Study on the force required to thrust a sewing needle through various fabrics

Abstract

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:="" "times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-theme-font:="" minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="">The effects of needle diameter, sewing yarn linear density and the number of fabric layers on the force required to thrust the needle through various fabrics have been studied using R/Set and M/Ball needles and six different fabrics (three plain woven, two twill woven and one plain knitted). The Box and Behnken factorial design was used for the study. It is observed that, in general, the thrusting force increases with the increase in number of fabric layers. Nevertheless, for M/Ball needle of the small size the thrusting force is same although the number of fabric layers increases. Sewing yarn linear density has no influence on the thrusting force except in case of twill weave polyester/wool fabric. The increase in needle diameter also increases the thrusting force. For a R/Set needle, increase in thrusting force is directly proportional to the increase in needle diameter, whereas for a M/Ball needle the difference in the thrusting force between small and medium needle sizes is very low.</span>