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An Automated Handbag Knitter (nearly!)

Claire hopes to get some serious miles of weave through her knitting machine.
Project spotlightLabman culture 3 min read

Katie SimpsonPublished 20th Mar 2014

Claire Nixon of Lana Knitting recently commissioned an automated knitting system from Labman Automation. As a local company she met some of the Labman team and expressed an interest in being able to add some automation to her trusty but manual Empisal Knitmaster knitting machine. Her business provides knitted handbags to the world’s haut couture.

With the masterful aid of Lucas Stanley, an engineer from Cranbrook School in Kent, an extremely inexpensive but highly functional addition to her machine was devised. With a single belt axis, a 12v DC gear motor and some latching double pole, double throw guitar foot pedal switches he had the problem cast off.

Claire now hopes to get some serious miles of weave through her knitting machine. All being well the initial simple device can be enhanced as the business develops. Soon every fashion conscious lady will be stroking the soft wool of a handbag made with the help of a Yorkshire robot.