In comparison to weaving, weft-knitting machines construct textiles by interconnecting loops of yarn in a horizontal fashion. The machine gauge indicates a layout of 14 needles per inch, giving the ability to produce textiles at a very fine level of resolution. The v-bed layout of two parallel needle beds enables the knitting of multiple interconnected layers within a single seamless textile, often referred to as 3d knitting or shaping. With the additional ability to utilize a multiple yarns ranging in quality from elastic to structural, the CNC Knitting Machine allows for the production of textiles with great degrees of differentiation in material characteristics and geometry.
Procedure
Access to the CNC Knitting Machine takes place through coursework and research led by Asst. Prof. Sean Ahlquist. Courses span all levels of from undergraduate to graduate, MSc and PhD, and involve collaboration with students and faculty from a range of departments including computer science, school of information, and aerospace engineering. Intensive workshops are also being provided, available to students outside of the dedicated courses, to introduce basic knowledge in knitted textiles and machine knitting.
The design and production of textiles on the CNC Knitting Machine involves the use of STOLL’s proprietary software M1Plus. The software utilizes a graphical interface to generate the machine code, called SINTRAL which is also proprietary, based upon the programming language BASIC. M1Plus provides means for defining stitch type as well as controlling machine actions. Therefore the use of the software requires the combined in-depth knowledge of fundamentals in knitted textiles and CNC knitting technology.
Contact
If you have a job that requires the CNC Knitting Machine, email taubmancollegefablab@umich.edu to discuss the application.