If you own one of the famous polar fleece blankets, you likely appreciate its softness and warmth. But have you ever wondered how these cozy fleece blankets are made? The manufacturing process to create the fleece material and turn it into a finished blanket is extensive. By understanding the steps involved, you can gain more appreciation for your polar fleece throw or bed cover.
How Fleece Fabric Is Made
Polar fleece starts as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pellets or powders. PET is a form of polyester that can be derived from refined crude oil and natural gas. PET pellets are melted down and spun into fibers by forcing the liquid through tiny holes at a specific temperature and speed. As the threads emerge, they solidify to form continuous fibers.
These fibers are stretched and treated with chemicals or heat to increase their strength. They are then washed, dried, and baled so they can be transported for the next steps of the manufacturing process.
The PET fiber bales arrive at the fleece production facility and are inspected thoroughly. The clean, combed fibers are fed into a carding machine. This device aligns the fibers so they all point in the same direction to improve spinning efficiency later.
The carded fibers are spun into yarn by pulling and twisting them together. As they turn, the PET fibers latch onto each other. Turning them creates a continuous yarn or thread of hundreds of interconnected PET fibers. The yarns are wound onto cones or spools.
Weaving the Fleece Fabric
The spinning process produces many cones of PET polar fleece yarn. It’s transported to industrial weaving machines to turn the yarn into fabric. During the weaving stage, the yarn is fed into a loom machine. The perpendicular arrangement of warp and weft yarns on the loom creates polar fleece’s distinctive fuzzy texture.
The loom interlaces the warp yarn (lengthwise) with the weft yarn (crosswise) rapidly and repeatedly until the yardage of woven fleece fabric is complete. Modern computer-operated looms can manufacture the fabric quite efficiently at high speeds.
Finishing Touches
The fabric passes through additional finishing machines after the polar fleece emerges from the loom. These perform various treatments to enhance the fabric, such as:
- Washing– Removes residual lubricants and impurities
- Drying– Eliminates excess moisture
- Brushing– Lifts fibers to fluff up the fleece
- Shearing– Trims fibers for a uniform pile height
The finishing processes remove impurities and excess fuzziness to prepare the fleece for cutting and sewing.
Turning Fabric Into Cozy Zengbo Blankets
The manufactured fleece fabric is carefully inspected for flaws before being transported from the textile mill to factories, where it will become Zengbo blanket. Skilled sewing machine operators assemble the fabrics, creating the double-layer structure and sewn edging for durability and style.
After assembly, the blankets pass through additional quality control checks. Imperfect products are rejected and discarded, while blankets that pass inspection get packaged and shipped out for sale. Each component must meet strict guidelines throughout multiple production phases, from fiber to fabric to finished blanket.
The complex sequence of steps to create fuzzy soft Zengbo polar fleece blankets gives them not only functionality but also added sentimental value. Understanding the manufacturing process can help you appreciate the technology, skill, and labor invested to produce the winter accessory you rely on for cozy comfort. If you want to learn more about how polar fleece blankets are made start to finish, check out in-depth guides to the fleece manufacturing process.
FAQs
What is polar fleece made of?
Polar fleece blankets are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a polyester form. The PET starts as small plastic pellets or powders, which are melted down and spun into threads.
How is the fleece fabric made?
The PET pellets are turned into fibers, stretched for strength, washed, and baled. The clean fibers are aligned and spun into yarn by twisting them together. The yarn is woven into fleece fabric using large industrial looms that interlace perpendicular threads rapidly to form the material.
What finishing treatments are done to fleece?
After weaving, the fleece fabric undergoes washing to remove impurities, drying to reduce moisture, brushing to lift the fibers for softness, and shearing to trim the fibers to a consistent pile height. These processes prepare the fabric for making blankets.
How are fleece blankets put together?
Sk sewing machine operators cut and sewn the fleece fabric to create the layered polar fleece blankets. The edging is sewn for durability and decorative styling. Each blanket is inspected to ensure quality standards before packaging.
Where does most fleece come from?
Many fleece fabrics are manufactured in the USA, but some area are imported from China and other Asian countries. The PET plastic pellets used to make fleece originate from crude oil and natural gas refinement processes.
Why is fleece so warm and soft?
The construction of fleece fabric creates tiny air pockets that trap body heat for insulation while allowing moisture vapor to pass through. The fluffy, fuzzy surface texture makes it soft against the skin for comfort.
