Technological Innovation Directions and Development Trends of Circular Knitting Machines
 
Against the backdrop of the intelligent, high-efficiency and green development trend in the knitting industry, the technological innovation of circular knitting machines focuses on four core objectives: improving production efficiency, optimizing fabric quality, expanding application scenarios and reducing overall costs, which can be specifically divided into the following five directions:
 
1. Upgrading of Intelligent and Digital Control Technology
The intelligent control system has become the core upgrading module of circular knitting machines. Equipped with industrial-grade PLC, touch screen human-machine interface and Internet of Things (IoT) modules, it enables precise setting and real-time monitoring of production parameters. It supports the coordinated adjustment of multiple parameters such as cylinder speed, yarn feeding tension, cam trajectory and take-up speed, and can automatically match the optimal process scheme according to fabric types, thus reducing manual debugging time. Meanwhile, the equipment can be connected to the factory's Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to complete production data collection, fault early warning, remote diagnosis and operation and maintenance, realizing digital management of the entire production process and greatly improving the collaborative efficiency of workshop production.

2. Breakthroughs in High-efficiency Weaving and Energy-saving & Consumption-reducing Technology
To address the problems of high energy consumption and limited weaving speed of traditional circular knitting machines, technological innovation focuses on transmission system optimization and structural lightweight design. The servo motor direct drive technology is adopted to replace the traditional gear transmission, reducing mechanical loss, achieving both low-speed high torque and high-speed stable operation, and increasing the weaving speed by 15%-30%. At the same time, an energy-saving take-up and winding device is developed. By precisely controlling fabric tension, it reduces the reject rate caused by uneven take-up. High-strength aluminum alloy materials are used in the equipment structure to reduce the weight of the machine body, while lowering operating noise and energy consumption, which conforms to the green manufacturing trend of the industry.

3. Expansion of Multifunctional and Differentiated Fabric Weaving Technology
To meet the market demand for high-end knitted fabrics, circular knitting machines are developing towards the direction of multifunctional composite weaving. Integrating multiple functional modules such as jacquard patterning, spandex elastic yarn feeding and terry weaving, it can weave various fabrics including jacquard, rib, double-sided and terry fabrics on a single machine, realizing "one machine with multiple uses". 3D jacquard technology and special-shaped fabric weaving process are innovatively developed. Through customized cam systems and needle selection mechanisms, differentiated fabrics with three-dimensional patterns and concave-convex textures are produced, which are suitable for high-end fields such as sportswear, home textiles and automobile interiors, expanding the application boundary of circular knitting machines.

4. Application of Online Detection and Quality Traceability Technology
A machine vision inspection system is introduced to conduct real-time monitoring of fabric defects such as yarn breakage, missing needles and uneven density during the weaving process. Once a problem is detected, the machine will stop and alarm immediately, preventing defective products from entering subsequent processes. Combined with RFID technology, each piece of equipment is equipped with an exclusive electronic tag to record information such as fabric raw material batches, production processes and quality inspection data, realizing the whole-life-cycle traceability of product quality. The application of this technology effectively reduces the cost of manual quality inspection, increases the fabric qualification rate to over 98%, and helps enterprises enhance their brand competitiveness.

5. R&D of Specialized and Customized Machine Models
Customized R&D of specialized machine models is carried out according to the needs of segmented markets. For example, for the industrial textiles field, wide-width and high-stability circular knitting machines are developed for producing functional fabrics such as geotextiles and filter cloths; for the knitted underwear field, specialized small-caliber and high-elasticity machine models are developed to optimize the weaving effect of close-fitting fabrics. Through targeted structural design and process adjustment, customized machine models can better adapt to the production needs of specific fabrics, helping enterprises establish technical barriers in segmented tracks.
CSingle jacquard circular knitting machine, double jacquard circular knittinghttp://www.dayuanji.com