Single Cylinder Sock Knitting Machine Technology
topic
Single cylinder sock machines use a rotating needle cylinder of 3.5 to 4 inch diameter at gauges from 72 to 200 needles per cylinder, knitting complete sock tubes from welt through leg, heel, foot, and toe sections in a single machine cycle using programmed stitch density variation and held needle techniques for heel and toe shaping at production rates of 4 to 8 minutes per pair for casual cotton socks.
Role
Produces the highest volume hosiery product globally in casual and athletic socks at high production rates with integrated shaping, with single cylinder machines dominating the mass market sock segment through their ability to produce complete sock blanks requiring only toe closing in a single machine cycle that enables high throughput with minimal post-knitting handling before finishing operations.