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How Tajima revolutionised Chenille embroidery - II

Tajima determined an electronic head was needed. They developed a machine to “sew by wire”. Instead of using the mechanical movements found in the original chenille machines, Tajima designed a machine with various mechanical functions controlled by pulse motors. Looper drive, Z-axis drive (needle and looper synchronization), and ATH (automatic thread trimming) were now driven by pulse motors. With the pulse motors driven by electronic data the machines could produce more and produce it more accurately than ever before.

With the development of the new electronic chenille machine, Tajima went on to create the first automatic color change machines, using a system of multiple loopers.

Traditionally patches and emblems have often utilized multiple types of embroidery, moss stitch, chain stitch and standard lockstitch embroidery are often all combined in the same work. Creating the world’s first electronic mixed head type machine, Tajima brought the chenille embroidery industry into the same realm of production as standard computerized embroidery has known for a number of years.

Even today with the “electrifying” of chenille, the industry is not generally understood by many owners and operators of standard electronic embroidery machines. The electronic chenille market has not developed as quickly as the standard lockstitch embroidery market did. As embroiderers’ customers become more familiar with seeing chenille work the market is slowly coming around. Currently many owners of chenille manufacturing have skilled operators who are very efficient for small orders and the cost of moving into electronic chenille equipment is intimidating. The other prime deterrent has been digitizing, or the creation of the designs for electronic chenille machines.

Until very recently the thought of creating designs for chenille was foreign to many digitizers. Electronic chenille machines were few and far between; learning to create designs for chenille appeared to be a whole new process. In reality digitizing for chenille is easier than digitizing for standard lockstitch embroidery, mostly because the North American market generally uses a heavier thread, as seen on letterman’s jackets. Because the look is bolder and the thread is heavier, chenille machines do not generate small intricate designs. Quarter inch letters will not be successfully produced on a chenille machine with these types of threads; the machines are not designed for that type of work (although finer thread and needles are available and fine work can be created). Areas are filled in quicker; registration variations are broader, making most chenille digitizing less painstaking than standard lockstitch embroidery digitizing. Recent developments in the embroidery digitizing software market has made available some very sophisticated and easy to use software just for chenille work. The industry “standard” of chenille fill areas being done in a “swirl or rosette” pattern has been computerized by the latest software, removing what was considered an obstacle in early electronic chenille mass production. Instead of filling areas in a grid pattern that some experienced chenille users objected to, software now allows areas to be filled in more traditionally, and, most importantly, very easily. Fine work can be done as well as the traditional bold look, it can be mass-produced with less skill and less variation from piece to piece.

Software and electronic machines designed for the chenille market mean only one thing, more and more consumers will be looking for this type of work from their local embroiderer. As the public becomes more accustomed to chenille on an everyday basis, the market will continue to grow. Manufacturers like Tajima will continue to develop and improve their products to help embroiderers meet their customers’ demands.

Tajima released the World’s first multi-head electronic chenille machine in 1982. Now Tajima has the CE Series of Electronic Chenille Machines. The TMCE Machine is equipped with 6 colors, the maximum number of colors available in the industry in chenille.

Mixed Head Type CE Series

Features:

• Automatic color change
• High speed
• Feed back control
• Quieter
• Automatic lift-up mechanism for frame changing
• Automatic stitch exchange, switch from moss & chain at the control panel
• Automatic needle height adjusting
• Automatic thread trimming
• Tie off function
• Mixed head alternate head selector.