Embroidery machinery and accessories review - Printwear & Promotion – garment decoration and promotional clothing/merchandise news & information

Embroidery machinery and accessories review

Published: 16 August, 2006

Sara McDonnell looks at what’s new on the market.

The rise and rise of the single head

Single head machines continue to go from strength to strength, with many recent additions to the marketplace. With models becoming increasingly compact, lightweight and easy to use, they are an attractive proposition for promotional companies to increase their range of promotional goods offerings on a smaller scale. And if single head models can sometimes lack the advanced features of larger machines, the latest crop of single heads look set to bridge that gap.

Reasons to be cheerful

One of the most recent additions to the market is the Happy 1 Head HCD-1501-40. At 35x35x31 inches and weighing 233lb, it’s compact enough to fit in the corner of the smallest of workplaces when needed, and be packed away when not. Built to the same standards as Happy’s multihead machines, the HCD manages 1,200 stitches per minute with its 15 needles and a large sewing area of up to 440x420mm with seven frames, featuring a wide cap frame, included. Add to this a widescreen TFT colour control panel, a built-in floppy drive and memory card reader plus a choice of USB, serial or LAN connection and you have a professional piece of kit for the small-scale production line.

Reaping the benefits of the new machine is East London company First Fruit Trading, who recently purchased one to assist with making cheerleading outfits. “We’ve done embroidery ever since we started, because it’s part of the cheerleading uniform,” says company owner Benjamin Mubiayi. “We used a domestic machine before, because when we started about seven years ago the workload wasn’t so much. But we started to grow.”

First Fruit Trading upgraded its domestic machine to the Happy HCD. “Coming from a domestic point of view, these machines have been wonderful really, a lot of things I can do with it that I cannot do with the domestic,” Mr. Mubiayi continues. “Plus it’s really easy to use - I’ve got a trainee who comes in twice a week so I put him on it one afternoon and he’s pretty much picked it up. You have to have some kind of computer knowledge – but it has a self-help guide and there’s also a manual that comes with it. If you’re adventurous you can work it out quickly. It also has little tricks when it tells you when and where you need to oil it.”

The flexible friend

One brand of machine that has long since capitalised on the flexibility of single heads is Amaya. The new Amaya XT, which offers flexible configurations from one to 30 heads, has several new features added. With the smallest cylindrical arm and new cap frame and driver, the manufacturers claim the largest cap sewing field in the industry. New Micro hoops allow for sewing smaller areas such as pockets, childrens garments, golf club covers etc. There’s also a new colour change system and high-speed sequin attachment.

Users of Amaya machines don’t have to replace them to benefit from these new features – all they need to do is add another machine to their line-up. Chris Hibbert at Clothing Connection in Lancing, West Sussex, has just increased his productivity of schoolwear by adding another Amaya single head to his production line, increasing it to two heads. “We started off two or three years ago with a semi-commercial machine,” he says. However, his company was finding it difficult to keep up with demand, so nine months ago he bought a single head and has just added a second machine to the configuration. “We were finding it hard to manage ten sweatshirts per hour but with the new machines we can manage 45-50 per hour,” he says. “We probably use the machines 40-50 per cent of the time at the moment, so they will do for now. The benefits of these machines is that we only have a small space to operate in, and these fit in well, because we’re not limited by the size of a large machine,” says Mr. Hibbert.

Elsewhere on the market, Brother has also just revamped its single head PR-600 with the PR-600II which Printwear & Promotion reviewed back in the May 2006 issue. Additional features include a larger TFT LCD screen, two USB ports instead of one, automatic needle threader for its six needles, and four embroidery hoops.

Do you have this to hand? If no, drop it.

Hardware & Software

Barudan has introduced the V Series automat for its machines, featuring a networking function, with a 10 million stitch capacity, design stitch processor (DSP) and various network connectability (optional COM, USB or LAN board). New in the world of software is Melco’s Design Shop 2006 version. New features include enhanced vector conversion - fully compatible with CorelDraw and Illustrator - allowing vector files to be converted to embroidery designs in seconds. There’s also a new applique tool, bar code creation, advanced cop and paste, photo fill and an enhanced true type font converter.

In the Frame

A number of new frames and framing accessories have just been made available. The new HoopMaster from Amaya aims to make embroiderers’ lives easier. It is a new tubular hooping system that eliminates the need to use tape, clips, or spray adhesive. Magnetic flaps hold the backing material in place over the lower ring while you hoop the garment. Simple in design, it’s built to withstand the punishment of a commercial environment, and manufacturers reckon that even the most inexperienced employee will find it easy to use. It’s available for all popular makes of embroidery machine hoops.

Among new frames launched recently is Brother’s cap frame, designed to decorate low profile caps which can be used with the PR-600II machine mentioned above.

Barudan has introduced a new pocket frame, for use on shirts, trousers and belts. For use on the Elite Pro or Jr, or the BEDYHE, BESME or BEDTHE machines, the small embroidery area is 40x63mm and the large area is 63x76mm. There is a quick-change system and the frame can be fixed with the wide cap frame base.

Lastly, ETC Embroidery Supplies has just introduced the Durkee ‘unbreakable’ embroidery frames from the USA. The square frames, such as the 15cm square, allows embroiderers to embroider up to edges that aren’t possible in a round frame, thus allowing smaller frames for designs with a logo and wording underneath. The 15x30cm jacket back frame is double height and coated with non-slip finish, meaning the hoop does not require as much tightening. Its size means most designs fit into it, and it’s easy to frame up using two rather than four hands.

BOXED OUT SECTION PLEASE

Distributor contacts

Amaya

01730 711151

www.amayauk.com

Barudan machines & accessories

0115 963 7579

sales@barudan.fsworld.co.uk

www.barudan.co.uk

Brother machines & accessories

GS UK Ltd

0115 844 8000