Selecting the Appropriate Thread from Fiber to Finishing: A Comprehensive Guide

Selecting the Appropriate Thread from Fiber to Finishing: A Comprehensive Guide

A significant component of many everyday objects is thread. We are surrounded with thread in everything from our attire to the chairs and couches we use. It also makes an appearance in the tea bags used for lunch. The quality of the seam is dependent on the sewing thread employed, which is often used to bind sewn objects together.

Recall that although thread accounts for a modest portion of the cost of a stitched product, it bears half of the blame for the seam.

A&E produces high-quality yarns in a wide range of fiber types, yarn compositions, sizes, and colors to satisfy market needs. To ensure optimum sewing and stitching performance, various physical qualities of threads may be needed for different markets. It becomes clear how difficult it was to build thread when you take into account all of its applications. Sewability, seam performance, seam look, availability, and cost should all be taken into account. Tenacity, loop strength, linear strength, elongation, elastic recovery, loop formation, twist formation, ply protection, shrinkage, stitch appearance, color fastness, abrasion resistance, chemical, heat, and light are some of the physical attributes that differ depending on the kind of fiber and yarn used. Therefore, the total quality of your stitched items will depend on whether you choose the right thread for the job.

To choose the right thread for your product, you must first ascertain its intended usage. These criteria may include things like the product's overall life, stitching and seam design, seam strength, and ideal stitch length. The kind of material to be stitched, the kind of sewing machines to be used, the circumstances in which the product must function, and cost effectiveness are other elements taken into account.

From whence do fibers originate?

There are two main sources of fibers used to manufacture industrial sewing thread:

Natural fibers are spun or twisted into yarn from plants or animals. The most popular natural fiber used to manufacture thread is cotton. Additional natural fibers include of hemp, linen, jute, ramie, rayon, silk, and Lyocell®. In general, natural fibers are more variable and impacted by climate change than synthetic fibers. Our cotton fibers are chosen from the finest harvests that are accessible, and we grade them according to factors such as climate, region, plant seed type, and cotton producer repute. We employ two types of cotton fibers: CP (also known as peeler) cotton and SAK (also known as Supima) cotton. Compared to CP fiber, SAK cotton is often of a better grade and yields stronger cotton yarn.

Synthetic fibers are created by melting or wetting several chemicals together to form a continuous filament strand. We choose our synthetic fibers according to their affordability, sustainability, ease of dyeing, sewability, and seam performance. Customers of A&E most often utilize nylon and polyester synthetic fibers. Additional specialized synthetic fibers include of polypropylene, aramids such as Nomex® and Kevlar®, PPS, and PTFE.

(Used under permission from A&E®, DuPontTM, Kevlar®, and Nomex® are registered trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.)

Fiber Form: Staple fibers, continuous filament fibers, or a mix of the two are used to create sewing threads in seven distinct thread structures. The staple fibers are first inserted into a designated thread (such as 29/1) and subsequently into a sewing thread (such as 29/2 or 29/3).

Five different thread architectures are made from continuous filaments: twisted multifilament, monocord, textured, air entangled, and monofilament. The denier system is often used for the sizing of continuous filaments. Compared to threads manufactured from staple fibers, continuous filament threads are often stronger and more uniform.

A continuous filament bundle of fibers is used to create corespun threads, which are then covered with a staple wrapper.

thread production

The seven sewing thread formulas listed below are produced by A&E.

Spun threads are created by spinning staple fibers into a thread, which is then stitched into multiples to create sewing threads. Because of their fibrous surface, spun yarns are smooth and pleasant to the touch. Anything from bulky leather gloves to women's lingerie uses spun threads. Anecoat, Anecoat Plus, Endurance, Excel, Flame-Out, SP, Kevlar, Nomex, and Perma Spun are some of the A&E brands.

flipped picture

Core threads are created by winding a continuous polyester filament around a cotton or polyester staple wrapper. Eventually, thread is formed by twisting two or more of these single strands together. Because of their fibrous surface, core threads offer high lubricating properties.It has a continuous filament core that adds to its exceptional durability and strength. The core threads provide excellent needle heat resistance when cotted with Ton Wrap. The core threads exhibit outstanding color fastness and chemical resistance when covered in a polyester covering. Everything from bulky coveralls and overalls to delicate shirts employs core yarns. Perma Core®, Perma Core® Ultimate, D-Core®, and Design-A-CoreTM are some of the A&E brands.

Textured threads are composed of continuous filaments of nylon or polyester that have been heat-set to guarantee appropriate bulk-holding after they have been textured. Textured threads provide excellent seam flexibility and coverage, soft seams, and are perfect for overedge, chainstitch, and coverstitch operations. Compared to other thread architectures of comparable size, textured threads are often less costly. Tex Kool®, IntimaSoft®, Best Stretch®, and Wildcat Plus® are some of the A&E brands.

Feel

Made from continuous polyester filaments that entangle when run through a high-pressure air jet, these threads are known as air-entangled threads. After that, this thread is twisted, colored, and coiled with lubricant onto cones. Everything from stitching thick denim pants to quilting mattresses uses tangled threads. Magic®, Magic HP®, Signature®, and Signature Plus are among the A&E trademarks.

caught in midair

Monofilament threads are similar to fishing line in that they are composed of a single continuous nylon filament. Transparent and multicolored, monofilament threads are. Monofilament thread is not advised for seams that could be close to the skin since it tends to be stiffer than other filament goods. Monofilament thread is used for blindstitching curtains and clothing, as well as quilting bedspreads and quilts. Clearlon® is one of the A&E brands.

single-stranded

Twisted multifilament thread is created by twisting continuous polyester or nylon strands into a cohesive bundle, which is then plaited to create thread. To give them the appropriate physical properties, they are then heated, colored, and drawn. There are two types of twisted multifilament threads: soft and with extra bonding for better ply protection and abrasion resistance. They offer outstanding durability and abrasion resistance, and they are quite powerful for their size. Everything from car upholstery to boat sails are sewn using these threads. Anefil® and Anefil® DRY are two A&E brands. RA embroidered brands including Super Bright® Polyester, Super Strength® Rayon, and Twister Tweed® are also made with this structure.

tangled rope

Monocord threads are composed of continuous nylon or polyester filaments joined by a bond. They seem to be a single yarn strand because they have very little twist. These threads have a low seam profile and a high degree of abrasion resistance because of the manner they are produced, which gives them a flat, ribbon-like appearance. Because of their size, monocord threads are very robust and are utilized in the production of furniture, shoes, and other heavy-duty products. Among the A&E trademarks are Terrill B®, Anequilt®, Anecord®, and Signature® Plus.

single-cord twist

dyeing yarn

After being created, the yarn is coiled onto dye tubes and sent to one of A&E's several international dye houses to be dyed. The majority of our yarns are pressure-dyed in package dye machines.

To obtain the required shade and color fastness, various kinds of fibers are dyed at different temperatures using different types of dye.

Polyester threads are often colored using high intensity dyes at temperatures as high as 265 °F (129 °C) in order to achieve excellent color fastness.

Nylon threads: to get the right tint, they are often treated with acids or colored dyes.

Depending on the desired color shade and color fastness, natural fibers like rayon and cotton may be dyed using vat, fiber reactive, or direct dyes. Natural fabrics that have been vat-dyed tend to offer the greatest color fastness properties.

A&E employs the same fibers, pigments, chemicals, and formulae to guarantee uniformity in shade replication around the globe.

We do not utilize any of the prohibited compounds on the AAFA prohibited Substance List as part of our sustainability program that is driven by the environment. We have water purification technologies that have won awards, and we have set objectives to minimize both energy and water use.

thread completion

In the thread business, "thread finish" may indicate a few different things. Any further procedure that a thread goes through to alter its initial physical properties is referred to as finishing. Mercerized, glazed, bonded, and anti-wick treatments are a few examples. The term "finish" describes the coating that is given to the thread prior to winding in order to shield it from the heat of the needle and provide the thread with desirable smoothness properties as it travels through the sewing machine.Sing comes from lubricating as well.

Yarns of "soft" spun cotton are treated in a caustic solution under controlled tension as part of an extra procedure that turns them into "mercerized" yarns. The fibers expand as a consequence of this process, increasing their propensity for dye penetration. Cotton threads become stronger and more lustrous after mercerization.

"Soft" cotton threads may also be turned into "glazed" threads by brushing or polishing them to a high gloss after coating them with starch, wax, and other specific chemicals while they are heated under supervision. The end effect is a strong, glossy coating that improves ply protection and shields the thread from abrasion.

A specific resin is applied to multifilament polyester and nylon threads to provide a "bonded" finish, which is an extra step that leaves the thread's surface with a smooth, durable protective covering. The thread's resistance to abrasion and the preservation of the ply during sewing are both greatly increased by this bonding process.

An extra step called "anti-wick" finishing involves treating "soft" threads with certain anti-wick chemicals to strengthen their resistance to water migration.

Typically, during the last winding step, thread finish or lubrication is applied. For optimal sewability, lubricant type and quantity are crucial. In general, less lubricant is needed on the thread the finer the thread size. To improve sewing performance and remove the thread from the needle head, threads that need to pass through thicker, heavier materials will need more thread lubricant.