Clothing embroidery is popular in many different industries. Whether it’s workwear, sportswear, school uniforms or even formalwear, embroidery is apparent everywhere. So, for businesses that specialise in clothing embroidery it’s vital they find the right industrial embroidery machine. Choosing the wrong one could be detrimental to businesses, so you need to take time when deciding on a machine.
Various factors will influence your decision when looking for an embroidery machine. And you’re in luck. We’ll explain them all in detail in this post.
We’ll cover:
Different Output Capacities
No two clothing embroidery businesses are the same – each will have different demands and needs of their unique customer base. Which means that each business will need to adjust their output capacity accordingly.
Capacity is the maximum level of output that a business can sustain to continue to operate smoothly. When planning for capacity, you need to be prepared to plan for limitations on your production – this involves assessing the number of staff members and your equipment too.
The bigger your orders and the more clients you have, the higher your capacity needs to be. Not only do you have to cover all the jobs that require completing but you need to allow a little leeway as breathing space for your employees. You may get an emergency request from a client or be anticipating growth.
Choosing the right machine is crucial for getting your capacity level right. Single-head machines can’t produce products at the same rate as multi-head machines can. So, if you’re a larger business, a single-head machine wouldn’t suffice. You’d need a machine that has no problem working all day, has multiple heads that stitch quickly and is reliable.
As a business, you don’t want to be working too closely to your capacity limit. Not only does this leave you no room for mistakes, but it’ll hamper your employees too. They’ll be under extreme pressure all of the time, which is no good for team morale. And poor team morale usually has a knock-on effect on productivity. This is why you need to pick the right machine to grant you the perfect output capacity.
Turnaround Times For Your Products
When placing an order with a business, one thing that customers will never tire of is receiving an efficient service. However, it’s all well and good being able to boast that you can turn around your orders unbelievably quickly, but if the quality of the product suffers from rushing then nobody is going to be impressed.
There’s nothing quite like super-fast turnaround times that are carried out with a high-quality standard, is there? One way you’re able to make sure that you can turn orders around with A-grade quality is by having the right embroidery machine in place.
You need to be realistic with your turnaround times when making a promise to customers. If you overestimate them, you’ll be the architect of your own downfall. However, if you forecast them to be too long, you’ll instantly put customers off and they’ll shop elsewhere for their clothing embroidery.
Multi-head embroidery machines are the perfect solution if you’re looking for a quick turnaround time that doesn’t compromise on quality. The several number of heads means that various products can be worked on at the same time. This can dramatically increase order turnaround times – rather than waiting for a product produced one by one on a single-head machine.
The HappyJapan HCR3-1512 will allow you to turn round orders rapidly, without compromising on quality. This machine will reliably guarantee results time after time.
It’s key features are:
- Number of heads: 12.
- Maximum speed: 1200 RPM.
- Maximum Flat Embroidery size: 450mm x 500mm (360mm).
- Tubular Embroidery Area: 420mm x 440mm.
- Machine memory: 40 million stitches – Up to 250 design can be saved.
- USB and LAN network port.
- Automatic thread trimmer.
- Automatic colour change.
The Range of Products You Offer
The range of products that you offer will dictate what type of machine you need. Obviously, not all of your products are going to be the same dimensions and size, so they might not all fit under the same embroidery machine.
Embroidery machines are a big investment, especially if you’re a small business. So, you’ve got to make sure that your investment is going to be worth it. Buying a wide-area embroidery machine is a great idea if you can afford it and are going to get the most out of it.
If you’re producing one-offs of different products that don’t fit in your machine, you might want to consider outsourcing your clothing embroidery until you can guarantee that buying a machine will be worth the investment. As wide-area machines are large pieces of equipment, you should consider whether you have the right premises for them and that staff have adequate training in using them. They’re a big investment, but a worthwhile one when utilised adequately.
It’s easy to see why the HappyJapan HFR wide-area machine is one of our best sellers. It’s ideal for businesses that are offering a wide range of products.
This machine has no problem with churning out orders, and it can be run all day – which is a big help in busy periods.
Other key features include:
- 10.4inch Color LCD Touch Screen Control Panel
- Clip-Type Upper Thread Holder
- Bobbin Thread Winder
- Laser Position Marker
- Front Safety Sensor (Needle Sensor)
- Borer Device
- Sequin Device
- ZigZag Cording Device
The Complexity of Designs Required
Clothing embroidery isn’t always straightforward. There are a lot of simple jobs that require names and slogans stitching, but that doesn’t cover the full product range that embroidery companies can offer. For example, school uniform shops have to be able to embroider complex crests and logos onto an array of different products.
This means that you need a machine that has the right functionalities to be able to produce these products. When designing crests and logos, rather than hire their own graphic designer, clothing embroidery shops find it cheaper to use a digital designer to produce these for them. Once they have the crest or logo, they can then use it for as many times as they like on their products.
Embroiderers usually load these digital files onto their machines using a USB port and plug it straight into the control panel on their advanced machine. So, you need to find a machine that has the right software installed for you to be able to do this.
Plus, it needs to be easy to use and load up from when you’ve plugged in your USB so that your whole team has no problem using the machine – and there’s no breakdown in production should any of your staff be out of work.
The Number of Staff You Employ
Your staff will need training on your new embroidery machine. It’s best to have all of your team trained on the machines so that there’s no slow down in production. The last thing you want is to displease your customers just because some of your team are out of the office.
Or, rather than pay for the training yourself, when recruiting for new staff members why don’t you look for people who are qualified in operating the embroidery machines that you have in place? That way, your team can get straight down to business and there will be less risk of mistakes being made due to their prior experience.
If your team has never used embroidery machines before, then it’s not the end of the world. Brands like HappyJapan produce user-friendly, reliable machines that’ll help propel the production of your business forwards.
Invest in the Right Machine For Your Clothing Embroidery Business
Quite simply, without your embroidery machine, you have no products to sell. And without any products to sell, you have no business. Your embroidery machine is your most precious asset, so you need to think carefully when you’re deciding which one to opt for. Choose the wrong one ad it could cause major problems for your business.
Don’t worry if you’re not sure where to start when deciding on which one is right for your business. You’re not the only ones. Luckily at Midwest, we’re here to help. Which is why we’ve produced a free guide that compares single-head and multi-head embroidery machines, explaining everything you need to know about them and the benefits they can bring to your business.
Take the first step in purchasing the right machine for your clothing embroidery business and download it today.