Executive snapshot
The single-jersey six-feed fleece machine (industry shorthand “6F-fleece”) is the sweet-spot workhorse behind every mid-weight hoodie, jogger and college crew-neck you see at Target, Urban Outfitters or on Amazon’s #1 best-seller list. It turns 30–40 denier polyester filament and 10–20 Ne open-end cotton into plush, technical or fashion fleece at ±280 kg/shift—while using 25 % less energy than older four-feed models. If you make hoodies, you either own one, or you’re quoting one.
Hard specs that matter to a U.S. buyer
Machine class: Single-jersey, 6-feed, fleece (terry) loop knit
Cylinder gauge: 18″–38″ diameter, 3G–24G (most common 24″-26″, 18G-20G)
Feeds: 72F–132F (6 feeds per diametral inch on 22″ = 132 total)
Speed: 20–28 rpm sustained; peak 30 rpm on synthetic blends
Loop height: 2.5 mm–8 mm stepless dial; optional positive sliver device for 12 mm “maxi-loop”
Stitch density: 5–35 courses/cm; Lycra plating ready
Drive: 5.5 kW servo, 380 V 50 Hz (Delta VFD, TOG motor)
Oil mist: micro-jet 0.4 mL/h, FDA-grade white oil, automatic recycle
Yarn range: 20–120 Ne cotton, 75–300 dtex poly, 1–3 ply
Fabric weight: 180–400 g/m² finished (single-side brushed)
Output: 24″ × 18G @ 24 rpm ≈ 28 kg/h (±260 kg per 8-h shift)
Floor space: 1.2 m × 1.2 m × 2.3 m (l×w×h)
Weight: 2.1 t net, 2.4 t crated
Noise: < 72 dB @ 1 m
CE / UL listed control panel, NFPA-79 wiring, Category-3 emergency stop.
Quick-change features that sell the machine
• Four-track cams plus sinker ring swap in 18 min—no lifting cylinder.
• Groz-Beckert® 67 fleece needles and Kern-Liebers® sinkers drop in like standard needles; spares on Amazon Prime.
• Positive yarn feeder accepts 8″-14″ cone heights—no adapter.
• Lycra spandex feeder snaps in feed 2 or 5 for stretch fleece without re-timing.
• Auto lint cyclone keeps fabric 20 % cleaner; reduces brushing passes by one downstream.
Market size & growth (North America focus)
U.S. hoodie unit sales 2024: 103 M pcs (CAGR 6.8 %, 2020-24) . Average wholesale fleece price $7.40; gross margin 18 %. Back-of-envelope: every million hoodies needs ±3,500 machine-shifts, so the installed 6F-fleece base in the U.S. must crank 360,000 spindle-hours per year—roughly 1,100 machines running two-shift. Add Canada & Mexico and the North American fleet tops 1,600 units. Replacement cycle is 8–10 years; hence a 160-machine/year replacement market worth $48 M at $300 k FOB. China still builds 65 % of new units, Taiwan 20 %, Italy 10 %, U.S. rebuilds 5 %. Tariff code 8447.12.00 remains at 3.2 %, but Section-301 adds 7.5 % for PRC-origin machines—why U.S. converters now shop Taiwanese or simply rebuild 2015-era Santoni/Terrot frames.
Competitive matrix (what buyers actually compare)
Machine Origin Feed Max rpm Price (FOB) Lead wk U.S. parts
Fukuhama FV-6 Japan 6 32 $415 k 20 Limited
Santoni SMF-6 Italy 6 30 $395 k 18 Good
Biglia B-Fleece Taiwan 6 28 $310 k 12 Excellent
YongLiTai AKS-6 China 6 25 $260 k 10 Stocked in L.A.
JiaFang JF-6 China 6 26 $240 k 8 Online only
U.S. mills short on capital pick the Taiwanese or rebuilt route; Tier-1 suppliers chasing Target, PVH or Under Armour buy Italian for the 0.3 mm tighter tolerances.
Downstream applications (where the fabric ends up)
• Fashion fleece: Unisex hoodies, cropped crews, oversized streetwear—280 g/m², 60 % cotton / 40 % poly, brushed one side.
• Ath-leisure: Yoga fleece joggers, 220 g/m², 95 % poly / 5 % spandex, wicking finish.
• Corporate promo: 200 g/m² pill-resistant fleece for 10K- unit spirit-wear orders.
• Work-wear: 320 g/m² loop-out, FR-treated for oil-field base layers.
• Home textile: Plush fleece throws, 380 g/m², printed sublimation.
• Technical: Wind-blocking three-layer fleece with laminated membrane feed via inline calender.
ROI math a U.S. CFO will believe
CAPEX: $300 k machine + $40 k installation + $25 k spare-parts kit = $365 k
OPEX: 2 shifts × 260 days × 28 kg/h = 14,560 kg/year
Contribution: $1.95/kg (wholesale fleece $3.20 – cotton $0.90 – dyes/chemicals $0.35)
Gross margin: 14,560 kg × $1.95 ≈ $28.4 k / month
Payback: 13 months at 90 % uptime—well inside the 36-month finance window.
Sustainability angle (sell it to Wall Street)
Six-feed electronic feeders cut yarn waste by 1.2 % versus mechanical; micro-mist oiling reduces white-oil consumption 35 %. A 26″-20G frame running 24 rpm draws 4.1 kW—18 % less than a 2008 four-feed. Over 8 years that saves 42 MWh, worth $6,300 and 30 t CO₂—enough to cover an Higg-Index score improvement that wins Walmart LPP contracts.
Maintenance reality check
Daily: Empty lint bin, check needle lube, sweep yarn wrap sensors.
Weekly: Cam-track grease shot (10 min), inspect sinkers for burrs.
Monthly: Belt tension, encoder calibration, VFD heat-sink vacuum.
Annual: Cylinder grind & chrome check, replace 3 % needles, calibrate positive feeders. Parts budget: $0.015 per kg fleece—half the cost of a weaving loom.
Future-proofing trends
Digital knit: On-machine camera + AI flag defects at 0.3 mm—reduces off-quality 40 %.
Recycled feed-stocks: 6F frames now handle 100 % rPET 75 d with only a sand-blasted sinker change.
Near-shoring: U.S. Southeast adding 250 k spindle fleece capacity by 2027; 6F machines ordered today ship Q2-2026.
Shorter runs: 500- to 2,000-yard orders; quick-style-change kits (< 30 min) become standard.
Energy disclosure: California SB-260 will require Scope-3 reporting—low-watt six-feed specs help brands hit targets.
Bottom line
The single-jersey six-feed fleece circular knitter is no longer just “another machine.” It is the margin-maker that lets American mills compete with Pakistan on cost and with Italy on quality—while keeping hoodie addicts supplied from Back-to-School through Black Friday. If you’re still running 1990s four-feeds, you’re leaving 28 kg an hour on the table. Upgrade once, and the math pays for itself before the next Super Bowl.
Single-Jersey 6-Feed Fleece Circular Knitting Machine
Product Specs, Market Landscape & Real-World Applications
(≈1,000 words, American English)
Executive snapshot
The single-jersey six-feed fleece machine (industry shorthand “6F-fleece”) is the sweet-spot workhorse behind every mid-weight hoodie, jogger and college crew-neck you see at Target, Urban Outfitters or on Amazon’s #1 best-seller list. It turns 30–40 denier polyester filament and 10–20 Ne open-end cotton into plush, technical or fashion fleece at ±280 kg/shift—while using 25 % less energy than older four-feed models. If you make hoodies, you either own one, or you’re quoting one.
Hard specs that matter to a U.S. buyer
Machine class: Single-jersey, 6-feed, fleece (terry) loop knit
Cylinder gauge: 18″–38″ diameter, 3G–24G (most common 24″-26″, 18G-20G)
Feeds: 72F–132F (6 feeds per diametral inch on 22″ = 132 total)
Speed: 20–28 rpm sustained; peak 30 rpm on synthetic blends
Loop height: 2.5 mm–8 mm stepless dial; optional positive sliver device for 12 mm “maxi-loop”
Stitch density: 5–35 courses/cm; Lycra plating ready
Drive: 5.5 kW servo, 380 V 50 Hz (Delta VFD, TOG motor)
Oil mist: micro-jet 0.4 mL/h, FDA-grade white oil, automatic recycle
Yarn range: 20–120 Ne cotton, 75–300 dtex poly, 1–3 ply
Fabric weight: 180–400 g/m² finished (single-side brushed)
Output: 24″ × 18G @ 24 rpm ≈ 28 kg/h (±260 kg per 8-h shift)
Floor space: 1.2 m × 1.2 m × 2.3 m (l×w×h)
Weight: 2.1 t net, 2.4 t crated
Noise: < 72 dB @ 1 m
CE / UL listed control panel, NFPA-79 wiring, Category-3 emergency stop.
Quick-change features that sell the machine
• Four-track cams plus sinker ring swap in 18 min—no lifting cylinder.
• Groz-Beckert® 67 fleece needles and Kern-Liebers® sinkers drop in like standard needles; spares on Amazon Prime.
• Positive yarn feeder accepts 8″-14″ cone heights—no adapter.
• Lycra spandex feeder snaps in feed 2 or 5 for stretch fleece without re-timing.
• Auto lint cyclone keeps fabric 20 % cleaner; reduces brushing passes by one downstream.
Market size & growth (North America focus)
U.S. hoodie unit sales 2024: 103 M pcs (CAGR 6.8 %, 2020-24) . Average wholesale fleece price $7.40; gross margin 18 %. Back-of-envelope: every million hoodies needs ±3,500 machine-shifts, so the installed 6F-fleece base in the U.S. must crank 360,000 spindle-hours per year—roughly 1,100 machines running two-shift. Add Canada & Mexico and the North American fleet tops 1,600 units. Replacement cycle is 8–10 years; hence a 160-machine/year replacement market worth $48 M at $300 k FOB. China still builds 65 % of new units, Taiwan 20 %, Italy 10 %, U.S. rebuilds 5 %. Tariff code 8447.12.00 remains at 3.2 %, but Section-301 adds 7.5 % for PRC-origin machines—why U.S. converters now shop Taiwanese or simply rebuild 2015-era Santoni/Terrot frames.
Competitive matrix (what buyers actually compare)
Machine Origin Feed Max rpm Price (FOB) Lead wk U.S. parts
Fukuhama FV-6 Japan 6 32 $415 k 20 Limited
Santoni SMF-6 Italy 6 30 $395 k 18 Good
Biglia B-Fleece Taiwan 6 28 $310 k 12 Excellent
YongLiTai AKS-6 China 6 25 $260 k 10 Stocked in L.A.
JiaFang JF-6 China 6 26 $240 k 8 Online only
U.S. mills short on capital pick the Taiwanese or rebuilt route; Tier-1 suppliers chasing Target, PVH or Under Armour buy Italian for the 0.3 mm tighter tolerances.
Downstream applications (where the fabric ends up)
• Fashion fleece: Unisex hoodies, cropped crews, oversized streetwear—280 g/m², 60 % cotton / 40 % poly, brushed one side.
• Ath-leisure: Yoga fleece joggers, 220 g/m², 95 % poly / 5 % spandex, wicking finish.
• Corporate promo: 200 g/m² pill-resistant fleece for 10K- unit spirit-wear orders.
• Work-wear: 320 g/m² loop-out, FR-treated for oil-field base layers.
• Home textile: Plush fleece throws, 380 g/m², printed sublimation.
• Technical: Wind-blocking three-layer fleece with laminated membrane feed via inline calender.
ROI math a U.S. CFO will believe
CAPEX: $300 k machine + $40 k installation + $25 k spare-parts kit = $365 k
OPEX: 2 shifts × 260 days × 28 kg/h = 14,560 kg/year
Contribution: $1.95/kg (wholesale fleece $3.20 – cotton $0.90 – dyes/chemicals $0.35)
Gross margin: 14,560 kg × $1.95 ≈ $28.4 k / month
Payback: 13 months at 90 % uptime—well inside the 36-month finance window.
Sustainability angle (sell it to Wall Street)
Six-feed electronic feeders cut yarn waste by 1.2 % versus mechanical; micro-mist oiling reduces white-oil consumption 35 %. A 26″-20G frame running 24 rpm draws 4.1 kW—18 % less than a 2008 four-feed. Over 8 years that saves 42 MWh, worth $6,300 and 30 t CO₂—enough to cover an Higg-Index score improvement that wins Walmart LPP contracts.
Maintenance reality check
Daily: Empty lint bin, check needle lube, sweep yarn wrap sensors.
Weekly: Cam-track grease shot (10 min), inspect sinkers for burrs.
Monthly: Belt tension, encoder calibration, VFD heat-sink vacuum.
Annual: Cylinder grind & chrome check, replace 3 % needles, calibrate positive feeders. Parts budget: $0.015 per kg fleece—half the cost of a weaving loom.
Future-proofing trends
Digital knit: On-machine camera + AI flag defects at 0.3 mm—reduces off-quality 40 %.
Recycled feed-stocks: 6F frames now handle 100 % rPET 75 d with only a sand-blasted sinker change.
Near-shoring: U.S. Southeast adding 250 k spindle fleece capacity by 2027; 6F machines ordered today ship Q2-2026.
Shorter runs: 500- to 2,000-yard orders; quick-style-change kits (< 30 min) become standard.
Energy disclosure: California SB-260 will require Scope-3 reporting—low-watt six-feed specs help brands hit targets.
Bottom line
The single-jersey six-feed fleece circular knitter is no longer just “another machine.” It is the margin-maker that lets American mills compete with Pakistan on cost and with Italy on quality—while keeping hoodie addicts supplied from Back-to-School through Black Friday. If you’re still running 1990s four-feeds, you’re leaving 28 kg an hour on the table. Upgrade once, and the math pays for itself before the next Super Bowl.
Post time: Dec-15-2025