Flat knitting machines

In modern textile production, knitting by hand is, of course, a thing of the past. The first (initially still manually operated) knitting machines came onto the market towards the end of the 19th century. Nowadays, a number of different textiles (garments, home textiles or industrial textiles, such as insulating materials) are produced on knitting machines. There are circular and flat knitting machines.
 
Mechanical knitting works in exactly the same way as manual knitting, it is based on the same principle. At least two needles are used to successively form stitches with a thread or yarn. When rowed together, these stitches form a textile or even a finished garment. However, instead of only two needles, knitting machines have an entire needle bed.
 
With circular knitting machines, a large number of needles are used to knit stitches into a circular "tube" pattern – this is how socks are made, for example.
 
On a flat knitting machine , the stitches are suspended in a row on latch needles and are cast off by means of a moving carriage. The design of most flat knitting machines is identical. The needle bed and the carriage guide stand on a base. The spool table with the rolls of yarn is located on the upper part of the machine. This video provides a good overview.

Flat knitting machines can be further classified according to various types:

igus® benefits for flat knitting machines

The textile industry is driven by quality, precision and cleanliness. This favors the use of igus® products in flat knitting machines due to their fail safe properties and the complete absence of lubricants. What could be worse than finding your beautiful garment with a lubricant stain that will not clean up even after multiple washes?

e-chains® from the E2/000 series are ideal for the carriage drive, since these are a highly reliable energy supply for the drive. The carriage guide can be implemented with precision using the completely lubricant-free drylin® N linear guide system. Both product groups feature high speeds, abrasion resistance and quite operation. The minimal maintenance effort also limits downtimes.

igus® e-chain systems® work ideally in conjunction with igus® chainflex® cables. Similar to e-chains®, these can overcome the operating conditions knitting machines face in their environments, such as heat, dust from fiber residue, and chemicals used for textile processing, such as Avivage.