Hand Tools and Equipment

Hand Tools and Equipment

1. Industrial Machinery

   • Machinery speeds up each stage of manufacture, & makes some processes AUTOMIC
   • As long as the operators are well trained, machines can IMPROVE SAFETY in the workplace, be more COST EFFECTIVE & make QUALITY CONSISTENT.
   • Machines - TRANSPORT materials, MONITOR & INSPECT production, PACKAGE finished products, ASSIST the workforce & SPEED production.
   • Computerized Machinery - to SIMPLIFY the route from DESIGN TO MANUFACTURE & improve SYSTEMS & CONTROL.
   • Machinery can be operated by HAND, be SEMI-AUTOMATIC or FULLY AUTOMATIC & can also be COMPUTER controlled.

2. Main Types of machines used in manufacture of textile products

   • Cylinder Knitting machine
   • Multi-head embroidery
   • Band saw
   • Overlocker
   • Embroidery machine
   • Digital jet printer

3. Stitching by Machine

   • BASIC SEWING MACHINE - can be used to join fabric pieces together, & to decorate them with a small range of embroidery stitches to operate skillfully - training and practice is essential .
   • Use the RIGHT TYPE OF NEEDLE and APPROPRIATE SETTINGS for specific fabrics. E.g. Ball-point stretch stitch are required to join knitted fabric.
   • COMPUTERIZED EMBROIDERY MACHINES - used to interpret digitised artwork so that original designs can be scanned, outlines & filled with decorative stitching & then reproduced on to fabric as embroidery.
     • The machine can also EMBROIDER from a design menu to stitch patterns, panels, motifs & to personalise products with written script and numbers.
   • The Operator prepares the fabric to be embroidered - by IRONING a little INTERFACING onto the back of the fabric to stabilise it.
     • The fabric is HELD in a FRAME to present a FLAT SURFACE for stitching. A range of different threads can be selected to colour the embroidery.

4. Key Terms for machinery

   • AUTOMATIC - Operation carried out by machine, to assist an operator (semi-automatic) or to complete the task independently (fully automatic).
   • OVERLOCKING - a method of neatening seams in industry using a machine with 3 or more threads to trim, stitch & edge-finish the seam.

5. Indigo Clothing

   • INDIGO CLOTHING uses machines to print & embroider T-shirts, which are customized for each order. The company is keen to ensure that the product meets the client's expectations: some people want a high-quality, fashion item where as other people want cheap, rock-bottom, disposable T-shirts.

6. Summary

   • Machines speed up the process of making and can be used to ensure high quality products.
   • Many machines have fast-moving parts and sharp needles. Great care must be taken to follow safety rules to avoid injury while operating such a machine.