Impressions - February 2011 - (Page 39)

By Frank Gawronski, Contributing Writer EMBROIDERY >> HANDS ON Production EMBROIDERY HANDS ON Needle Knowledge Enables >> Easier Embroidery >> SCREEN PRINTING HANDS ON TECH TIPS HANDS ON Familiarize yourself with all the properties of various needle types to ensure that you always make the right choice for any job. In addition to a variety of needle manufacturers, there are many needle systems, sizes and points that will ﬁt our embroidery machines. These properties are designed not only to ﬁt the current class of machines, but also to address various thread sizes and sewing applications. However, all embroiderers must know these properties, as well as how to choose the right needle for a particular application. Due to the diversity of embroidery processes, this article will focus only on the commercial multihead embroidery segment. While the following information applies to the home and schifﬂi (loom) embroidery markets, the system numbers and descriptions are not the same. Please contact your local suppliers for applicable needles. Also, the chenille process, which does not involve a lock-stitch machine, uses a very unique “hook” needle type and will not be covered in this article. Before we can discuss the technical properties of a lock-stitch embroidery needle, we must deﬁne the various parts of a needle. The names and deﬁnitions of these parts are as follows: Shank — The thick-end section of the needle that is inserted into the machine’s needle bar and is held into place with a clamp and set screw. Blade — The narrow-end section of the needle that passes through the fabric during each stitch. Shoulder — The transition area between the shank and the blade. Butt — The blunt end of the needle at the free end of the shank. Tip — The sharp end of the needle at the free end of the blade. Point — The section of needle blade impressionsmag.com DIGITAL DECORATING >> HANDS ON DIGITAL DECORAT HANDS ON SCREEN PRINTING HANDS ON TECH TIPS HANDS ON The “System” of the needle deﬁnes several physical dimensions of the needle, with the exception of the blade diameter. The words “spot” and “scarf” are synonymous. between the eye and the tip. Eye — A perpendicular hole through the blade, located near the tip, through which the thread is passed. Scarf — The short, dished-out section on the back side of the needle blade slightly above the eye. This is where the rotary hook point passes to catch the upper thread loop and, in doing so, form a stitch. Long Groove — A groove cut along the front of the needle blade from the shoulder to just below the eye. It allows upper thread to pass quickly and freely as the rotary hook ﬁrst pulls thread around the hook basket and bobbin case. Now that we have established the proper nomenclature, we can look at the technical aspects of a typical embroidery needle. NEEDLE NAMING All vendors make the same variety of needles and deﬁne them with three basic properties: system, size and tip. Some needle manufacturers use these universal naming conventions, while others have chosen unique property code names. For example, Schmetz uses a Catalogue Number and Organ (CANU) number, while Gross Becker uses its own unique lettering designations for needle tips. Let’s explore each of these properties, as well as the range of speciﬁcations and their corresponding applications. February 2011 << Impressions 39 http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - February 2011

Impressions - February 2011
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
The Embroidery Machine Evolution
Versatile Wearables Boost Profits
Behind the Big Top
Production
Graphics & Design
For Screen Printers Only
Tech Tips
Setting Up Volume Digital Printing Production
Online Directory
Business to Business
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - February 2011