Warp Knitting | Tricot Machines (Karl Mayer) at Glance

HKS 2
Two guide bars tricot machine with high performance from Karl Mayer for universal application, from light tulles to heavy raised velour .This model is also suitable for very low stitch densities and coarse gauges as well.

Below are some of applications that can be produced in the HKS 2 tricot machine.

• Mosquito nets.
• All kind of tulle fabrics.
• Sport wear articles.
• Shoe Fabrics.
• Ground fabrics for printing / advertising media.
• Coating substrates.
• Laminating backings.

HKS 2-3 / HKS 2-3 E
High-performance tricot machines with two guide bars from Karl Mayer to produce plain rigid  fabrics and elastic fabric as well by fitting the elastic device (tube deviation) for the second guide bar as a replacement tension bar which is used to produce un-elastic fabric,The letter (E) on HKS 2-3 E signify that machine equipped with Elastic device to produce elastic fabrics.

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Warp Knitting | KARL MAYER’s HKS 4 F terry machine makes a comeback

The Germans are well-known for their cuckoo clocks, garden gnomes and their craftiness in getting the best places on the beach at holiday destinations all over the world.
At the crack of dawn, they sneak down to the beach to stake their claim on their little bit of sand – using that indispensable item of beach kit – a large beach towel.
This soft, loop-pile fabric can do much more than simply act as a textile demarcation line. We use it to dry off and keep warm, it brightens up the bathroom and beach alike, and pampers our skin. Fleecy terry bathrobes and towels, which are soft and colour-coordinated, also make the spa experience even more enjoyable. And, of course, terry fabrics are indispensable for all those cleaning jobs.
These exquisite, high-end textiles can be produced efficiently on KARL MAYER’s HKS 4 F machine. This terry machine processes filaments to produce all the usual terry fabrics with loops on one side only or on both sides, and was refined and improved at the end of 2006, beginning of 2007. The technical improvements have boosted performance by up to 74% and reduced the cost by 25% compared to the previous model. This upgrade sold very well for a time, but was subsequently removed from the range through lack of demand.
Since the middle of this year, however, the wind of change has been blowing on the market for warp-knitted bath/beach textiles and there has been an obvious increase in demand – which was a good enough reason for KARL MAYER to incorporate this tried-and-tested, four-bar, high-speed tricot machine into its range again. The HKS 4 F will be available again as of May 2010. Its impressive technical features include: maximum machine speeds of up to 1,400 min^-1, gauges of E 24 and E 28 as standard, and a working width of 136".
Basically, the terry machine is available in two different versions, the HKS 4 FB(Z) and HKS 4 F. The HKS 4 FB(Z) is particularly suitable for producing cotton goods, but can also produce fabrics from filament yarns without any problems. On the other hand, the HKS 4 F can only process filament yarns – but at a much higher speed than the HKS 4 FB(Z).
As befits KARL MAYER’s position as a technology leader, a number of specific improvements have been made to this terry machine to mark its comeback. We can reveal that one of these is the brushing unit.

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Pile Sinker Warp Knitting Tricot Machine

The pile sinker bar on tricot machines is positioned above the compound sinker bar and performs a lateral displacement. The pile threads are lapped over the pile sinkers according to the relevant lapping and are then formed to pile loops.
The distance between the pile sinkers and the compound sinkers can be changed,this means that the pile height can be adjusted.The knitting element of warp knitting tricot machine with sinker pile  showing on the Fig.01

1. Compound needle bar. 2. Guide bar. 3. Pile sinker bar. 4. Sinker bar. 5. Tongue bar (closing element bar,pusher lead) bar.
They are three differences between tricot machine with pile sinker bar and standard tricot machine:

1. A special pile sinker (No.3) mounted on special sinker bar placed above and lateral with the usual sinker bar (No.4).
2. The shape of the pile sinker modified and the sinker neb is omitted since the fabric can be held down by the pile sinker.By eliminating the neb of the sinker,the pile sinker can be placed lower and allow more space for guide bars to swing in.
3. The pile sinker bar is mounted in bracket similar to guider bars bracket .The bracket of pile sinker bar do not swing as like as guide bar bracket but move freely laterally.

Horizontal shogging movement of pile sinker bar is generated by pattern disk .The knitting sequence of the machine is exactly the same as for any standard tricot machine and the loop pile is formed as result of the unique lapping movement.  
Lapping Movements of Pile Sinker Bar

Two different lapping movements are required to produce the ground structure and the pile loops.The ground lapping movement must correspond to the lateral movement of the pile sinker bar and both are shogged in the same direction and at the same magnitude.By always keeping the ground yarn between the same two pile sinkers,it does not cross over the sinker while shogging the under lap and forms no pile loops.
A simple ground construction is illustrated in Fig.2 (1) with the straight lines marking the position of one pile sinker during each and every knitted course.The pile sinker can only move laterally during the under lap period,when the needles are in the knock over (lowest) position.
The chain notations for the ground bar are: 1-2/ 1-0 // and the chain notation for pile sinker bar shogging movement are : 1-1 / 0-0 //.
A more complicated ground construction can be produced by two ground guide bars,as Fig. 2(2).One of the ground guide bars follows the sinker bar shogging movement,whilst the other bar laps the same needles every second course.The yarns of this second ground bar are deflected by the sinker bar,but since overlapping movement take place every second course,the yarns do not cress over the pile sinkers and do not form a pile.
The two ground bars,one of which is chaining,produce a much more stable construction than the one previous described.The chain notations for the second ground construction are:

• 1-0 / 2-1 / 2-3 / 1-2 // for the back ground bar.
• 0-0 / 0-1 / 1-1 / 1-0 // for the front guide bar.
• 0-0 / 1-1 / 2-2 / 1-1 // for the pile sinker bar.

The fully threaded guide bar in the front displacement line used to produce the pile loops on the technical back of the fabric.The lapping movement applied to this guide bar causes its t-yarns to cross from needle to needle,above the pile sinker and when they are pulled into knock over position,they from pile loops over the edge of these pile sinkers (Fig.3).Since the pile sinker bar is shogged every knitted course,the lapping movement of the pile forming front guide bar can simply be a continues chaining motion.For pattering purpose it is possible,however to produce a more complicated movement and to use coloured yarns.

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Warp Knitting | Elastane Safety System (ESS device)

The ESS device prevents the rebounding (re-jumping) of yarn ends in case of yarn breakages
on warp knitting machines processing elastane yarns.

In keeping with its concept of "accurate feeding of delicate yarns", Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH has recently optimized its two-bar tricot machines by developing a special tension bar for processing fine-count elastane yarns more efficiently with the name Elastane-Security System (ESS).

The demand for super light as well as opaque and mouldable underwear fabrics, produced in finer machine gauges, is continuing to rise. The market share of fine-count elastane yarns in the 11 - 14 dtex range is also continuing to rise.

An easily accessible tubular guide, which is driven by the yarn, is currently used as standard for feeding the elastane yarn to the knitting point. This system guarantees a uniform yarn feed. A prerequisite for this is that the yarn tension between the warp beam and the guide causes the yarns to adhere at the tube. However, as the yarn count decreases, the maximum yarn tension that can be achieved also decreases. As a guideline, this should be roughly 1 gram per 10 dtex of yarn. For example, an elastane yarn of 44 dtex can be loaded with four grams, and a yarn of 11 dtex with just one gram.

In order to achieve these low yarn tension levels at fine counts during processing, a modified tubular guide belonging to the new ESS is actively controlled via its own EBA drive. The rubber-coated surface, the precision grinding of the tubular guide, and an additional pressure roller guarantee the non-slip transfer of the peripheral speed to the yarns (Fig. 1). The control functions are also carried out by the EBA computer, which is extended to three positions on the two-bar machines.

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Stitch Forming Process on Tricot Warp Knitting Machine

0°- knocking over position

The compound needles and slides are at their lowest position (knocking-over).
The guide bars are in their foremost position.
The under- lap is to be made .
The sinker bar moves forward into the holding down position. (Picture- 1)



60°- holding down

The sinker bar is in the forward holding down position,
the compound needles start to rise,
the slides are stay in their lowest position.
The guide bars complete their under- lapping. (Picture- 2)




120° - swinging through of guide bars

The compound needles are at their upper position.
The slides rise but do not project out of the needles grooves.
The sinker have held down a fabric or the loops ,
the holding down unit is slackened by the sinker moving backwards into over-lap position. As they pass the compound needles the guide bars begin their over-lapping shog. (Picture-3)




185°- overlapping of the warp yarns

The guide bars are in the rear position. The overlapping is completed, the holding down remains slack, and the slides rise in the groove of the needles through the loops. (Picture-4)







240°- tucking of the warp yarns

The guide bars swing forwards, the ends are laid into the hooks of the needles as they moving downwards, the slides still remains in their upper position and thus project from the needles grooves, at the same time holding down is tightened again by the sinker bar which begins to move back afterwards. (Picture-5)


315°- closing of the needles and casting off

The sinker bar has reached the foremost position.
The compound needles and and slides descends together and so doing the slides come out of the grooves and close the hooks of the needles. The loops slip from the shank onto the slide (casting on).The guide bars swing into their foremost position and start the under-lapping. (Picture-6)







330°- beginning of casting off

The compound needles and the slides dip down together into the sinkers.
The yarns laying into the hooks are passed through the loops being cast off to the form new loops.
The sinker bar starts to move forward. (Picture-7)

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