Netting Machine Explained: Knotted vs Knotless Raschel
A netting machine is either a packaging machine that pulls elastic mesh over meat, a knotting machine that ties twine into fishing net, or a raschel warp knitting machine that makes knotless net directly from warp beams. For a textile buyer, the third family is the one that matters, and the spec to read first is working width, gauge and guide bar count.
Three machines share one search term
Search for “netting machine” and the first page mixes three unrelated things. US patents such as 7127872 and 6845596 describe chute-and-clipper machines that pull elastic net over hams and turkeys. Alibaba listings dominate the fishing-net half of the results. The third group is raschel net machines from warp knitting builders, with category pages that describe special raschel machines for processing tape yarns, monofilaments or a combination of the two into technical nets.
If you buy for a net-producing mill, ignore the packaging patents. Your real choice is between a knotting machine and a knotless raschel machine.
Knotted vs knotless: how each family makes a net
Fishing nets are classified as knotted, knotless and twisted. Knotting machines intertwine warp and weft with rotating mechanisms, and both single-knot and double-knot machines exist. The knot types named in the patent literature are the English knot, the double English knot and the reef (flat) knot. The double English knot is the one preferred for nylon gill nets because of its firmness.
A raschel machine works differently. Nets from warp knitting machines are knotless constructions: the yarns run straight from a warp beam, and the guide bars shift to the adjacent connecting section at set intervals. That shift produces the joint, the so-called knot. Look at the finished net and you see uniform thickness, with no bump at the joint. US10662559 describes the same idea as a weft thread guided between two neighbouring warp threads so that it connects them.
Comparison: which machine for which net
| Question | Knotting machine | Raschel knotless machine |
|---|---|---|
| Joint | Tied knot (English, double English, reef) | Formed by guide bar shift, no tied knot |
| Yarn feed | Twine intertwined by rotating mechanisms | Straight from warp beam |
| Typical nets | Knotted fishing net, nylon gill net | Hay nets, pallet nets, technical nets, shade nets, fishing nets, sports and safety nets |
| Mesh change | Mechanical set-up | Electronic guide bar control versions switch mesh sizes quickly |
Reading a raschel net machine spec
Public spec pages are thin, so the useful move is to know which fields to ask for. Published examples show the range. One double needle bar raschel net machine from a European builder works at 130 inches with gauges E6 and E9, aimed at coarse knotless nets, sports nets, safety nets and mesh bags. A Taiwanese builder founded in 1978 lists a knotless fishing net model with working width from 130 to 210 inches, gauges from 1G to 18G, and 2 to 8 bars, producing finished net widths of 3 m up to 6.5 m. A shade-net raschel model is quoted at a maximum of 1,200 stitches per minute.
- Working width: sets the widest net you can knit in one pass, so match it to your finished roll width.
- Gauge: sets mesh coarseness. Coarse gauges suit heavy tape and monofilament nets; fine gauges suit lighter nets.
- Guide bar count: more bars give more freedom in mesh geometry. Published examples run from 2 to 8.
- Needle bar layout: single or double needle bar. Double bar machines also make tubular goods such as mesh bags.
- Guide bar control: electronic control is what lets a machine change mesh size without a long mechanical changeover.
Many pages leave out guide bar count and speed, so put both in your request. For a construction-net application, our own raschel construction net machine spec guide and the raschel netting machine page show how we lay out those fields.
Conditional guidance
If you make tied fishing net from twine, a knotting machine is the matching family and a raschel machine will not reproduce a tied knot. If you make agricultural shade net, hay net, pallet net or safety net from tape or monofilament, a raschel knotless machine is the family to shortlist. If your goal is packaging net for meat, neither family applies, because that is a separate packaging-machinery category. This guidance does not cover knotted nets from specialty fibres, which we have not tested.
For machine details, see the warp knitting range at grandstarcn.com, or contact us with your net type, width and mesh size and we will point you to the right machine family.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a netting machine?
The phrase covers three different machines: packaging machines that pull elastic mesh over meat, knotting machines for fishing net, and raschel warp knitting machines that produce knotless technical net.
How does a raschel machine make net without knots?
Yarns come straight off a warp beam. At set intervals the guide bars shift to a neighbouring connecting section, and that movement forms the joint, leaving uniform thickness.
Which gauge should I ask for on a net machine?
Coarse gauges such as E6 or E9 suit heavy knotless nets, while published fishing-net models list gauges from 1G to 18G. Tell the builder your yarn type and target mesh before choosing.
Can one machine make both knotted and knotless net?
No. A knotting machine ties twine with rotating mechanisms, while a raschel machine forms joints by guide bar shifts, so they are separate machine families.
Hey, I’m Vincent!
Solving complex challenges with precision and creativity in the warp knitting industry. Passionate about advancing textile engineering and turning innovative ideas into reality. Shaping the future of warp knitting.
