When sizing a workshop, the question that decides die-head budget and screw choice is simple: what is the maximum diameter a fruit net machine can handle? For a standard EPE foam fruit net machine (the 70–75 mm screw class), the finished tubular net range is 20–150 mm OD, and that 150 mm figure is the commercial ceiling for apple, pear, citrus, mango, and even small watermelon sleeves. Larger 90–105 mm EPE lines and heavy-duty LDPE/PP knotless net extruders can push the practical maximum to 160 mm, while anything beyond that (durian, large melon, pumpkin) usually shifts to a custom wide-bore die or a completely different foamed-pipe configuration rather than a standard net line.
EPE Foam Fruit Net Machine: The Common Band
Most buyers meet the fruit net machine category through the EPE foam net extruder. Representative 2026 catalog data:
Φ70 mm screw (SH-70 / EPEW-70): 20–150 mm net diameter, 25–30 kg/h
Φ75 mm screw (FCEPEW-75A, TYEPEW-75, SJEPEW-75): 20–150 mm net diameter, 30–40 kg/h, foaming ratio 10–40×
Φ90 mm+ EPE sheet/rod line repurposed with net die: rod diameter 6–30 mm as rod, but with a net mandrel and sizing sleeve, tubular net can reach ~160 mm on wide-bore tooling
So when a supplier says "max 150 mm," they mean the standard die set shipped with the 75-type fruit net machine. The screw could theoretically feed a bigger die, but cooling, haul-off, and winder width become the bottleneck-past 150 mm the net flattens or the diamond distorts unless you buy the next screw class up.
LDPE / PP Knotless Extrusion Fruit Net Machine
The non-foam extrusion fruit net machine (SHWJ-50/65/80, DDJ-50/60/70) makes solid-strand tubular mesh for vegetable bags, flower nets, and bath balls. Here "diameter" is less standardized because the product is often sold flat as mesh bag tubing. On these lines:
Φ50 mm: tubular equivalent ~10–40 mm
Φ65 mm: ~15–60 mm
Φ80 mm: ~20–80 mm, occasionally up to 100 mm with a wide die and stretch unit
Above 80 mm, knitted Raschel netting (not extrusion) is usually cheaper and more uniform, so extrusion fruit net machine makers stop scaling up.
What Actually Sets the Ceiling
Four things cap the maximum diameter on any fruit net machine:
Die head bore – the rotary die mandrel/sleeve combo is built for a range; 75-type max mandrel is ~150 mm.
Sizing sleeve / cooling tunnel – the stainless jacket after the die must fit the bubble; most 75-type jackets stop at 150 mm.
Haul-off roll gap – puller rollers are spaced for the 20–150 mm band; wider nets need custom puller.
Bubble stability – EPE foam at >150 mm OD loses internal pressure balance; the diamond collapses unless you drop line speed 30–40%.
Practical Buying Note
If your mix includes only apples (70–85 mm fruit → 80–100 mm sleeve), citrus (50–70 mm sleeve), and pears, a 75-type fruit net machine with 20–150 mm dies covers 95% of SKUs. If you must sleeve watermelons (120–180 mm fruit → 160–200 mm sleeve), tell the supplier upfront-you will either get a 90 mm screw line with a wide-bore net die (true max ~160 mm) or be pointed to a foamed-pipe line with axial slitting, which is not a true knotless net structure.
In short: 150 mm is the standard max for a commercial fruit net machine, 160 mm is the engineered extreme on 90 mm-class EPE lines, and beyond that you leave the "fruit net" category entirely. Always confirm the supplier's quoted "max diameter" is finished net OD, not die bolt circle or mandrel shaft size-those are 30–50 mm smaller and a common spec-sheet trap.