Industrial Sewing Machine Needles

All industrial sewing machine needles or parts of damaged/broken needles are controlled effectively and accounted for during the production process and throughout the whole manufacturing unit. This means that when a new needle is issued it is cross referenced with stock levels of the particular needle and size to ensure full traceability at all times. This includes janome sewing machine needles (machine and hand sewing), and any ticketing or kimbal/tag gun needles and the policy is covering all areas of manufacturing e.g. the sample room, embroidery and appliqué machines, machines that are positioned out of the main flow of manufacture and operations that are performed outside the factory  premises. You can visit more about different types of needles mechanism.

The sample room is keeping a separate needle record, rather than having the record amalgamated with the production area.

All records are keeping away from the production floor to avoid contamination. Old records are being destroyed safely and off the factory premises.

Industrial Sewing Machine Needles Supplies Guideline

For guidelines on how long to keep certain records please see individual sections below.

• A person is nominated to hold a restricted supply of a pre-determined number of needles in a permanently locked & clearly marked facility. This facility is only be accessed by the nominated person responsible for managing the total process.
• Replacement is only be issued if the store officer returns the equivalent number of used needles to the relevant manager/section (e.g. store).
• Stock of industrial sewing machine needles is being controlled by a designated member of the management (e.g. production manager, warehouse manager etc.). The good needle releasing quantity is fully traceable according to the ‘One in/one out’ policy in the sewing workshop, i.e. needle stock match needle balance record.
• Spare needles are being stored in a secure and locked position away from the production floor.
• There is a recorded needle inventory, so that the amount of needles coming into the factory is accounted for with the records kept for needle distribution and broken needle records.

Control of sewing needles in use:

Workers are not being allowed to have any spare needles in their possession.

• A person nominated as safety officer e.g. responsible for health & safety and internal auditing is checking compliance to this policy on a regular basis by carrying out audits and random checks.
• New needles are being distributed by a store officer.
• The nominated person to exchange needles, is ensuring that they receive all parts of the old needle before issuing a new one. A new needle can only be issued if all parts of the old one have been returned.
• New industrial sewing machine needles are keeping in a secure, locked, clearly marked and safe environment with restricted access. The key to the storage place is held by the authorized person at all times and are not being available to machine operators.
• The needle record is kept for all types of needles and are include the bend or broken needle fragments taped to the record.
• To identify trends of breakage the broken needle record is reviewed on a daily basis which will lead the factory to be proactive in preventing excessive
• Needle breakage. Worn out, out of alignment machine parts or operator handling may cause breakage.

Change of a needle during production:

To avoid needle breakage, damaged or worn points, needles & their points is being checked on a daily basis. The checks and any needle changes are recorded mentioning the needle ref. that needle got exchanged.

• Machines including their needles are checked on a daily basis in the morning prior to work commencing by the worker.
• Any damage to the needles and changes are recorded on a Replacement Needle Record.
• If any inline or final QC inspectors find any needle damage, the relevant machine is checked immediately and needles changed.
• All broken or bent needles are securely attached to the needle replacement form with a clear adhesive tape and all parts need to be accounted for. Store officer is responsible for the record keeping.
• Any old/blunt needles are collected by the mechanic/s, recorded, kept in a sealed container in a separate area from the sewing floor and sent externally for recycling.
• Broken needle/calibration records is keeping for a minimum of 06 years from shipment date for auditing purposes and disposed off safely thereafter.
• At no times are records being stored near the factory floor as this can be cause possible contamination.
• A broken or damaged needle are being always be replaced with a brand new needle and all parts of the old one is accounted for. So the exchange is on a one for one basis.
• Mechanics are ensuring that no needles are left behind on the machines after any needle maintenance work carried out.
• Unused/spare machines are having the industrial sewing machine needles removed.

Requirements for broken needle control: 

When a needle breaks the worker call the line supervisor for the process and find all fragments of the broken needle and handover them to the store officer.

• The needle or needle pieces are being placed in a small sealed container, in order to reduce risk of loss and taken to the needle control area where the new needles are being issued.
• Ideally this is a small self contained sub store on the production floor one full time employee situated inside, who only has access.
• Store officer is keeping the needle log is check that all pieces have been submitted, by aligning the pieces and comparing them to an intact needle of the  sample chart with the following columns:
• All pieces of the broken/bent needle are then be taped to the needle replacement form by sticky tape ensuring that all parts are securely kept in place. Broken needles are not be disposed of in any other manner.
• This record are kept for a minimum of 06 years as proof of due diligence in case of any legal claims.
• If any parts of the broken needle cannot be found, the machine operator with the supervisor present search the area around the machine, including looking in the oil bed inside the machine throat plate, feed dogs and bobbin case.
• The bundles that the worker was working on as well as any bundles in surrounding areas of the workstation (within 2 metres) is being isolated, moved to a separate location in a wooden container  clearly labeled and checked with a metal detector (conveyor belt).
• If all the parts of the broken needle cannot be found, all work in progress at the workstation should be removed to a specifically designated metal free area and checked thoroughly with a metal detector.

• As per system, one bundle of previous operation and one bundle of next operation have to be inspected by metal detector in case of any occurrence of broken needle.
• After checking the garment is clear, it should be processed as normal. If however, metal is detected it must be found and removed before the garment is processed. But if metal detected and cannot be found, the garment must be destroyed.
• The Operator will approach the nominated person with all the parts of the broken needles.
• The concerned person should notify the production in charge and mechanic.
• Check the garment or panels being stitched.
• Uncover the machines oil tanks by mechanics for checking
• Check the working area with a magnet to ensure that broken fragments are not fallen into the ready garments / panels.
• If the broken fragments are still not found after the said searching procedure, the in charge is allowed to write onto the reports that  “confirm garments are free from needle fragments”
• Only the nominated/authorized persons should reissue the new needle to the operator.

Any found fragments are being added to the needle replacement form:

If any parts of the broken needle still cannot be found, then these bundles are placed in a locked container and later on destroyed after authorization has been obtained by the production or factory manager. Records of the complete procedure are being kept for a minimum of 06 years after production to be available for auditing purposes.

• Under NO circumstances the product being returned to stock.
• If all parts have been found the components/garments are being returned to the workstation.
• Only once the janome sewing machine needles replacement form has been fully completed the machinist is being issued with a new needle.

Utilization for Needle:

• Knitting needles (circular knitting machine needles, sewing machine needles cross)
• Medical needle (surgery, minimally invasive surgical needles, acupuncture, medical America)
• Instrument with a needle (flute, saxophone with a needle )
• Electronic semiconductor with a needle (air filters, discharge needle, probe)
• Nonwoven (needles)
• And finishing with a needle
• Hand stitches
• Needle arts (ceramics, quilting)
• Bur
• Computerized embroidery
• Schiffli lace with a needle
• Costume with a needle (underwear, jeans, knitted …)
• Leather (footwear) with a needle
• Bindings with a needle

Needle Policy

• Needles stock should be placed in the maintenance stores and locked away.
• Small stock of needles would be transferred to production floor to a designated person in charge.
• All records must be maintained for 01 month and records of 06 months are kept packed in stocked boxes.
• Boxes carrying needles should be kept in lock and key.
• All operators must carry broken needle parts in designated Needle carry boxes provided in each line.
• Person in charge of needles procedures (production floor) should carried an inventory card identifying the stock.
• Movement in and out per type of needle. The in process stock locked in all timeIn charge of needles procedures (production floor) should have in possession one file per production line that contains the following information
• In charge should carry all damage needles in a transparent box similar to the box
• Of the needles in order to transport the damaged or replaced needle to the person in charge of the needles procedure
• In charge of needles procedures (production floor) should have in possession one file per production line that contains the following information

1. Samples of each type of needle
2. Copy of needles procedures
3. Report identifying the time, and the employee required the new needle

Or a needle replacement and the reason signed by the in charge.

Kimbal/Tag janome sewing machine needles control policy:

All janome sewing machine needles are being accounted for in each factory: this means when a new needle is issued it cross references with stock levels of the particular needle and size is ensuring full traceability at all times.

• Kimbal/tag gun needles are holding by the nominated person in a locked cupboard, which is only accessible by the person responsible for issuing new needles.
• One in, one out’ distribution system – All kimbal/tag guns are being handed out to the workers by a nominated person at the beginning of each shift and are being collected at the end of each shift.
• This distribution system is being recorded (s. attached daily in/out log), detailing workers names and numbers of kimbal/tag guns issued/returned and records are being kept for a minimum of 3 years from shipment date in case of a legal claim.
• The number of workers with access to kimbal/tag guns are limited.
• All kimbal/tag guns are being kept on cord secured to the workstation table.
• The procedure as well as record keeping for any broken/bend/lost kimbal/tag gun needles is the same as described above for machine sewing needles.
• Kimbal/ Tag gun logs as well as kimbal/tag gun needle control logs are fully completed each time before the new janome sewing machine needles are issued and records are being kept for 03 year as proof of due diligence in case they are required for any legal claims.
• Product are not being kimballed in the metal free zone, after passing through the tunnel conveyor belt detector.