All About Industrial Stitching and Sewing Machine

Different Types of Feed Mechanisms

Besides the basic motion of needles, loppers, and bobbins, the material being sewn must move, so that each cycle of needle motion involves a different part of the material. This motion is known as feed, and sewing machines have almost as many ways of feeding material as they do of forming stitches. For general categories, we have: drop feed, needle feed, walking foot, puller, and manual. Often, multiple types of feed are used on the same machine. Besides these general categories, there are also uncommon feed mechanisms used in specific applications like edge joining fur, making seams on caps, and blind stitching.

Functions of the Feed Dog

• Makes the sewing product move per
• Can change amount to move and forms stitches suitable for the sewing
• Stretch stitching or gathering stitching can be performed by means of a feed mechanism, and prevention of puckering, gathering, can be performed.

Different types of Feed

Bottom Feed

This is the most standard feed mechanism, which feeds material with a lower feed dog only. Uneven material feeding is likely to occur because of bottom feed only. However, sharp curve stitching can be easily performed and material handling is easy.

Needle Feed (Bottom Feed + Needle Feed)

This is the feed mechanism in which the needle bar moves in synchronization with the bottom feed. The feeding force is strong, and this type can feed material more precisely than the aforementioned bottom feed type sewing machine. Uneven material feeding is reduced, but, stitch shrinking due to thread tightness is likely to occur.

Differential Feed (Front Bottom Feed + Rear Bottom Feed)

This is the bottom feed mechanism, but the feed dog is divided into front and rear. This is the feed mechanism which is possible to intentionally stretch material or gather material by changing the feed amount of front feed dog and rear feed dog. This is suitable for sewing elastic knit.

Differential feed ratio (e.g. JUKI overlock sewing machine, MO Series) Gathering 1: 2 (Max. 1: 4)

Stretching 1: 0.7 (Max. 1: 0.6)

Bottom and Variable Top Feed (Bottom Feed + Top Differential Feed)

There is a feed dog on the top side in terms of the bottom feed, and the top feed amount can be adjusted simultaneously together with the adjustment of material feed from the bottom side. Accordingly, this is the feed mechanism that is possible to prevent sewing slippage and to perform edging contracting or gathering.

Differential Bottom Feed and Variable Top Feed

The bottom-feed is differential feed, and the top feed amount can be adjusted simultaneously together with adjustment (stretching and gathering) of material feed from the bottom side. Accordingly, this is the suitable mechanism that can give the most suitable feed amount to the upper and lower materials.

Unison Feed (Bottom Feed + Top Feed + Needle Feed) 

The feed force of this mechanism is most superior and this feed mechanism is largely used for extra heavy-weight materials or the like.

Feed with Cloth Pulling Roller

The roller located in the rear of the presser foot pulls materials and sewing is performed. Uneven material feeding is reduced and working property is improved.

Fixed Feed

This is the feed mechanism to feed materials in a fixed state by holding materials between the lower plate and upper plate.

Different Types of Sewing Machine Belts

A belt is a loop of flexible material used to link two or more rotating shafts mechanically. Belts may be used as a source of motion, to power efficiently, or to track relative movement. Belts are looped over pulleys. In a two pulley system, the belt can either drive the pulleys in the same direction, or the belt may be crossed so that the direction of the shafts is opposite. As a source of motion, a conveyor belt is one application where the belt is adapted to continually carry a load between two points.

Belts are the cheapest utility for power transmission between shafts that may not be axially aligned. Power transmission is achieved by specially designed belts and pulleys.

Pros and cons

Belt drive, moreover, is simple, inexpensive, and does not require axially aligned shafts. It helps protect the machinery from overload and jam, and it isolates noise and vibration. Load fluctuations are shock-absorbed (cushioned). They need no lubrication and require minimal maintenance. They have high efficiency (90-98%, usually 95%), high tolerance for misalignment, and are inexpensive if the shafts are far apart. Clutch action is activated by releasing belt tension. Different speeds can be obtained by step or tapered pulleys.

The angular-velocity ratio may not be constant or equal to that of the pulley diameters, due to slip and stretch. However, this problem has been largely solved by the use of toothed belts. Adjustment of center distance or addition of an idler pulley is crucial to compensate for wear and stretch.

Following are the various types of Belts that are widely used

Flat Belt

The drive belt: used to transfer power from the engine’s flywheel. Here shown driving a threshing machine.

Flat belts were used early inline shafting to transmit power in factories. It is a simple system of power transmission that was well suited for its day. It delivered high power for high speeds (500 hp for 10,000 ft/min), in cases of wide belts and large pulleys. These drives are bulky, requiring high tension leading to high loads, so vee belts have mainly replaced the flat belts except when high speed is needed to overpower.

Round Belts

Round belts are circular cross-section belts designed to run in a pulley with a circular (or near-circular) groove. They are for use in low torque situations and may be purchased in various lengths or cut to length and joined, either by a staple, gluing, or welding (in a few cases).

Early sewing machines utilized a leather belt, joined either by a metal staple or glued, to a great effect.

Vee Belts

Vee belts (also known as V-belt or wedge rope) solved the slippage and alignment problem. It is now the basic belt for power transmission. They provide the best combination of traction, speed of movement, a load of the bearings, and long service life. They are generally endless, and their general cross-section shape is trapezoidal. The “V” shape of the belt tracks in a mating groove in the pulley (or sheave), with the result, that the belt cannot slip off.

The belt also tends to wedge into the groove as the load increases — the greater the load, the greater the wedging action — improving torque transmission and making the V-belt an effective solution, needing less width and tension than flat belts. V-belts need larger pulleys for their larger thickness than flat belts.

They can be supplied at various fixed lengths or as a segmented section, where the segments are linked (spliced) to form a belt of the required length. For high power requirements, two or more vee belts can be joined side by side in an arrangement called a multi-V, running on matching multi-groove sheaves. This is known as Multi-V belt drive (or sometimes classical V-belt drive).

Multi-Groove Belts

A multi-groove or Poly groove belt is made up of usually 5 or 6 “V” shapes alongside each other. This gives a thinner belt for the same drive surface, thus is more flexible, although often wider. The added flexibility offers improved efficiency, as less energy is wasted in the internal friction of continually bending the belt.

In practice, this gain of efficiency is overshadowed by the reduced heating effect on the belt, as a cooler-running belt lasts longer in service. A further advantage of the poly groove belt, and the reason they have become so popular, stems from the ability to be run over pulleys on the ungrooved back of the belt. Although this is sometimes done with vee belts and a single idler pulley for tensioning, a poly groove belt may be wrapped around a pulley on its back tightly enough to change its direction, or even to provide a light driving force.

Timing Belts

Timing belts are positive transfer belts and can track relative movement. These belts have teeth that fit into a matching toothed pulley. When correctly tensioned, they have no slippage, run at a constant speed, and are often used to transfer direct motion for indexing or timing purposes (hence their name). They are often used in lieu of chains or gears, so there is less noise and a lubrication bath is not necessary.

Camshafts of automobiles, miniature timing systems, and stepper motors often utilize these belts.

Timing belts need the least tension of all belts and are among the most efficient. They can bear up to 200 hp (150 kW) at speeds of 16,000 ft/min. Timing belts with a helical offset tooth design are available. The helical offset tooth design forms a chevron pattern and causes the teeth to engage progressively. The chevron pattern design is self-aligning. The chevron pattern design does not make the noise that some timing belts make at idiosyncratic speeds, and is more efficient at transferring power (up to 98%).

Disadvantages include a relatively high purchase cost, the need for specially fabricated toothed pulleys, less protection from overloading and jamming, and the lack of clutch action.

Introduction To Motors

A motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Various types of motors are available in the market, but the Sewing industry mostly uses electric motors. An electric motor uses electrical energy to produce mechanical energy, usually through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors.

Electric Motors can be classified into two categories:

• AC Motors
• DC Motors

AC motors are mostly used for industrial Machinery.AC motors are also available in various categories.AC induction motor is the most common technology used in the Garment industry.

Electrical Motors used on Sewing Machines

A/c induction motors

An A/C MOTOR is used with the following drives to operate the sewing machine

• Clutch (For clutch Motor)
• SERVO (For Servo Motor)
• Direct Drive

We shall discuss the motors which are used vitally in the Sewing machines.

Clutch Motor 

A clutch is a mechanical device that provides for the transmission of power from one component (the driving member) to another (the driven member). Clutches are useful in devices that have two rotating shafts. In these devices, one of the shafts is typically driven by a motor or pulley, and the other shaft drives another device. The clutch connects the two shafts so that they can be locked together and spins at the same speed. The same principle is used in the industrial sewing machine also.

Servo motor

Servo is an automatic device that uses error sensing negative feedback to correct the performance of a mechanism. The term correctly applies only to systems where the feedback or error-correction signals help control mechanical position or other parameters. Servo motor control system will replace the traditional electronic sewing machine motor control and drive system to become a mainstream technology. More and more extensive use of servo motor control systems by garment processing enterprises leads to cost-saving, maintenance-free, low noise, and replaces the traditional electronic motor control system. It becomes a sewing machine drive system of the mainstream.

Main Features of Servo Motor

• Low noise, low vibration, and low power
• Linkable to
• Multi- Positioning
• Switching power supply system (160V ~ AC).
• Powerful parameter system, easy adjustment and

Servo motor advantages

1. Energy-saving & environmental protection
2. Saving more than 80%
3. Saving manpower by 20%
4. Small size, simple operation, easy maintenance, beautiful appearance
5. Long life
6. Starts, braking action smooth, little vibration

Comparison Of Servo and Clutch Motor 

More features	Energy-saving servo motor	Clutch Motor
Exterior	Excellent, full of mechatronic design concepts	Decentralized structure, large pet
Labor intensity	Low. Operation simple and convenient, intelligent, operator fatigue is not easy	High
Efficiency	High. Output increase, the corresponding reduction product processing fees	Low
Vibration	Low. Longer machine life, improve the quality of work improving the environment	Large
Noise	Low. Longer machine life, improve the working Environment	Low. Longer machine life, improve the working Environment
Service	Low. Brushless servo motor, maintenance-free	Clutch Replacement
Energy	Once every province, electricity (98% of non-running Power, running power 26%)	Full operation
Network configuration	Small. Start current, low total power consumption	Large
saving	Saving can be recovered within a year, consolidated return on investment for 6 months	High cost

Direct Drive

A Direct drive mechanism is one that takes the power from a motor without any reductions (such as a gearbox, chain, and belt).

Advantages

1. Increased efficiency: The power is not wasted in friction (from the belt, chain, etc, and especially, gearboxes).
2. Reduced noise: Being a simpler device, a direct-drive mechanism has fewer parts that could vibrate, and the overall noise emission of the system is usually
3. Longer lifetime: Having fewer moving parts also means having fewer parts prone to failure. Failures in other systems are usually produced by the aging of the component (such as a stretched belt), or stress.
4. No maintenance is required for lubrication

Various Types of Needles Used for Sewing Different Fabrics

Select the type of needle based on the textile construction (i.e knit vs woven), and the needle size is determined by the thickness of the thread and the weight of the fabric used for sewing.

There is two needle sizing system: American and European. American Needle sizes range from 8 to 19, and European sizes range from 60 to 120. Larger the number, the larger the blade of the needle.

Commonly used needles and their uses as below:

Needle	Fabric Uses	Sizes	Description
Ball-point	Knits	70/10     – 100/16	This needle has a medium tip that is slightly more rounded than a universal needle and passes between the fabric threads instead of piercing them. Ball-point needles ensure more even stitches on coarse and heavy knits and won’t damage spandex, interlocks, and other knits that snag or run easily.
Sharp/ Microtex	Finely woven fabrics	60/8 – 90/14	These needles feature a narrow shaft and sharper point to pierce the threads of woven fabrics. Use for stitching smooth, finely woven fabrics, such as silk, chintz, lightweight faux suede, and microfiber fabrics. Because these needles enable perfectly straight stitching, they’re also ideal for heirloom stitching, topstitching, pintucks, and edge stitching.
Universal	Knits or woven	60/8 – 120/19	The point is very slightly rounded for use on knits but sharp enough to pierce woven fabrics. These needles are available in the widest size range. Use when stitching Synthetic or natural woven knits.
Denim/ Jeans	Heavy wovens and denim	70/10 – 110/18	These needles have a thick, strong shaft and a very sharp point. They are used for stitching denim, canvas, duck, and other heavy, tightly woven fabrics. They are also ideal for stitching through multiple fabric layers without breaking.

Different Categories of Stitches

Stitches can be divided into the following categories:

• 100 Class Stitches
• 200 Class Stitches
• 300 Class Stitches
• 400 Class Stitches
• 500 Class Stitches
• 600 Class Stitches

Single Thread Chain stitches Using One Needle Thread and One Blind Looper 

Diagram	Stitch Class	Thread count	Typical Uses
100 Class Stitches
	101 Class	One Thread	Basting, or light Construction
	103 Class	One Thread	Blindstitch for Hemming
	104 Class	One Thread	Saddle Stitch
200 Class Stitches
	202 Class	One Thread	Basting, Tacking or Repairs
	205 Class	One Thread	Pick Stitch- Topstitching
300 Class Stitches
	301 Class	Two Thread	Seaming Multiple Plies
	304 Class	Two Thread	Zig-Zag Stitch; A Stretch Lockstitch
	306 Class	Two Thread	Blind Stitch
	315 Class	Two Thread	“Three Step Zig- Zag; stretch lockstitch with more Stretch
400 Class Stitches Multi-Thread Chain Stitches Using One or More Needle Threads and One or More Looper Threads
	401 Class	Two Thread	Seaming Multiple Plies with moderate stretch
	406 Class	Three Thread	“Bottom Cover Stitch; a (greater) stretch Chainstitch
500 Class Stitches Multi-Thread Over Edge Chain stitches Using Needle Thread(s) and Looper Thread(s)
	504 Class	Three Thread	Overedge stitch for Serging and Light Seaming
	512 Class	Four Thread	Mock Safety Stitch   for Seaming with wide bite and Greater Stretch for Knits
	514 Class	Four Thread	Overedge Stitch for Seaming with wide bite and Greater Stretch for Knits
	516 Class	Five Thread	True Safety Stitch for Seaming with Good Stretch for Wovens and Knits
600 Class Stitches Multi-Thread Cover stitches
	602 Class	Four Thread	Cover Stitch or Seaming Knits
	605 Class	Five Thread	Cover Stitch or Butt-Seams
	607 Class	Six Thread	Wide Cover Stitch or Butt- Seams

Stitching Defects

Sewing defects can be classified into three groups:

• Problems of stitch
• Problem of
• Damage of fabric on the seam

Problems of stitch formation

Slipped stitch

Stitches in the seam line are present in a regular manner. If the interloping or interlacing between the top & bottom thread of the stitch does not take place or is missed is known as slipped stitch or skipped stitch. This is a serious defect in the case of chain stitch than lock stitch. The followings are the causes & remedies of slipped stitch formation.

Causes	Remedies
If hook or looper & needle are not inserted in the loop of thread in time.	Examine the setting & timing between needle & hook or looper. Placing the needle properly. A more secure needle should be used.
Irregular thread tension on the upper or lower loop.	The tension of the thread should again be adjusted.
Needle deflection.	Needle to be changed.
If the needle thread loop size is too small.	Needle size    &    thread size must be adjusted.
Flagging of fabrics during sewing.	The pressure of the pressure foot must be adjusted accurately. The hole of the throat plate & needle size must be adjusted.
If the sewing thread is not capable to form a loop.	Thread to be changed

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Staggered stitch

If the stitches produced by the needle are not parallel or become curvy to the sewing line is known as a staggered stitch.

Causes	Remedies
Needle deflection.	Increase the needle size Tapered needles should be used.
Due to the wrong blunt needlepoint.	Needle to be changed.
Wrong     adjustment    of needle & thread size.	Needle size & thread size to be changed.
The deflected motion of the feed dog.	The motion of the feed dog is to be adjusted.
If fabrics are not controlled properly in the feed mechanism.	The pressure of the pressure foot must be adjusted accurately. Feed mechanism to be changed.

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Unbalance stitch

This type of defect is found in the lock stitch machine. If the interlacement of threads does not take place in the middle (i.e. if the interlacement is taken place in the upper or lower position from the middle) of two layers of fabrics then it is known as an unbalanced stitch.

Causes	Remedies
Wrong tension of sewing thread.	The setting of proper tension to the sewing thread. Proper care to the twisting of the thread during sewing.
They used the wrong thread path	Use of right thread path.
Wrong adjustment of needle thread path.	Use of right thread path.
Snagging of the needle with bobbin  case          & positioning finger.	Bobbin’s case to be smooth. The positioning finger is to be set again.
If the thread is not lubricated.	Better qualities of the thread must be used. The thread must be lubricated.

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Variable stitch density

Stitches per unit length should be uniform, If it is not then it is called variable stitch density. The main cause of variable stitch density is an irregular feed of fabric due to insufficient pressure of pressure foot. The following are the cause & remedies of variable stitch density formation

Causes	Remedies
The improper unwinding of thread from the package during sewing.	The position of the thread guide must be 2.5 times higher than the position of the thread package. Also, proper care should be kept to the thread package, not to tiling
Twisting of needle thread in the bottom of the thread package.	A foam pad must be used to the bottom of the thread package.
Snarling of thread before tension disk.	Winding of more threads in the thread guide & to keep less tension to the tensioning disk.
Twisting of thread in the thread guide.	Proper threading of sewing thread during sewing.
More tension to the thread.	The tension of the thread should be less or use high-strength threads.
Use of broken check spring.	Check spring to be changed.
If the edge of the throat plate, hook point, needle guard, bobbin case, needle groove, needle eye & so on are sharpened.	The edges must be smooth & the needle must be changed as needed.
Fraying of thread in the needle.	Fine thread must be used or use a heavy needle.
Thread gets heated more	A high-quality needle must be used. Needle lubricant must be used. A needle cooler must be used.
Hook gets heated more	Lubricant must be available. Examine the distance between the needles & hook.
Use of low-quality threads.	Thread to be changed.

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Frequent thread breakage

Frequent breakage of thread especially, when there needs to open out the sewing to solve the problem. The following are the causes & remedies of frequent thread breakage.

No.	Causes	Remedies
01	Wrong winding of threads onto the bobbin.	Proper winding of threads onto the bobbin. The pre-wound bobbin may be used.
02	More tension to the bobbin threads or more rotating of the bobbin.	The tension must be adjusted to the bobbin threads. Use of washer to prevent more rotation of bobbin.
03	If the edges bobbin case, looper eye & so on are more sharpened.	The edges to be smooth.
04	Wrong fitting of bobbin case.	Examine the size & type of bobbin. Examine the damaging of bobbin case.

 

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Broken Stitches

When stitches are broken during sewing is called broken stitch.

Cause

Where the thread is being broken where one seam crosses another seam (ex: bar tacks on top of waistband stitching, seat seam on top of riser seam.)

Remedies

• Where the thread is being cut, use a large diameter thread on operations.
• Make sure the proper stitch balance is being
• Use needles with the appropriate needle
• At regular intervals on operations, change the needles where they occur

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Problems of pucker

Puckering is a wrinkle appearance along a seam line in a smooth fabric. It is one of the frequently occurring defects. Puckering shows that as if there is too much fabric & not enough thread in the seam & as if the thread is drawing the seam in.

This is the reason why sewing thread is often blamed for causing puckering though there are other factors as well as for the promotion of puckering. They are given below:

1. Fabric structure
2. Seam construction
3. Needle size
4. Material feeding problem
5. Wrong thread tension
6. Unsuitable thread.

Reasons of Puckering

Fabric dimensional instability.   Extension of sewing thread.   Sewing threads shrinkage. Structural jamming of fabric. Mismatched patterns.

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Variable or uneven stretch on fabric plies

Causes 

There is a great possibility of occurring seam pucker in case of more plied of fabrics when sewing together.

Due to variable stitch on fabric plies, they will not feed equally to sewing m/c & create seam pucker.

This type of pucker is seen as a limitation of the feed mechanism.

Remedies

• Taking proper care during
• Using proper feed

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Fabric dimensional instability

Causes

If the shrinkage of sewn fabric plies is not the same or equal then Seam pucker will create after washing.

If the shrinkage percentage of the area of two pieces of fabrics is more than 2, then seam pucker will occur after sewing the fabric together.

Remedies

Use suitable feed mechanism, Maintain shrinkage and take extra care during

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Extension of sewing thread

Causes

If the tension on the needle thread is higher than the under the thread, then the seam pucker will be produced or relaxed.

Due to tension, the length of the thread is extended slightly. When the fabric is displaced or descends from the machine after sewing, shrinkage of thread & fabric occurs due to their tendency of coming to the original position.

If the shrinkage percentage of thread is higher than the fabric seam pucker happens.

Remedies 

• To give sufficient  thread
• To maintain

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Unraveling Seams

Cause

Generally occurs on 401 chain stitch seams where either the stitch has been broken or a skipped stitch has occurred. Unless the seam is re-stitched, this will cause seam failure.

Remedies

• Ensuring Proper machine maintenance and machine
• Sewing operators to follow correct material handling

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Re-stitched Seams

Where there is a “splice” on the stitch line. The seam does not appear to be 1st quality merchandise if this occurs on topstitching.

Causes

Thread breaks or thread run-out during sewing. Cut or broken stitches during a subsequent treatment of the finished product (i.e., stone washing).

Remedies

• Use a better quality sewing thread and minimize sewing interruptions
• Use higher performance thread specifically designed for that
• Ensure sewing machine adjustments and proper machine
• Observe sewing operators for correct material handling

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Damage of fabric on the seam line

A garment can be rejected due to damage of fabrics or yarn of fabrics in the seam line. This happens due to wrong needle selection or needle damage. The fabrics are damaged due to defective needles. But it may happen in the case of new or fine needles. There are two types of fabric damaging are available given below:-

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Mechanical damage

Damaging of fibers or yarns in the fabrics by the needle is the entire defect of mechanical damage. The followings are the steps to be taken to keep the fabrics free from this type of defect:

• By using the perfect size & shape of the needle & needle point without any defect. By reducing the speed of sewing machines.
• By using lubricant.
• By testing sewability before sewing fabrics.

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Needle heating damage

• The damage of fabric is due to friction occurring between the needle & fabrics. The resulting temperature due to friction in the needle is very The fabric can get damaged at that temperature. There is less damage in the case of fabrics made from natural fibers. The following are the steps to be taken to keep the fabrics free from this type of defect:
• By reducing sewing speed, the generation of heat to the needle will be less.
• But it affects production speed and does not suit large production.
• By changing needle Size & shape so that there is less generation of heat to the needle.
• By sewing smaller lengths at higher speeds.
• By blowing cool air on the needle during sewing so that the temperature can be controlled.
• By using lubricant to the needle. By using Teflon coated needle.
• Defects occur due to handling, for instance, spoilage, staining, etc. Defects occur due to oil marks.
• Defects occur due to dirty spots.

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Size Measurement Faults

During the manufacturing of garments size of some parts is measured as per requirement. After assembling full garments also dimensions are measured to ensure that the dimension of garments is as per specifications. Faults occurring at this stage is can be reduced very much. During size measurement the parts which are measured are

1. Chest
2. Waist
3. Shoulder
4. Sleeve length
5. Sleeve opening
6. Body length
7. Neck width
8. Front neck drop
9. Back neck drop
10. Collar Height
11. Arm hole
12. Placket length
13. Pocket length
14. Pocket width
15. Bottom part and
16. Hem opening etc.,

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Garment Twist

A rotation, usually lateral, between different panels of a garment resulting from the release of latent stresses during the laundering of the woven or knitted fabric forming the garment. Torque or spirality may also be used to refer to twist.

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Sewing thread shrinkage

Causes

Due to variable shrinkage % of sewing thread & fabric, Seam pucker will create after washing or ironing.

Cotton threads develop puckering when wet or after wash.

Remedies

• To use synthetic
• It is good to know about the shrinkage % of fabric & thread before selection to

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Structural jamming of fabric

Causes

When sewing is done by a needle to densely woven fabrics or in which no. of warp & weft yarns are more in one inch, seam pucker happens due to shrinkage of fabric.

Remedies

• By using finer thread &
• By minimizing stitch
• By cutting & sewing on bias angle.
• By using chain stitch instead of the lock
• To change fabric (if necessary).

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Mismatched patterns

Causes

Seam pucker will create when two different sizes patterns are sewn together.

The designer is responsible for this. It can also occur due to the wrong selection of patterns.

Remedies

An experienced pattern designer is needed. Change or rectify the pattern.

Maintenance of Sewing Machines

Maintenance is an activity involved in maintaining something in “good working order”. Widely it can be divided into two categories.

1. Corrective Maintenance
2. Preventive Maintenance

Corrective maintenance can be defined as the maintenance which is required when an item has failed or worn out and to bring it back to working order. Corrective maintenance is the most commonly used maintenance approach, but it has its limitations.

When equipment fails, it often leads to downtime in production, and sometimes damages other parts. In most cases, this is expensive also, if the equipment needs to be replaced, the cost of replacing alone can be substantial. The reliability of systems maintained by this type of maintenance is unknown and cannot be measured. Therefore, corrective maintenance is carried out on all items where the consequences of failure or wearing out are not significant (less important items) and the cost of this maintenance is not greater than preventive maintenance.

Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance is conducted to keep equipment working and/or extend the life of the equipment. The primary goal of maintenance is to avoid or mitigate the consequences of the failure of equipment. Preventive Based Maintenance help to prevent failure before it actually occurs. It is designed to preserve and restore equipment reliability by replacing worn components before they actually fail.

Preventive maintenance activities include partial or complete overhauls at specified periods, oil changes, lubrication, and so on. In addition, workers can record equipment deterioration so they know when to replace or repair worn parts before they cause a system failure. The ideal preventive maintenance program would prevent all equipment failure before it occurs. Following are the two examples of Preventive Maintenance Schedule which are commonly used in the garment industry

• 1^st Plan talks about the activities which have to be carried out on monthly basis and
• 2^nd Plan talks about the quarterly (3 Months) basis.

Preventative Maintenance Services Plan Monthly Check

• Thread stand clean & tight
• Bobbin winder proper check
• Feed dog check
• Pressure foot check
• Needle plate check
• Needle screw check
• V-belt check
• Belt cover clean & tight
• Pully & pully cover check
• Hookset check
• Oil level check properly & clean
• Needle guard check
• Moving knife check
• Fix knife check
• Footrest check
• Headrest pin check
• Knee pad check
• Paddle mat check
• UBT machine proper working & check
• Stand shoe check
• Fabric guide check
• Pedal chain check
• Looper check
• Waste tube check
• Lower knife check
• Upper knife check
• Eyeglass check
• Tabletop condition check
• Machine condition check
• Gauge set check
• Top feed dog check
• Gear bearing check
• Pressure-bar/regulator check
• Bobin case check
• Oil lubrication system checking

Preventative Maintenance Services Plan Quarterly Check

• Oil change
• Moto & control box clean by air pressure
• All moving parts checking/replacement
• Gear and bearing checking/replacement

Safety Measures

The machine Mechanic working in factories, must follow the following points and adopt safe working practices.

• Disconnect the sewing machine by pulling out the plug from the wall outlet, not by jerking the cord. Jerking the cord can cause the cord to become worn or frayed
• Disconnect the plug from the wall outlet first then the plug from the machine. Otherwise, electricity continues going through the cord and you could receive an electrical shock.
• Always unplug the machine from the electrical outlet when removing covers, lubricating, or when making any other user servicing adjustments
• Place pins, needles, and tools in a container when not using them. Do not leave them loosely on the table or on the floor
• Pins and needles should never be placed in your mouth
• When not in use, pointed tools should be left closed
• Handle sharp tools with the handle first
• When in doubt, ask the instructor
• Report any injuries or accidents immediately to the Also, Report a breakage to a tool or m/c to the instructor.
• Wipe up any oil spillage on the floor immediately to prevent anyone from keeping aisles clear at all times.
• Operate only the machines you have been trained to operate
• Make only adjustments you have been trained to perform
• When on duty wear low shoes & close-fitting clothing. Avoid loose-fitting sleeves, sweaters, jewelry, ties, and ribbons when operating the machine. If your hair is long, tie it back
• Always practice proper posture to reduce fatigue, help prevent accidents and increase efficiency
• Use both hands to raise & lower the machine head

Komal Priya

A creative, energetic, ambitious person who has a keen interest in fashion, sustainability, cultural craft, and technology.

Being a student of the National Institute of fashion technology, Patna, I have hands-on knowledge of production and fabric (worked in Siyaram textile and Raymond's) as well am currently working with Future Group as an Intern buyer and product developer.

I am also interested in penning down my thoughts and expressing my views on global scenarios.

Have published 11 articles related to my field and interest.