How Do Industrial Embroidery Machines Work?

Industrial embroidery machines are an embroidery company’s most valuable asset. Without them, they have no product. And that means no money or success. But you need to make sure that your business has the right one in place in order for you to be as successful as possible. 

They come in all different sizes and are suitable for a whole range of businesses, from startups to large enterprise companies. But how do industrial embroidery machines work? This post will explain the ins and outs of the machines and everything else you need to know. 

We’ll cover:

  • What is an Industrial Embroidery Machine?
  • How Do Industrial Embroidery Machines Work?
  • What are the Other Considerations for Industrial Embroidery Machines?

What is an Industrial Embroidery Machine?

There are various types of embroidery machines that your business can invest in. Anything larger than a single-head machine tends to be classed as a commercial or industrial embroidery machine

As you grow and expand, you need your equipment to have the scalability to grow with you too. You’re going to be experiencing customer demands and needs as you’ve never had before, so you’re going to need to have the right machines in place for you to be able to cope and produce as much as you can.

Industrial embroidery machines are large in size, so you need a large space like a factory floor that’ll be able to fit the machine comfortably. They’re not suitable for a home environment, unlike a single-head machine is. 

The size that you opt for all depends on the unique requirements of your business. Multi-head machines come in all different sizes and typically range from 2-8 heads. The more that you need from your machine the more number of heads you will need. 

How Do Industrial Embroidery Machines Work?

With all the heads and different parts, it’s easy to think that operating these machines would be tricky. But we can assure you that it’s a pretty straightforward process, albeit once you’re trained up that is. 

The first step is to load your desired design into the machine. These machines are very clever and have an easy to use control panel attached to them. This is where you control the machine from and program your embroidery patterns. It’s the point at which the machine is instructed to move from. 

You need to convert your designs to digital files and load them onto a USB. From here, take your USB and plug it into the built-in computer on the machine. Once it’s finished loading and processing, scroll around and find your design that you’d like to use for that particular job. 

The second main step is inserting your colours to your designs. This is where you instruct which needles move at what time to help colour the pattern. Each roll of thread has a specific location on each head of the machine, so make sure that the location you’re telling to move correlates with the correct colour on top. 

You can then see a trial run of how it will move. From there you can gauge whether it’s going to hit the right point of your design and adjust your programming or embroidery hooping. Once you’re happy with how it looks set to run, you can then press go and your patterns will be brought to life. 

What are the Other Considerations for Industrial Embroidery Machines?

Seems easy, doesn’t it? Well, as we said, operating the machines isn’t the tricky bit to embroidery but there are plenty of different factors that need to be considered for each product that you create. 

First of all, your hooping is key to the quality of your design. Hooping is the brackets that your garment will be sat in when it’s being embroidered. Your machine will come with an array of different sized hoops for various garments. You don’t want to use the wrong hoop for a job as your design will then be too small or too big.

A good tip is to make sure that you always have an extra set of garments hooped whilst the machine is running. Therefore, once the first run of the job is on, you can clip the second lot on quickly after to make sure you’re getting maximum output from the machine. 

After all, if the machine isn’t running then it isn’t making money, is it? 

You need to consider thread tension on every job too. Poor thread tension can lead to poor quality stitching in your product, which then cheapens your work. Plus, it looks sloppy and unprofessional, which is what no business wants.  

Thread tension comes with understanding the materials that you’re embroidering. But you also need to understand the machine that you’re operating too.

There are different kinds of threads that all do different jobs. The different areas that affect thread tension are:

  • Bobbin
  • Upper thread
  • Tension discs 
  • Tension regulator

A lot of people are sceptical when it comes to trying to find the right balance with their thread tension. Some people don’t even know how to diagnose unbalanced tension.

Or, some people head straight for the tension dials when there’s a problem. Before adjusting the dials check whether:

  • Your machine is dirty. 
  • Your bobbin is damaged – perhaps it has been dropped? 
  • Your thread is incorrectly threaded.
  • Your bobbin has been incorrectly filled. 
  • Is your machine damaged anywhere?
  • Backings help you produce a smoother end product.

You need to make sure that you choose the right backing for the right product. The main factor that affects what backing you need to use is the stretch of the fabric. The backing must be stable enough to not move whilst the stitching is being applied. You’ll need to experiment with the different types and see what type works best with your fabrics. 

The basic types of backing for commercial embroidery are:

  • Tearaway. A lot of commercial embroidery is produced with tearaway backing. It’s quick, safe and cheaper than some of the other methods. 
  • Cutaway. These backings have stronger fibres to provide extra stability for stretchable and delicate fabrics. Cutaways help maintain a crisp and clean design. 
  • Adhesive or peel and stick. Usually used for hoopless designs or areas that are difficult to embroider. For example, collars, cuffs and highly stretchable fabrics.
  • Poly mesh. Mesh backing is used for elegant designs on super-thin materials, white or lighter coloured materials.  

To Succeed You Need the Right Industrial Embroidery Machine

As we’ve mentioned earlier in the blog, your industrial embroidery machine is your trump card. It’s your most important asset, so you’re going to need to choose wisely. Think about the size of your business, your customer demands and the scope that you’re looking to grow into eventually. 

There are plenty of different options available to you, so make sure you shop around to get the right fit for your business. To help you with your decision, we’ve created a comparison. Download your copy today for free and take the first step to invest in the perfect commercial embroidery machine for your business. 

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