Garment manufacturing machinery: sewing, overlocking, coverstitching and cutting

A garment isn’t made by one machine: it is made by a line. Three machines (flatbed, overlock and coverstitch) cover almost all the seams in a wardrobe; what separates a workshop that makes money from one that doesn’t is choosing the right stitch for each operation and knowing when to automate.

What is made and with which materials

Shirts and blouses, trousers and jeans, dresses, jackets, knitwear (T-shirts, sweatshirts, underwear, sportswear and swimwear), uniforms and workwear. The materials fall into two families that need different machines: woven fabric (poplin, twill, gabardine, denim, work canvas) and knitted fabric (single jersey, interlock, fleece, fabrics with elastane), which stretches and needs a seam that stretches with it.

The three machines in a garment line

Lockstitch flatbed (stitch 301). The machine that works the most hours in any workshop: topstitching, collars, cuffs, zips, pockets and assembly on woven fabric. In production it should have a thread trimmer and automatic backtack; it saves seconds on every seam, and over a day that adds up to garments. Models: JUKI DDL-8000C, JUKI DDL-9000C and Dürkopp Adler 261.

Overlock (stitches 504, 514 and 516). Joins, trims and overedges the edge in one pass. On knits, the 4-thread overlock (514) is the assembly seam because it stretches with the garment. On woven fabric the 5-thread safety stitch (516) is the one to use: a chainstitch that holds and an overedge that prevents fraying, in the same pass. Models: Pegasus M952 (4-thread), Pegasus M932 and JUKI MO-6716 (5-thread, safety stitch), JUKI MO-6700. More under overlock machines.

Coverstitch (stitch 602/605). The T-shirt hem, the bound neckline, the elastic on underwear. Without a coverstitch machine there is no knitwear with a professional finish. The decision is the bed type: Pegasus W500P flatbed coverstitch or JUKI MF-7523 for open work, and the Pegasus W600P cylinder bed coverstitch for sleeve hems and pieces that are already closed.

If you are not sure which number each stitch is, we explain it with drawings in industrial stitches: 301, 401, 504, 514 and 607.

Which machine for your workshop

When it pays to automate

Some operations are repeated on every garment and a person on a flatbed does them slowly and inconsistently: the shirt buttonhole, the button, the bartack on the trouser belt loop, the piped pocket on the jacket. An automatic unit doesn’t sew better on its own; what it does is make piece one hundred come out the same as the first and stop that operation being the bottleneck of the line. The calculation is simple: how many garments a day go through that operation and how many minutes each one takes by hand. In trousers and tailored jackets, the Dürkopp Adler 755/756 make the complete piped pocket in one cycle.

For a complete example, in how a tailored jacket is made we go through the six stages of manufacture and which manual or automatic machine fits each operation.

Cutting: according to how many plies you spread

In garment manufacturing you almost never cut a single piece: you cut a lay of fabric with the marker on top. For few plies and curved patterns, the round knife cutter (Typical RK 100, with 70 and 125 versions) is fast and easy to handle. As a robust entry option for small and medium workshops, the Kuris Novita. When cutting volume keeps several people busy full time, it is time to consider automatic multi-ply cutting. We go into it in how to set up a cutting room and in industrial cutting.

The needle: ball point for knits

The most common fault in knitwear isn’t the machine: it’s the needle. A regular point (R) pierces the yarn of the knit and breaks it; after a few washes a ladder appears next to the seam. Knits are sewn with a ball point (SES for fine knits, SUK for medium knits and fabrics with elastane) and woven fabric with a regular point. The size: as fine as the thread allows. It’s all in the industrial needle guide.

Technical, sports and waterproof clothing

Every needle hole is a point where water gets in. On mountain jackets, rainwear and waterproof workwear, the seam is sewn and then sealed on the inside with heat-activated adhesive tape. That is what heat sealing machinesare for; we tell you when they are needed in what heat sealing is.

Frequently asked questions

Will a domestic or ‘semi-industrial’ machine do to start with? For samples, yes. For production, no: it won’t stand eight-hour days, it has no thread trimmer and the motor overheats. An entry-level industrial flatbed with a direct drive motor is the sensible option, and it also uses less electricity than an old clutch motor.

4-thread or 5-thread overlock? If you mainly work with knits, 4-thread. If you work with woven fabric (trousers, shirts, workwear), 5-thread safety stitch. Many workshops end up with both.

Do I need a coverstitch machine if I only make T-shirts? Yes. The hem and neckline of a T-shirt are done with a coverstitch machine; with a flatbed the hem doesn’t stretch and the seam bursts when you put it on.

How many machines do I need to set up a workshop? The reasonable minimum for knitwear is an overlock and a coverstitch machine; for woven fabric, a flatbed and a safety stitch overlock. From there it depends on the garment. We go into detail in which machines you need to set up a workshop.

Can you advise me without me visiting you? Yes. Tell us what garment you make, in which fabric and how many pieces a day, and we will suggest a machine with videos of it working that material.

Tell us what you make

We analyse the garment, fabric and production before recommending anything. Request technical advice.