The textile world at a glance: From a look back at ITMA to Industry 4.0
The jeans
– perfectly sewn with sewing machine needles from Groz-Beckert
Your favorite jeans go through thick and thin with you. Groz-Beckert makes sure your jeans are up to life's demands with perfectly stitched and hard-wearing seams. What jeans for more than 160 years have meant to end users, Groz-Beckert has meant for just as long to the textile industry - a partner whose persistence and quality leads to success!
In the last issue of the Groz-Beckert magazine you read about how jeans triumphed around the world. Today you will learn how the world-famous blue britches are made and which sewing operations are applied. You will furthermore learn all about the special application needles SAN® 6 and MR, specially developed for sewing denim and multi-directional seams.
The manufacture of jeans
Typical appearance of denim
Jeans are made of a special cotton fabric called denim. In conventional weaving processes, the finished cotton fabric is dyed. Not so with jeans - the yarn is dyed blue before the fabric is woven. However, this only applies to the weft thread, because the warp thread remains white. In weaving, the two different yarn colors are what give jeans fabric its typical look. If this step were omitted and the fabric dyed after weaving, it would be uniformly blue.
In the next step the sewing patterns for all individual pieces are made from the finished denim. Various sewing operations then sew them together to produce the finished pants. The finishing process follows, depending on model. Different washes produce different looks. Upscale jeans are adorned with rhinestones or similar. Some are embroidered or printed on. Others are weathered and brushed until – as in the "destroyed look" – holes wear through.
Sewing operations on a pair of jeans
Jeans are generally sewn together on a processing line. Each sewer is responsible for only one manufacturing step. The pockets of the jeans are first sewn together and perhaps adorned. Belt loops are handled in a similar way. The pockets are attached to the individual leg parts and then the leg parts are stitched together.
The waistband is then sewn on and the belt loops and buttons attached. If the pants get a zipper, it is sewn on in the next step. After the pants are fringed, rivets and brand label are attached in a final step.
Many different sewing operations and thereby different stitch types are thus executed in jeans making:
Safety seam (chainstitch)
- Lockstitch: Used, for example, to adorn back pockets or to sew on the label.
- Chain stitch: Uses include the closing of inseams.
Bar tack
- Bar tack: Also used to secure the fly and attach belt loops.
- Overlock stitch: Used to close, for instance, outseams (safety seams).
- Buttonhole operation: This creates buttonholes or attaches buttons.
Sewing machine needles from Groz-Beckert for the manufac
The many sewing operations required mean that many different sewing machine needles are necessary. In addition to lockstitch and chainstitch needles, these also include special needles for overlock and bar-tack seams. In order to meet the special requirements for sewing jeans, Groz-Beckert also supplies special application needles (SAN®).
Special application needle SAN® 6
Jeans are made of a special cotton fabric called denim. Since denim as a starting material is very hard, various problems can crop up in processing. For one, skipped stitches may occur when cross seams are stitched over. For another, the high penetration force and its associated needle deflection often lead to needle breakage. Torn thread and damaged points may ensue.
Special application needle SAN® 6 has thus been precisely designed to reduce or even entirely prevent these problems.
- The smaller needle cross-section in the eye reduces the penetration force of the needle.
- The conical shank leads to significantly higher deflection resistance than in a standard needle.
- Improved threading in the eye/back groove area improves thread protection and loop take-up.
- The GEBEDUR® coating provides the needle with high resistance to wear and damage.
Benefits of the SAN® 6 at a glance:
- High security against skipped stitches
- Particularly gentle on the work piece
- Optimum protection of the looper point
- Reduced strain on the machine
- High resistance to wear thanks to GEBEDUR® (titanium-nitride coating)
- Lower consumption of needles
- Higher productivity thanks to less idle time
- Reduced production costs
The MR needle
A pocket-sewing machine assembly is used to sew pockets and adorn them. It enables stitching of multi-directional seams at very high speeds. Changing the seam direction in particular makes great demands on the sewing machine needle, because the thread is pulled over the needle in different directions. This can lead to both thread breakage and unstable loop formation, resulting in skipped stitches and sloppy seams.
The Groz-Beckert MR needle, specially developed for automatic sewing processes with multi-directional functions, is up to the challenge and thus leads to heightened process reliability.
Special features of the MR needle:
- Extreme resistance to bending thanks to the special blade and scarf geometry
- The very deep and long scarf allows the gripping device to be positioned very close to the needle, providing optimum protection for the thread.
- Stable loop formation thanks to the special asymmetric shape of the thread-slippage area; less thread twisting
- Reduced unraveling of the thread thanks to the special thread guide
Indispensable companions - a favorite pair of jeans and
As you can see, not only your favorite jeans go through thick and thin with you, but Groz-Beckert as well – especially when it comes to contributing to your success with high quality products.
Would you like to know more about sewing products from Groz-Beckert? Groz-Beckert experts are available around the world and at any time.