Three-Thread Fleece Circular Knitting Machine

Decide what the three yarns must do

Three-thread fleece is not one yarn repeated three times. The face yarn sets the visible front, the tie yarn anchors the structure, and the fleece yarn creates the loop that may later be raised or brushed. The old Kunyuan record identifies model FL, a 30 inch diameter, 8G–28G gauge and 90F feeder reference. It also lists 32–36 inch examples and reference combinations such as 20G and 26G with different yarn counts and GSM. These are useful archive facts, not a promise that every yarn recipe will run at the same speed or produce the same hand.

Use this machine when the order is built around sweatshirt, hoodie, sportswear, babywear or loungewear fleece and the finishing route is known. If the buyer only has a vague “soft fabric” target, the correct first step is a fabric brief: face appearance, loop side, target weight, finished width, stretch, raising/brushing process and acceptable pilling or shedding level.

Where the structure is made

The circular knitting zone brings the three yarn paths together. The relationship between loop length, ground coverage and take-down determines how much material is available for raising. A setting that looks acceptable in greige can change after brushing, compaction or dyeing. That is why the trial must keep greige and finished samples together.

The archived guide gives 20–30 RPM as a reference range for some diameters and gauges. It also records 265–320 g/m² examples at 20G and 200–290 g/m² examples at 26G. Treat these numbers as starting points only; the exact yarn, machine diameter, stitch setting and finishing route must be written beside any target GSM.

Configuration choices to close in the quotation

A fleece-specific acceptance run

Run production yarn for the face, tie and fleece positions. Label the yarn lot, gauge, diameter, feeder setup, stitch settings, speed and take-down. Take samples before finishing and after the actual raising/brushing process. Compare surface coverage, loop anchoring, finished weight, width, skew, stretch and dimensional response. Rub or handle the surface using the mill’s normal inspection method and record loose fiber or early pilling as an open quality item.

Look across the roll, not just at one attractive section. A feeder-related stripe, a missing loop or a change in fleece height can become more obvious after finishing. If the buyer plans more than one GSM or width, run each recipe separately and keep the settings with its sample. Approval should name the accepted finish; “fleece quality” without a finishing condition is not a measurable standard.

Operating and maintenance observations

At the start of a shift, inspect the three yarn paths, yarn tension, sinker/cam area, stop motions and take-down. Keep lint and fiber from accumulating around the knitting zone; follow the supplied cleaning interval and isolate the machine before service. A change in loop formation, a rough face, or a roll that builds unevenly should be logged before the operator adjusts speed.

When a defect repeats at one circumference position, trace it to the corresponding feeder, needle, sinker or cam location. When defects are random, check yarn preparation, knots, tension and handling. Store the accepted recipe, greige sample, finished sample and finishing notes together so the next shift does not “tune by feel.”