Wholesale Knitting Machine Suppliers

Circular knitting: large-diameter machines (26–38 inch) for fabric rolls; small-diameter for socks/tubes. Gauge (needles per inch, G) from G18 (coarse fleece) to G40 (fine knit for lingerie). Flat-bed knitting: for fully-fashioned panels (reduced waste), complex stitch structures, intarsia patterns; Shima Seiki and Stoll dominate premium flat-bed. Warp knitting: Karl Mayer tricot and raschel machines for lace, lingerie, sports net; fastest knitting technology (4,000+ courses/min). Seamless: for sportswear, underwear, and medical compression garments produced in one piece without seams.

G10–G14: heavy knitwear, outdoor fleece, industrial fabrics. G16–G20: standard T-shirts, sweatshirts, polo shirts. G24–G28: fine jersey, sportswear, light outerwear. G32–G40: lingerie, fine knitwear, fashion tops. Higher gauge = finer needle pitch = finer yarn required = higher machine cost. Stoll and Shima Seiki compete for G12–G18 fully-fashioned knitwear; Chinese brands are competitive for G14–G20 circular machines.

Tier 1: Shima Seiki (Japan, flat-bed/seamless), Karl Mayer (Germany, warp knitting), Stoll (Germany, flat-bed) — premium precision, 5–10 year machine life, software ecosystems (SDS-ONE APEX for Shima). Tier 2: Terrot, Santoni (Italy, seamless circular) — strong in sportswear and medical. Tier 3: Jumberca, Fukuhara (Taiwan/Japan budget), Chinese Wellknit, Taifan — 30–50% lower cost for circular machines at G14–G24.