Advice for Picking a Multihead Embroidery Machine

August 02, 2010
By Steven Batts, Contributing Writer

In the previous couple of weeks, we’ve looked at the factors involved in selecting a singlehead embroidery machine. While that advice is great for many embroiderers (or potential embroiderers), not everyone needs one or multiple singleheads. As they grow, many embroiderers look for additional equipment, which may not include a singlehead.

Selecting the right-sized machine for your business is key to the success of your business. Your goal should be to select the right machine to achieve maximum productivity in the shortest amount of time. A machine that is too small — or even too large — for your needs will slow down production or waste resources.

Singleheads vs. Multiheads
Many people tout the fact that using multiple singleheads is more productive than using just one multihead. The example used is that two singleheads will produce more than a 2-head, four singleheads will produce more than a 4-head and so on. The reasoning is that you can save time by staggering your loading and unloading, and the fact that when one stops for a thread break on a multihead machine, all the heads stop.

While I agree with this in principle, I think the example breaks down practically, especially past the 2-head scenario. First of all, you are not talking about a great deal of time for change off between runs. Secondly, machines shouldn’t break thread that much. If your machine breaks thread more than every 30,000 minimum, you have a problem. Lastly, this doesn’t factor in costs of both machines and labor. Four singleheads would cost about $10,000 more than a 4-head machine. Additionally, one person can only operate up to about five singleheads at one time. One person is all that is typically required to operate up to a 15-head machine.

Order Size
Your average order size is probably the most important factor in determining the machine size that is best for you. This gets down to the very nature of your business. Do you specialize in small, “one-of-a-kind” orders, or do you specialize in corporate logos, sewing multiple pieces with the same logo?

If you embroider small orders of one or two pieces each, a multihead won’t do any good. As your average order size grows, you want to match the order size with the machine size. It would take a couple of days to produce 100-piece orders on a singlehead; on a 6-head machine, you could knock the job out in a couple of hours.

The opposite problem is that you also can have a machine that is so big it slows production. I was at a shop a couple of years ago that had a couple of 12-head machines. Their typical order size was 12-24 pieces. You might think that would work nicely, but it really doesn’t.

They spend 30 minutes or so threading up a machine for one run that may take a total of 10 minutes. The operation would be better with something like a 4-head machine. That way, they would spend less time threading but have a little bit more run time. The total time for a 12- to 24-piece order would be about the same or even less, but the equipment cost would have been dramatically less.

Design Size
If your niche is larger designs that take more time to sew, the larger the machine, the better. The extended run time more than makes up for the increased setup time on this type of work. If this is your case, then more heads are better.

A few years ago, I found a sweet deal on a 2-head machine. While I didn’t think I really wanted a 2-head machine, I have found it to be a perfect fit for my business. I mainly do small orders of a few pieces at a time. However, they often have very high stitch counts. It is not unusual for me to sew designs that take 1-1.5 hours to finish. Even if I only have to sew four pieces, I can save up to three hours by putting them on the 2-head, as opposed to my singlehead machine.

Your Situation
Other factors can affect the specific type of machine you can choose. For maybe you have the volume of work, but you can’t cram a 6-head into your spare bedroom.

Usually, money is ultimately the deciding factor and it often helps you decide between two machine sizes. It may mean you consider used equipment instead of new equipment. However, it is wise to get as large of a machine as possible that fits your needs. While a machine that is too big can be counter-productive in some instances, I would rather have too much capacity than wish I had more.

Whatever your specific situation, it pays to sit down and analyze your business. What does your typical order look like? What are your space limitations? What can you afford? Answering these questions makes it easier when you go shopping for that next machine.

Steven Batts, a consultant with 17 years experience in the embroidery industry, owns Righteous Threads, Greensboro, N.C., which offers digitizing, embroidery and machine maintenance services. Steven regularly leads seminars at ISS shows and is an industry speaker and consultant. For more information or to comment on this article, e-mail Steven at righteousthreads@gmail.com.



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