Formability of weft-knitted fabrics on a hemisphere

Abstract

In this paper, the formability of weft-knitted fabrics produced with glass filaments on an electronic flat knitting machine is experimentally investigated. A simple method used for the analysis of formability is proposed. Cutting patterns for different structures are given and the variation trends of the areas and fiber volume fractions are analyzed. The results show that due to their loop structures weft-knitted structures can easily be deformed to fit a hemisphere surface without the formation of wrinkling. © AUTEX.