3D Knitting Seamless Garment Manufacturing Shima Stoll

The primary technical difference is needle bed configuration. Shima Seiki's WholeGarment technology uses four needle beds — two front and two rear — which allows independent transfer of loops between any two beds and enables more complex stitch structures, finer-gauge knits, and more intricate fully fashioned shaping. Stoll's ADF platform uses three needle beds (one front, two rear or vice versa) with a separate transfer bed, which simplifies the knitting process and reduces setup time but limits some of the most complex stitch structures. In practice, both platforms produce high-quality seamless garments across the majority of commercial applications. Shima has a stronger position in fine-gauge (14 to 18 gauge) and complex intarsia work, while Stoll excels in coarse-gauge (7 to 10 gauge) and applications requiring frequent style changeovers. The software ecosystems differ significantly — Shima's SDS-ONE APEX is more vertically integrated for design-to-production, while Stoll's M1 Plus offers broader CAD import compatibility.

Sweaters, cardigans, and pullovers represent the largest category at approximately 60 percent of current 3D knitting production. Dresses and skirts are the second-largest category at 15 percent, enabled by the ability to knit integral waist shaping and side seams. Activewear base layers and compression garments account for 10 percent and are growing rapidly as finer-gauge machines (14 to 18 gauge) enable the tight-knit structures needed for stretch garments. Footwear uppers are a specialized but growing application — brands including Adidas, Nike, and New Balance use 3D knitting for sock-like shoe uppers that eliminate lasting and adhesive. Accessories including hats, scarves, gloves, and neck gaiters account for 10 percent. Tailored and structured garments remain limited — while experimental work exists for knitted blazers and coats, the fabric drape and stiffness requirements still favor woven constructions for most structured garments.

Knit time depends on garment size, complexity, gauge, and yarn thickness. A simple crew-neck sweater in 7-gauge merino wool takes approximately 25 to 35 minutes on either platform. A fine-gauge (16 gg) base-layer top takes 35 to 50 minutes due to the higher stitch density. A complex intarsia-patterned dress with multiple colors and integral pocket structures can take 60 to 90 minutes. The machine runs continuously with no operator intervention during the knitting cycle. One operator can typically manage 4 to 6 machines, so the labor cost per garment is very low. Knit time is the dominant factor in production planning: a 50-minute garment at 70 percent machine utilization yields approximately 6,000 garments per machine per year, assuming 24/6 operation with 8 hours downtime per week for maintenance and yarn changes.

A minimum viable 3D knitting operation requires 4 to 6 machines, design software licenses, and facility preparation. For 4 Shima SWG machines at an average of $140,000 each, machine cost is $560,000. Design software (SDS-ONE APEX 4) costs $30,000 to $50,000 for the initial license plus annual maintenance at 15 to 20 percent. Facility costs include climate-controlled floor space (approximately 200 square feet per machine), compressed air supply, overhead yarn creel and tension control system, and storage for cones and finished goods — add $80,000 to $120,000. Total startup capital for a 4-machine cell is $700,000 to $850,000. For Stoll ADF machines at lower cost ($110,000 average), the total is approximately $550,000 to $680,000. At full utilization with a target payback of 24 months, the operation needs annual revenue of $400,000 to $600,000 per machine, or approximately 80,000 to 120,000 garments per year at a blended average selling price of $5 to $7 per garment wholesale.

3D knitting machines can process most yarn types that conventional flat knitting machines handle, but yarn quality requirements are stricter because a yarn break during whole-garment knitting means the entire garment is lost, not just one panel. Key yarn requirements include consistent twist (CV percent below 1.5), minimal thick/thin places, uniform dye uptake, and sufficient tensile strength for the knitting tension profile. Wool, merino, cashmere, cotton, linen, silk, and most synthetic yarns (polyester, nylon, acrylic) work well. Elastic yarns (elastane, spandex) require special feeding mechanisms and are supported on both platforms with appropriate yarn carriers. Novelty yarns (slub, boucle, metallic) are more challenging because thickness variations cause knitting faults — most 3D knitting production uses smooth, even yarns. iFactory's yarn quality module can evaluate candidate yarns against the specific requirements of each machine model and garment design.