Effect of test conditions and structural parameters on surface roughness of weft knitted fabrics

Abstract

An objective evaluation method of knitted fabric roughness by using the textile surface tester has been reported.The study has been aimed at investigating the effect of test conditions and structural parameters of knitted fabrics using a full factorial design of experiments and then establishing the relationship among the sample characteristics (fabric structure and yarn count), the test conditions (force applied by the sensor feeler and fabric extension) and the surface roughness parameters (average roughness, absolute roughness, total roughness and standard deviation) using the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Finally, the results are compared with those predicted using a multiple regression models. The experimental results demonstrate that the yarn count, fabric structure, extension, applied force of the sensor and their interactions influence fabric roughness. Finally, some multiple regression models are obtained to predict the surface roughness parameters with good values of adjusted R².