General information
Machine embroidery is a special type of embroidery, performed by
special automatic machines, functioning according to the man's adjusted
program.
This man is designer, constructor. He creates the embroidery program
(design) - the machine operation algorithm, which can be in consequence
repeated unlimited number of times. The machine following the given
program, automatically executes the embroidery on material. In this way,
the main features of machine embroidery are the absence of manual labor
at the stage of outright embroidery, and the possibility of embroidery
samples duplication. The machine embroidery is a recent kind of
activity, in contrast to manual embroidery, existing for thousands of
years. The machine embroidery began its existence nearly 50 years ago
and in 1980-ies the demand of the profession of machine embroidery
designer began to grow. Nowadays the demand is actually as well. During
the period of machine embroidery existence, its creation technology has
changed beyond recognition. The machines that once used as source of
information the punched card, limited in speed and quality of
embroidery, were replaced by microprocessor-based, highly productive,
multihead machines with advanced technology equipment, optimizing the
embroidery process.
The process of machine embroidery technologically consists of two closely associated stages:
1. The embroidery designing stage, or the construction stage of
machine embroidery-represents the process of creation of embroidery
machine program. At this stage are developed the construction components
of machine embroidery.
2. The technical stage represents the direct embroidery manufacture
by means of machine. At this stage are developed the technical
components of machine embroidery.
Both this stages are at the same time quite independent from the
point of view of manufacture, which helps to differentiate them and to
mark out two different basic types of industrial activity accordingly.
It is a question of enterprises that are specialized directly in program
creation, or in materially embroidery creation. Each of these
manufacture branches develops round itself a branching infrastructure
system. For example, nowadays there are a great number of producers of
special program maintenance for machine embroidery, of embroidery
machines and special concomitant equipment producers, of outlay
materials producers, used for embroidery manufacture. Many companies, in
accordance with machine embroidery branch needs are adjusting the
directions of its activity. For example, the producers of textile dye
stuff make special adjustments of qualities and spectrum, the clothing
producers change the construction, adjusting it to the technology of
machine embroidery manufacture.
Field of machine embroidery use
Historically the embroidery had, first of all, a decorative
character. Nowadays this essential property favorable affected its use
in advertising branch. We frequently see the embroidery bearing
advertising-informational character, on clothing objects and other
ready-made garments.
Machine embroidery as advertising –informational bearer
Embroidery can be an effective advertising-informational means, at
the same time without loosing its artistic expressiveness. It is
frequently used at trade marks plotting on the cloth, leather, felt, as
well as on complete products, clothes etc. At embroidery it is possible
the reproduction of trade mark of all color combination. The trade mark,
plotted on by this method, frequently turns into fashionable attribute
of article and becomes an organic element of its composition. It is
possible to embroider on different types of clothes, including uniform,
working clothes. The embroidery as characteristic index to any current
of activity is widely used in many countries. Very often the firm
workers bear the differential sign of their company. It can be a
logotype on the head gear, on the front side of the sweater or on the
back side of the jacket.
The cloth embroidery, on many indexes passes ahead of its "rivals",
like serigraphy or decal decoration (transfer seal). The embroidery is
more lasting, the steadiness of threads color is higher, the volumetric
texture of embroidery confers more expensive and spectacular shape to
the logotype. That is why most of the firms, dealing with advertising
campaigns development, recommend to their clients the very embroidery.
The embroidery can be performed on different parts of clothes and on
different articles. On head gears (caps, knitted caps), sport shirts,
shirts, tolstovkas, even on footwear.
Technical constituent of machine embroidery
During the cycle of machine embroidery manufacturing is applied
different means and tools. However, starting from the availability of
two basic stages of manufacture, it can be market two fundamental
corresponding tools of machine embroidery. They are:
1. The computer with appropriate program maintenance and peripherals on the construction stage of manufacture.
2. Automatic embroidery machine with concomitant supplementary equipment on the technological stage of manufacture.
Let us list the fundamental information of industrial automatic
embroidery machines and some supplementary special concomitant
equipment.
Industrial automatic embroidery machines according to fulfilled
activity and principle of operation can be divided in two groups:
1. Universal automatic embroidery machines.
2. Special automatic embroidery machines.
To special automatic embroidery machines can be attributed the
machines using not quite standard embroidery methods, machines that are
able to perform embroidery on out-of-the-way places of complete products
and on materials that are difficult for embroidery. To one of the most
commonly used type of special automatic embroidery machines can be
attributed the so called Schiffli, machines that allow making embroidery
with the utilization of decorative cord, to cut through material and at
the same time to process the cut by embroidery. These machines are
mostly used for finishing of light and thin, translucent, fashioned
and other smart cloth and articles made out of it. For instance,
Schiffli machines are often used at wedding dresses decoration.
Quite recently it appeared a new interesting kind of automatic
special embroidery-the so called no-thread-embroidery and automatic
no-thread embroidery machines. The principle of operation of such
machines has a remote conformity with principle of producing of
needle-punched fabrics. It consists in the fact that the machine with a
set of needles (24 needles) runs through the structure of the main
(working) material the locks of fibers of special auxiliary material.
The auxiliary material is laid under the main material. After the
auxiliary material removing on the main material remains an effective,
specific pattern (picture).
Nowadays the leader in production of no-thread embroidery machines
is the Japan Company Tanaka. In 2001 fashion show in Berlin and Paris
were presented impressive collections made with the help of no-thread
–embroidery on "Vari-O-Matic" machine of this company. To universal
automatic embroidery machines are related the machines of lock-stitch
with coordinate displaced frame holder which is meant for manufacture of
embroidery with threads on classical and most widespread materials and
articles. The use of such machines supposes some limitations in
properties of used materials and constructions of complete products.
But these limitations are constantly growing narrower due to
constant modernization and improvement of universal automatic embroidery
machines and due to use of manifold auxiliary facilities and special
devices. All known universal automatic embroidery machines are of
lock-stitch type of machines and the structure of many parts of the
mechanism has many similarities with lock-stitch embroidery machines.
The main parts of single-head universal automatic embroidery machine
are column, case, frame holder and head. The case is fixed on column
and consists of pole and cantilevered arm. Inside the upper part of
column is installed the stitch mechanism. Inside the case is installed
the main shaft mechanism. On the head is disposed a set of needle
mechanisms with thread takeup and thread guide mechanisms. The head is
able to shift from case in the horizontal position, engaging with the
main shaft stirring up the needed needle mechanism. This enables the
machine to make the shift of the thread color at one embroidery run.
The frame holder mechanism is able to shift the frame holder in a
horizontal level in four directions from the active needle. The shift is
made in step-type on coordinate according to given embroidery program.
In this way the machine can make loch-stitches on material of different
length and in any given order and direction, executing if needed the
shift of working needle with the thread of the definite color. The
industrial automatic embroidery machines can be both single-headed and
with few heads and with corresponding number of necessary working
mechanisms. The last are called many headed or multihead automatic
embroidery machines.
Under normal conditions of embroidery all the heads and frame holders mechanisms works synchronously.
The basic indexes of industrial embroidery machines
1. Speed of embroidery. It is expressed through quantity of stitches
per minute. The embroidery speed can be adjusted both manually and
automatically while embroidering. The optimal embroidery speed of modern
machines oscillates between 700-900 stitches per minute. Maximum speed
reaches 1200-1400 stitches per minute.
2. Number of working heads. In modern multihead machines the head numbers come to 2-4 heads.
3. The size of working area or the maximum size of used frame. This
index is concerned with possible size of performed embroidery. It is
expressed through correlation of length and width of the working area in
millimeters and is regulated for flat and cylindrical frame (used for
caps, sleeves, etc). There are spread the correlations 800x600, 500x400
and other-for flat frame; 360x75, 400x350 and other for cylindrical
frame.
4. Needle quantity. It is equal to the number of needles on one
head. It is defined by maximal possible number of thread colors used at
one run of embroidery. The possible needle number in modern machines is
from 1 to 12. The most spread are the machines with 9 needles. Other
important indexes are the noise and vibration level, the compatibility
of machine with different standard embroidery programs, the presence of
accessories, error of linear measurements of embroidery elements.
The accessories can be presented through different additional hinged
device for automatic let-off of decorative cord or ribbon, broadened
control terminal, systems of laser and video navigation of working area,
additional laser trimers (device for thread cutting) and other.
The concomitant equipment can be presented through devices of
embroidery evaporation, various press equipment for adhesive chevron
and braid production, special cloth-cutting machine in the form of laser
cutter-machines, that can automatically cut of or drift on markings on
cloth, which is widely used at combined with embroidery applique'works
production.
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