With the global market becoming more competitive, retailers all over have been demanding greater value from apparel manufacturers. For this the industry needs to have constant innovation through value additions in basic garments, which are rapidly becoming the core of any design. ‘Surface enhancements’ are no more for high fashion, and masses too are seeking value adds at competitive prices. Making products fall in line with the ever changing international trends is a challenge, more so as it is also important to meet ‘price points’.
Technology is playing a strong role, replacing many hand applications that were both time – consuming and expensive. Indeed with new machines being developed by many global technology providers to cater to this growing demand, has been many big brands display newer technologies for enhancing the applications of various types of value additions, building a connection between fashion and technology, like never before…
Value addition can be achieved by either sewing technology or through different surface decoration techniques like printing and stone attaching. StitchWorld reviews value addition achieved by decorative stitches, using various attachments in sewing machines, different types of embroidery, attaching of stones and various metals on fabric surface and attaching of appliqué.
Decorative Stitches
Shirring
The ‘smocking’ technique of gathering fabric with the use of elastic is used in more and more fashion garments in the current times, along with the application of decorative stitches on top. To make this technique more accessible and much faster, MURATA, a brand of the Weixiang Machinery Company of Taiwan, has an entire line of smoking and shirring machines, with pin-tuck attachments available for many of them, its Indian agent under the umbrella of Mehala.
The “W-A018-16048 PQSM” Shirring Stitch machine is a single thread and multi-needle machine, which has a 12 mm presser foot lift and maximum speed up to 1500 SPM. Suitable for sewing ornamental shirring with elastic thread on ladies’ dresses and children’s dresses, this machine is the largest chain stitch shirring-smocking-pin-tucking machine in the world. Unlike the other shirring machines which have up to 33 needles, this particular model ranges up to 118 needles, using as many as 354 threads.
Other brands that offer similar shirring is Kansai Special 12 or 33 needle DFB series, Variomatic from Japan.
Attachments in Sewing Machines
Pin-tucks
Pin-tucks, technically recognized as folds in fabric which are stitched on the top to be held in place, are usually used in the fashion industry to give a plain fabric a decorative effect. From vintage to a more modern interpretation, pin-tucks of different widths are perfect to impart a simple and modern surface enhancement in any apparel piece.
The “WX008-33048PTV” Shirt Pin-tucking machine, by MURATA (under Mehala), is suitable for tucking on all kinds of products. With a maximum of 33 needles and a speed of 1500 SPM, 66 different numbers of threads can be used, enabling any size of tucking within the width of the needle gauge, which can be chosen as per requirement.
Ruffles
Ruffles are a glamorous and feminine decoration in hi-fashion garments, which look fabulous and can be beautifully incorporated into a gorgeous dress, skirt or blouse designs as they are meant to upgrade the look, and attract attention. In order to make this stunning technique of surface decoration more accessible to mass fashion, Highlead has come up with two machines which specialize only in making different types of ruffles, in all possible fabrics.
The first machine is 128 MR, which is a single needle, lock stitch machine enabling 14 fixed basic designs and a total of 28 variation types of ruffles possible. The other one is GK0058 which is double needle and works with a chain stitch, imparting 14 design types.
Ruffling attachments are available from Ngai-shing, Susei and other several attachment suppliers and can be fitted to any single needle lockstitch machine.
Embroidery
Chain Stitch – Embroidery
Bringing together operations like chain stitch along with cording, 3D-towel, multi-colour/size sequins, laser cutting and engraving works, an all-in-one single machine, Aura Technologies, known to provide specialized machinery in the garment industry, has launched 850 RPM normal speed embroidery machine, which for the first time enables embroidery on fabric using the ‘chain’ stitch.
Being one of its kind, we have a separate attachment that enables ‘chain stitch’ along with other regular operations, which usually is not possible in other embroidery machines as all of them till now have only offered the lock stitch.
Sequin – Embroidery
One of the most glamorous value additions of all, available in a wide variety of colours and geometrical shapes, sequins are commonly used as decorations for all product categories in the fashion industry ranging from clothing, jewellery, bags and other accessories. Imparting a glam quotient to any design, sequins are the glittering divas of every leading garments and fashion houses around the world.
Sequin embroidery is available from other multi-needle embroidery machine suppliers like ZSK, Tajima, etc. and also Golden Wheel single needle machine.
Surface Application
Hotfix Stones and Studs
Over the past two years, the trend of decoration with rhinestones and small stones has become a true hype within the industry. Specialist retailers and the world of fashion have been familiar with this method for some time, and now it can also be used in the advertising industry because the technologies have become easier to use.
Finding solution to improvise on the application of this upcoming trend, Aura Technologies is offering Magicfix VT-141M, which is an automatic Hotfix Motif Making machine. Unlike the previous machine which could only offer two colours of rhinestones at a time, this machine can apply 4 different colours and sizes of rhinestones and studs at the same time.
Thread-less Sequins
The application of sequins as a value addition in apparel products has become more of classic with time, as designers are under a continuous process of finding new and innovative ways of applying these trends into various designs.
Another machine, by Aura Technologies, which enables this process, is VT 103 SM/4535, which is an Automatic Computerized Hotfix Sequin Motif Maker, and is the first in the world for making hotfix sequin designs on the transfer paper automatically according to the input designs. Owing to very fast work speed, this machine holds the capability of achieving mass production.
Appliqué Work
Embroidered Patches on Readymade Garments
Jeans is the classic garment type, which never goes out of fashion. To enhance this product every season, innovations on how to make it look different every time, is a constant need of the industry. Bringing a solution to this, Magnum Resources has come up with specialized machines for jean production.
Keeping in mind the element of fashion, the company is offering a computerized embroidery machine, called the AMAYA XTS. The most unique feature of this machine is that it can embroider on all readymade garments with a variety of fancy and micro chenille stitches, which can cater to all sorts of ongoing trends worldwide. With a speed of 1500 SPM, the machine also has a modular design, laser eye technology, automatic thread tension, smallest cylindrical arm as well as largest cap sew field.
Digital Printing
Digital printing on textiles and garments (sewn products) are the new means of value addition supporting shortening of the production process and profound power of expression. The design and colour reproduction that were not expressible by conventional printings can be attained by the digital printing of Mimaki. The printers can print on thin silk like scarves and stretchable materials such as swimming wear with the unique feeding mechanism and can depict designer’s imagination precisely.
The Mimaki TX2-1600 can mount ink variations for a total of 8 colours including 4 basic colours (CMYK) and 4 special colours. Ink that suits your application can be selected from reactive and acid dye ink variations. The TX2-1600 employs an 8-Colour multi head with the front and rear heads set in a staggered arrangement. The front and rear heads are fed with an independent ink supply system, allowing the selection of 1-way print mode with the same ink type used or 2-way print mode with inks of different types used. The high speed print head enables 28.4m²/h high speed and 720 dpi high quality printing which dramatically increases the potential to deliver digitally printed textiles – from sample creation to small lot production.
Mimaki GP-604D uses non-screen and digital printing techniques which enable a designer to create samples and to support small lot production. Due to on-demand production workflow, redundant stocks are not necessary. In addition, screen storage space is not required because of non-screen techniques. Simply resize designs to match any T-shirt size. The print area is freely determined by the user. You can neatly print on garments, collars, and sleeves, which aren’t available by silk screen techniques. An organically-dyed T-shirt can be bleached by chemicals. For the first time a newly developed discharge liquid supports ink-jet printers — this allows printing on dark colour T-shirts. Gradations are also perfectly expressible, which expands characteristics of an ink-jet printer.
There are several discharging methods as follows: Print the image by using only the discharge liquid. Create a monochrome image as the original image. Print the colour ink and the discharge liquid simultaneously.If a coloured T-shirt is printed with only the colour ink, the image does not stand out. Printing by simultaneously using the discharge liquid removes the colour on the T-shirt, and the colour ink obtains good colour development. Other companies providing digital technology include, Negi Sign Systems (Mutoh), Apsom Technology (Nassenger), DCC (EPSON) and Apsom Infotex (Roland).
