Industrial Knitting Equipment Market Trends and Forecast
The future of the global industrial knitting equipment market looks promising with opportunities in the technical textile, medical textile, and automotive textile markets. The global industrial knitting equipment market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 5.7% from 2025 to 2031. The major drivers for this market are the increasing automation adoption for efficiency, the rising demand for customized knit patterns, and the growing investment in sustainable textile technology.
• Lucintel forecasts that, within the type category, automatic is expected to witness higher growth over the forecast period due to medical textile.
• Within the application category, is expected to witness the highest growth.
• In terms of region, APAC is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period.
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Emerging Trends in the Industrial Knitting Equipment Market
The industrial knitting equipment market is being transformed by a wave of technological advancements and evolving demands within the textile industry. These emerging trends reflect a collective movement towards more automated, precise, and sustainable manufacturing processes, significantly impacting how knitted fabrics and garments are produced globally.
• Automation and Digitalization: The market is rapidly moving towards fully automatic knitting machines integrated with advanced control systems and digital technologies. This trend allows for accurate and repeatable knitting, reduces manual intervention, and significantly improves production efficiency, particularly for mass production and complex designs, leading to cost savings.
• 3D and Seamless Knitting: ThereÄX%$%Xs a growing adoption of 3D knitting and seamless knitting technologies. These innovations enable the direct production of complete garments or complex shapes without the need for traditional cut-and-sew methods. This reduces material waste, improves garment fit and comfort, and opens new possibilities for product design and customization.
• Technical Textiles Production: The demand for high-performance and functional textiles is driving advancements in industrial knitting equipment. Machines are being developed to process advanced materials for applications in automotive, medical, sports, and industrial safety, requiring specialized capabilities for properties like durability, breathability, and specific tensile strengths.
• Sustainability and Circular Economy: Manufacturers are increasingly focusing on knitting equipment that supports sustainable practices. This includes machines capable of handling recycled fibers and biodegradable materials, minimizing waste, and reducing energy consumption. This trend aligns with global environmental regulations and consumer demand for eco-friendly textile production.
• Integration of AI and IoT: The incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) into knitting equipment is an emerging trend. This enables real-time monitoring of machine performance, predictive maintenance, automated pattern adjustments, and enhanced quality control, leading to smarter, more efficient, and data-driven textile production.
These trends are fundamentally reshaping the industrial knitting equipment market by fostering greater efficiency, precision, and sustainability across the textile value chain. The adoption of advanced automation, specialized knitting capabilities, and smart technologies is enabling manufacturers to meet diverse market demands while contributing to a more sustainable and innovative industry.
Recent Development in the Industrial Knitting Equipment Market
The industrial knitting equipment market is currently experiencing significant developments, driven by the textile industryÄX%$%Xs continuous pursuit of higher efficiency, versatility, and sustainability. These advancements are leading to more sophisticated machinery capable of producing a wider range of knitted products with enhanced quality and reduced waste.
• Introduction of High-Speed Machines: A key development is the launch of new high-speed knitting machines, particularly in the circular knitting segment. These machines are designed for mass production, offering faster turnaround times and higher output volumes, which is crucial for meeting the increasing demand for knitted fabrics in apparel and home textiles.
• Enhanced Automation and Control Systems: Recent years have seen significant improvements in the automation levels of industrial knitting equipment. Fully automatic machines with sophisticated control systems allow for precise and repeatable knitting, reducing reliance on skilled labor and improving consistency in fabric quality across production runs.
• Focus on Technical Textiles Capabilities: ThereÄX%$%Xs a growing emphasis on developing knitting machines capable of producing technical textiles. These specialized machines can handle complex yarns and structures, catering to the increasing demand for high-performance fabrics in sectors like automotive, medical, and sports, enabling new product functionalities.
• Integration of Design Software and 3D Prototyping: Manufacturers are increasingly integrating advanced 3D design software and virtual prototyping capabilities into their knitting equipment ecosystems. This development reduces the need for physical samples, saving time and material, and allows for quicker design iterations and customization, fostering greater efficiency in product development.
• Developments in Seamless and Whole Garment Technology: Continual refinements in seamless and Whole Garment knitting technologies are a significant development. These machines produce complete knitted products without seams, reducing labor, material waste, and improving garment comfort and fit, aligning with trends in activewear, intimate apparel, and fashion.
These developments are profoundly impacting the industrial knitting equipment market by accelerating production cycles, improving product quality, and enabling more sustainable and versatile manufacturing processes. The continuous innovation in machine capabilities is solidifying the role of industrial knitting in a wide array of modern textile applications.
Strategic Growth Opportunities in the Industrial Knitting Equipment Market
The industrial knitting equipment market presents significant strategic growth opportunities across various applications, driven by evolving consumer demands, technological advancements, and the push for sustainable manufacturing. Capitalizing on these requires a focus on specialized machinery that addresses specific industry needs and trends.
• Apparel Manufacturing: The continuous demand for fashionable and comfortable apparel, especially in sportswear and athleisure, drives significant growth. Opportunities exist in providing high-speed, versatile flat and circular knitting machines capable of producing intricate designs, seamless garments, and specialized fabrics for performance wear.
• Technical Textiles: The burgeoning technical textiles sector offers immense growth. This includes applications in automotive interiors, medical textiles (e.g., bandages, prosthetics), and industrial safety. Specialized knitting equipment capable of processing advanced fibers for durability, specific tensile strength, and functional properties is in high demand.
• Home Textiles: Growing consumer interest in personalized home furnishings and sustainable practices creates opportunities for industrial knitting equipment. Machines producing custom-designed, eco-friendly knitted fabrics for upholstery, blankets, and curtains, allowing for diverse textures and patterns, will find strong market traction.
• 3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing Integration: The intersection of knitting and additive manufacturing, particularly for complex 3D structures and prototypes, is an emerging opportunity. Equipment capable of integrating knitting with 3D printing for specialized components or composite materials can serve niche but high-value industrial applications, fostering innovation.
• Smart Textiles & Wearables: The expanding market for smart textiles and wearable technology represents a futuristic growth area. Knitting equipment that can seamlessly integrate conductive yarns, sensors, and electronic components directly into fabric structures offers significant potential for creating innovative products in healthcare, sports, and consumer electronics.
These opportunities are significantly impacting the industrial knitting equipment market by pushing it towards greater specialization, technological sophistication, and a broader application base. The focus on high-performance, sustainable, and smart textile production is ensuring continued innovation and growth in this crucial segment of the textile machinery industry.
Industrial Knitting Equipment Market Driver and Challenges
The industrial knitting equipment market is shaped by a complex interplay of major drivers that propel its expansion and key challenges that can hinder its growth. These factors, encompassing technological innovation, economic conditions, and regulatory pressures, collectively determine the marketÄX%$%Xs trajectory and competitive dynamics.
The factors responsible for driving the industrial knitting equipment market include:
1. Rising Demand for Knitted Apparel: The continuous global demand for comfortable, fashionable, and versatile knitted apparel, including activewear, athleisure, and everyday wear, is a primary driver. This fuels the need for efficient and high-quality industrial knitting machines for mass production.
2. Technological Advancements in Machinery: Ongoing innovations in knitting machine technology, such as increased automation, higher speeds, precision control systems, and seamless knitting capabilities, drive market growth. These advancements enhance efficiency, reduce labor costs, and enable the production of complex designs.
3. Growth of Technical Textiles: The burgeoning market for technical textiles in industries like automotive, medical, construction, and sports is a significant driver. These applications require specialized knitting equipment capable of processing advanced materials for specific functionalities like durability, fire resistance, and medical applications.
4. Focus on Sustainable Production: Increasing environmental awareness and regulatory pressures are driving demand for knitting equipment that supports sustainable practices. Machines that minimize waste, use less energy, and can process recycled or bio-based yarns contribute to eco-friendly textile production, aligning with global green initiatives.
5. Automation to Counter Labor Shortages: In many textile-producing regions, increasing labor costs and a shortage of skilled labor are pushing manufacturers to invest in highly automated industrial knitting equipment. This helps maintain productivity, reduce operational costs, and ensures consistent quality.
Challenges in the industrial knitting equipment market are:
1. High Capital Investment: The initial cost of acquiring advanced industrial knitting equipment is substantial. This high capital expenditure can be a significant barrier for smaller manufacturers or those in developing regions, limiting market penetration and slowing adoption of newer technologies.
2. Rapid Technological Obsolescence: The fast pace of technological advancements means that knitting equipment can become outdated relatively quickly. Manufacturers face the challenge of continuously upgrading their machinery to remain competitive, which involves ongoing investment and can impact profitability.
3. Supply Chain Disruptions and Raw Material Volatility: The global nature of the textile industry makes the knitting equipment market vulnerable to supply chain disruptions (e.g., geopolitical events, pandemics) and volatility in raw material prices for machine components. This can lead to production delays and increased manufacturing costs.
The overall impact of these drivers and challenges on the industrial knitting equipment market is a dynamic tension between the push for advanced, efficient, and sustainable production and the economic realities of high investment and rapid change. Success in this market hinges on innovation, strategic adaptation, and the ability to navigate complex global supply chains and evolving industry demands.
List of Industrial Knitting Equipment Companies
Companies in the market compete on the basis of product quality offered. Major players in this market focus on expanding their manufacturing facilities, R&D investments, infrastructural development, and leverage integration opportunities across the value chain. With these strategies industrial knitting equipment companies cater increasing demand, ensure competitive effectiveness, develop innovative products & technologies, reduce production costs, and expand their customer base. Some of the industrial knitting equipment companies profiled in this report include-
• Mayer & Cie
• Santoni
• Kauo Heng Precision Machinery Industrial
• Fukuhara Industrial & Trading
• Quanzhou Baiyuan Machinery Science & Technology
• Jy Leh Industrial
• Shishi Zhenfu Knitting Machinery
Industrial Knitting Equipment Market by Segment
The study includes a forecast for the global industrial knitting equipment market by type, application, and region.
Industrial Knitting Equipment Market by Type [Value from 2019 to 2031]:
• Semi-Automatic
• Automatic
Industrial Knitting Equipment Market by Application [Value from 2019 to 2031]:
• Technical Textiles
• Medical Textiles
• Automotive Textiles
• Others
Industrial Knitting Equipment Market by Region [Value from 2019 to 2031]:
• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• The Rest of the World
Country Wise Outlook for the Industrial Knitting Equipment Market
The industrial knitting equipment market is experiencing a significant shift, driven by the textile industryÄX%$%Xs push for automation, sustainability, and high-performance technical textiles. Innovations in computerized machinery and smart manufacturing are enabling greater efficiency, precision, and versatility, catering to diverse applications from apparel to advanced industrial fabrics, reshaping global production landscapes.
• United States: The U.S. market is rapidly adopting computerized and high-speed knitting machinery for enhanced production efficiency and fabric quality. ThereÄX%$%Xs a strong emphasis on automation, with increasing integration of AI and IoT into technical processes, aligning with the growing demand for on-demand knitting and clothing personalization.
• China: ChinaÄX%$%Xs knitting equipment market is seeing a push for high-value machinery, particularly for knitted garments and fabrics. While overall consumption of textile machinery showed a modest decline in units in 2024, the market value increased, indicating a shift towards more advanced and higher-priced equipment, with local production meeting significant domestic demand.
• Germany: Germany is at the forefront of knitting technology, focusing on advanced flat knitting and circular knitting machines. Recent developments include machines that merge weft and warp knitting techniques for versatile fabric structures and innovations in WholeGarment knitting for seamless production, emphasizing sustainability and waste reduction.
• India: India has emerged as a leading importer of knitting machinery, showing remarkable growth, particularly in circular knitting machines. This surge is driven by increasing demand for knitted apparel, rapid urbanization, and a focus on high-quality, comfortable fabrics, with manufacturers investing in advanced machinery to meet domestic and export needs.
• Japan: JapanÄX%$%Xs industrial knitting equipment market is characterized by leading manufacturers like Shima Seiki, who are introducing advanced computerized flat knitting solutions. Their focus is on sustainable production through innovative shaping technology and digital solutions, including 3D design systems that minimize physical sampling, enhancing efficiency and sustainability.
Features of the Global Industrial Knitting Equipment Market
Market Size Estimates: Industrial knitting equipment market size estimation in terms of value ($B).
Trend and Forecast Analysis: Market trends (2019 to 2024) and forecast (2025 to 2031) by various segments and regions.
Segmentation Analysis: Industrial knitting equipment market size by type, application, and region in terms of value ($B).
Regional Analysis: Industrial knitting equipment market breakdown by North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World.
Growth Opportunities: Analysis of growth opportunities in different type, applications, and regions for the industrial knitting equipment market.
Strategic Analysis: This includes M&A, new product development, and competitive landscape of the industrial knitting equipment market.
Analysis of competitive intensity of the industry based on Porter’s Five Forces model.
FAQ
Q1. What is the growth forecast for industrial knitting equipment market?
Answer: The global industrial knitting equipment market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 5.7% from 2025 to 2031.
Q2. What are the major drivers influencing the growth of the industrial knitting equipment market?
Answer: The major drivers for this market are the increasing automation adoption for efficiency, the rising demand for customized knit patterns, and the growing investment in sustainable textile technology.
Q3. What are the major segments for industrial knitting equipment market?
Answer: The future of the industrial knitting equipment market looks promising with opportunities in the technical textile, medical textile, and automotive textile markets.
Q4. Who are the key industrial knitting equipment market companies?
Answer: Some of the key industrial knitting equipment companies are as follows:
• Mayer & Cie
• Santoni
• Kauo Heng Precision Machinery Industrial
• Fukuhara Industrial & Trading
• Quanzhou Baiyuan Machinery Science & Technology
• Jy Leh Industrial
• Shishi Zhenfu Knitting Machinery
Q5. Which industrial knitting equipment market segment will be the largest in future?
Answer: Lucintel forecasts that, within the type category, automatic is expected to witness higher growth over the forecast period due to medical textile.
Q6. In industrial knitting equipment market, which region is expected to be the largest in next 5 years?
Answer: In terms of region, APAC is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period.
Q7. Do we receive customization in this report?
Answer: Yes, Lucintel provides 10% customization without any additional cost.
This report answers following 11 key questions:
Q.1. What are some of the most promising, high-growth opportunities for the industrial knitting equipment market by type (semi-automatic and automatic), application (technical textiles, medical textiles, automotive textiles, and others), and region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World)?
Q.2. Which segments will grow at a faster pace and why?
Q.3. Which region will grow at a faster pace and why?
Q.4. What are the key factors affecting market dynamics? What are the key challenges and business risks in this market?
Q.5. What are the business risks and competitive threats in this market?
Q.6. What are the emerging trends in this market and the reasons behind them?
Q.7. What are some of the changing demands of customers in the market?
Q.8. What are the new developments in the market? Which companies are leading these developments?
Q.9. Who are the major players in this market? What strategic initiatives are key players pursuing for business growth?
Q.10. What are some of the competing products in this market and how big of a threat do they pose for loss of market share by material or product substitution?
Q.11. What M&A activity has occurred in the last 5 years and what has its impact been on the industry?
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