The Research Of Whole Garment Knitting Process On Four-Needle Beds Computerized Flat Knitting Machine

Whole garment process is an important direction during the development of knitting technology and four-needle beds computerized flat knitting machines could be regarded as the most sophisticated machinery to produce wholegarments. Four-needle beds computerized flat knitting machine features complicated machinery configuration and knitting principles, which calls for high-standard of silhouette and technical design level. Unfortunately, there is no systematic domestic academic researches on whole garment technology and no professional person capable of designing relevant products. Therefore, in this project research, several researches are conducted based on the four-needle beds computerized flat knitting technology.Firstly, working principles of main machinery system were demonstrated, including how the four needle beds were installed and which needle bed should be utilized when knitting the rear or front panel. The unique complete knitting needle as well as carriage and yarn guider, were described to explain the working process. Also, the digital yarn feeding system called DSCS+i-DSCS was surveyed to unveil its yarn delivery length-measuring mechanism. Specifically, the amazing potential for whole garment knitting provided by the take-down device was explored in this dissertation.Secondly, the shaping principles and methods of whole garments were investigated. Basic shaping principles consisted of tubular plain knitting, tubular rib knitting, and open-end knitting. Within this context, the common shaping methods including inside widening, outside widening, inside narrowing, outside narrowing, split stitch, binding off, fléchage knitting, were deeply explained in order to show their specific actions.Thirdly, CAD designing approaches for wholegarmtents were researched. Basically, color codes were used to define knitting information of every technical point. Meanwhile, required information helping to manufacturing were reached by option lines. Designing for compressed pattern, package base pattern and developed pattern was the requirement during CAD design process. In order to help reader to understand key shaping realization methods of a sweater, the detailed knitting action of several parts were revealed, such as wasted-yarn welt, hemline, linking, shoulder slope, shoulder-end sewing, collar, collar-end sewing.Finally, this paper analyzed the structure shaping knitting methods of sweaters. Typical sweaters were sweater with long sleeve and turtle neck, sweater with short sleeve and V neck, long sleeve cardigan, sleeveless sweaters and pants. Generally speaking, the whole garment technology was based on the three-dimensional tubular knitting which could be expanded to several tubes knitting simultaneously, combing two or more tubes to one, open-end knitting, tube casting off. Through the above technical process, the hem, body, armhole lines, shoulder lines, collar came into being.The research results in this project filled a gap in domestic whole garment technology research field, which provided a theoretical and practical reference to the study of four-needle beds computerized flat knitting technology.