol
 Maintain personal hygiene and dress code.
 Carry out own activities in line with approved guidelines and procedures
 Report any service malfunctions to supervisor
 Store materials and equipment in line with organisational requirements
 Safely handle and remove waste
 Minimize health and safety risks to self and others due to own actions
 Seek clarifications, from supervisors or other authorized personnel in case of
perceived risks
 Monitor the workplace and work processes for potential risks and threat
 Carry out periodic walk-through to keep work area free from hazards and
obstructions, if assigned
 Participate in mock drills / evacuation procedures organized at the workplace
 Take action based on instructions in the event of fire, emergencies or accidents and
report to supervisor.
 Do not stack Yarns in front of Fire Extinguishers/ First Aid Box and passages.
 Do not keep the door of Machine room open while machine is in operation

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