The Three Factors of Embroidery Machine Selection

When buying embroidery equipment, be sure to shop for a large enough machine to handle your typical order size and frequency.
June 19, 2008

By Steven Batts

Buying an embroidery machine, whether your first piece of equipment or your 100th, always involves deciding on machine size. Though size could refer to the sewing area or the number of needles, usually it means the number of sewing heads, as the number of heads affects your ability to produce embroidery efficiently.

Before you shop for a machine, it pays to analyze your business model to determine the size machine best suited for your operation. When deciding on the number of heads you need, the following factors are crucial:
1.    the average number of pieces per order,
2.    the average stitch count per design
3.    and your specific situation.
A little homework could keep you from investing in a machine that is either too small to handle your needs or too large to be used efficiently.

Order Size
The most important factor in determining the best size machine is your average order size. This gets down to the very nature of your business. Do you specialize in small, one-of-a-kind orders or large, multi-piece orders such as those involving repetitive sewing of the same corporate logo design?

For instance, if you operate a kiosk in a mall, you would never consider a multihead machine. Your typical order is one piece. Although I do know several small shops with only a singlehead that regularly take on orders of a hundred pieces or more, this is usually not a practical approach for a singlehead shop. In these cases, the quantity and frequency of the orders would probably justify the addition of a larger machine.

Time also can be wasted by buying equipment that is too large. It actually takes longer to produce 12 pieces of a 5,000-stitch order on a 12-head than it would on a 2-head or possibly even a singlehead machine if you factor for threading and set-up, not to mention thread breaks (See table).

Design Size
Of course, all designs aren't 5,000-stitch left chest logos. If your niche is large orders with larger designs that take a good deal of time to sew, the larger the machine the better. The extended run time more than makes up for the increased set-up time on this type of work.

Your Situation
Other factors also can affect the specific type of machine you might choose. Many times space becomes an issue. Maybe you have the volume, but you can't cram a full-size 6-head into your spare bedroom.

And of course, there's cost, which more often than not is the ultimate deciding factor between two sizes of machines.  Or it may mean you look at used equipment instead of new. However, it's always wise to get as large a machine as you can that fits your needs, or investigate the possibility of networking multiple singleheads. Some manufacturers tout this modular approach, but again, the decision depends on the same parameters as in any machine selection.

Whatever your specific situation, it pays to sit down and analyze your business. What does your typical order look like? What are your space requirements and what can you afford? Answering these questions makes it easier when you go shopping for that next machine.



Steven Batts, a 14-year veteran of the embroidery industry, is a regular speaker at the Imprinted Sportswear Shows. He owns Righteous Threads Embroidery, Greensboro, N.C., which offers digitizing, embroidery, machine maintenance and repair, and consulting. Call him at (336) 379-9380, e-mail righteousthreads@gmail.com or hear him speak at ISS Schaumburg in August on the following topics:

•    Conquering Caps: Tips and Techniques for Embroidering Conventional and Specialty Caps
•    Embroidery Essentials: Backings, Needles and Threads
•    Embroidery Fixes & Garment-saving Repairs
•    How to Create Special Embroidery Effects

For Further Reading:
"Multihead Mastery"
"Small Multiheads Adapt to Changing Needs"
"Small Multihead Embroidery Machine Specifications"

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