What is Lubrication:
Before we gain knowledge about how to improve the lubricity of a sewing thread; it is important to have an insight of lubrication. In simple term, Lubrication is a kind of oiling for smooth working. It is helpful to prevent the sewing thread from getting burnt. It minimizes the friction while the needle is in its high speed during the sewing process.
Why there is need of Lubrication:
While the sewing process is on, a needle contains the temperature around 350-degree C. If the thread is lubricated in the right way; it will prevent the thread from breaking down in between the process. The best lubricant is always preferable for the sewing thread. Nowadays; silicone lubricant is in the demand to have a good quality of lubrication.
Kinds of oiling:
There have been two ways to lubricate the sewing thread.
- Impregnation method
- Contact method
Under Impregnation method, the following are the two types of Lubricating oil.
- Cationic hydroxyl silicone oil emulsion which can be stated as water emulsion.
- Silicone Wax Water emulsion
Have knowledge about types of lube oil additives under Contact method
- Silicone Oil (line Oil)
- 201 Methyl Silicone Oil
- Silicone Wax Emulsion (anhydrous)
Performance of Wax and Oil Lubricant
Silicone wax is considered to be a good lubricant product. It retains itself on the sewing thread for a longer duration. While lubricating the thread it is important to check the retaining capacity as the sewing thread is having such structure that it observes the oil. In this case, the motive of lubrication is not fulfilled. In order to get it lubricated, manufacturers need to check the lubrication of the line. It can be done by improving oil loading rate. It has been observed that the usage of Silicone wax is better than the usage of Silicone Oil. It is a fact that the cost gets increased but it is all about providing good quality. Using an oil-based lubricant has another disadvantage that there will be a lot of oil on the line and it leads to more workload of cleaning the line. Wax, being a solid substance; stays on the sewing thread. The sewing thread should be lubricated in such a way that the oil should not penetrate into it or it should not flow over it. Otherwise, there are chances of getting damaged while ironing or embroidering a pattern. The lubricants of Silicone wax are a mixture of silicone wax and oil so it allows the thread to get lubricated without getting too much oily. It stays on the surface to provide smooth movement for the thread as the needle moves very fast in the sewing machine.
Kinds of wax and the Usage
When it comes to lubrication, wax can be used in several ways; as per the requirements. It can be used as an antistatic agent, softening agent, and many more. The combination of silicone and wax has a great impact on the sewing thread. As we have gained the knowledge in the beginning that the sewing thread moves at the speed ranging from 5,000 needles/minute to 9,000 needles/minute. At this speed, it acquires the high intensity of temperature which is not suitable for wax. It carbonizes and gets melted. It may get choked in the pinhole causing obstacles in the movements. When silicone is combined with oil, it can resist the high temperature and holds the wax from getting choked in the pinholes. It becomes the priority to maintain the consistency of the sewing thread. Proper lubrication of thread can assist to reach up to the speed of 7,000 needles/minutes.
Combination of silicone oil and white oil:
When it is important to increase the lubricity of the sewing thread, at the same time it is equally important to enhance the other properties of the thread. A sewing thread is used to stitch different kinds of cloth materials. Sometimes it is leather, silk or cotton. The lubrication varies with the material for which we have used the thread. Wax is good for the lubrication but it is effective only if it is used inaccurate quantity along with suitable combination. White oil carries the properties of wax. The wax alone can’t be used directly. There are a few products like a wax ring and on-line oil. When a small amount of silicone oil gets combined with a large amount of white oil, then one can have a result called on-line oil. The thread is not a single strand.it is a twist of many such strands together. It can stay in a binding position by lubricating it properly.
Conclusion:
With this, we can conclude that a sewing thread can be lubricated in different ways according to the requirements and it is done by silicone wax water emulsion under the impregnation. Contact method can also be used. Some of the products can be heated or they don’t need to be heated before they are used. Usage of wax with the required combination is better than oil lubrication. We hope that this article has given a brief knowledge about the lubrication and its usage. We are looking forward to your valuable feedback.