Circular Technology in the Form of TR1
The TR1’s circular technology allows you to knit fabrics any stitch way you please.
The TR1 machine is an 8-feed single jersey machine that is paving the way for product innovation at Santoni. It uses circular knitting technology to produce apparel such as underwear, sportswear, swimwear, and more. Circular knitting enables us to create ready to wear three-dimensional tubular garments directly from yarns using fewer seams. Santoni has developed some of the most advanced and comprehensive automatic seamless knitting machines and this technology has been evolving rapidly since 2000.
Garments made on a single jersey machine usually feel slightly thinner and have a V-shaped pattern on the front side. These garments can be very elastic. On the converse, garments made with a double jersey machine usually look the same on both sides and are often slightly thicker as well as more durable. Though the TR1 is a single jersey machine, it features the ability to create a real hole stitch, which was previously only possible on the double jersey machine. Why is this important and what makes the TR1 machine so special? Let’s dive in.
The Santoni TR1 machine features a special transfer needle that is a unique Santoni patent. What this needle does is allow for the machine to produce fishnet or anti-drop stitch structures. These real hole stitches are not easily damaged and result in very strong fabrics. They are usually only able to be created on the double jersey machine; when a single jersey machine attempts this stitch, the fabric gets easily damaged when stretched. The last row often unravels. With the special transfer needle, the TR1 machine avoids this problem. It allows the machine to transfer the knitted loop from one needle to the following needle so that this becomes a non-issue.
What else is special about the TR1? With this machine, the possibility of inlaid knitwork is available on all feeds. Additionally, due to the hole sizes made during production, garments made using the TR1 exhibit a high level of breathability, allowing perspiration to readily evaporate and making for a more comfortable wearer experience. The hole groupings can also be arranged in an aesthetically pleasing manner, adding to the overall design.
So far there have been a few impressive products that were made on the TR1. This includes a few samples from Santoni Pioneer Program designer Jie Liang for their collection Space Lab - Skin Companion. The Space Lab - Skin Companion collection was meant to be a series of garments that fit almost like a second skin and the TR1 machine allowed for this to come to fruition. In this collection, Jie Liang also utilized the hole structures of the machine to create visually satisfying patterns. The resulting product was an aesthetically pleasing and lightweight garment (less than 50g) that was perfect for the collection.
Another demonstration of the TR1 machine’s capabilities lies in the creation of a T-shirt sample. During this year’s ITMA, the world’s largest international garment and textile exhibition, Santoni utilized the TR1 to create a wool-based t-shirt sample. Due to the TR1’s capabilities, the end result was a highly breathable t-shirt with a pleasant hand feel.
The Woolmark Company also utilized the TR1 machine for their Seamless Yoga collection. Finished products using this machine featured good stretch and visual tonality. The exploration of three-dimensional structures in the knitting process contributed to an ultra soft final product that possesses visual amazement as a result of the gradient tonalities.
The TR1 machine has a high potential for bringing in market value. Its use of true mesh structures enables the reduction of garment weight. On top of that it also gives the product more breathability as mentioned before. The special transfer needle that is unique to this machine provides the designer with more choice regarding the pattern design as it is easier to switch between different needles while stitching. With the correct selection of yarn, pattern, and machine setting, the TR1 machine can generate a high amount of utility.
Perhaps the biggest challenge when working with the TR1 is ensuring that conditions are just right for knitting a new garment. In order to make certain that we are producing fabrics of high quality, we must first choose yarns that are suitable. For example if the incorrect yarn is selected, this could lead to an easily damaged garment. Machine speed must also be taken into account when using the TR1, as this can affect the stitching and therefore the final product. Luckily, Santoni provides extensive training on how to operate the TR1 to achieve optimal results.
If the information above sounds appealing to you and you are interested in making products using the TR1 machine, you’re in luck! Santoni has several manufacturing customers in China who use this machine. One such example is the textile manufacturer Luona, operating out of Zhejiang province. However, they also have many more manufacturers and you can contact Luona through their materialliance account for more information.
Additionally, as mentioned, Santoni also provides training for technicians on how to operate the TR1 machine. Training sessions are typically two weeks in length and introduce the working principle of the TR1 machine. During training, technicians learn what kind of products the TR1 is capable of producing, how to use the machine’s programming software and programming for commonly knitted products on the machine.