Classification of Knitting Machines

The machines used for the manufacturing of knit fabrics can be divided into machines with individually driven needles and needle bar machines.

The former type of machine incorporates needles which are moved individually by cams acting on the needle butt; they are used for producing weft knits and are subdivided into circular knitting machines and flat-bed knitting machines. The needles used can be latch needles or compound needles.

The needle bar machines incorporate needles which move simultaneously, since they are all fixed to the same bar; we distinguish full-fashioned knitting machines and circular loop-wheel machines for the production of weft knit fabrics, which only use spring-beard needles, and warp knitting machines which use spring-beard needles, latch needles and compound needles.