What Are Commercial and Industrial Embroidery Machines?

Suppose you have medium-to-large-scale commercial sewing projects in the pipeline or want to start your embroidery or sewing shop. The essential equipment you should invest in is, of course, a highly efficient computerized sewing or an industrial embroidery sewing machine. 

A thoughtfully designed industrial machine is meant to serve several purposes and make your projects easier. From stitching to embroidery to upholstery, commercial and industrial embroidery machines vary significantly in capacity to perform tasks at different levels, providing precision, quality, and accuracy in every stitch.

The sewing machines developed specifically for commercial or industrial purposes consist of various heads, needles, stitches, and patterns. As they are built and designed to perform extensive tasks on all kinds of fabric and material, these sewing machines are heavy-duty, are constructed of hefty and durable components, and, most importantly, make a lot more noise than a domestic sewing machine. 

Industrial Embroidery Machine

What is an embroidery machine?

As the name suggests, the primary function of an embroidery machine is to create embroidery stitches, which obviously makes them distinct from regular sewing machines

Embroidery machines are either single- or multi-needle, meaning the machine can use only one color at a time (single-needle) or multiple colors (multi-needle). 

Embroidery is primarily decorative. Stitched flourishes, like basic monograms or maybe a detailed scene of flowers and butterflies, are often embroidered onto various items such as quilts, table linens, bags, towels, throw pillows, etc.

Embroidery typically involves 30 or 40-weight embroidery thread and a repetitive stitching technique that forms a texture and outline patterns, which are then filled with color. Using a specialty machine designed for embroidery stitching can guarantee neat and uniform stitches and save the user a lot of time and effort.

Industrial embroidery machines are used commercially to add embroidered designs and logos to uniforms, hats, shirts, and more. They are used in product branding, corporate advertising, houseware, and the fashion industry.

Differences between a commercial (industrial) embroidery machine and a domestic embroidery machine

At first, it can be quite difficult to see the actual differences between commercial and domestic embroidery machines. However, examining each of these machines more closely can help you better determine their differences.

  • Period of usage – Commercial and industrial embroidery machines have been built and developed for production and continual use. By “continual,” it means these machines are built to run for long periods, day after day. On the other hand, domestic embroidery machines are meant to be used for a couple of hours at a time as they are not designed for long periods.
  • Construction – As we say again, commercial and industrial embroidery machines are constructed with hefty and durable components, making them suitable for heavy-duty usage. On the other hand, domestic sewing machines are made up of plastic and lightweight metal parts, so they are not built to meet the demands of production for the long term.
  • The number of needles – Most domestic embroidery machines are single-needle. On the other hand, commercial and industrial embroidery machines are usually multi-needle, allowing them to change colors quickly and easily to boost production and reduce the time it takes to embroider the items. Also, domestic embroidery machines have a limited embroidery area and their accessories are limited compared to commercial and industrial embroidery machines.
  • Cost – Domestic embroidery machines are inexpensive compared to commercial and industrial embroidery machines and can be purchased from small sewing machine distributors or appliance stores.

What to look for in a commercial and industrial embroidery machine?

Choosing the right commercial and industrial embroidery machines is an important business decision, but there are other decisions you should make. In addition, it takes time, patience, and some research, just like looking for a new job. And, of course, you’ll want to make the best investment, something that won’t make your money go down the drain.

Brands are a major consideration but should not be the deciding factor. Fortunately, there are other important things that you should look for in a commercial and industrial embroidery machine.

  • Speed – The number of stitches an embroidery machine makes is also important. When you’re in a sewing or clothing business, you know that “time is money.” When you have orders to complete and deadlines to meet, you will want an embroidery machine that can deliver high speed without compromising on quality.
  • A decently sized LCD screen – LCD screens are usually a standard on today’s commercial embroidery machines. However, LCD screens can vary greatly. While a larger LCD screen may cost you a lot more, it will make it easier to place the design to achieve outstanding and excellent results. A large LCD will also be of great help when you have to monitor the metrics of the embroidery you’re working on. On the other hand, a small LCD screen may cost less, but it can become awkward, complicated, and frustrating to use, especially if you have volumes of designs to process.
  • Ease of use and operation – Quality embroidery machines are the easiest to use. Like the stitches per minute, this feature can really save you time and money. It applies not only to the operation of the embroidery machine itself but also to its digital features, such as ample storage for hundreds and thousands of stitches and designs and simple connectivity to design software.
  • Access to accessories and services – Ask experienced users of commercial sewing machines, and they will tell you that access to accessories and services is one of the crucial things to seriously consider when buying an embroidery machine. Suppose you’re planning to buy a cheap embroidery machine from overseas – are you sure you will get all the accessories without delay? You should also take the after-sales service into account. Your embroidery machine will also require maintenance and servicing, but who will do that? Local suppliers will make those issues a thing of the past as they provide accessories, after-sales service, and maintenance.

Conclusion

Now you’ve learned about commercial and industrial embroidery machines, their differences from domestic embroidery machines, and a few things you should look for in a new machine. 

Commercial and industrial embroidery machines can create countless designs and produce various products you can market. These machines come in different brands and configurations, so if you’re planning to open a clothing business, know your specific requirements in a commercial and industrial embroidery machine first before making a purchase.