Hosiery Knitting Machine Needles

• Hosiery knitting machine needles are specialised latch needles designed for single-cylinder and double-cylinder circular hosiery machines used in the production of socks, stockings, tights, and seamless legwear. Unlike standard circular knitting needles, hosiery needles are engineered for ultra-high-speed operation (up to 1,500–2,500 RPM) and feature finer gauges, shorter shanks, and optimised butt configurations to accommodate the compact cylinder design of hosiery machines.
• Manufactured from high-grade alloy steel with advanced vacuum heat treatment, our hosiery needles deliver exceptional wear resistance, fatigue strength, and dimensional stability under continuous high-speed operation. Available in a wide gauge range from 40G to 200G (0.50mm to 1.00mm needle thickness), our needles accommodate various yarn types – from fine cotton and nylon to elastane and technical fibres – ensuring consistent stitch formation, minimal yarn breakage, and superior fabric quality.
• Our needles are fully compatible with all major hosiery machine brands including Lonati, Sangiacomo, Busi, Matec, Orizio, Santoni, Wellknit, and Da Kong. Customised specifications and surface coatings (e.g., chrome plating, nitriding) are available upon request to optimise performance for specific yarns and sock structures.
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• Optimised Butt Geometry for High-Speed Operation – Precision-ground butts ensure smooth interaction with the cylinder cams, minimising impact forces and reducing wear at speeds up to 2,500 RPM.
• Advanced Heat Treatment – Vacuum hardening and tempering deliver optimal hardness (≥ 60 HRC) with superior toughness, ensuring resistance to fatigue and impact loading.
• Mirror-Finish Polishing – Our advanced polishing system delivers a mirror-like finish on the needle shank, while ensuring that the latch remains completely undamaged throughout the process – reducing friction, yarn abrasion, and latch bounce at high speeds.
• Dimensional Precision – Manufactured to tight tolerances (±0.01mm) for perfect compatibility with the high-density needle slots of hosiery cylinders.
• Lightweight Latch Design – Specially designed lightweight latches reduce inertia at high speeds, ensuring reliable loop formation and reducing yarn stress.
• Anti-Friction Coating – Available with anti-friction surface treatments to reduce heat generation and extend needle life in high-speed applications.

              Specification：  Description

• Needle Type: Latch needles (butt-shaped, for single-cylinder and double-cylinder machines)
• Gauge Range:4 0G – 200G (0.50mm – 1.00mm needle thickness; custom gauges available)
• Material: High-grade alloy steel 
• Hardness: 60 – 64 HRC
• Applicable Machines: Lonati, Sangiacomo, Busi, Matec, Orizio, Santoni, Wellknit, Da Kong, and other major hosiery machine brands
• Applications: Socks, stockings, tights, seamless legwear, compression hosiery, medical socks
• Compatible Yarns: Cotton, nylon, polyester, elastane (spandex/lycra), wool, technical fibres

               Benefit：     Value to Customer

• Extended Service Life：Proven durability through rigorous fatigue and wear testing at high speeds
• Superior Loop Quality：Consistent stitch formation ensures uniform fabric appearance and texture
• High-Speed Stability：Maintains precision at speeds up to 2,500 RPM
• Reduced Yarn Breakage：Optimised hook and latch geometry minimizes stress on delicate yarns like elastane
• Heat Reduction：Anti-friction coatings and polished surfaces lower operating temperatures
• Interchangeable Compatibility：Matches original OEM specifications for seamless replacement
• Energy Savings：Reduced friction lowers power consumption and cooling requirements

• To assist customers in selecting the right hosiery needle for their specific application:
• Consideration  Recommendation
• Machine Brand & Model：Provide your machine brand, type (single-cylinder or double-cylinder), and model for precise matching
• Gauge / Needle Thickness：Select based on yarn count and fabric weight: fine yarns → thinner needles (0.30–0.50mm); coarse yarns → thicker needles (0.60–0.80mm)
• Butt Type：Different butt heights and angles for different cam systems – provide a sample needle or consult our matching service
• Yarn Type & Count：Fine/nylon → fine gauge needles; coarse/wool → coarser gauge needles; elastane → needles with reduced yarn stress geometry
• Sock Structure：Plain knit, rib, jacquard, terry, compression, sheer, or patterned – different structures may require specific needle geometries
• Operating Speed：Standard latches for normal speeds; lightweight latches for high-speed (≥ 2,000 RPM) operation

Hosiery needles operate on a high-speed circular cylinder system with a reciprocating rotary motion:

1. Yarn Feeding – Yarn is fed through a feeder to the needles as the cylinder rotates at high speed (up to 2,500 RPM).
2. Knitting Action – As the cylinder rotates, the cams guide the needle butts, causing the needles to move vertically within the cylinder slots.
3. Loop Formation – The needle hook catches the new yarn while the latch opens to release the previous loop, forming a new stitch.
4. Sinker Action – Sinkers control the fabric hold-down and loop pulling, ensuring consistent stitch length and fabric density.
5. Loop Knock-Off – The old loop is pushed off the needle hook, completing the stitch.
6. Pattern Control – On double-cylinder machines, needles can be transferred between the upper and lower cylinders to create heel and toe patterns (reciprocated knitting).

This mechanism enables the production of fully shaped socks directly on the machine, including reinforced heel and toe areas.

• Incoming Material Inspection – Certified alloy steel with full traceability and mill test reports
• In-Process Monitoring – Dimensional and hardness checks at each production stage
• Final Testing – 100% visual inspection and functional sampling on test machines running at production speed
• Certifications – ISO 9001:2015 compliant manufacturing; CE marking available upon request

• Service     Details
• Lead Time：Standard: 5–30 working days (depending on gauge and quantity); custom: 30–60 days
• MOQ：Flexible – samples and small-batch orders welcome
• Warranty：Against manufacturing defects (specific terms available)
• Technical Support：Remote or email consultation for selection, installation, and troubleshooting
• OEM / ODM：Customised specifications and branding available for volume orders
• Sample Service：Trial samples available for qualification testing
• Replacement Kits：Complete needle sets for major hosiery machine models available