Sewing Machine Needle
The way in which the fabric is penetrated by the needle during sewing has a direct effect on seam strength and on garment appearance and wearable life.
The functions of the sewing machine needle in general are:
a. To produce a hold in the material for the thread to pass through and to do so without causing any damage to the material
b. To carry the needle thread through the material and there form a loop which can be picked up by the hook on the bobbin case
Anatomy of a Sewing Machine Needle
Butt: It is shaped end of the needle which facilitates insertion into the needle bar or clamp.
Shank:
It is the upper part of the needle which is located within needle bar. It is the support of the needle as a whole and is usually larger in diameter than the rest of the needle for reasons of strength.
Shoulder: It is the section intermediate between the shank and the blade.
Blade: The blade is the longest part of the needle down to the eye. The blade is subjected to the greatest amount of material through which the machine passes.
Long Groove: The long groove in the blade provides a protective channel in which the thread is drawn through the material during stitch formation. Sewing thread can suffer considerably from abrasion during sewing as a result of friction against the fabric. A correctly shaped long groove, of a depth matched to the thread diameter, offers considerable protection to the thread.
Short Groove: The short groove is on the side of the needle which extends a little above and below the eye. It assists in the formation of the loop in the needle thread.
Eye of the Needle: The eye of the needle is the hole extending through the blade from the long groove on one side to the short groove on the other.
Scarf or Clearance Cut: It is a recess across the whole face of the needle just above the eye. This ensures that the loop of the needle thread will be more readily entered by the point of the hook.
The Point of the needle is shaped to provide the best penetration of each type of material.
The Tip is the extreme end of the point which combines with the point in defining the penetration performance.
