Industrial Sewing Needle

Needle is a sewing device designed to penetrate the fabric and create a hole so that thread can be carried through the fabric. “A sewing machine is only as good as the needle in it!”

Selection of appropriate needle depends on the types of machine, other stitch forming parts, thread size, and fabric characteristics. An incorrect needle may prevent stitch formation and cause thread breakage, skipped stitches, poor stitch uniformity, and fabric damage.

Sewing Needle Anatomy
The parts of needle are identified below which represents a variable that may affect selection and performance.

1. Butt

The butt is the upper end of the thick portion of the needle.

2. Shank
The shank is the thick upper portion that fits into the needle bar. Shanks may be round, flat on one or two sides, but must be matched to machine requirement.

3. Shoulder
The shoulder is the sloping area between shank and blade.

4. Groove

The grove is a protecting channel for the sewing thread while it is carried down into the fabric. It reduces the abrasion and friction with the fabric when stitch is formed.

5. Blade
The blade is the long thin part of the needle that extends from the shank to the top of the eye. Blade length varies with machine type and sewing needs.

6. Scarf
The scarf or spot is a recess cut across the short-groove side of the needle, just above the eye to permit a closer setting of the shuttle, hook, or looper to the needle.

7. Eye
The eye is an opening extending through the blade from the long groove on one side to the short groove on the other that thread must pass through freely. The size of the eye is proportional to the diameter of the blade.

8. Point
The point is the area below the eye, including the tip. It is often considered the most critical aspect of the needle.

9. Tip
The tip is the ultimate end of the point, which combines with the point in defining the penetration performance.