Knitted fabric route: from tubular greige to knitted wool cloth

Tubular greige → scouring and milling → (piece dyeing of white greige) → slitting → crabbing → dry finishing. Belt-type steaming-shrinking; no weft straightening.

By mill type
← Back to that mill on the overview Tops MillWorsted MillWoollen MillWool & Blend Knits
Route

Knitted fabric route — full process route map

Machines on the map are clickable

Dyeing & finishing workshop (incl. piece dyeing)

Knitting workshop

Separate: mill, then scour

Combined: scour and mill in one machine

Yarn-dyed greige (mainstream · knitted from dyed yarn)

White greige

Batch

Continuous

Conventional

Roller cylinder

Repeat as the pile requires
raising ⇄ shearing

Batch

Continuous

Continuous pressure

Autoclave

Lofty, soft handle required

Conventional

Yarn source: bought-in wool / cashmere yarn
(dyed yarn = hank dyeing ∥ package dyeing · the norm)

Winding

Circular knitting

Tubular greige fabric (yarn-dyed greige ∥ white greige)

Greige fabric inspection

Scouring and milling set-up
Choose one of two (milling is the foundation of the wool-knit pile)

★Milling WPF-1S
Moist heat + mechanical action · felted, full face

★Rope scouring WPF-XN
Removes milling soap and oil

★Combined scouring and milling WPF-4XS
Scouring and milling in one machine · multiple parallel channels

Dyeing stage
(by greige form)

Untwisting → slitting → mangling
(tube slit open to open width · specific to knits)
Pre-owned available · enquire for details

Piece dyeing / bleaching

Crabbing method
Choose one of two

★Batch crabbing WPF-ZN
One bath, back and forth · head and tail set alike

★Continuous crabbing and drying line WPF-LXZH
Continuous crabbing section

Hydro-extraction

Drying method
Choose one of two

Drying

★Continuous crabbing and drying line WPF-LXZH
Continuous drying section (roller dryer)

★Moistening and conditioning WPF-PP
Even regain · prerequisite for downstream finishing

Raising (raises fibres to form the pile)
Pre-owned available · enquire for details

Shearing (levels pile height)
Refurbished / pre-owned available · enquire for details

★Brushing WPF-ZSM
Removes loose fibre · lays the pile

★Belt-type steaming-shrinking WPF-WDYS
Open-width, tension-free · removes residual shrinkage
(knitted fabrics take the belt-type route)

Decatizing method
Choose one of four

★Batch decatizing WPF-JXZN-MAX
Even steam · set on one drum

★Continuous decatizing WPF-LXZN
Continuous decatizing · balanced in three directions

★Continuous pressure decatizing WPF-LXZN-P
Pressurised continuous steam · autoclave-grade set

Autoclave decatizing machine
Pre-owned available · enquire for details

Handle preference

Handle improvement (optional)
Air-flow softening
Pre-owned available · enquire for details

Final inspection · rolling

Finished knitted wool fabric
→ downstream cut & sew into garments (external interface)

On a phone the full map is small by nature — pinch to zoom in, or read the same decisions written out below.

QL new machine New + pre-owned available Pre-owned only Decision point Adjacent process (label only)

Where the route branches

The decision points on the map above, written out — each branch and where it leads.

Scouring and milling set-up / Choose one of two (milling is the foundation of the wool-knit pile)

  • Separate: mill, then scour → Milling WPF-1S / Moist heat + mechanical action · felted, full face
  • Combined: scour and mill in one machine → Combined scouring and milling WPF-4XS / Scouring and milling in one machine · multiple parallel channels

Dyeing stage / (by greige form)

  • Yarn-dyed greige (mainstream · knitted from dyed yarn) → Untwisting → slitting → mangling / (tube slit open to open width · specific to knits) / Pre-owned available · enquire for details
  • White greige → Piece dyeing / bleaching

Crabbing method / Choose one of two

  • Batch → Batch crabbing WPF-ZN / One bath, back and forth · head and tail set alike
  • Continuous → Continuous crabbing and drying line WPF-LXZH / Continuous crabbing section

Drying method / Choose one of two

  • Conventional → Drying
  • Roller cylinder → Continuous crabbing and drying line WPF-LXZH / Continuous drying section (roller dryer)

Decatizing method / Choose one of four

  • Batch → Batch decatizing WPF-JXZN-MAX / Even steam · set on one drum
  • Continuous → Continuous decatizing WPF-LXZN / Continuous decatizing · balanced in three directions
  • Continuous pressure → Continuous pressure decatizing WPF-LXZN-P / Pressurised continuous steam · autoclave-grade set
  • Autoclave → Autoclave decatizing machine / Pre-owned available · enquire for details

Handle preference

  • Lofty, soft handle required → Handle improvement (optional) / Air-flow softening / Pre-owned available · enquire for details
  • Conventional → Final inspection · rolling

QL machines on this route

All of these are QL-built new machines. Click one to open its machine page.

This route has 5 further stations where we supply rebuilt pre-owned European machines (raising, shearing, calendering, squeezing and the like) Pre-owned →

Not sure which line is yours?

Tell us what you run and what you make — we will match the stations and the machines.