Computer Aided Design for 3D Fabrication Using Knitted Structures

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Knitted structures are widely used in textile production. The intricate interlocking of yarn loops using numerous different types of stitching rules allows knitted structures to naturally take 3D shapes that exhibit substantial flexibility even if the underlying yarn material is barely stretchable. These properties combined with new forms of yarn and modern automated knitting machines open up new avenues for general purpose 3D fabrication well beyond traditional, knitted garments. However, the existing computer aided design methods and tools for knitted structures are suitable only for simple 2D patterns. This award supports fundamental research to the needed knowledge for the modeling of 3D knitted structures that will enable rapid design and production of 3D surfaces with drastically different physical properties as compared to other forms of customized fabrication, such as 3D printing. The results from this research will benefit the U.S. economy and society with potential applications in numerous fields including biomedical, healthcare, furniture, automotive, and aerospace industries. The inherent multi-disciplinary nature of this project will broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in engineering research and positively impact education.A rich variety of knitting operations and stitch types allow for the production of complex 3D surfaces. However, the methods and tools for determining a stitch pattern for a 3D surface with desired geometry and properties are primitive. Since the natural shape of a particular stitch depends of the stitches around it, existing computer aided design methods for rigid materials are not applicable. This research is to fill the knowledge gap in predicting the natural 3D shape of a knitted structure formed by different types of stitches with different configurations. The research team will explore computer aided design interfaces for specifying the knitting operations to produce a desired 3D surface, conduct experiments with knitted structures to identify the natural 3D deformations induced by different stitch patterns, establish rules for predicting these deformations, and develop a physics-based simulation model for computing the natural shape of knitted structures.