APRIL 2008

Prepared by Tamil Selvan

CONTENTS

NO
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14.

CONTENTS
THE SEWING MACHINE NEEDLE
NEEDLES, NEEDLE BRAND, NEEDLE SYSTEM
NEEDLE SIZE, GROZ-BECKERT NEEDLE POINT
FORMS
GROZ-BECKERT POINT FORMS, SCHMETZ NEEDLE
POINT FORMS
GROZ-BECKERT CLOTH POINTS (SPECIFICATIONS
AND APPLICATIONS
THE INFORMATION ON THE NEW GROZ-BECKERT
PACKAGING
MACHINE TYPE AND NEEDLE SYSTEM USED
THE SPECIAL APPLICATION NEEDLE SAN 10
(GROZ-BECKERT)
CROSS-SECTION
FIBER DAMAGE, QUALITY SEAM
SPECIAL DEVELOPED GEOMETRY, DEFLECTION
RESISTANCE
SPECIAL INFORMATION HOW TO AVOID MATERIAL
DAMAGES
THE MOST FREQUENT CAUSE, HOWEVER IS THE
NEEDLE TIP. TESTS APPLIED TO THE DAMAGES
ARE THE FOLLOWING
NEEDLE FUSED

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The Sewing Machine Needle

The sewing machine needle is made up of various basic
elements which are constantly arranged and rearranged in
new needle design to suit the many fields of application.
These basic elements are the needle shank, the needle blade
and the needle point with the eye and (Needle Brand).
The numerous ways in which these can combined result in the
very comprehensive selection of the sewing machine needles
available to us today.

Length

SCARF

EYE

BLADE

GB 75
POINT

BUTT

GROOVE
SHANK
CONE
REINFORCED BLADE

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Needles
The classification of needles
1.
2.
3.
4.

Needle
Needle
Needle
Needle

Brand
System
Size
Point

Needle Brand
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Groz-Beckert
Rheinnadel
Organ
Singer
Schmetz and others

Needle System
The main classification for a Sewing Machine needle is
called the Needle System. This generally contains the
dimensions of:

1.
2.

The needle length

The shank thickness

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Needle Size
The needle thickness is the thickness of the needle blade
immediately above the eye
Equivalent of needle size
GB/schmetz
Organ/singer

60
8

65
9

70
10

75
11

80
12

85
13

GROZ-BECKERT Needle Point forms

The needle point is to perforate the material either by
pushing the fibers aside or cutting through the material.

All textiles, whether woven, warped, felted or knitted, are

sewn with a specific needle point shape to suit their
structure.
The right choice of point has a significant effect on the
finished sewing results. The right needle tip will give you
the tip-top results you want.

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GROZ-BECKERT POINT FORMS

Regular round point

Sharp round point

Universal application for LOCKSTITCH

(FST 301) and woven cloth
Standard for BLINDSTITCH.Also for very
straight stitchlines (susceptible to damage)

Round point with slightly rounded

tip

Recommended application for CHAINSTITCH

(FST 401) knitted fabrics and button sewing

Light ball point

For all kind of knitted and synthetic

fabrics

Medium ball point

For highly elasticated material with rubber

or elastomeric content

Heavy ball point

For coarser materials of high elasticity.

Also for open-structured fabrics

Special ball point

Knitted and woven fabrics with high content

of elastomerics (Lycra, Dorlastan, etc)

SCHMETZ NEEDLE POINT FORMS

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Training Manual_ Sewing Machine Needle Page 8 of 20

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Training Manual_ Sewing Machine Needle Page 9 of 20

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Machine type and needle system used

No.
Machines Types
1. 1ND JUKI

2.

1ND PFAFF

3.

2ND PFAFF

4.

1ZZ PFAFF
1ZZ SINGER
1ZZU PFAFF

5.

3ZZ PFAFF
3ZZ SINGER

6.

UEW

Needle System
-16231
-DB1
-1738
-134
-DP5
-134
-13435
-DP5
-DP17
-134
-DP5
-438
-1906
-1906
-134
-438
-B27
-DC27

UEW(union special )

-UY 154 GAS

UED
1KD

-B63
-B67
-UY 128 GAS

8.

4UL
AZZ

9.

AGA

-MY 1014 C
-287
-DB1
-1751
-1757
-438
-134
-438
-1906
-134
-134
-DP5
-13435
-DP17

7.

10. FAG
11. EMB

12. AXY JUKI(COMPUTERCONTROLLED, HIGH-SPEED,

BARTACKING MACHINE)

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The Special Application Needle SAN 10

(GROZ-BECKERT)
A standstill in technical development is virtually unknown.
For apparel this means new fibers, new fabrics
constructions with different sew ability features. These
may be the cause for multiple processing problems on the
working floor in a sewing plant. There is a general demand
for lasting and flawless seams.
Within such conditions the sewing machine needle can make
all the difference. Specific fabric or seam components may
require rather special needle features.
The most common problems:

Fabric damage
(needle cuts)

Skipped stitches,
staggered seams

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Puckering, distortion

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Cross-Section
During the sewing process the needle can reach extremely
high speeds when moving through the fabric. The textile
fibers or yarns have to give way to the needle within an
extremely short time span of down to 0.0003 seconds.

They are being displaced by the penetrating needle. The

fiber displacement, a result of the bursting effect,
increases over proportionally with the increase of the
needle size. Consequently, there is a demand for the
employment of the thinnest possible needles. However, such
needles are rather instable or weak. They often lead to
irregular staggered seams, to skipped stitches and to
needle breakage. The machine speed has to be slowed down
drastically.

Cross-section at eye relevant for fiber displacement

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In the design of the new SAN 10 needles all those problems

and requirements were taken into consideration. To realize
this, specific manufacturing procedures had to be
developed.
A SAN 10 needle of Nm 70/10 has the stability of a regular
needle size Nm 75/11. Yet, the fiber displacement in the
penetration area is comparable only with that of a regular
needle size Nm 65/9. The SAN 10 needles combine a most
gentle fiber/ fabric handling with increased sewing
capacity.

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In the case of loop damage or needle cuts in knitted

structures or excessive puckering in micro fiber fabrics
you should select a SAN 10 needle of the same size as
being used- or of the next smaller size without losing
needle stability.

In the case of stitch skipping, staggered seams or

excessive needle breakage you should select a SAN 10
needle of the same size as being used or the next bigger
size without an increase in fabric damage.

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Fiber Damage
The advantages of a SAN 10 needle over a standard needle
are shown clearly in a comparison of the amount of fabric
damages which were evaluated on a critical 28 gauge single
knit fabric. 22% of the needle penetrations produced with
the standard needle size Nm 70/10 showed some fiber damage
in a microscopically inspection. Equivalent seams produced
with a SAN 10 needle of size 70/10 had only 2% damaged
fibers.
In the comparison of needle sizes Nm 65/9 the standard
needle seams showed 8% damages whereas the SAN 10 needle
laid a seam without any relevant damages.

Quality of Seam
Seam puckering on densely woven cloth and on micro fiber
fabrics is often initiated by the displacement of the warp
and weft yarns during needle penetration.
The relatively high stability of the SAN 10 needle in most
cases allows the selection of a thinner needle size. Both,
the reduction of at least one needle size and the improved
needle cross- section help to minimize the puckering effect
in many cases of application. (The thread size may have to
be adapted). The particular shape of the needle point also
helps to avoid damages.
Skipped stitches and staggered seams are often the
consequences when too thin and thus instable needles are
used.
It is the higher bending resistance of the SAN 10 needles
that opens the opportunity to use thinner needles without
such consequential downfalls.

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Special Developed Geometry

The whole geometry of the SAN 10 needle has been fine
turned to the application. The needle blade, the scarf, the
eye, the groove, and even the point were designed towards
the processing of fine gauge and critical fabrics.
This is why the SAN 10 needle does not only handle the
sewing goods more gently than the standard needles but it
also has a maximum achievable needle stability within each
size.

Deflection Resistance
The specific resistance against bending forces, i.e. the
force required to deflect the needle dynamically by 1
degree, is up to 29% higher, e.g. with needle class 1738
SAN 10 as compared to standard 16257.

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Special information how to avoid material

damages
Here we do not want to analyze in particular, why material
damages occur. Since the reasons can be beside the
technical causes in the material construction, the
finishing, the air or material humidity and dyeing.
Usually, all this facts cannot be changed anymore when the
cutting is in the production already. So we must take the
given reason as reality and try to solve the problem with
technical means.
1.

Cause
Material damages can have various causes e.g. sharp
edges feed dog teeth, needle plate, blind needles,
damage needle plates, sharp edged of sports at the
presser foot, rough finger nails or rough machine
tables and so on.
The thread, can also destroy single loops in developing
a sewing effect when it is drawn through the material
especially the (3) fold threads but even Rasant 80/2,
too.
It also happens that single loops melt away by the
needle temperature caused by a high speed of rotation.
Here mostly helps on oiling nipple significantly placed
between the thread lever and needle eye with the
emulation shell sol T-silicon 100 in the ratio of (3)
to (1).
Since at a high speed of rotation material damages can
be caused by the raised impact velocity of the needle
tip the reason is not always the warning of the needle.
At a too high temperature of the needle single loops
gum up , so that the material layers stick together at
the stitching holes when sewing is done without thread
at full speed of rotation.

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The most frequent cause, however is the

needle tip. Tests applied to the damages
are the following

2.

Consequence
There are (4) basic types of material damages

a.
b.
c.
d.

An elastomer thread (rubber thread is cut off)

A fiber of the basic material is cut off or hurt
A loop of the thread of the basic material bursts by
the prick of the needle
The fiber melts caused by a too high temperature of
the needle

3.

Solution of the problem to point (2)

a.
b.
c.
d.

Use a needle with a bigger ball point

Use a needle with a smaller ball point
Use the thinner needle
Cool the thread and make it slide better (silicon
emulsion). Important. Correctly attach the needle
temperature is too high the speed of rotation must be
reduced.
Those theoretical considerations should be done at
first for each occurring problem (2b). A compromise
must be found which brings the best result with
regard to the occurring material combination (e.g.
thin knitwear is sewn on cotton fabric etc)

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Needle Fused

It depends largely on the sewing speed whether damage

occurs by excessive heating of the needle. The following
information gives an ideas of the needle temperature
arising during the sewing progress.
At the sewing speeds of industrial sewing machines in
excess of 4.000 sti/min, the needle temperature rises
quickly.
Smearing of the needle , thread breakage, skip stitches,
fabric damage by melted residues in the throat plate
aperture. The cause of these difficulties is always that
components of the materials melt and stick to the needle.
As long as the needle is moving, these residues adhering to
the needle remain in a state where they can be molded and
increase the friction between needle and material
considerably. When the machine is stopped, the needle cools
down and the melted residues become solid, making further
use of the needle impossible in the long run.
Needle positioners which keep the needle out of the
material when the machine stops are helpful in this respect
Test done in (BFM) shows that the Quality of sewing thread
also contribute to cooling of needle.

Possible methods of reducing the needle temperature are:

1.
2.

Reduction of friction by lubrication of the thread or

Reduction of the needle temperature by compressed air
Cooling

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To 1:
These silicone oils can either be carried by the sewing
thread to the needle. However, if these silicone oils are
carelessly applied, there is no guarantee that stains will
be prevented from appearing on sensitive fabrics. Hence
these silicone oil are not suitable for every material.
Generally, when using a thread lubricant it is advised that
this should take place as near to the needle as possible.
Only this guarantees that the lubricant reaches the needle,
the sewing thread and the material in sufficient quantity
Silicone oil not only for cooling purposes and for
reduction of friction - but are also used as lubricants to
keep residues of glue or melted particles off the needle
Test have being done in BFM by using the Sprayway Silicone
Spray (No.945) by spraying direct to the thread. It helps
to reduce sticking and heat on the needle.

To 2:
Cooling by compressed air is still the most effective
cooling. Such cooling devices generally consist of a small
compressor continuously furnishing compressed air. It is
conveyed to the sewing area through tubes ending in a small
nozzle near the needle. Thus the needle is provided with
sufficient cooling air but occasionally the operators are
annoyed by the cold air stream

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