Difference between Raschel and Tricot Warp Knitting Machine
Rofiquzzaman Raju
Fabric Technologist,
B.J.Group, Mawna, Gazipur
Email: rtextile.finance@gmail.com
Raschel Warp Knitting Machine:
Rachel machine used latch needles together with a wire or blade. It has a gauge expressed in needles per 2 inches (5cm) so that for example a 36 gauge Rachel m/c will have 18npi. Rachel Warp Knitting Machine is used for lace fabric and trimmings. It is also used to produce in outdoors and military fabrics for products such as backpacks.
Modern raschel machines use compound needles. Raschel machines are usually equipped with a larger number of guide bars than the tricot machines. The number ranges from 4 to 70 allow the greater patterning capability of these machines. Two types of guide bars are used in Raschel knitting. The first type is fully threaded and used for the construction of the ground fabric. In most cases 1 to 3 such guide bars are used. The second type of guide bars are use to apply the pattern onto the fabric. These bars usually require only 1 thread for each patterning repeat, so that only a few yarns are threaded across the whole width of such a bar.
You may also like: Features and Uses of the Raschel Warp Knitting Machine
Tricot Warp Knitting Machine:
In tricot warp knitting machine compound needles are used. The warp yarns are feed to the needles through guide bars using shogging and swinging motion. Normally tricot warp knitting machine is used for fashion fabrics, mesh fabrics. Modern tricot machines are constructed with compound needles, while in the past tricot machines were equipped with beard needles. Tricot machines are commonly equipped with from two to four yarn guide bars and require the same number of warps to be used.
Difference between Raschel and Tricot Warp Knitting machine:
| Tricot warp knitting machine | Raschel warp knitting machine |
| In the past, bearded needle was used but now a days compound needle used | Rachel m/c used latch needle together with a wire or blade |
| M/C gauge expressed in needle per inch | M/C gauge expressed in needle/inch |
| Chain link numbering 0, 1, 2, 3, ….etc | Chain link numbered in even numbers 0, 2, 4, ….etc |
| Three links per course | 2 links per course |
| Function of sinker is holding down, knocking and supporting the fabric | Sinker performs the function of holding down the loops whilst the needle rise |
| The sinker are joined to each other at the front and back | The sinker are not joined together by a lead across their ends nearest to the needle bar |
| The sinker never move clear of needles | They can move clear of the needles towards the back of the m/c for the rest of the knitting cycle |
| The fabric is drawn away towards the batching roller almost at right angles to the needle bar | The fabric is drawn downwards from the needles almost parallel to the bar at an angle of 120°-160° |
| The warp beams are accommodated in an inclined arc towards the back of the m/c there the top | The warp beams are arranged above the needle bar centered over the rocker shaft |
| The warp sheets pass over the top of the guide bar rocker shaft to their tension | The warp sheets pass down the guide bar |
| Mechanical attention is carried out at the front of the m/c | Mechanical attention is carried out at the back of the m/c |
| The guide bars are numbered from the back towards the front of the m/c | The guide bars are numbered from front of the m/c |
| High speed production | Low speed production |
References:
- Knitting Technology by David J Spencer
- Fundamentals and Advances in Knitting Technology by Sadhan C. Ray
- Textile Engineering – An Introduction Edited by Yasir Nawab
- Understanding Textiles for a Merchandiser by Shah Alimujjaman Belal
Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
