New Embroidery Products Offer Efficiency, Design Diversity

Bobbin, Nov, 1999 by April Ellis, Marcia Derryberry, Lola Howle

Though, by many accounts, growth in the embroidery industry has slowed, research and development efforts are still vitally important, with suppliers focusing more on efficiency, simplicity and diversity than on developing machines that are bigger and faster.

Suppliers to the industry at Bobbin Americas agreed that their customers are searching for more ways to work smarter, and trying to use technology to buy back valuable time to spend boosting their knowledge of essentials such as embroidery application techniques, design theory and general business management.

Following are some equipment and software product debut highlights from the show.

Equipment Options

* Needle Bahn Technologies demonstrated the new Pfaff SM3 B-FB200, manufactured by KSM in Germany. This flatbed unit sews at a speed of 1,200 spin at a longer stitch length (up to 6.2 mm) to maintain maximum speeds through 90 percent of all designs.

* SWF has a new full line of embroidery machines -- single-head, four-head and six-head models were emphasized this year -- that now have expanded distribution available from SWF East in the eastern United States, and from MESA Distributors in the Western region.

* Tajima showed a number of improvements on the TMFN series of machines. Especially notable was the Touch Screen Panel Controller, which offers 61/2-inch touch panel and icon-based function keys. To boost productivity, the screen allows the operator to see the design while it is running. Tajima also showed an interesting new line of cylindrical machines first developed specifically for embroidering on golf club head covers and shirt cuffs, but with new applications in embroidering socks and other small items.

* Brother International Corp. showed a prototype of its Needle Punching machine, which gives garments a look of texture and dimension by piercing two overlapped pieces of material with a special needle. This process creates a pattern that exhibits the colors and characteristics of the underneath material.

Software Highlights

* Macpherson Meistergram introduced Compucon's EOS (Embroidery Operating System) for digitizing. Included were two drawing packages -- one for bitmap files and one for vector objects -- meant to aid highspeed and accurate editing of graphic images. Any bitmap file can be transformed into a vector image, the company noted.

* Sierra presented the Embroidery Office Suite of software products, which cover design creation, editing, lettering and design database management. The suite also offers quick storage and reproduction of disks; and features for sewout sample simulation, catalog design and design presentation. An Embroidery Office Net option can link up to 64 different embroidery machines to one computer.

* Surget showed its new Accurate99 digitizing software. Developed for Windows 95, 98 and NT operating systems, Accurate99 features Autopunching from graphic software such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw, on-screen design, photorealistic stitching and automatic applications (for tracing, applique, borders, etc.).

* Data-Stitch highlighted its Intellistitch software. After the user scans an image, the software cleans up the artwork and fills in the blanks with stitches.

* GS USA showed Innovator embroidery software, an entry-level embroidery software system; and Paint & Stitch, which converts simple artwork to embroidery.

* Hirsch International Corp. introduced Pulse Signature 2000 software, which includes a new interface, modern lettering features, a variety of automated features and more.

* Ioline introduced its 300 System that creates custom logos, sports lettering and decorative designs from concept to sew-out within an hour, the company reported.

* Melco introduced the EDS IV, an editing and digitizing system that provides a graphical user interface from Microsoft. Users are now able to input geometric shapes instead of sequences of mark points, simplifying the process of digitizing even complex designs.

* Richpeace introduced Designpro 2000 digitizing software, which integrates the design process with the digitizing process.

Lola Howle is editor, April Ellis is senior associate editor and Marcia Derryberry is managing editor of EMB, Embroidery Monogram Business Magazine, which, like Bobbin and La Bobina, is a publication of Miller Freeman Inc.

Editor's Note: See www.bobbin.com for an expanded version of this article, including a roundup of new offerings in supplies such as threads and stock embroidery designs.