garment dyeing
TRANSCRIPT
Service & TechnikInformationen for the sewing industry
Garment dyeingSewing thread and sewing recommendations
Some call it garment dyeing, others speak of PPT (Pronto per Tinta),others PAT (Pret a Teindre) or RFD (Ready for Dyeing) – but they areall talking about the same thing: They speak of garments that aresewn "raw" and dyed after sewing. They are usually made of natu-ral fibres, for the most part cotton, and for specific applicationspolyamide as well. Garment dyeing is currently very fashionable;not very many collections do without it, especially for trousers. Itsunmistakable look and its matchless character are much valued. Atthe same time, garment dyeing allows high level of flexibility regar-ding colours, with great advantages in logistics, materials manage-ment, and supply.
From a production point of view, garment dyeing is very challen-ging. The change in conventional work processes has consequen-ces for sewing: materials and accessories that are used are changing and thus also reliable processing and quality indicators,therefore production parameters must adapt. Raw materials usedfor garment dyeing have usually received some finishing (for exam-ple: desizing, singeing, or sanforizing) to prepare them for the subsequent dyeing processes and to facilitate sewing. All theaccessories like sewing threads, zippers, pocket linings, labels,rivets, etc. must be suitable for the special requirements of the subsequent dyeing process and finishing. Each accessory's suita-bility must be tested in detail. Will the label be readable afterdyeing? Will the zipper tape take up the colour? Will the rivets survive dyeing without any unwanted colour changes? ... Theseissues must be clarified in prior tests, because the dyeing and finishing conditions are often not actually known and they can onlybe evaluated in practical tests.
Sewing threads for garment dyeingWith regard to the sewing thread, special considerations arenecessary to keep the quality of the seam at the usual standard. Thequestion of which will be the right thread for garment dyeing can-not be easily answered. There are different options – each with itsown advantages and disadvantages. These should be known indetail to be able to choose the right sewing thread concept for aspecific application. The detailed information contained in thisAMANN S+T brochure will make this decision much easier.
The standard sewing thread concept for a “normal” production utilising polyester sewing threads does not make much sense forgarment dyeing – unless you are prepared to determine the colourof the sewing thread way in advance. Then what is done is you sewnatural white material to be dyed in red later with a red sewing thread, for example. Then, the seams and the sewing features willbe of the usual quality, but the flexibility as regards colour, and thusthe actual advantage of garment dyeing is lost. For some producerswith an awareness for quality, this can be the right way to go espe-cially if the batches to dye are small and produced sporadically, asis the fashion, and therefore it is really not worth looking for betteralternatives. For all other producers, however, this solution is notvery reasonable.
So, they will be looking for alternatives: Sewing threads with gooddyeing properties in connection to the material. An obvious solutionhere is the cotton thread range. But Lyocell and polyamide sewingthreads are an option too. AMANN maintains all three product ranges and has developed other solutions in addition to standardcotton threads, for the benefit of improved seam quality. Manythings are happening in this sector – well-known standards andpossible concepts are presented in the following.
Garment dyeing – Sewing thread and sewing recommendations
Garment dyed trousers – trendy season after season
Service &Technik2
Cotton threadsThe use of cotton threads has been the usual standard for garmentdyeing so far. When cotton materials are sewn with cotton threads,then the later dyeing process is no problem. AMANN offers the following cotton threads for garment dyeing:
MERCIFIL 12
CORNETA 24/2
MERCIFIL 40
MERCIFIL 50
When choosing the suitable count, the ticket number system mustbe taken into consideration too. The count of a MERCIFIL 50 threadcannot be compared with the count of a SABAC 50 or RASANT 50thread. With cotton threads, the ticket number is usually stated inNeB (Number English Baumwolle (= Cotton). The following tableshows how the ticket numbers of AMANN cotton threads translateinto the usual ticket numbers in the industry. It also states the appro-priate colour numbers.
The cotton threads used for garment dyeing are usually not naturalundyed cotton, because depending on their origin the actual colourcan differ, sometimes they are yellowish-grey. At least with lightercolours, for example pastel tones, this can have an influence on thedyeing results. Therefore, the cotton threads are usually dyed in astandardised natural tone (colour number 3000). To avoid any con-fusion – natural coloured polyester threads should by no means beused mistakenly because the seams would remain natural whiteafter dyeing – we recommend using coloured cotton threads for thisspecial purpose. AMANN has developed the special-purposecolour 6231 – an uncommon light green. Practice has proven thatthis is a safe method to prevent confusions. This colour washes outat the beginning of the dyeing process so as to not impair thedyeing in the required colour tone for the article.
The use of cotton threads in garment dyeing seems so simple andnatural that an associated drop off in seam quality is often undere-stimated or overlooked. In fact, important quality factors like tensi-le strength, abrasion resistance, and elongation of cotton threadsarea incomparable to industry-standard polyester corespun threads! The diagrams 1, 2 and 3 demonstrate at a glance the extreme differences in quality.
Comparison in tensile strength
This noticeably lower tensile strength has a direct effect on the seambreaking strength, which is reduced: this is a problem for all seamsthat are exposed to greater stress, such as the back seams on trousers. In some cases, seam breaking strength can be reduced to a level where a seam will even break by manual force.
AMANN cotton threads for garment dyeing – an overview of ticket numbers
Ticket number Count Count Ticket number Colour numberAMANN (Nm) (dtex) commonly usedcotton threads in the industry
MERCIFIL 50 53/2 189 x 2 Between No. 80 and No. 100 3000 or 6231
MERCIFIL 40 43/2 233 x 2 No. 80 3000 or 6231
CORNETA 24/2 26/2 385 x 2 No. 35 3000 or 6231
MERCIFIL 12 25/3 395 x 3 No. 25 0001
Translation of cotton thread ticket numbers into ticket numbers common in the industry, plusAMANN colour numbers for garment dyeing.
MERCIFIL CORNETA MERCIFIL MERCIFIL12 24/2 40 50
CORNETA 24/2 in special colour 6231 that washes out – never a cause for confusion.
Diagram 1 – Comparison of linear tensile strength: Cotton thread MERCIFIL or CORNETA / PES-
corespun thread SABAC (Test in accordance with DIN EN ISO 2062)
Tens
ile s
treng
th (c
N)
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0CORNETA
24/2SABAC 35 MERCIFIL
40SABAC 80
3
Comparison in abrasion resistance
Special attention should be paid to this abrasion resistance com-parison. A low cotton thread abrasion resistance is the biggest problem regarding seams in the garment dyeing industry. First themechanical stress during the sewing process and then during thedyeing and finishing processes and lastly the normal wear and tearon the garment – this is really hard on cotton threads. Worn out andopen seams, especially at heavily exposed areas, is the result.
Comparison in elasticity
The significantly lower elasticity of cotton threads compared topolyester threads has a noticeable influence on their sewing cha-racteristics and seam elasticity. In today's production environments– sometimes fully automated with high sewing speeds – the use ofcotton threads is difficult. Concretely, this means a large number ofthread breaks if the machines have not been set correctly. Absolu-tely critical is the use of cotton threads on multidirectional automa-ted machines, for example to sew on back pockets on trousers, oron very old sewing machines that work with extremely high threadtensions. So, if the problem of sewing cotton threads has been solved, the next problem is low elasticity. Dyed parts of garmentssewn with cotton threads show an extremely low seam elasticity atall seams – which is a problem, when the material itself is elastic.The results are broken seams under slight stress when worn.
The quality-relevant differences are increased by dyeing and finis-hing process stress. While polyester sewing threads survive thedyeing process almost unharmed, cotton threads are additionallydamaged by each individual process. Depending on the dyeingconditions, the drop off in quality is sometimes significant. It is notsurprising that dyed garment parts often show damaged ordestroyed seams, even when brand new. A large portion of secondquality goods, many complaints, and the resulting loss of reputati-on are a logical consequence.
To keep the difference in quality as low as possible, coarser thanusual threads should be chosen when determining the sewing thre-ad concept. The size concept must be worked out individually,depending on the product group, the seam concept (seam type andstitch type), and the stress, to which the thread is exposed duringthe dyeing and finishing processes. The following table offers someorientation here.
Frequent quality problem areas in garment dyeing: Fraying seams at heavily exposed areas
such as ornamental seams on back pockets or bobbin thread loops at trouser waist bands.
Diagram 3 – Comparison of elongation at break: Cotton thread MERCIFIL 40 / PES core-
spun thread SABAC 80 (Test in accordance with DIN EN ISO 2062)
Elon
gatio
n at
bre
ak (%
)
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0MERCIFIL 40 SABAC 80
Service &Technik
Diagram 2 – Comparison in abrasion resistance: Cotton thread CORNETA 24/2 PES-
corespun thread SABAC 35 (Abrasion test with Martindale tester on dyed seams)
Abr
asio
n re
sist
ance
(Tou
ren)
45.000
40.000
35.000
30.000
25.000
20.000
15.000
10.000
5.000
0CORNETA 24/2 SABAC 35
4
Lyocell sewing threads An alternative for garment dyeing processes, which has been underdiscussion for years, is the use of Lyocell sewing threads. This rawmaterial is similar to cotton, and therefore a good alternative. Lyocell is a cellulose chemically developed fibre and thus has thesame beneficial dyeing properties as cotton.
A possible size concept with multifilament threads made of Lyocell-- developed and tested at the AMANN R&D department – is thefollowing:
LYOCELL 20 – for ornamental seams and topstitching seams
LYOCELL 40 – for closing and joining seams
For edge-finishing, we recommend staying with MERCIFIL 50.
Comparing the Lyocell concept with the standard cotton conceptmakes it easy to assess this solution:
AMANN development project: Lyocell threads for garment dyeing; an overview of possible
thread sizes.
MERCIFIL 50
LYOCELL 40
LYOCELL 20
One option for this sewing thread concept worth considering is theuse of cotton-polyester corespun threads for all closing and joiningseams that are not visible. The use of RASANT (in the colour 0003)would be extremely beneficial for seam quality. Tensile strength,abrasion resistance, and elongation of closing and holding seamswould be of the same high quality. However, the dyeing resultswould be rather imperfect:
The polyester core of corespun thread does not take up dye; this iswhy the seam is tinged with grey if cotton corespun threads areused in garment dyeing processes. Every producer must decide ifsuch a seam look is acceptable for inside seams in favour of opti-mal durability. Considering the quality problems when using purecotton threads, this option should not be opted out too quickly.
Product group Sewing thread concept
Closing seams Topstitching Edge-finishingseams**
Trousers, skirts, MERCIFIL 40* Lock stitch: MERCIFIL 40 or 50 jackets (stitch type 301) for finer materials
MERCIFIL 12CORNETA 24/2 (Needle thread)
MERCIFIL 40 (Bobbin thread)
Shirts, blouses, MERCIFIL 40 or 50 MERCIFIL 40 or 50 MERCIFIL 50 dresses for finer materials
T-Shirts MERCIFIL 50 MERCIFIL 50 MERCIFIL 50
* For closing seams exposed to greater stress, we urgently (!) recommend an additional top-stitching seam to ensure a sufficient cross-resistance of the seam.
** Chose the thread with the best decorative effect.
Size recommendations for garment dyeing, for sewing with cotton threads
Seams tinged with grey due to the polyester core of cotton corespun threads
5
Comparison in stability
Lyocell is known for its high stability when compared to other cellulose fibres such as viscose, modal, cupro, or the natural fibrecotton. In the industry, this feature is often the main argument infavour for the use of Lyocell for garment dyeing sewing threads.However, as shown in Diagram 4, this Lyocell fibre advantage is notreflected in the seam: The stability of Lyocell thread seams is atabout the same low level as cotton thread seams. This is due to theLyocell’s comparably low wet strength. The strength of Lyocell andcotton wet is at about the same level. At the same time, Lyocell hasa tendency to fibrillation when wet. This property is often used toadvantage in the designing of fabrics, for example to produce a“fuzzy” effect. However, for sewing threads, this fibrillation has anadverse effect since it reduces the stability of a seam.
Comparison in abrasion resistance
Wetness and mechanical stress during the dyeing process are killers for seams made with Lyocell threads. Therefore, the abrasionresistance of cotton and Lyocell seams is at the same low level. Basically, seams damaged by worn out stitches at all exposedseams cannot be prevented.
Service &Technik
Seam
abr
asio
n re
sist
ance
(Tou
rs)
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0LYOCELL 20 CORNETA 24/2
Diagram 5 – Comparison in abrasion resistance: LYOCELL 20 / cotton thread CORNETA
24/2 (abrasion test with dyed seams using Martindale tester)
6
Diagram 4 – Comparison in seam breaking strength: LYOCELL 40 / cotton thread MERCIFIL 40
(Test with dyed material in accordance with DIN 53 857)
Seem
bre
akin
g st
reng
th (d
aN)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0LYOCELL 40 MERCIFIL 40
Polyamide sewing threadsOpting for polyamide sewing threads in garment dyeing is lessobvious but possible, for a good reason. The PA type 6 (not 6.6 as in common PA sewing threads like SRONGFIL/ONYX) allows fora feasible dyeing concept. This solution affords more effort in thedyeing process, but offers considerable benefits in seam quality.AMANN has developed the following multifilament threads andbulk yarns of polyamide 6 for use in garment dyeing:
GARMENT DYEING 20
GARMENT DYEING 30
GARMENT DYEING 60
GARMENT DYEING 120
PA BAUSCHGARN SGD 120
The wide range of ticket numbers and the additional bulk yarn qua-lity allow use in a very broad range of applications: Aside from tra-ditional garment dyeing, the threads GARMENT DYEING 120 andPA BAUSCHGARN SGD 120 can also be used for pre-dyed under-wear and medical textiles. The following pictures show real-lifeexamples:
Comparison in elasticity
The greater elongation of Lyocell sewing threads compared to cotton is beneficial under various aspects: It makes for an impro-ved sewability, greater seam elasticity, and to some extent moreeven seams. With an elongation at approx. 12%, Lyocell sewingthreads are almost comparable to standard polyester sewing thre-ads. They can balance tension peaks during sewing much better,and this is why threads won't break as often. Seams of Lyocell fea-ture a greater elongation reserve under stress in a lengthwisedirection. Seam breaks occur less frequently. Moreover, practicehas shown that the balanced stress-strain ratio and the thinnercross-section of Lyocell threads compared to cotton threads redu-ces the risk of pucker.
This comparison qualifies the much-discussed advantages of Lyocell over cotton, and identifies the actual strong points of thisconcept, which are mainly based on its greater elongation characteristic.
When compared to the polyester threads commonly used in theindustry, the extreme differences in quality become very distinct.Stability and abrasion resistance are way below the normal level,so seam quality is just as low. And this is additionally influenced bythe dyeing process. Unfavourable conditions here can lead to anextreme reduction of the already low seam quality.
The size concept for the use of Lyocell sewing threads can be deri-ved from the recommendations for cotton sewing threads (Table onpage 5). With Lyocell, too, one should try and compensate the lowstability values by choosing thicker threads.
Elon
gatio
n at
bre
ak (%
)
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0LYOCELL 40 MERCIFIL 40
Diagramm 6 – Comparison in elongation at break: LYOCELL 40 / cotton thread MERCIFIL 40
(test in accordance with DIN EN ISO 2062)
PA BAUSCH- GARMENT GARMENT GARMENT GARMENTGARN DYEING 120 DYEING 60 DYEING 30 DYEING 20
SGD 120
Pre-dyed jeans -- sewing thread concept:
Topstitched seams: GARMENT DYEING 20 (Needle thread)
GARMENT DYEING 60 (Bobbin thread)
Closing seams: GARMENT DYEING 60 (Needle and bobbin thread)
Edge-finishing: GARMENT DYEING 120 (Needle and bobbin thread)
7
AMANN polyamide threads for garment dyeing – an overview of ticket numbers
The decisive advantage of the polyamide concept is its high seamquality. All the quality problems that occur when using Lyocell orcotton threads are of no significance here. Seam stability, seam ela-sticity, and seam abrasion resistance are at an average good level– exceeding it even with regard to abrasion resistance. Damagedseams due to seam breaks or worn out stitches are not possible.
The price to be paid for this kind of quality is a more complicateddyeing process. Because the standard dyeing processes for cottonwill not suffice to thoroughly dye polyamide threads. The followingpictures show seams, where the special requirements for dyeing PA were taken into consideration.
Often, when producers try out the PA concept results are as shownin the pictures, since the required adjustments in the dyeing proces-ses were not implemented – at least not properly. By taking a lookat industry practice the causes are quickly understood: Usuallydyeing is done in distant countries, in large quantities, and in manydifferent dye houses. If you know production conditions there, youwill know how hard it is to implement new standards and require-ments for new dyeing methods.
To ensure a perfect dyeing result with PA sewing threads, the dyeingmethod must be extended. An acid dyeing processing step forpolyamide must be added to the reactive dyeing method used forcotton. The following diagram shows an example for a suitabledyeing method. When comparing it with the standard cottondyeing method, the differences become clear at once.
If you are willing to invest into this additional dyeing step, the resultwill be perfect. A basic condition for a successful realisation is aclose cooperation of all the parties involved: Producer, AMANN,dyestuff producer and dye house must work out a solution together!For the best possible dye formulas and methods, rely on the dyestuffproducers' experience.
Service &Technik8
Dyeing method with/without dyeing of the PA-thread
Dyeing method for garment dyeing: Standard cotton dyeing and standard cotton dyeing
with additional dyeing of the PA sewing thread; Source: Bezema
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260
Time Min.
Reactive dyeing with
BEZAKTIV S
Reactive dyeing with
BEZAKTIV S
Rinsing with
interim cleaning
Acid dyeing with
BEMAPLEX
A B C 45 Min.
Tem
p. °
C
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Rinsing with
soaping process
with dyeing
without dyeing
D 15 Min.
D
E F
20 Min.
Unsatisfactory seam quality: PA sewing threads dyed in standard cotton dyeing process
Sewing recommendationsAssuming cotton threads to be the standard sewing threads ingarment dyeing, their selection and adhering to production para-meters are of utmost importance. Firstly sewing conditions must beadjusted to the special sewing properties of cotton threads, andsecondly critical seam quality must be optimized as far as possi-ble. The following overview shows the most important recommen-dations.
Stitch densityThe stitch density has a direct influence on the cross-resistance andseam elasticity, the weak points of garment dyeing. Seams that willbe subjected to a high level of wear and tear should therefore besewn with a higher stitch density than usual. Exact parameters mustbe determined for each sewing operation (seam and stitch type)individually.
For finishing the cut edges, a minimum stitch density of 4 stitches/cmis required to prevent fraying during the dyeing and finishing processes.
Thread tensionThe correct thread tension is the key for ensuring even seams and asatisfactory seam stability and elasticity. It should be as low as possible to achieve the proper thread distribution from needle and bobbin thread.
Stitch and seam typeNot every stitch type or every seam type is suited for every sewingoperation. With respect to the seam breaking strength, the simplelock stitch closing seam or a double chainstitch is the weakest solution. Depending on the sewing thread concept and sewingoperation, this sewing method should not always be applied. Forexample, when using MERCIFIL 40 for needle and bobbin thread toclose a back seam on trousers, this simple closing seam is absolu-tely unsuitable. Here, it is necessary to add a topstitched seam toincrease the seam breaking strength to the required level. In gene-ral, a topstitched seam significantly improves the seam breakingstrength. 2-needle-topstitching or sewing operations, especiallyfelled seams, are beneficial for seam breaking strength, but at thesame time aggravate the problem of seam pucker.
Experience in practice has shown that double chainstitching is moresusceptible to stress in the dyeing and finishing processes than double lock stitching. Since the looping of needle and bobbin thread occurs outside the material plies, the looping points of double chainstitching, especially the pointed loops visible on theunderside of the material, are more susceptible to damage. Thisbehaviour must be given special consideration when determiningthe waist band seam on jeans, which in general is a very criticalseam with respect to abrasion. The waist band seam in pre-dyedgarments should not be sewn with double chainstitching.
9
Under the aspect of seam elasticity, however, double chain-stitching is to be favoured. The greater thread reserve provides a better seam elasticity. Lockstitching cannot provide sufficientseam elasticity required for the processing of elastic materials, noteven with a sufficiently high stitch density and low thread tension.
For a proper inside workmanship of a garment piece, we recom-mend using seam types such as felled seams, cased seams or boundseams.
The various advantages and disadvantages of the various stitchand seam types prove once again how carefully and individuallythey must be determined for each sewing operation.
Choosing the needleFor the AMANN cotton threads we recommend using the followingneedle sizes:
MERCIFIL 12 Needle size Nm 110-130
CORNETA 24/2 Needle size Nm 100-130
MERCIFIL 40 Needle size Nm 80-90
MERCIFIL 50 Needle size Nm 70-80
The precise adjustment and selection of the suitable needle pointmust be done keeping the material and the sewing operation inmind. To avoid fabric damage by needle penetration – a commonproblem in garment dyeing – the needle should always be as fineas possible. It has proven beneficial even to use rounded needlepoints (FFG or SES) for delicate materials.
Above sewing recommendations also apply for the use of Lyocellthreads. It is just as important for these to improve the seam qualityby choosing the best suited sewing parameters. Polyamide sewingthreads, of course, are different: For these, you can use your standard sewing parameters. There is no need to adjust the sewingconditions for reasons of quality. Only their greater elongation,compared to standard polyester sewing threads, can to someextent require an adjustment of thread tension.
Which sewing thread concept is the right one for garment dyeing? Cotton, Lyocell, or polyamide – which raw material provides the best conditions? Which are the advantages or disadvantages of the individual solutions? To answer these questions it is necessary to have all theinformation and arguments available. Here are the most important decision factors at a glance:
Standards and alternatives: Raw material and size concepts
You will find all of these alternatives in practice. Besides the standard concept, mainly alternatives 1 and 2 are discussed. Alternative 4 is amodification of the standard concept with an improved seam quality for closing seams. Alternative 3 is based on the common polyester con-cept. This solution is unusual at first glance, but still useful for some producers of high-quality goods.
Standards and alternatives in comparison: Technical Data
At a glance: Sewing threads for garment dyeing
Standard Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Alternative 4
Raw material/ Cotton spun Lyocell Polyamide 6 Polyester Combination of alternative1 +construction thread multifilament threads multifilament threads corespun thread cotton polyester corespun thread
Closing and MERCIFIL 40 LYOCELL 40 GARMENT DYEING SABAC 80, RASANT 75 or 120joining seams and 60 100 or 120bobbin threads for GARMENT DYEINGtopstitching seams 120 (underwear)
Ornamental and CORNETA LYOCELL 20 GARMENT DYEING SABAC 25, CORNETA 24/2 topstitching seams 24/2 20 or 30 30, 35 or 50 MERCIFIL12 (Needle thread) MERCIFIL 12
Edge-finishing MERCIFIL 50 MERCIFIL 50 GARMENT DYEING SABAC 80, 100, RASANT 75 or 120120 120 or 150
PA-BAUSCHGARN SABATEXSGD 120 (underwear) 120
Service &Technik10
Ticket numbers for topstitching seams (needle thread)
MERCIFIL 12 CORNETA 24/2 LYOCELL 20 GARMENT GARMENT SABAC 35DYEING 20 DYEING 30
Count [dtex]* 395x3 377x2 513x2 601x3 338x3 411x2
Maximum tensile 3900 2100 3300 6600 4550 4100strength [cN]*
Elongation at Break 8 7,5 12,8 66 57 18[%]*
* Mean values of one production year
Ticket numbers for joining and overlock seams
MERCIFIL 40 MERCIFIL 50 LYOCELL 40 GARMENT GARMENT BAUSCH- SABAC 80 RASANTDYEING 60 DYEING 120 GARN PA 75
SGD 120
Count [dtex]* 230x2 189x2 165x3 268x2 134x2 182x1 222x2 214x2
Maximum tensile 1300 1100 1400 2000 1100 700 2050 1900strength [cN]*
Elongation at Break 6,5 7 11,5 43 43 34 18 21[%]*
* Mean values of one production year
Standards and alternatives incomparison: Important parameters for evaluationAn analysis of complaints received pertaining to garment dyeingreveals weaknesses: Seam stability and seam abrasion resistan-ce are the most common issues here. In addition, the thread's elon-gation at break is decisive when evaluating the quality, since itinfluences the sewability and seam elasticity. For consumers, themost important factor is the look of a seam: Irrespective of thesewing thread concept, the seam must look good – therefore thiscomparison.
Seam breaking strength
Seams made with SABAC 80 and GARMENT DYEING 60 featuremuch better seam stability than cotton or Lyocell thread seams.And, depending on the dyeing conditions, the results for MERCIFILand LYOCELL can even be less favourable in practice, so that the difference to the usual quality is even greater.
Seam abrasion resistance
The results of the cotton and Lyocell tests show the significant weakpoints of these sewing thread concepts. The seam abrasion resi-stance is extremely low. In practice this leads to worn out seams,frequently visible on new products or even a shortly after first use.In comparison, the polyamide concept features an outstandingabrasion resistance. It guarantees an optimal seam quality evenunder extreme use.
Test of dyed goods in accordance with EN ISO 13935
Seem
bre
akin
g st
reng
th (d
AN
)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0SABAC
80RASANT
75MERCIFIL
40LYOCELL
40GARMENTDYEING 60
Abrasion test with dyed seams using the Martindale tester
Seam
abr
asio
n re
sist
ance
(Tou
rs)
60.000
50.000
40.000
30.000
20.000
10.000
0SABAC
35CORNETA
24/2LYOCELL
20GARMENTDYEING 30
Elongation at break
The low elongation inherent to cotton threads is problematic forsewability and has a strong adverse effect on seam elasticity. Inpractice, this causes a high thread break rate and seam breaks atlow stress in the lengthwise direction and this despite carefully set-ting the sewing machines. All the other concepts are clearly betterhere. The high elongation of the polyamide thread provides anextremely good seam elasticity, which makes sense for all elasticgarment pre-dyed parts. In production, high elongation requires aprecise thread tension adjustment.
Look of the seam
An optimal look, meaning perfect matching of sewing thread andmaterial, is possible with any of these concepts. Only the methodsof getting there differ.
Sewing thread test in accordance with ISO 2062
Elon
gatio
n at
bre
ak (%
)
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0SABAC
80RASANT
75GARMENTDYEING 60
MERCIFIL40
LYOCELL40
Cotton concept Lyocell concept Polyamide concept PES concept
Perfect dyeing Perfect dyeing Perfect dyeing Perfect look
with standard with standard with adapted with adjusted
cotton dyeing cotton dyeing dyeing method cotton dyeing
11
Stan
dard
Alte
rnat
ive
1A
ltern
ativ
e 2
Alte
rnat
ive
3A
ltern
ativ
e 4
CO
TTO
NLY
OC
ELL
POLY
AM
IDE
POLY
ESTE
RC
OTT
ON
/CO
TTO
N-P
OLY
ESTE
R
AD
VAN
TAG
ESEa
sy d
yein
gEa
sy d
yein
gBe
st p
ossib
le se
am q
ualit
yBe
st p
ossib
le se
am q
ualit
yPe
rfect
seam
qua
lity
for a
ll in
side
·1
dye
bath
·1
dye
bath
·H
ighe
st a
bras
ion
resis
tanc
e·
Hig
hest
abr
asio
n re
sista
nce
clos
ing
and
join
ging
seam
s·
mat
chin
g dy
eing
resu
lts fo
r·
usua
lly m
atch
ing
dyei
ng re
sults
·M
axim
um se
am b
reak
ing
·M
axim
um se
am b
reak
ing
·H
igh
abra
sion
resis
tanc
em
ater
ial a
nd se
win
g th
read
for m
ater
ial a
nd se
win
g th
read
stre
ngth
stre
ngth
·H
igh
seam
bre
akin
g st
reng
th·
low
cos
ts·
low
cos
ts·
Exce
llent
seam
ela
stici
ty·
Goo
d se
am e
last
icity
·G
ood
seam
ela
stic
ity·
Goo
d lo
ok o
f the
seam
and
·
Goo
d lo
ok o
f the
seam
with
·Be
st c
ondi
tions
for p
reve
ntin
gG
ood
sew
abili
tygo
od d
yein
g re
sult
corre
ct c
olou
r sew
ing
thre
adse
am p
ucke
r·
Best
con
ditio
ns fo
r pre
vent
ing
Goo
d co
nditi
ons f
or p
reve
ntin
gse
am p
ucke
rse
am p
ucke
rPe
rfect
sew
abili
ty
DIS
AD
VAN
TAG
ESEx
trem
ely
low
seam
qua
lity
Extre
mel
y lo
w se
am q
ualit
yG
reat
er e
xpen
se fo
r dye
ing
Adva
ntag
e of
flex
ibili
ty in
Al
l ins
ide
seam
s tin
ged
with
gre
y·
Low
abr
asio
n re
sista
nce
of se
am·
Low
wet
stab
ility
·D
yein
g m
etho
d m
ust b
e ad
apte
dde
term
inin
g th
e co
lour
is lo
st;
·Lo
w se
am b
reak
ing
stre
ngth
·Lo
w a
bras
ion
resis
tanc
e of
seam
to p
olya
mid
e 6
the
colo
ur m
ust b
e ch
osen
prio
r ·
Low
seam
ela
stic
ity·
Low
seam
bre
akin
g st
reng
th·
Addi
ng th
e st
ep o
f aci
d dy
eing
to p
rodu
ctio
n·
Tend
ency
to d
evel
op se
am p
ucke
rto
the
stan
dard
dye
ing
met
hod
Risk
of s
eam
dam
age
·H
ighe
r cos
tsLo
gist
ic a
dvan
tage
of g
arm
ent
Mul
ti-th
read
con
cept
Risk
of s
eam
dam
age
Hig
hest
risk
of c
ompl
aint
sdy
eing
is lo
stLo
w a
bras
ion
resis
tanc
e at
all
Hig
hest
risk
of c
ompl
aint
sM
ore
time-
cons
umin
gto
pstit
chin
g se
ams (
need
le th
read
)H
ighe
r cos
tsRe
alisa
tion
is on
ly p
ossib
le w
hen
Insid
e lo
ok n
ot p
erfe
ctw
orki
ng c
lose
ly to
geth
er w
ith
dyes
tuff
prod
ucer
s and
dye
hou
ses
Hig
h ris
k of
com
plai
nts
(dam
aged
tops
titch
ing
seam
s)
Service &Technik
Stan
dard
s and
alte
rnat
ives
: Adv
anta
ges a
nd d
isadv
anta
ges
12
Service &Technik
101971GB02000046
Amann & Söhne GmbH & Co. KG
Hauptstraße 1D-74 357 Bönnigheim Phone +49 (0) 71 43/277-250 Fax +49 (0) 71 43/[email protected]
All facts and figures are intended exclusively for your information
All recommendations presuppose adjustment of the sewing conditions to the appropriate sewing fabric.