Industrial Knitting Machine/Workflows - Revision history

2607:F598:B0CF:200:2438:C2D3:15FF:B0C1: Revise the needle bed oiling workflow

2025-10-13T04:42:31Z

Revise the needle bed oiling workflow

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:42, 12 October 2025
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	==Maintenance==		==Maintenance==

	===Clean the needle bed ~~after a long period of disuse~~===		===Clean the needle bed===

	''To be added''		''To be added''
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	* This involves using compressed air to blow away debris		* This involves using compressed air to blow away debris

	===Oil the needle bed ~~after a long period of disuse~~===		===Oil the needle bed===

	'~~'To~~ be ~~added''~~		# Find a rag (we've been using a pink rag kept on the shelf below the machine)
			# [[#Remove the oil reservoir\|Remove the oil reservoir]], which we think should be full of sewing machine oil (viscosity grade ISO 100)
			# Dip a corner of the rag into the reservoir
			## During the brushing steps, repeat this whenever the rag runs dry
			# Move along the front needle bed, brushing the rag upward along the selectors and needles, leaving a very light coat of oil
			## Brush from the top selector bumps to the tops of the needles
			## Brush from the bottom selector bumps to the top selector bumps
			## Brush diagonally between the diagonal rows of bumps at the bottoms of the selectors
			# Repeat with the back needle bed
			# Use a dry part of the rag to wipe off excess oil

	===Refill the oil reservoir===		===Refill the oil reservoir===

	# Find the right oil (we think it's sewing machine oil, viscosity grade ISO 100)		# Find the right oil (we think it's sewing machine oil, viscosity grade ISO 100)
			# [[#Remove the oil reservoir\|Remove the oil reservoir]]
			# Fill the reservoir with enough machine oil to keep the ends of the hoses submerged during operation, but not enough to overflow
			# [[#Replace the oil reservoir\|Replace the oil reservoir]]

			===Remove the oil reservoir===

	# Find the oil reservoir (a translucent plastic container hanging from left leg of the machine, with two plastic hoses coming out the top)		# Find the oil reservoir (a translucent plastic container hanging from left leg of the machine, with two plastic hoses coming out the top)
	# Slide the reservoir away from the leg along the rails in the black plastic lid it's hanging from		# Slide the reservoir away from the leg along the rails in the black plastic lid it's hanging from
	## Pull the hoses up to let the reservoir pass		## Pull the hoses up to let the reservoir pass
	# ~~Fill~~ the reservoir ~~with enough machine~~ oil ~~to keep the ends of the hoses submerged during operation, but not enough to overflow~~
			===Replace the oil reservoir===

			''This workflow assumes that you've [[#Remove the oil reservoir\|removed]] the oil reservoir''

	# Slide the reservoir back into the black plastic lid		# Slide the reservoir back into the black plastic lid
	## Pull the hoses up to let the reservoir pass		## Pull the hoses up to let the reservoir pass
	~~# Make sure the ends of the hoses are sitting at the bottom of the reservoir~~

	==Things to investigate==		==Things to investigate==

Vectornaut: Add stubs for cleaning and oiling the needle bed after disuse

2025-10-11T23:49:05Z

Add stubs for cleaning and oiling the needle bed after disuse

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:49, 11 October 2025
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	==Maintenance==		==Maintenance==

			===Clean the needle bed after a long period of disuse===

			''To be added''

			====Notes====

			* This involves using compressed air to blow away debris

			===Oil the needle bed after a long period of disuse===

			''To be added''

	===Refill the oil reservoir===		===Refill the oil reservoir===

Vectornaut: Add an oil reservoir refill workflow

2025-10-11T23:44:26Z

Add an oil reservoir refill workflow

@@ Line 104: / Line 104: @@
 * When a knit doesn't complete, we sometimes manually move the needles up to remove junk yarn from the bed
 * This procedure is a simple way to move all the needles down again
 ==Things to investigate==

Vectornaut: Add Alex's investigative to-do list

2024-11-09T22:10:36Z

Add Alex's investigative to-do list

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:10, 9 November 2024
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	* When a knit doesn't complete, we sometimes manually move the needles up to remove junk yarn from the bed		* When a knit doesn't complete, we sometimes manually move the needles up to remove junk yarn from the bed
	* This procedure is a simple way to move all the needles down again		* This procedure is a simple way to move all the needles down again

			==Things to investigate==

			* What is going on with the "main servo abnormal" message?
			** We need to capture the full message
			** Current solution is to turn off and on again
			* Is there a way to set the speed of the rollers?
			** Differnt materials require different tensions
			* "Yarn is not bought" error on feeder 3
			** No amount of troubleshooting has been able to determine what is tripping this error
			** The material seems fine, and dismissing the error to continue the knit works fine too
			** It's possible that this issue is specific to feeder 3
			*** Try a different feeder
			*** If another feeder works, eventually try to figure out what's wrong with this one

Vectornaut: Add Alex's procedure for moving all needles down

2024-11-09T22:07:32Z

Add Alex's procedure for moving all needles down

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:07, 9 November 2024
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	* Improve nomenclature		* Improve nomenclature

			===Reset all needles to the down position===

			# In the ''escape'' menu, press ''D Check''
			## ''The up needles are moved down as the machine head moves across the bed''

			====Notes====

			* When a knit doesn't complete, we sometimes manually move the needles up to remove junk yarn from the bed
			* This procedure is a simple way to move all the needles down again

Vectornaut: Add Alex's notes on choosing a pattern and changing the start column

2024-11-09T22:03:42Z

Add Alex's notes on choosing a pattern and changing the start column

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:03, 9 November 2024
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	# Verify that <code>${name}.HCD</code> shows up on the right '''[left?]''' as <code>_${name}.001_</code>		# Verify that <code>${name}.HCD</code> shows up on the right '''[left?]''' as <code>_${name}.001_</code>
	## '''TODO:''' What is the relationship between the .001 and .HCD formats?		## '''TODO:''' What is the relationship between the .001 and .HCD formats?

			===Choose a pattern to knit===

			# From the "left machine menu", select ''F1 Pattern Load''
			## '''TODO:''' What is the "left machine menu"?
			# Confirm load success OK dialog, and verify that pattern filename is shown

			===Start a knit from a different column===

			# Press ''escape'' from the top menu
			# In the ''escape'' menu, in the middle row, set "origin" to a new value
			## We believe the value set is the number of the "column" the knit will start on, counting from the left

			====Notes====

			* The knitter has 200+ "columns", numbered from left to right
			* Some process determines which column is used to start the knit, which can be changed
			** Physically, a change translates the knit along the ''x'' axis

			====TODO====

			* Improve nomenclature

Vectornaut: Add Alex's pattern loading procedure

2024-11-09T21:57:11Z

Add Alex's pattern loading procedure

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:57, 9 November 2024
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	* While the ''F1 roll'' menu is open, you can press ''F1 open'' to stop the roller and ''F2 close'' to start it again.		* While the ''F1 roll'' menu is open, you can press ''F1 open'' to stop the roller and ''F2 close'' to start it again.

			===Load a pattern from an .HCD file onto the machine===

			# Return to the top-level menu
			## '''TODO:''' Which button does this?
			# Go into the ''E'' menu, and then the ''A'' menu
			# Plug the mass storage device into the USB port on the right side of the touchscreen
			# Verify that the files in the storage device show up on the right panel
			## The files stored locally on the knitter are shown on the left
			### '''TODO:''' How much local storage does the knitter have?
			# In the right panel, select the .HCD file to transfer to knitter
			# Press F3 at the bottom of the touchscreen to begin transfer
			# Verify that <code>${name}.HCD</code> shows up on the right '''[left?]''' as <code>_${name}.001_</code>
			## '''TODO:''' What is the relationship between the .001 and .HCD formats?

Vectornaut: Improve formatting yet again

2024-08-17T21:05:14Z

Improve formatting yet again

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:05, 17 August 2024
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	====Notes====		====Notes====

	* While the F1 roll menu is open, you can press ''F1 open'' to stop the roller and ''F2 close'' to start it again.		* While the ''F1 roll'' menu is open, you can press ''F1 open'' to stop the roller and ''F2 close'' to start it again.

Vectornaut: Improve formatting again

2024-08-17T21:04:52Z

Improve formatting again

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:04, 17 August 2024
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	====Notes====		====Notes====
	* While the menu is open, you can press ''F1 open'' to stop the roller and ''F2 close'' to start it again.
			* While the F1 roll menu is open, you can press ''F1 open'' to stop the roller and ''F2 close'' to start it again.

Vectornaut: Format roller notes better

2024-08-17T21:04:17Z

Format roller notes better

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:04, 17 August 2024
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	## Leave the ''F1 roll'' menu to stop the roller		## Leave the ''F1 roll'' menu to stop the roller

	~~'''Note.'''~~ While the menu is open, you can press ''F1 open'' to stop the roller and ''F2 close'' to start it again.		====Notes====
			* While the menu is open, you can press ''F1 open'' to stop the roller and ''F2 close'' to start it again.