Industrial Sewing
Sewing is a craft that has been with humanity for all of recorded time. It was once an essential skill, held by all of those who wished to clothe themselves and their families. Later, sewing work was often contracted out by wealthy families.
Quick links to Industrial Sewing Information
History of Industrial Sewing
Once upon a time, a piece of clothing took between ten and fourteen hours to sew. All of that began to change, however, with the introduction of the first modern sewing machine in the mid-1800s. The first electric sewing machines were introduced by Singer Sewing Company in 1889. The modern sewing machine allowed individuals and clothing manufacturers alike to begin producing their products more quickly and less expensively.
Eventually, continual advancements in the sewing industry and changes in society gave rise to the prevalence of ready-to-wear clothing. Thanks to the demand for ready-to-wear clothing, as well as the general demand for textiles, industrial sewing has become an important industry all around the globe. Today, industrial sewing companies and contractors offer a variety of services on both small and large scales, from fabrication and packaging, to product design and engineering.
Application of Industrial Sewing
Industries that make use of industrial sewing services include aerospace, retail and customer service, transportation, travel, sports and recreation, healthcare, screen printing and furniture. In aerospace, aircraft manufacturers require a myriad of goods provided by industrial sewing companies, such as carpeting, seat covers, door products, ground service covers and insulation blankets.
Retail and customer service businesses, like grocery and department stores, banks and insurance providers, all purchase sewn courier, transit and/or security bags, to keep their products safe. In transportation and travel, industrial sewing services provide vehicle seat covers, vehicle mats, and soft luggage. Industrial sewing is also contracted to fabricate outdoor and sporting products like tarps, sleeping bags, standard and custom sewn tents, and rain jackets and ponchos.
Commercial sewing operations, like screen printing companies and furniture companies rely on industrial sewing material to make large quantities of their products, such as t-shirts and couch covers, respectively. Versatile products of industrial sewing like pouches can be used in any number of different industries, such as in industrial manufacturing, for tool storage, in banking, for money storage, and around the house, for the storage of makeup or accessories.
Process of Industrial Sewing
The products of industrial sewing are used and observed throughout the world everyday. Not all products made possible by industrial sewing, however, are produced by every industrial sewing provider. Instead, large, small and medium-sized sewing companies and providers offer a wide range of different services, depending on their capabilities. The choice of which type of provider with which to work depends entirely on a customer’s requirements. For example, while large-scale operations may produce identical products en masse, small industrial sewing companies can produce intricate, custom embroidered products. No matter if a customer chooses a large or small-scale provider, as long as they select a reputable, experienced manufacturer and convey their specifications well, they can expect high quality results.
Materials Used for Industrial Sewing
The materials used in industrial sewing are quite diverse. They include canvas, hypalon and neoprene, vinyl-coated nylon, polyester, cotton, suede, leather, webbing, felt and plastic.
- Canvas
- A particularly useful fabric and is both extremely durable and soft. This fabric, which is also breathable, is applicable in the creation of a diverse set of products, including curtains, grocery, book and all-purpose bags, backpacks, sails, marquees, tents, electronic device cases and shoes. Canvas is available in two basic types: plain and duck. In essence, duck canvas has more tightly woven thread than plain canvas.
- Hypalon and Neoprene
- Synthetic rubbers known for their shared chemical and abrasion resistance. Both of these rubber materials are mainly used to sew industrial products, but they can also be used to make a variety of items, such as laptop sleeves, leggings, fly fishing waders and wetsuits.
- Vinyl-Coated Nylon
- Lightweight, durable, easy to clean and weather resistant. In industrial sewing, these qualities most often lend themselves to the fabrication of industrial curtains, presentation cases, protective covers and waterproof bags.
- Polyester and Cotton
- Extremely common for design applications related to, among others, clothing, cleaning and bathing towels and washcloths, upholstery, bedding and wall decorations.
- Suede
- Enjoys less universal applications than polyester and common, but is commonly employed in clothing design.
- Leather
- Industrial sewing of leather is often commissioned for the creation of belts, jackets, boots, suspenders, saddles and the like.
- Felt
- Used for applications like industrial sound or vibration dampening, instrument dampening, the padding or cushioning of industrial parts, puppetry, and education.