Defects in Fabrics

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Defects in Fabrics

2k210

Abrasion Mark / Bruise / Chafe Mark /

Rub
A discolored area whre the fabric is
damaged by friction.

Possible Cause:
Scratches on the breast beam of the
loom.

Bow
The defect is characterized
by the curvature of the warp
or weft in a cloth. The cloth
is said to be warp or weft
bowed according to which
set of thread is curved.

Defects in Fabrics

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Broken End / End Out / Missing End /

Runner / Thread Out

One or more warp ends are missing in a fabric

construction
Possible Causes:
a) Bad preparation
b) Very weak or irregular yarn
c) Warp tension is too high
d) Improper working of warp stop motion
e) Bad dropper pin or shuttle, heald or
reed, race plate
f) Wrong timing of the shedding or picking
motion
g) Inadequate humidity and temperature
h) Size fly getting caught in shedding

Broken Pick / Cut

Pick / Filling Run
out / Missing Pick
A broken yarn is
partly picked and
partly broken.
Possible causes:
a) Tangled weft
yarn is
released from
the shuttle
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
j)
k)
l)
m)
n)
o)

Pirns winding is either too soft or too hard

Bobbin centre and shuttle centre are not in alignment
Wrong fur or eye of the shuttle
Shuttle run in a scratched path
Too heavy shuttle
Picking motion is too strong; wrong timing of picking and shedding motion;
wrong shuttle box adjustment; too strong beating
Cop feeler is out of order
Dull weft cutter
Big knot or snow ball present in the yarn
Weft yarn is pressed under shuttle or between shuttle or between shuttle and
swell
Shuttle swings during flying.
Heald frame is wrongly held
Wrong setting of the reed
Race plate bending
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Coarse End
It is so called doubling . The end,
which is twice the size of the regular
ends appears on the fabric due to two
bobbins of roving running together in
spinning.

Coarse Pick
A yarn larger in diameter than
normally being used in the
fabric.
Possible causes:
a) lashing of broken end
with adjoining end at
roving frame
b) disturbed weighting of back top rollers at roving frame and ring frame which
leads to the productin
of a very coarse yarn
due to the slippage of
material under the
back top roller

Coarse Pick

Defects in Fabrics

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Cockled Weft / Slubby Weft
A weft wise defect which
consists of high incidence of
slubs in a portion of the fabric
Possible causes:
a) spinning room draft
slack
b) Inadequate atmospheric
conditions
c) Presence in stock of
unduly long staple yarn

Cockled Weft

Cockled Weft

Defects in Fabrics

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Crack / Open Set
Mark
A discolored area
where the fabric is
damaged by friction
A stripe in the fabric
which compose of a
lower pick density than
the normal one. The
defect is mainly caused
by mechnical faults in
the loom.

Possible causes:
a) weak beat up due to loose fitting of reed, loose or worn out crank, crank arm
or crank shaft bearings, loose belt or delayed engagement of clutch
b) In correct setting of release finger or take up motion
c) Weft stop motion out of order
d) Left off motion out of order
e) Wrong start and stop
Crease Mark
Crease permanently set in
the fabric during the
finishing process

Defects in Fabrics

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Cut Selvedge / Broken Selvedge / Damaged
Selvedge / End Break Selvedge

Cuts or breaks that occur only in the selvedge

Double End / Flat / Misdraw (harness)

In plain weave fabric, the defect appears
as two parallel warp ends with equal
interlacing sequence. This is due to
incorrect sequence of drawing through the
heald eye

Possible causes:
- mistake in drawing in

Defects in Fabrics

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Double pick
This defect is characterized by the
presence of two picks in the same
shed in a plain weave fabric
Possible causes:
Starting loom is placed on
incorrect pick after pick-out and
the loom is turned backward
before starting

Dyestain / Dye Mark / dye

Spot
The defect is characterized
by a small area of a
discoloration in the cloth
Possible causes:
Spotting of evaporated
water drop on the fabric
during dye fixation process.

Defects in Fabrics

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Float
No proper interlacement of the warp and weft
yarns over a certain area. This defect is caused
by an entanglement of adjoining ends in the
region between the healds and the fell of the
cloth
Possible causes:
a) warp threads having knots with long tail
ends
b) warp yarn undersized
c) unsatisfactory working of the warp stop
motion
d) breakage of heald on running loom
e) loom fly trapped in the front shed

Defects in Fabrics

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Folded Selvedge
Curls and folds appear in the fabric selvedge is
very prominent after wet processing. A curled
and folded selvage during wet processing is
often slack and wavy. It exhibits a corrugated
appearance at the grey stage

Possible causes:
a) Incorrect selvedge construction which
results in low crimp in the selvedge
threads. A slack selvedge is prone to
curling and folding as the loosely held
selvedge yarns are relatively free to relax
in the counter twist direction when the
fabric is wetted during processing
b) Faulty stitching during weft processing.
Curling and folding of selvedges can be
largely avoided if the selvedge yarns have
more crimp than the yarns in the body of
the fabric.
Possible solutions:
i) In faced fabrics with drills and satins construction, they have a pronounced
tendency to curl at the selvedge. Therefore, the selvedge weave has to be
correctly chosen. It not only to give the correct selvedge crimp but also to
produce a neat edge
j) The selvedge should have a shorter warp float length than the body. An
increase in the selvedge width also generally reduces its tendency to curl
Gout
Foreign matter(s), usually lint or waste,
are being woven in fabric by accident
Possible causes:
Fly and waste dropping into the loom
during weaving, or being caught in yarn
during spinning or in raw material.

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Hang Pick (Hang
Shot)
A pick, caught on a
warp yarn knot for a
short distance which
produces a
triangular shaped
hole in the fabric

Possible causes:
a) harness time
too early
b) Weft tention
at beating up
is too low
c) Incorrect tied knots

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Hole / Tear
It is characterized by
several adjacent severed
warp and / or weft threads

Knot
Ends of a break thread was tied with a knot in
preparation or weaving process
Knot with halo
During the dyeing process
the knot which was the
last to dry tended to wick
the dye from the
surrounding area, leaving
halo

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Lashing-in / Dragging-in
Extra weft yarn is tucked into the
selvedge of the fabric. Fabric woven with
fly shuttle loom is more likely to have this
problem.
Possible Causes:
- damaged picker, box front plae and
side weft fork
- weft hanging on weft
replenishment side
- inefficient shuttle eye cutter and
temple cutter

Loopy Selvedge / Rough Selvedge/ Beaded

Selvedge
An improperly woven selvedge of uneven width
or a selvedge which contains irregular weft loops
extend beyond the outside edges.

Possible Causes
Improper control of weft tension during tuck-in
selvedge information.

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Loopy Weft
Weft loop is protruding out from the
cloth surface. The yarn length in the
loop is not sufficient to perform
snarling. These loops may protrude out
from both sides of the fabric. Weft
loops are essentially caused by
entanglements of threads in the warp
sheet between the reed and the fell of
the cloth.

Wavy Selvedge / Baggy Selvedge /

Loose Selvedge / Slack Selvedge
The fabric selvedge appears in a wavy,
corrugated condition
Possible Causes
- Wrong selvedge design
- Abnormal tension of selvedge warp
yarn
- Inadequate temple adjustment
- reed width much is narrower than
the weaver's beam width

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Defects in Fabrics

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Misdraw ( Colour ) /Broken Pattern

One or more ends are drawn through
harness and/or reed in a wrong color
pattern.

Misdraw ( Harness ) / Wrong Drawingin

Drawing of one or more ends through the
harness in an incorrect order.

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Defects in Fabrics

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Misdraw ( Reed ) / Wrong Denting

One or more ends are incorrectly drawn in the reed.

Mixed End / Wrong End

Warp yarn such as incorrect twist, number
of plies, wrong colour, or from wrong yarn
lot, is different from that of normally being
used in the fabric.
Possible Causes
Weaver uses an end with different shade
for warp repair

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Mispick / Wrong Pick /
Double Pick
A pick not properly
interlaced, a break in the
weave pattern
Possible Causes
-

wrong pickfinding
of starting loom
after fault during
weft stop motion

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Mixed Weft
This defect is
characterised by
weft bar and it is
caused by
unintentional mixing
of two or more lots
of weft yarns in
different yarn count,
twist density, blend
composition,
hairiness or colour
and lustre.
Possible Causes
-

Variation in yarn count ( finer count )

Improper function of stop motion at drawframe or in doubler winding (in case of
doubled yarn)
roller lapping at draw frame
sliver splitting during material withdrawal from the can at roving frame
Variation in yarn count ( coarser count)
broken end lashing with adjoining end at roving frame
long overlap at the time of creel piercing at draw frame, roving frame or ring
frame
disturbed weighting of back top rollers at roving frame and ring frame which
produce very coarse yarn due to the slippage of material under the back top
roller.
Variation in twist density
spindle tape riding over wharve flange
excessive slack spindle tape
inadequate lubrication or jamming of the spindle insertion or damage insertion.it
results in an intermittent revolution of the spindle.
binding of the inner wall of the spindle wharve against the bolster
mix-up of spindles of incorrect wharve diameter in the same frame
intermittent delivery rate at doubler frame because of defective top roller
Variation in hairiness
Worn out and damaged rings on ring frame
mix-up of travelers of different types and size
bent and slanting separators and disturbed balloon control rings
excessive variation in spinning tension between spindles
Variation in color and luster
different color of cottons used
differences in luster of filament yarn of different lots

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Defects in Fabrics

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Neppy
An excessive amount of neps (small
tangles and / or knots of fiber) appear on
the fabric surface

Oil Staining
Local discoloration in the fabric caused by
oil spotting
Possible Causes
-

Excess drips of lubricating oil from

backrest roller and the moving
parts of the mechanical warp stop
motion
improper work method used in
handling the doffed cloth rolls in
weaving shed

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Defects in Fabrics

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Reediness
This defect is also called "poorcover". A general
grouping of warp ends drawn through individual
dents of the reed with a fine crack showing up in
between such groups. Reediness occurs over
the entire fabric width. Reediness occurs when
the ends drawn through a reed dent do not get a
chance to spread out evenly.
Possible Causes
-

insufficient tension difference between the

shed lines during beat-up

excessive warp tension

late shedding

Possible Solutions to minimize reediness

-

troughing of the shed

avoid high warp tension
early shedding and
use of fine reeds

Reppiness/ Wavy Place

It is one type of weft bar which is
characterized by the prominence of
alternate picks over small areas on the
fabric face; on the other face of the
fabric, corresponding to the same
ends, the other set of alternate picks is
seen to be prominent. These small
patches appear like cord fabrics.
Reppiness in the fabric results when,
for a number of consecutive picks, a particular set of alternate ends remains under
lower tension and hence bends more around the weft than the other set.
Possible Causes
-

faulty movement of the heald shafts due to worn out machine parts in the
shedding motion
worn out places on the cloth take-up roller causing low tension for short
durations at certain places across the cloth width
warp tension is too low

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Defects in Fabrics

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Skew
The warp and weft yarns in a cloth,
although straight, are not at right angles
to each other. The effect is due to its
fabric structure and is not a distortion
imposed during processes subsequent to
weaving.

Slack End
One or more than one ends of yarns are
woven under insufficient tension, forming
streak or loop.
Possible Causes
-

Wrong replacement of broken end

Wrong tension adjustment in
warping
Crossing of yarn at the droppers
due to wrong drawing-in

Uneven size pick up

Great difference in warp yarn
thickness by using wrong cone or
cheese
Decreasing yarn tension after
mending the broken yarn

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Smash
A relatively large hole in the
cloth which is characterized
by many broken warp ends
and floating picks.
Possible Causes
-

weft carrier is trapped

in the shed; harness
strap breakage

Soiled End
During weaving process, one or more
than one ends have been contaminated
by dirt or grease .
Possible Causes
-

handling material with dirty hands

by the weaver /mechanics
Weaver / mechanics handle
material with dirty hands

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Defects in Fabrics

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Starting Mark / Set Mark
This defect happens weftwise,
it can also defined as " an
unevenness during beating-up
of the weft". This defect is
difficult to detect even counting
the picks under the counting
glass. The best way to detect
this fault is to view the fabric
from as many angles as
possible.

Possible Causes of Set Marks

-

lower velocity and different behaviour of the loom at the last pick before
machine stoppage and at the first pick after starting the loom. It gives way to
reed beat-ups with lower force amplitude
inaccurate or nonsynchronized starting of warp yarn delivery or fabric take-up
after loom restarting
stress relaxation of warp yarn and fabric during loom stoppage.

Temple Mark
Yarns are distorted from their true paths
and fine holes are created near the
selvedges. This defect is usually found in
light fabrics.
Possible Causes
-

unsuitable temple choice

bad temple burrs
worn out or damaged temple ring
needles
play in the rings
improper alignment of temple and
tight rings

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Defects in Fabrics

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Thin Filling Bar /

Stop Mark / Thin
Place / Bang-off
A fillingwise band or
bar either across the
full width of the cloth
or a portion of the
fabric. The area
contains less than
the normal number
of picks.

Possible Causes:
-

Weak beat-up at restart after prolonged loom stop

Incorrect setting of let back on the take up motion;
Let-off motion out of order
Wrong operation by the weaver on weft stop

Tight End
Fabric structure is slightly disturbed owing
to a warp end being woven under
excessive tension
Possible Causes
-

Wrong tension of adhered warp

yarn
Yarn is being abraded due to
scratching on bad guides
High tension on warping or sizing
Disturbance during shed closing
due to crossing ends
Careless replacement when
mending the broken ends

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Defects in Fabrics

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Tight Pick
A single pick that is woven
under excessive tension
Possible Causes
-

releasing weft yarn with

snarls, or tangles
scratch on weft bobbin

yarn groove on shuttle, etc.

-

big knot or
snow ball in
weft yarn

Warp Streak
An elongated faulty area of fabric running
parallel to the wrap threads. The fabric
contains warp yarn which differs in
material, count, filament, twist, lustre,
tension or crimp size, colour, or shade
from the adjacent normal warp.
The term 'streak' means both edges of the
faulty area are visible and its length warpway is short.
Possible Causes
-

Short term variation of yarn count

in warp thread.

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Warp Stripe
Stripes run parallel to the warp threads
and the warp threads contain warp yarn
that differs in shade from the adjacent
normal warp.
Possible Causes
-

One of the warp beams in a

slasher set has been dyed to a
shade which is darker than the
rest.
- One warp beam of a slasher set
has been stained with indigo. The
stained ends are spread out according to the proportion of that beam to the
total number of beams in the set.

Weft Bar , coarse /

Set Mark / Heavy
Filling Bar / Heavy
Place

A weftwise band or bar either across the full width of the cloth or a portion, contains
picks of larger diameter than normally being used in the fabric or contains more than
the normal number of picks.
- incorrect adjustment of cloth fell position by weaver after defective weft yarns
removal.

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Defects in Fabrics

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Weft Snarls / Kinky Weft

A short length of a three-fold weft yarn of which two folds are inter-twisted. Snarls may
also contain some amount of tangled yarn at one end. Snarls of the latter type are
usually located within a narrow band at almost a fixed distance from a selvedge.
Possible Causes
-

Lively weft yarn

Weft yarn rubbing between shuttle and shuttle box

Weft Streak / Barre

The faulty area in the fabric which
have a patchy appearance. The
defect contains weft yarn which
differs in material, count, filament,
twist, luster, tension or crimp size,
color, or shade from the adjacent
normal weft.

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Chapter 2

Problems in
Printing

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Defects in Fabrics

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Uneven printing due to crease

on fabric
Non printed areas appear because
of crease on fabric. This is caused
by crease on fabric, bad end
stitches, too much tension during
adhesion, crease on undercloth
etc.

Poor discharge or resist printing

Poor white discharge and colored
discharge have to do with poor
conditions of discharge/resist
printing paste, color paste,
squeegee pressure, steaming.

Crack of print paste

Printed color paste cracks. The
problem occurs because poor
treatment is carried out after
printing or the viscosity of the color
paste is inappropriate.

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Defects in Fabrics

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Rope mark modification

Rope and roller leave their marks
on printed cloth. It happens when
the temperatures during steaming
are too high, or the temperatures
set for finishing are too low.

Rope mark fading

The area that has touched rope or
rollers during steaming has faded
colors or stains. This problem
occurs particularly when steam is
condensed in rope or rollers.

Clip and pin miss

Tenter's clip or pin marks remain or
appear too inside. Bad clips or
pins, poorly conditioned guilder and
unusual cloth width can lead to the
problem.

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Defects in Fabrics

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Shirome (unprinted area)

Some area in a motif are not
printed. The reason is that foreign
matter has been built up in the
screen mesh, or that color paste
cannot adhere to the cloth because
of yarn knot or foreign matter.

Crack marks
Unprinted part appears when the
fabric is stretched or bent. This is
caused by poor penetration of color
paste due to inappropriate viscosity
of color paste, screen mesh and
squeegee pressure.

Moire
Moire pattern appears on printed
designs. Screen mesh, the
roulettes of rollers, the line
delineation pattern have to do with
this phenomenon.

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Chapter 3

Knitting faults

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Bad Stripes

Definition
An unwanted horizontal bar in weft knitted fabrics.

Causes
Machine Related
l groups of yarn mispositionned in the creel
l improperly set negative or positive feed system
l improperly acting striper elements
l improperly set fabric take-down tension
l slipping take-up
l excessive speed
l improper roll density
Needle Related
l bent needles holding previous yarns on striper units

Solutions
Note whether the fabric uses coloured or only greige yarns
If the yarns are coloured
l check the yarn set-out in the creel to see if the correct colours are in the correct position
l check the package tickets to see that the count, twist, type, blend, supplier and/or merge etc. are
correct
If the yarns are undyed
l check the package tickets to see that the count, twist, type, blend, supplier and/or merge, etc. are
correct

Note whether the machine uses negative or positive feed

If the machine uses negative feed
l check for yarn trapping under packages
l check for package misalignments, incorrect balloon heights, differences in yarn path and element
damage
l check for differences in yarn input tensions and yarn feeding rates
l check for relative knock-over depths between feeders and/or relative knock-over depths between
cylinder and dial
l check for incorrect spreader widths, spreader tilt and incorrect and/or inconsistent fabric take-down
tensions If the machine uses positive feed
l check yarn input pre-tension levels for uniformity and predefined tension levels
l check for lint in pre-positive feed disc and gate tensioners
l check for individual and relative positive feed input speeds and post-unit yarn tension levels
l check positive feed units for yarns not under the belts and/or not properly wrapped on the storage
feed drums
l check for slipping, slick and worn positive feed driving belts
l check for incorrect spreader widths, spreader tilt and incorrect and/or inconsistent fabric take-down
tensions

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Barr
Definition
A horizontal defect in weft knitted fabrics appearing as light
or dark coursewise bands that can be continuous and/or
intermittent.

Causes
Yarn Related
l individual or grouped differences in
yarn friction
l optical differences between individual
and/or small groups of yarns due to
differences in Spun and Filament.
l poor knot quality
l lint build-up yarns and/or tails
l yarn contamination
l detwisting of yarn tails
l using rewound and non-rewound yarns on the same machine
Machine Related
l individual or groups of yarn mispositionned in the creel
l improperly set negative or positive feed system
l improper dial condition
l improper cylinder condition
l improperly set fabric take-down tension
Needle Related
l small groups of new needles
l small groups of mixed needles

Solutions
Locate the barr by running in coloured yarn tracers
If the barr is single course barr
l check the respective feeder for yarn placement errors
l check the respective feeder for yarn character errors
l check the respective feeder for yarn package damage
l check the respective feeder on negative feed machines for; yarn trapping, package crowding,
package misalignment, incorrect balloon height, yarn path correctness, feeder tube and other yarn path
element damage
yarn input tension, yarn input speed, cam damage, relative knock-over differences on cylinder and
dial
l check the respective feeder on positive feed machines for:
yarn input pre-tension level
lint in pre-positive feed disc and gate tensioners
individual yarns not under the positive feed tapes or not properly wrapped around the storage feed
drum
slick, stretched and/or slipping tapes and/or driving belts

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Knitting Barre (Continued from previous page)

If the barr is multiple course or band barr

l check the respective feeders for yarn placement errors
l check the respective feeders for yarn character errors
l check the respective feeders for yarn package damage
l check the respective feeders on negative feed machines for:
yarn trapping, package crowding, package misalignment, incorrect balloon heights, incorrect yarn
paths
feeder tube and other yarn path related damages
grouped yarn input tension and feed rate differences, grouped cam damage and/or differences in
knockover between cylinder and dial
dial tilt and/or throw-out
uneven dial and/or cylinder
excessive spreader widths, tilted and/or loose spreader
incorrect and/or inconsistent fabric take-down tensions
check the respective feeders on positive feed machines for:
n yarn input pre-tension levels for uniformity and level
n lint in pre-positive feed disc and gate tensioners
n grouped yarn input speeds and tension levels
n groups of yarns not under the belts and/or not properly wrapped around grouped storage feed
drums
n groups of yarn fed to the wrong positive feed unit
n slipping, slick or loose positive feed units
n grouped cam damage and/or differences in knock-over between cylinder and dial feeders
n dial tilt and/or throw-out
n uneven dial and/or cylinder
n excessive spreader widths, tilted and/or loose spreader
n incorrect and/or inconsistent fabric take-down tensions

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Bowing
Definition
A fault in a weft knitted fabric consisting of an unwanted curvature in the courses in the fabric imposed
during knitting and/or subsequent processing.

Causes
Yarn Related
l shade and/or colour differences highlight bowing Machine Related
l Forward Bow
knitting the fabric too loose
using excessive take-down tension in the center of the fabric
using an excessive spreader width
using a spreader which does not pull the fabric down evenly across the full fabric width
using too low a roll hardness or density
"arrowheading" rolls of fabric at roll start-up
l Backward Bow
knitting the fabric too loose
using excessive take-down tension at both sides of the fabric
using too narrow a spreader width
using a spreader which does not pull the fabric down evenly across the full fabric width
using too low a roll hardness or density
"side-tucking" rolls of fabric at roll start-up
l Compound Bow
knitting the fabric too loose
using a tilted and/or unstable spreader
using eccentric take-down rollers
using an uneven roll up technique at roll start-up
using too low a roll hardness or density

Solutions
Note whether the fabric uses coloured or only greige yarns.
Note whether the fabric exhibits forward, backward or compound bowing
l check respective yarn count(s) for faulty yarn placement by checking package stickers
l check yarn input feed rates by means of a yarn speed meter or a yarn length counter
l check spreader width and/or tilt and/or stability
l check take-down for take-down tension level and consistency
l check for the way in which the roll end is initially wound on to the roll pin
l check for roll density by comparing take-down speed and wind-on rates

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Creasing
Definition
Unwanted folds in a weft knitted fabric introduced by deformation of the yarn in the fabric and/or of the
fabric structure during knitting and/or subsequant processing.

Causes
Machine Related
l knitting the fabric too loose
l using an inappropriate spreader setting
l using poor roll centering
l using an inappropriate roll hardness or density
l using an inappropriate nip roll pressure at the fabric edges
l not using a tapered take-up shaft to facilitate doffing
l enveloping rolls after doffing

Solutions
Note whether the creases occur at the sides only or in other areas of the fabric
If side creases only are noted on one or both ends
l check for spreader width, levelness, stability and type of spreader suitability
l check for roll centering
l check for nip pressure at sides of cloth
l check for proper spline roll usage
l check to see if take-down rollers have been lagged If other than only side creases are noted
l check for correctness of yarn input rates
l check for correctness of yarn count
l check for spreader width, levelness and stability
l check roll density and density consistency
l check nip pressure consistency across the full width
l check roll start-up technique suitability after doffing
l check to see that rolls are not enveloped after doffing

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http://www.exeltor.com/anglais/world/guide/drop.htm 12/27/99

Dropped Stitches / Ladder

Definition
A defect in weft knitted fabric consisting of unbroken
loops of yarn
which have unintentionally been dropped by the
needles during
knitting because of yarn and/or course length
variations.

Causes
Yarn Related
l yarn variations encountered during knitting
Machine Related
l using an incorrect yarn count for the machine
gauge
l improperly set negative feed system
l improper dial condition
l improper cylinder condition
l improperly set fabric take-down tension
Needle Related
l dirt or lint behind and/or under needles
l incorrect hook size and shape for yarn count
and/or type
l new needles
l worn needles
l mixed needles
l bent needles, hooks and/or latches
l chipped latches, hooks and/or cheeks
l rolled hooks
l stiff or magnetized latches
l worn, rough and/or scored needles
l bent, worn and/or scored slots
l bent, chipped and/or worn needles butts
l bouncing or vibrating needles
l bent, chipped and/or worn selectors and/or butts

Solutions
Note whether the dropped stiches occur randomly or along specific wales
If the dropped stiches occur along specific wales, identify and note whether the dropped stitches occur
on the cylinder and/or dial side of the fabric
l check for worn, tight and/or slick tricks
l check for verge and/or trick damage
l check for a loose needles retaining spring
l check for dirt and/or lint under and/or behind needles and/or sinkers
l check for proper yarn count-needle hook shape and/or size suitability
l check for needle "newness", wear and/or needle mixing
l check for bent, rough and/or chipped needles, hooks, butts and/or latches
l check for roiled hooks
l check for stiff and/or magnetized latches

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Dropped Stitches / Ladder (Continues from previous page)

If the dropped stitches occur randomly

l check the package tickets to see that the count, twist, type, blend, supplier and/or merge, etc. are
correct.

Note whether the machine uses negative or positive feed.

If the machine uses negative feed
* If the machine uses negative feed
l check package stickers to see if there are differences in yarn character and/or count
l check for yarn package damages and unwinding difficulties
l check for yarn trapping, package crowding, package misalignments, incorrect balloon heights, yarn
path consistency, feeder tube, other yarn path element damage and wax, lint and/or oil build-ups
l check for lint between tensioning discs
l check for air turbulence difficulties
l check yarn input rates and yarn tension levels and consistency
l check for correctness of carrier settings and threading
l check for camming damage and knock-over settings
l check for dial tilt and dial height correctness
l check for needle gaiting and/or dial backlash
l check for take-down tension level and consistency
l check for spreader levelness and width correctness
l check machine speed
* If the machine uses positive feeds:
l check package stickers to see if there are differences in yarn character and/or count
l check for yarn package damages and unwinding difficulties
l check for yarn input pre-tension levels and consistency
l check for wax, lint and/or oil build-ups
l check for overall yarn input speed correctness
l check for yarns not under the influence of the positive feed unit or not properly wrapped around the
storage feed drums
l check for slick, stretched and/or slipping tapes and/or driving belts
l check for tilted, damaged, dirty, loose, binding or misaligned idler wheels
l check for yarn input tension levels and consistency
l check for air turbulence difficulties
l check for camming damage and knock-over settings
l check for dial tilt and dial height correctness
l check for needle gaiting and/or backlash
l check for take-down tension level and consistency
l check for spreader levelness and width correctness
l check machine speed

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Defects in Fabrics

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Holes
Definition
A defect in weft knitted fabrics consisting of
unwanted openings in the fabric caused by yarn
breakage during knitting; small holes are normally
called pin-holes.

Causes
Yarn Related
l significant differences in yarn character
Machine Related
l using a yarn count inappropriate for the
machine gauge
l using machines with too high a feeder density
l knitting structures with an excessive number of
tuck loops
l improperly set negative or positive feed system
l improper dial condition
l improper cylinder condition
l improper needle and/or sinker timing
l using the incorrect type or size of sinker
l improperly set needle gaiting
l using a machine with too high a gauge
l disconnected, tied back or slow stop motions
l threading two yarns through one stop motion
l improperly set fabric take-down tension
Needle Related
l bent needles, hooks and/or latches
l stiff needle latches
l mixed needle sizes and/or shapes
l worn, rough or scored needles
l scored or protruding rivets or dimples
l spread or rolled needle hooks
l bent and/or scored slots
l chipped latches, hooks and/or cheeks
l latches trapped in needle hooks
l bouncing or vibrating needles

Solutions
Determine, by analysis, if the holes are caused by knot related yarn breakage or only
yarn breakage Note whether the holes are large or whether they are merely pinholes. If
the holes are large, then yarn breakage probably occurred prior to fabric formation
whereas pinholes occur because of yarn breakage at or slightly after fabric formation
For large holes
l check to see that yarn count, friction, strength, uniformity and torque levels are adequate and
consistent
l check to see that knot or yarn join quality is adequate and consistent
l check to see that slubs and poor knots (and long tails) are removed prior to their reaching yarn
carrier eyelets
l check to see that the machine is properly cleaned and kept clean
l check to see that noting blocks or restricts the yarn during knitting
l check to see that all machine settings, yarn speeds, run-in ratios, yarn tension levels and machine
speeds are correct as noted on the fabric construction sheet

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Defects in Fabrics

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Holes Knitted (Continues from previous page)

For pinholes
l check to see that yarn count, friction, strength, elongation and torque levels are
adequate and consistent
l check to see that knot or yarn join quality is adequate and consistent
l check to see that the correct yarn count-machine gauge is correct and consistent
l check to see that individual needles are causing the yarn to break because they
are defective, mixed or not under control
l check to see that individual sinkers are causing the yarn to break because they
are defective, mixed or not under control
l check to see that needle or sinker timing is correct
l check to see that the fabric take-down tension is adequate and consistent
l check to see that machine speed is not excessive

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Defects in Fabrics

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Needle Lines
Definition
A defect in weft knit fabrics consisting of
lengthwise streaks which appear parallel to
the Wales: such streaks can consist of
individual and/or multiple Wales.

Causes
Machine Related
improper dial condition
l improper cylinder condition
Needle Related
l small groups of new needles
l small groups of mixed needles
l new needles
l mixed individual needles
l

l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l

not using spacers or dummy needles or rotating needles

dirt or lint behind and/or under needles
incorrect hook size and shape for yarn count and/or type
worn, rough and/or scored needles
spread and/or rolled hooks
bent, worn and/or scored slots
bent needles, hooks and/or latches
chipped latches, hooks and/or cheeks
stiff or magnetized latches
latches strapped in hooks
scored or protruding rivets or dimples
bouncing or vibrating needles
bent, chipped and/or worn needle butts
bent, chipped and/or worn selectors and/or butts

Solutions
Determine whether the needle lines occur individually or in bands
If the needle line(s) occur on an individual wale basis, trace the needle line(s) to the appropriate
defective needle(s), examine and replace the needle(s) taking care to minimize the same problem in
the future as noted in B, C and D. Once this action has been done it should be noted that
l a wale that is not formed at all is caused by either a closed hook or a missing butt
l a wale that exhibits an extended ripped appearance in the fabric and a pile up on the needle hook is
caused by a missing latch or a damaged butt
l a wale that has a fuzzy appearance is caused by a rough or chipped needle; in addition, the needle
has lint on it in the machine
l a wale that has periodic irregularities, such as drops or holes along its length, is caused by a bent
latch or a bent hook
l a wide wale is caused by a bent or mixed needle
l a narrow wale is caused by a mixed needle
Eliminate all possible sources of yarn related problems which can cause needle breakage
l check to see that slub catchers are used in the creel
l check to see that yarn package tails do not hang down in the creel and collect lint
l check to see that a weavers knot is being used and tails are neatly clipped to 1/8th of a inch

Eliminate all possible mechanically related problems which can cause direct and/or
indirect needle breakage by making certain that mechanical adjustments do not cause
the yarns to break or the cylinder and/or dial tricks and verges to become damaged.
Re-establish and maintain proper preventative maintenance and cleaning policies once
damaged needles have been replaced so that tricks do not build-up with lint, wax
and/or oil. If a needle band occurs, trace the band to the appropriate defective, mixed
(and/or new) needles taking care to minimize the problem in the future by examining
preventative maintenance policies (i.e.,
stop motion reaction times and settings), cleaning policies and needle storage and
replacement policies.

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Defects in Fabrics

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Tuck Stitches
Definition
A defect in weft knitted fabric consisting of
unwanted held loops which can appear
randomly in the fabric and/or within specific
Wales.

Causes
Yarn Related
l yarn variations encountered during knitting
l lint build-up

Machine Related
l using an incorrect yarn count for the
machine gauge
l using machines with too high a feeder
density
l improperly set negative or positive feed
system
l improperly acting striper elements
l improper dial condition
l improper cylinder condition
l improper needle or sinker timing
l damaged or poorly set pattern selection
device
l oil accumulations
l improperly set fabric take-down tension
l excessive speed

Needle related
new needles
l mixed needles
l incorrect hook size and shape for yarn count
and/or type
l spread or rolled needle hooks
l dirt or ling behind and/or under needles (and
sinkers)
l worn, rough and/or scored needles (and/or
sinkers)
l bent needles, hooks and/or latches
l bent, worn and/or scored slots
l stiff or magnetized latches
l scored rivets or dimples
l bent, chipped and/or worn needle butts
l bouncing or vibrating needles
l bent, chipped and/or worn selectors and/or
butts
l

Solutions: Note whether the trucking occurs randomly or along specific Wales
If the tucking occurs along specific wales, identify and note whether the dropped stitches occur on the
cylinder and/or dial side of the fabric
l check for worn, tight and/or slick tricks
l check for verge and/or trick damage
l check for a loose needle retaining spring (when applicable)
l check for dirt and/or lint under or behind the needles
l check for the proper yarn count-needle hook shape and/or size suitability
l check for needle newness, wear and/or mixing
l check for bent, rough and/or chipped needles, hooks, butts and/or latches
l check for stiff and/or magnetized latches
If the tuck stiches occur randomly
l check package stickers to see if there are differences in yarn
character and/or count
l check for yarn package damages and unwinding problems
l check for yarn trapping, package crowding, package misalignments, incorrect balloon heights, yarn
path consistency, feeder tube and other yarn path damage and wax, lint and/or oil build-ups
l check for lint between tensioning discs
l check for air turbulence problems
l check for input yarn tension consistency
l check for input yarn speed settings
l check for carrier setting errors and threading problems
l check dial height suitability
l check for camming damage
l check for take-down tension level and consistency
l check machine speed

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Dye Mark, Dye Spot, Dye Stain
In a piece dyed fabric, a discrete area of
different color
Possible causes:
By contamination with concentrated dyestuff or
dyeing assistants

Missing Plush Loops

An area in a plush fabric that is devoid of plush
loops
Possible causes:
By the malfunctioning of the loop forming
elements

SLUB
In a yarn, a thickened place having tapering
ends and a diameter several times that of the
adjacent normal yarn
Possible causes:
By the presence in the yarn of fragments of
undrafted roving or stubbing that have not
been cleared during winding
Spirality, Wale Spirality
A distortion in a weft-knitted fabric in which the
wales are clearly not at the right angles to the
courses.
Possible causes:
By twist-lively yarn (due to in-sufficient setting)

STAIN ---------------------------------------------------
A discrete area of discoloration of a fabric
By contamination with extraneous such as dirt,
oil or crust.

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