Fabric Hand on Light Weight Summer Knitted Fabric Jimmy K.C. Lam., Inti Wong Institute of Textiles & Clothing The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Fabric Hand on Light Fabric Hand on Light Weight Summer Knitted Weight Summer Knitted

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Fabric Hand on Light Fabric Hand on Light Weight Summer Knitted Weight Summer Knitted

FabricFabric

Jimmy K.C. Lam., Inti WongJimmy K.C. Lam., Inti WongInstitute of Textiles & ClothingInstitute of Textiles & Clothing

The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University

AUTEX 2011, 8-10 June 2011, Mulhouse, France

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Outlines• Introduction and Background• Research Approach• Experiments• Results and Discussions• Conclusions


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Introduction & Backgrounds 1

• Hand and drape are two aesthetic fabric properties that have received much attention in textile testing and evaluation.

• Fabric hand is an individual’s response to touch when fabrics are held in the hand.

• A number of hand descriptors have been used to describe this response: smooth, rough, stiff, soft and others.

• Despite their importance, these properties are among the hardest to measure, and few standard methods have been developed for determining them.

• Traditionally, producers, retailers and consumers have evaluated these properties subjectively and by practical experiences [1].


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• Two instrumental systems have been developed to determine these physical properties objectively are the KES-FB and FAST system [2,3].

• The KES-FB was developed by Dr Sueo Kawabata of Japan to relate objective measurement of the important properties in fabric hand to subjective evaluation.

• The subjective component of the system was supplied by a team of textile experts in Japan who evaluate a large number of apparel fabric.

• The FAST system was developed by Commonwealth Science and Industry Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia as a less expensive alternative for evaluation the appearance, hand and performance properties of fabric.


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• Both systems have limited success commercially because they are:

1. Redundancy and complexity of measured fabric mechanical data and co linearity in regression analysis;

2. Non-independence of fabric mechanical property measurements.

• In both testing systems, they rely on the multiple liner regression technique to correlate the mechanical measurements data to subjective fabric hand evaluation from industrial experts.

• They are time consuming, expensive and results have low repeatability and possible bias due to cultural difference.


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New Approach• If we look at the way fabrics are handled by

consumers before they make a purchase decision, the fabric is deformed at various stress states so as to generate a tactile sensation in the fingers.

• It was thus recommended by Pierce [5], then Kawabata and Postle that the following characteristics of fabric deformation have to be captured for any measurment attempt:1. Low and complex stress at large deformation;2. Non linearlity; and3. Friction/ hysteresis.


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PhabrOmeter System• In this research, a new method called

PhabrOmeter system is used to quantity the human tactile sensory perception [6,7].

• The principle of PhabrOmeter system is insertion/ extraction of a piece of circular fabric through nozzle.

• Fabric deformation during extraction from the nozzle includes: compression, bending, biaxial extension and friction as shown in Figure 1.


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Fabric Extraction Technique and Force-Displacement

curve

Figure 1


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PhabrOmeter• The PhabrOmeter is designed by Nu Cybertek in

California (Figure 2). • For a properly designed nozzle, the fabric extraction

process shows the sample is deformed under a very complex yet low stress state including tensile, shearing, bending and frictional actions, similar to the stress state when we handle a fabric.

• The PhabrOmeter provides the following information on fabric hands, namely 1) drape coefficient; 2) winkle recovery; 3) extraction curve and numerical features; 4) eight fabric hands attributes and their weight and 5) relative hand value (RHV)


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PhabrOmeter System

Figure 2


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Experiments• In this paper, fabric objective hand

evaluation is done by PhabrOmeter on both single and double jersey light weight summer knitted fabric.

• Knitting structure in terms of all knit, knit and tuck, knit and miss, knit, tuck and miss are developed for fabric measurement.

• The knitting structures and average fabric weight and thickness are shown in Table 1.

• All fabrics are produced by Shima Seiki SES 202F 14G computer flat knit machine, using 40s X 3 100% organic cotton yarn.


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Single Knit Thickness(mm)

Weight(g/100cm2)

All Knit Normal 0.82 1.576

Tight 0.84 1.986

Knit + Tuck Normal 0.94 1.536

Tight 0.90 1.953

Knit + Miss (25%) Normal 0.82 1.693

Tight 0.91 2.237

Knit + Miss (50%) Normal 0.95 1.845

Tight 0.99 2.305

Jacquard Normal 0.96 2.021

Tight 0.94 2.197

Double Knit Thickness(mm)

Weight(g/100cm2)

Rib Normal 1.23 2.506

Tight 1.20 2.548

Half Cardigan Normal 1.53 2.708

Tight 1.54 2.812

Full Cardigan Normal 1.38 2.716

Tight 1.43 2.822

Half Milano Normal 1.29 2.709

Tight 1.28 2.739

Full Milano Normal 1.35 2.684

Tight 1.34 2.887

Interlock Normal 1.35 2.981

Tight 1.32 3.134

Table 1: Fabric Structures, thickness and weight


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Results and Discussions

• Since the PhabrOmeter is a newly developed instrument for fabric hand evaluation, and there are no standard procedure or method to interpret the extracted data from the system.

• Therefore, a control samples were used and tested in order to understand the relationship on fabric properties and the results from the PhabrOmeter as shown in Tables 2 and 3 respectively.


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Pilot test and measurement

Weight(g/100cm2)

Thickness(mm)

Remark

Fabric A 2.14 0.62 Stiff fabric

Fabric B 1.10 0.22 Shirt fabric

Fabric C 0.63 0.10 Silk fabric

Fabric D 0.76 0.10 Paper

Stiffness Smoothness Softness Draping

Fabric A -0.82 6.19 17.59 9.15

Fabric B 7.83 9.65 10.21 1.49

Fabric C 8.20 9.99 10.30 1.30

Fabric D 9.10 11.51 10.97 1.30

Table 2: Control Fabric Properties Table 3: Fabric Hand Values from Control Fabrics


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Pilot Test

• As shown in Table 3, Fabric A is very stiff (-0.82) and gives a very poor draping value (9.15). For a normal shirt and silk fabrics (Fabric B and C), they have a good draping value (1.49 and 1.30 respectively).

• The smaller the value, the better is the draping as shown in Table 3.

• Data obtained from PhabrOmeter is inversely proportional to fabric hand.

• In other words, the smaller the value obtained in smoothness, softness, the better the fabric hand value measures by PhabrOmeter on smoothness and softness.

• After the pilot study on control fabrics, all the knitted samples were tested on the PhabrOmeter and results are shown in Table 4.

•


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Single Knit Stiffness Smoohness

Softness

Drape

All Knit

Normal 8.71 8.40 9.64 1.19

Tight 8.97 8.46 9.56 1.06

Knit + tuck

Normal 8.70 8.53 9.48 1.16

Tight 8.91 8.58 9.42 1.05

Knit + miss 25%

Normal 8.81 8.42 9.60 1.14

Tight 8.82 8.87 9.36 1.01

Knit + miss 50%

Normal 8.73 8.54 9.51 1.13

Tight 8.75 8.83 9.23 1.05

Jacquard

Normal 8.65 9.18 8.91 1.06

Tight 8.70 9.39 8.73 1.05

Double Knit Stiffness Smoothness

Softness Drape

1X1 rib Normal 8.60 8.59 9.67 1.18

Tight 11.39 7.20 7.68 1.96

Half Cardigan

Normal 11.55 7.02 7.48 2.13

Tight 11.47 7.10 7.55 2.06

Full Cardigan

Normal 11.58 6.98 7.47 2.16

Tight 11.51 7.04 7.51 2.10

Half Milano

Normal 11.26 7.29 7.81 1.86

Tight 11.11 7.41 7.99 1.72

Full Milano

Normal 11.17 7.33 7.92 1.79

Tight 10.89 7.56 8.26 1.55

Interlock Normal 10.99 7.43 8.21 1.63

Tight 10.56 7.87 8.58 1.28

Table 4: Fabric Hand Values for the summer knitted fabric


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Fabric Draping• Table 4 shows the single knit fabrics have

better draping (smaller value) than double knit fabrics.

• It is true as the single knit fabric is produced by one set of needles; the fabric is normally lighter in fabric weight and thinner in fabric thickness than double knit fabric.

• For a double knit fabrics, interlock and Milano (knit and miss) give a better draping value than cardigan (knit and tuck). The reason may be due to the float stitches in Milano fabric, which gives a compact and narrower fabric width than cardigan stitches.


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Fabric Draping

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

Fabruc Structures

Dra

pe

Val

ue

Single Knit

Double Knit

Figure 3 Fabric Draping


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Fabric Hands on smoothness and

softness• For a fabric hand values on smoothness

and softness, double knit fabrics give a better hand values than single knit fabrics.

• The reason is double knit structure is formed by knitting with two set of needles. Knitted loops are formed on both sides of needles in a balance structure.

• As a result, it gives a flat and smooth surface than single knit structure.


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Fabric Hands on smoothness and

softness• Fabric softness is related to fabric thickness

and it is directly related tohow easily to compress the fabric under pressure.

• Double knit structure with loops created on both side of fabric will normally give a thicker and bulker fabric than single knit structure.

• As a result, it gives a better compression value and softness in fabric measurement.

• Figure 4 and 5 show the fabric value of smoothness and softness for these measured fabric.


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Knitted Stitch Design and Loop Simulation

Loop Simulation• Loop simulation allows quick evaluation of

virtual knitwear without sample making.• Various simulation can be done for Whole

Garment, conventional flat bed knitting.• Knit design created in Design program is

automatically converted into knit programme data so that designer and technician can keep in close communication.


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Fabric smoothness and softness

Fabric Smoothness

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

All Knit

Knit+T

uck

Knit+M

iss 2

5

Knit+M

iss 5

0

Knit+t

uck+

miss

Fabric Structures

Sm

oo

thn

es

s v

alu

e

Single Knit

Double Knit

Fabric Softness

0

2

4

6

8

10

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All Knit

Knit+T

uck

Knit+M

iss 2

5

Knit+M

iss 5

0

Knit+t

uck+

miss

Fabric StructuresS

oft

ne

ss

Va

lue

Single Knit

Double Knit

Figure 4 Fabric Smoothness Figure 5 Fabric Softness


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• As shown in Fig 4, double knit structures give a better hand value of smoothness than single knit structure. The tightly knitted double knit structures give a flat and smooth surface than single knit structures.

• Fig. 5 shows the fabric hand value of softness and double knit structures give better fabric softness than single knit structure. It is because double knit structures are normally thicker and bulker than single knit structures.

• It should note all these measured fabrics (single and double knit) give better fabric hand value in terms of smoothness and softness than control fabrics (Table 3 of woven shirt and silk fabric).

• Both fabrics are formed by interlacing of warp and weft yarn. As a result, they give irregular fabric surface and poor fabric smoothness than knitted fabrics.

• For fabric softness, knitted fabric with loops created on front and back sides will give better softness than the tightly constructed woven fabrics.


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Conclusion• The new approach of fabric hand evaluation by

PhabrOmeter system sheds light on fabric objective measurement in an inexpensive, simple and direct measurement.

• The fabric attributes obtained in terms of draping, stiffness, softness and smoothness provide a quantitative method to measure fabric hands objectively.

• The work on these eleven light weight summer cotton fabrics show that PhabrOmeter can be used to identify fabrics hand between single and double knit fabrics.

• Further work can be done to explore the PhabrOmeter system on measurements of fabric hands and their structural properties to the fabric UV protection in light weight summer garment.

• It is hope that an engineering approach can be used to optimize fabric UV protection and fabric comfort in terms of softness, stiffness and smoothness from the PhabrOmeter.


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Acknowledgement• The research was funded in part

through a grant by the General Research Fund (A-SA21) from the University Grants Committee, Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.

• The authors wish to thank Prof Ron Postle of University of New South Wales for his help and advice on this research.

Documents

Fabric Hand on Light Weight Summer Knitted Fabric Jimmy K.C. Lam., Inti Wong Institute of Textiles & Clothing The Hong Kong Polytechnic University