Embroidery machine
Also known as: Multi-head embroidery machine, Industrial embroidery machine, Computerised embroidery
CNC-controlled sewing machine with one or more heads that stitches programmed embroidery motifs (logos, text) directly into the fabric.
Description
The embroidery machine, alongside screen and transfer printing, is a central tool of textile decoration. It consists of a CNC-controlled sewing head, typically with 6, 9, 12 or 15 needles threaded with different yarns (usually polyester or rayon embroidery thread Nm 40/2). The hooped garment is moved under the head on an X-Y frame while needle and colour changes happen automatically.
Types:
- Single-head: sampling and small runs (Brother PR, Ricoma, Melco Amaya)
- Multi-head: 4 to 30 heads in parallel – industry standard (Tajima, Barudan, ZSK)
- Cap machine: dedicated to curved surfaces (baseball caps, beanies)
- Free-arm: for tubes such as sleeves and trouser legs
Preparation: the artwork is digitised in embroidery software (Wilcom, Pulse, Tajima DG/ML) – each element is translated into stitch type (running, satin, fill) and direction. Standard formats: .DST (Tajima), .EMB, .PES. A stabiliser (backing) is placed under the fabric to prevent distortion.
Properties
| Control | CNC / X-Y frame |
|---|---|
| Needles per head | 6, 9, 12 or 15 |
| Heads | 1 to 30 (multi-head) |
| Thread | Polyester / rayon Nm 40/2 |
| Software | Wilcom, Pulse, Tajima DG/ML |
| File formats | .DST, .EMB, .PES |
| Brands | Tajima, Barudan, ZSK, Brother, Ricoma |
Related product categories
Sources & references
1- Wikipedia: Machine embroidery Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_embroidery
