Soft Cases
Soft cases are carrying cases manufactured from non-rigid materials. They provide less protection than hard cases. Some common materials used in the manufacturing of soft cases are vinyl, leather, canvas, plastic, suede, felt, corduroy, and nylon. Soft cases are typically manufactured by sewing contractors, which are companies that provide commercial sewing services. These companies produce many of the uniform soft cases that end up on business shelves and are sold to consumers.
Quick links to Soft Cases Information
Applications of Soft Cases
Either sewn by hand or by machine, soft cases are often manufactured as custom cases that can be made to fit certain sizes and use specific materials to fit a specific consumer’s needs. As a result, soft cases can be made for almost any application.
Soft cases are widely used in many industries, including:
- Electronics
- For protective casing of electrical devices, such as computers or digital cameras
- Industrial Manufacturing
- For the packaging of a multitude of finished products
- Construction
- To carry power tools
- Music
- For the carrying of musical instruments ranging from guitars and drum sets to tubas and trumpets
- Commercial
- To package many different retail items, such as clothing, bedding, and other garments
Soft Case Design and Customization
In order to be customized, sewing cases may at times be embroidered, which refers to a decorative embellishment made by stitching thread by a needle. Custom embroidery on soft cases can include graphic or descriptive text and images. This feature is often used by companies and businesses that want to print their logo on their products to promote recognition of their corporate name. While the majority of industrial applications call for hard cases, soft cases are a less expensive option that allow for ease of carrying, if not providing the level of protection offered by hard cases.
Manufacturing Process of Soft Cases
There are many different ways in which soft cases can be produced, and the method chosen can depend upon the material being used, the quantity desired, and many other factors. It is rare that manual, by-hand sewing is used for any large quantity, so industrial applications require that soft cases be manufactured by automated means. The three basic types of industrial sewing machines are straight stitch, serger, and blindstitch. Industrial machines differ from residential machines in many ways, including being significantly faster, able to sew much heavier fabrics, and sew through more layers. In addition, the industrial sewing machines have larger motors designed to run continuously throughout the whole day, and many require little to no manpower or manual operations.