Topology, integrity, and stability analysis of weft-knitted textiles

Despite their long-time existence and significant capabilities, computational modeling, simulation, and design tools have been underutilized for textiles in general, specifically limiting the ability of knitted textiles to be widely deployed and to reach their full industrial potential in advanced functional fabrics and garments. These computational tools require a robust representation and efficient evaluation of the spatial, material, and physical properties of textile structures. An example of an efficient modeling method for knitted fabrics is TopoKnit, a process-oriented representation for capturing the topology of weft-knitted textiles. In this paper, we extend TopoKnit and present new algorithms that may be used to determine additional topological structures and assess the structural integrity and stability of knitted textiles modeled by this fundamental data structure. We compare our results with outputs from a commercial software system to confirm the effectiveness and validity of our algorithms. These new capabilities provide a foundation for open technologies that can accurately model and predict the geometric and mechanical properties/behaviors of knitted textiles. They will support the development of computational design and analysis tools that will obviate the expensive and wasteful trial-and-error process of knitting and testing actual fabrics in the preproduction phase of textile manufacturing.