Improvements in the warp-knitting process and new patterning techniques for stitch-bonded textiles

Stitch-bonding technology offers a highly effective process of manufacturing reinforcement textiles for composite materials. This innovative technology is based on joining layers of threads and fabric with a knitting thread to create a layered structure, a multi-ply. Thus far, the knitting thread has restricted the positioning of individual layers in the fabric. It has been impossible, until now, to position warp layers symmetrically in one step as the outer layers of the fabric. It has been accomplished as a multi-step process, which in turn compromises productivity and quality. With the needle shift technique as an extension of the stitch-bonding process, all previous restrictions on multi-plies are eliminated. Both outer warp layers can be secured in one procedure by incorporating a shift of the needle bar during the stitching process, creating endless possibilities for the arrangement and patterns in the stitch-bonding process. For the numerical description and diagramming of the new patterning techniques, we have reworked and expanded previous illustration models.