Dorlastan in Circular Knitting
Dorlastan in Circular Knitting
Dorlastan in Circular Knitting
Dorlastan in
Circular Knitting
Reg. NO 3083
Dorlastan Product Information – Circular Knitting
Contents Page
2. Processing techniques 3
3. End uses 7
3.3 Outerwear 8
3.4 Swimwear 8
3.5 Sportswear 9
3.8 Welts 11
Edition: 01: 07/94 02: 09/98 03: 11/03 04: 07/04 05: 04/05 06: 03/06
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Dorlastan Product Information – Circular Knitting
Due to its construction a knitted fabric always has a certain stretch and elasticity
– even without elastane. The requirements in terms of function and wearing
comfort, not only with sportswear, but also with underwear and outerwear have
increased. Without using elastane yarns it is not possible to satisfy these require-
ments in full. This explains why there are also more and more articles to be found
containing elastane yarn in the circular knit fabric collections.
2. Processing techniques
Provided certain conditions are fulfilled, all circular knitting machines are suitable
for processing Dorlastan. There are, however, two rules that must be observed
more strictly than when manufacturing circular knit fabrics without elastane:
1. Identical quantities of yarn must be fed to the knitting needles in the same
period of time and in each system.
2. The yarn tension must be kept at a constant level in all knitting systems over
a given period of time.
Normally, every circular knitting machine is equipped with a yarn feeder, i.e. a
feed wheel mechanism. It is the task of this feeder to supply each of the knitting
systems with exactly the same amount of yarn. The most common types are
tape, storage, and also friction and type feeders, all of which are well suited for
producing knitted fabrics without elastane. These devices are not sufficient for
producing fabrics with bare elastane because:
– in the case of the yarn storage feeder problems occur due to jerky winding
and low-tension take off of the thread
– in the case of the friction yarn feeder problems occur due to unstable friction
processes (glass plate effect)
All of the above-mentioned yarn feeding mechanisms are satisfactory for knitting
Dorlastan combination yarns, without any additional devices, and produce
satisfactory results.
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Dorlastan Product Information – Circular Knitting
Positive feed mechanisms where the unwinding elastane bobbin is driven have
become the most common feed systems in large-diameter circular knitting when
processing elastane yarn.
The Dorlastan bobbin is driven positively in these delivery systems (e.g.
Memminger elastane feeder MER). The Dorlastan bobbins are placed on a
horizontal pair of rollers and pressed against it only by their weight. The two
parallel rollers are driven at the same speed. The device can be stocked with up
to four 58 mm bobbins or two 115 mm bobbins. After unwinding, the thread is
passes through an electric stopping device and is then fed directly to the needle.
Up to 4 systems/workplaces may be served using one feeder. Multiple positive
feed devices are driven at identical speed via a drive belt, the speed of which is
controlled by an adjustable width pulley. Adjustment of the pulley can vary the
let off speed of the positive feeders with respect to the knitting machine, which
allows precise control of the elastane tension during the knitting process.
Plating means the simultaneous formation of one loop from two threads, so that
one thread will lie on the face of the fabric while the other thread is fed to the
needles in such a way that it forms the back or reverse of the final fabric.
In the case of single-bed circular knitting machines the Dorlastan must always
be fed in via a plating thread guide.
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Dorlastan Product Information – Circular Knitting
When the delayed timing knitting technique is applied, the dial of the circular
knitting machine is adjusted in such a way that its needles sink the loop later
than the needles of the cylinder. This changed setting makes it possible to thread
the Dorlastan yarn only into the needles of the dial and to knit it in using the
plating technique.
– longitudinal elasticity
– transverse elasticity
– two-way stretch (bielastic)
The desired type of fabric can be achieved by choosing the appropriate knitting
machine (single- or double-knit), knitting construction and determining the yarn
feed (e.g. every 2nd system knits Dorlastan in addition to the ground thread).
Since fabrics containing Dorlastan are expected to have higher extensibility and
greater recovery forces, it is necessary to set larger stitches. In addition, a much
finer ground yarn is normally used. If the fabric is knit too tight (with very small
stitches or too thick ground yarn) the Dorlastan yarn is prevented from contracting
the fabric to the desired extent.
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Dorlastan Product Information – Circular Knitting
The desired elastic properties of a fabric highly depend on the use of a Dorlastan
yarn with the appropriate titer. In addition to this, the knitting machine can be
adjusted in various ways, e.g. adjustment of the height of the dial, sinking depth,
rob timing, yarn tensile strength. For example, if a higher recovery force is
desired for a certain construction, this may be achieved by increasing the
Dorlastan tension, using the existing machine gauge. If the fabric is then given
the same final dimensions and weight per m2 during finishing, its extensibility will
decrease. If the resulting extensibility is no longer adequate, a coarser yarn
count should be used.
When working with Dorlastan one has far better possibilities to modify certain
properties and influence the fabric with width, weight, volume, extensibility,
recovery force, appearance and characteristics than with conventional yarns.
Only the finished fabric will show whether all the desired properties have been
achieved, and will provide information on whether and what technical
modifications to the grey good are required.
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Dorlastan Product Information – Circular Knitting
Combination yarns are generally only used today if no suitable feed devices are
available for processing bare elastane.
Combination yarns are preferably used for knitting constructions where the
elastane yarn lies on the surface, as here the possibilities for a bare processing
of elastane are still very limited.
3. End Uses
Up to now the use of Dorlastan in circular knitting has been considered from a
technical point of view. Let us now turn our attention to the knitted articles
themselves. Given the large variety of end uses, it appears to be recommended
to distinguish between the various sectors of use according to the article
properties desired. The main fields of application are:
The articles of these different sectors all have their specific properties. Due to
the influence of fashion on the numerous fields of use of knitted fabrics the
boundaries between the various sectors are flexible, e.g. body linen – indoor
wear – nightwear (color – style).
For articles with shaping properties like corsetry, Dorlastan yarns of medium to
coarse range, i.e. approx. 133 dtex and above are required. Such articles need
high recovery forces in both longitudinal and transverse directions. However,
normally, the longitudinal extensibility need nor necessarily be as good as the
transverse one.
Example 1:
Highly-functional fabric made of a uniform ground yarn with Dorlastan plating of
every stitch course.
Machine: Single-knit
Gauge: 18 E
Material: Polyamide dtex 78 f 68 x 2
Dorlastan dtex 133
Construction: RL plating of every stitch course
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Dorlastan Product Information – Circular Knitting
Trouser fabrics, e.g. for riding, require little extensibility of approx. 20–30% but a
high degree of elasticity in both longitudinal and transverse directions to prevent
them from becoming baggy.
Example 2:
Ribbed fabric
Machine: Interrib
Gauge: 18 E
Material: PA dtex 156 f 34
Dorlastan dtex 44
Construction: Ottoman
Elastic qualities are also used to a large extent in outer wear. The yarn insert is
highly varied in the hard fiber yarns used. The customary extensibilities for this
area of use are achieved by using Dorlastan 22 – 44 dtex.
Example 3:
Longitudinal and transversal elastic quality with innovative PA yarn.
Machine: Single-knit
Gauge: 28 E
Material: Meryl Satiné dtex 88 f 40
Construction: RL plating of every stitch course
3.4 Swimwear
– different weights
The weight ranges from between 100 and 200 g/m2 depending on the final
use, e.g. swimwear for competitions, leisure swimwear or beachwear.
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Dorlastan Product Information – Circular Knitting
Example 4:
Longitudinaland transversal elastic quality with low weight
Machine: Single-knit
Gauge: 28 E
Material: PA filament yarn 78 dtex f 20 x 1
Dorlastan dtex 44 or 78
Construction: RL plating of every stitch course
3.5 Sportswear
Sports vests, training and gymnastic suits require absorbent yarns such as cotton.
Since spun yarns produce higher frictional forces at the points of intersection
(needle and sinker loop), however higher recovery forces are needed to overcome
them. We recommend plating in all courses with Dorlastan 33-78 dtex for single-
knit fabrics. If the color turns out too dull, it can be improved by the additional use
of a bright textured yarn.
Example 5:
Functional fabric for training
Machine: Circular knit
Gauge: 28 E
Material: PA 6.6 dtex 110 f 96
Dorlastan 33 dtex
Construction: RL plating in all courses
Functional wear
When using a great deal of physical effort people begin to sweat in order to cool
the body down by vaporizing the sweat.
If the sweat cannot vaporize directly then the textile worn directly next to the
body is of great significance.
It is responsible for whether the sweat is transported away quickly from the body.
The textile must not absorb the moisture and store it directly in the layers worn
next to the body as this would mean it sticking unpleasantly to the skin.
Additionally, the functional wear must dry quickly so that it regains the ability to
insulate the heat as quickly as possible as otherwise during phases of low
physical activity it could result in a harmful hypothermic state of the body.
Therefore, mainly polyester, polyamide or polyacrylic yarns are used for the
textile sides which are worn directly next to the skin, and which possess good
transport properties for the liquid sweat.
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Dorlastan Product Information – Circular Knitting
The exterior of the textile consists of highly absorbable materials such as cotton,
wool, viscose, modal or combinations of such. These may absorb the excess
sweat, which however is now not stored near the skin until vaporization takes
place.
The functional wear is therefore found to be dry and more pleasant longer during
times of extreme sweating than conventional clothing textiles.
Besides the physiological benefits of the functional clothing Dorlastan signifi-
cantly increases the wearing comfort and the well-being of the person wearing
the clothes, as it gives the tightly worn clothes the necessary fit and stability of
form with simultaneous elasticity and extensibility. Therefore, the articles of
clothing are not felt to be unpleasant or too tight.
Example 6:
Functional wear
Machine: Interrib
Gauge: BW Nm 80/1
Dorlastan dtex 33
PES dtex 100 f 128
Construction: Triple plating
Body linen and underwear should be of low volume, i.e. the contours of a panty,
for example, should not be visible under tight trousers.
These fabrics are produced mainly with circular single-knit machines with a
gauge of E 28.
Example 7:
Body linen
Machine: Single-knit
Gauge: 28 E
Material: Cotton (Nm 120/1)
Dorlastan 22 or 33 dtex plating in all courses
Construction: RL
Example 8:
Fine textile quality
Machine: Single-knit
Gauge: 28 E
Material: PA 6.6 dtex 40 f 40
Dorlastan 22 dtex
Construction: RL
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Dorlastan Product Information – Circular Knitting
Example 9:
Fine rib waistband for underwear
Machine: Circular knitting machine
Gauge: 15 E
Material: Cotton 200 dtex (Nm 50/1)
Dorlastan dtex 240
Construction: RR. Dorlastan knits additionally in every system, either circular rib
or circular cylinder
3.8 Welts
Collars, borders, trouser finishes and waistbands should always lie gently next to
the skin and not wear out when worn. Therefore, border goods should not have
„stretch-like properties“ but merely a „comfortable elastic“ property.
Example 10:
Fine ribbed goods
Machine: Circular knitting machine
Gauge: 18 E
Material: Cotton dtex 167 (Nm 60/1)
Dorlastan dtex 44
Construction: RR, Dorlastan also knits to cotton in each 2nd
knitting system, however only circular rib
If you have any questions concerning circular knitting please contact our
Department Marketing Dorlastan who will be pleased to be
of assistance:
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