My CNC Embroidery Machine

[Khalid Khattak]

It was my objective for this year to make a computer control embroidery machine, and almost on software side i have 100% success... The rest is interfacing the hardware with a Normal low-cost sewing machine, that is a piece of Cake for me...

Actually, Anybody who knows embroidery, knows that the software used for embroidery stuff is not producing Gcode like we are using for our CNC MAchines..Each vendor has specialised embroidery formates and they are very hard coded (I know well)...
The Following are the few Formates that Embroidery machine uses..
Brother *.pes
Tajima *.dst
Viking *.hus
Melco *.exp etc

Okay, so what i did is made a software (I am a Visual Basic Programmer) that generate a Gcode not only for embroidery but also for Quilting machines... and By Embroidery means a real embroidery Gcode including all types of stitches a commercial embroidery machine can make......

The following images represents a sample of the Lady in Sophiesew program...I exported in DST format..and generated Gcode... The output is Perfect in NCPLOT...

Now we can say that we are able to perform embroidery work with our Mach3 /EMC/Kcam controlled CNC...

For setails about the efforts i have made you can see the thread at CNCZone..This thread is almost 0ne year Old, but the last couple of weeks were very productive... Read from Page No.12 upto page No. 13 and you will see How close we are for a very very low cost CNC Embroidery Machine..
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57404&page=12

[Guy Mathews]

It was my objective for this year to make a computer control embroidery machine, and almost on software side i have 100% success... The rest is interfacing the hardware with a Normal low-cost sewing machine, that is a piece of Cake for me...

Actually, Anybody who knows embroidery, knows that the software used for embroidery stuff is not producing Gcode like we are using for our CNC MAchines..Each vendor has specialised embroidery formates and they are very hard coded (I know well)...
The Following are the few Formates that Embroidery machine uses..
Brother *.pes
Tajima *.dst
Viking *.hus
Melco *.exp etc

Okay, so what i did is made a software (I am a Visual Basic Programmer) that generate a Gcode not only for embroidery but also for Quilting machines... and By Embroidery means a real embroidery Gcode including all types of stitches a commercial embroidery machine can make......

The following images represents a sample of the Lady in Sophiesew program...I exported in DST format..and generated Gcode... The output is Perfect in NCPLOT...

Now we can say that we are able to perform embroidery work with our Mach3 /EMC/Kcam controlled CNC...

For setails about the efforts i have made you can see the thread at CNCZone..This thread is almost 0ne year Old, but the last couple of weeks were very productive... Read from Page No.12 upto page No. 13 and you will see How close we are for a very very low cost CNC Embroidery Machine..
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57404&page=12

Khalid,I

INCREDIBLE! You are the man Khalid!!!! You never stop amazing me. Thanks for sharing this.

Guy

[Michael Schwartz]

keep up the good work

[Khalid Khattak]

Thanks Guy and Mike..
Soon I will show you the Practical stuff.... I will start constructing the Frame for Embroidery Machine by the coming weekend... And belive me , I can't see anything that can hinder us to a full fledge low-cost solution for industrial embroidery...

The Professional machines comes with smaller Hoops and You have a design size Limitations , but in our case we can make a design as long as we can ... Offcourse the width is restricted to 9" Arm of Machine...:D

Thanks for comments.:)

[Guy Mathews]

Thanks Guy and Mike..
Soon I will show you the Practical stuff.... I will start constructing the Frame for Embroidery Machine by the coming weekend... And belive me , I can't see anything that can hinder us to a full fledge low-cost solution for industrial embroidery...

The Professional machines comes with smaller Hoops and You have a design size Limitations , but in our case we can make a design as long as we can ... Offcourse the width is restricted to 9" Arm of Machine...:D

Thanks for comments.:)

Khalid,

That 9 inch arm houses a shaft that connects to the drive mechanism for the sewing needle iteself. Why not cut the housing and extend the shaft?

Guy

[Khalid Khattak]

Its in my Future Plan..But , How you read my mind:D... I will soon Join a mechanic of these simple Machines and will see How can we cut and extend...
The Arm and the Base of Machine is connected through shafts and Bobbin is Sync. with the Needle... We have to precisely cut and extend each part to make the whole machine Functional... I am also thinking of adding a stepper motor on the wheel..It will help us avoiding lot of hassles with photo transistors and a DC motor...

I will see if the Stepper can give a good turn (High RPM) to the machine, and if the RPM is stable without loosing steps then it would be a good solution.. Else, I have to go to the second option of adding 24V DC motor , a photo transistor to keep track of Needle...

Today I bought the Belts, Motors from a scrapped Printer Shop...Tomorrow i will bring some Aluminum Profile, Day after tomorrow I will Purchase the simple sewing Machine...and within a week i will make it functional, Because I simply can't wait to see it working....

[Michael Schwartz]

could you drive the bobbin with a stepper, or servo/photo cell as well? and just ditch the linkage.

[Khalid Khattak]

Very Nice thoughts Mr.Schwartz (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/member.php?u=15559):)... If the linkages removed then we can just run the Needle portion of Machine above the cloth and the Bobbin portion below the cloth..and both portions will be separated mechanically... Very great idea..It means that we have unlimited space for embroidering... We have just to Synchronize the Needle stepper motor and Bobbin stepper motor...
I must say you are a genius..:cool:

Thanks:)

[Khalid Khattak]

I am currently Planning to Make a simple GUI for the embroidery application... I plan to add following functionalities

1- The User will open the industrial standard embroidery format (DST) file
2- The File will be read and displayed in Picture Box with some information (Total No of stitches, Height and width, No. of Colors etc.)
3- User will be given a choice to add some special G&M code at Top and Bottom of the Gcode (Like G21/G20, G90, G64, M30) ..Here I need your Inputs

4-On the basis of selection the Gcode will be generated in the Right textbox.


Any Suggestion at this time?

[Khalid Khattak]

Added some more functionality...

1- You can add extra informations in Gcode Header
2- You can simulate the design now
3- Gcode was refined and readable. For Fast stitching The Z1 was added into new line in rapid move.... Added M7 and M9 for lighting up/Off the bulb during changing the thread in the needle.
4- Added Zoom in/Zoom Out function
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=96556&d=1262416194

[Khalid Khattak]

I hope with the help of You all i would able to put some more good things in this program, prior to Beta release it.. Releasing the Beta version now is not that important as nobody including myself has built hardware for it to operate...

Yesterday I completed the drawings...Today , I hope, I will receive the Machine Foundation wooden structure and Off-course a low-cost Manual Sewing machine... I purchased aluminum Profiles and cut as per the dimension...

Today , Late, I will able to post some Hardware Pictures... Software is further extended and Thread Thickness has been added along with Scroll bars for Complete viewing of generated Drawing in Picture Box..Yesterday I added the functionality to Generate Gcode for CROSS-STITCH..

I am really enjoying the project, and keep watching here... I am 200% sure the thing will work... :-)

[Khalid Khattak]

Finally i am in position to post some pictures of hardware of my Embroidery Machine... Their are 04 major parts in the hardware:
1- Sewing Machine Support Structure (MDF and Wood)
2- X/Y- Carriage ( Mostly Aluminum , few parts CS)
3- My Controller Box
4- Sewing Machine

Day before Yesterday, I completed The X/Y- Carriage and Yesterday my complete day spent on the controller box..This time i am using PIC based controller... Actually, The Controller box got damaged during Flight.. The Transformer Loosen and left it place from the foundation screws and rolled over on the Modular Cards.. I have removed the broken/damaged components and now it has to be checked for integrity...

The sewing Machine Wheel is removed and some components/Linkages were disabled for embroidery work..

[Khalid Khattak]

Yesterday installed the carriage and repair and tested the controller cards..

[James Jaragosky]

Yesterday installed the carriage and repair and tested the controller cards..
Very nice looking setup. Thanks for posting pictures of your progress.
You are one amazing inventor.
Jim J.

[Khalid Khattak]

Very nice looking setup. Thanks for posting pictures of your progress.
You are one amazing inventor.
Jim J.

Thanks Jim...Yesterday I tested the controller card and the machine was dry run without Hoop and cloth.. All the moves machine make were in my favor http://www.scrollsawer.com/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif
Keep watching:)

[Khalid Khattak]

My controller card are in preparation stage as i have blown one of them due to short circuit http://www.cnczone.com/forums/images/smilies/frown.gif... Meanwhile i improved the software a bit and refine the code generation...
You can see the needle marks as i added in the software...http://www.cnczone.com/forums/images/smilies/beerchug.gif

[james mcgrew]

kahlid, my mother has two of the embrodery machines and loves them, makes for real nice work at christmas!! i am watching you do this and glad to see you doing it, keep it up!!

jim

[James Jaragosky]

How soon before your wife gets her sewing machine back? and will she be-able to use it or will you use all the parts on another project?:eek:

[Khalid Khattak]

How soon before your wife gets her sewing machine back? and will she be-able to use it or will you use all the parts on another project?:eek:

She has two machines.. One is SINGER and other is Japanese one.. This machine is simle sewing machine and i don't think she will be interested if not used for embroidery..My Wife has MB in IT technology...She has Masterate degree in IT.. So she know better than me How to work with computer, she is interseted in her own BOUTIQE , so i made this machine for her to make larger designs...

I have more than 20000 embroidery designs in my hands and she will probably make full use of those designs.. I already told her that i will not involve in her embroidery projects ..As she already did woodworking projects with my CNC machine...i think handling this embroidrr machine will be not difficult for her..

Currently i am out of station.. In the coming weekend i will able to show you some great work;)..may be a video will be launched on Youtube..

Best regards

[Khalid Khattak]

Added Colors and MenuBar.. Now you can see the number of colors 'in-orders' and simulation of each color...

[Khalid Khattak]

Currently my hardware is almost 99% complete..Still working on software to improve functionality and more information to user... Following are the snapshots of new version..

[Khalid Khattak]

In this Version I made following minor changes:
1- On the Top of Gcode, added Total No. of Gcode Lines
2- Made the drawing screen background Colour Black
3- On the bottom added the color information/usage in 'Same Colored Text'
4- Now You can Animate with Cross-hair showing the exact Position of stitch.
5- You can Scroll through the Gcode and Animation Cross hair will update its Position.


Attached is the Program Executable file.. Still need to put the Code in Menu and SaveGcode button is not functional for the time being.. I will try to make it complete and will place here...

Just you can check and give me feedback for improving it..

You can unpack the zip and run the executable within the folder if it not run then The Program requires DOTNET framework or Visual Basic runtime files (Can be downloaded free from internet)

[Khalid Khattak]

Hi All,
I want to share the picture of embroidery artwork RENE has done on his ordinary sewing machine using my Software... He did a great job on it...
I suggested Rene to do following improvements to get positive results

1- Tighten the clothe very well on the Hoop.
2- The white thread on the bobbin emerging in picture shows that Bobbin thread needs more tention...
3- You should apply some embroider paper behind the cloth..This will give drastic improvement in embroidery..

I am adding RENE work here... I hope you all will like what we can do..http://www.cnczone.com/forums/images/smilies/RAINFRO.gifhttp://www.cnczone.com/forums/images/smilies/RAINFRO.gif


Further details can be seen in following thread...
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...=57404&page=23


PS:
Just note he is using Router and sewing machine to get this result... This is just the begining... and we have to see marvels in future.. We break into the core of high end commercial machines manufacturer...http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[Khalid Khattak]

Further modifications in the FREE embroidery Gcode generator is done and now the Version is 2.4.3. Some more results from RENE..

Attached is the simulation result from WILCOM Deco studio...:cool:

[Clarence Miller]

Khalid,

You are a a world class tinkerer, I am very impressed and glad to make your acquaintance. Spectacular, I wish I had come across this post earlier.

[james mcgrew]

kahlid, i don't respond much (cause i speak such bad english:)) but this is world class ingenuity!!

bravo

jim

[Khalid Khattak]

Mr. Miller,
Thanks for your comments.. I also feel proud to talk to all the members.. This is because you are the Chosen One intellectual playing with high end CNC machines and producing the work nobody can ever think of... The comments from you are always welcomed..

Hi Jim,
Who said your English is bad?!!!! Actually, the way i understand it is bad... I always learn something good from your English and improve my grammer too... Thank you for the comments from the Maker of great Chess Pieces.. I will always feel proud of you:)

Here i want to show you the picture of RENE setup and this will compell you that the world is now full of criminal Tinkerer ;) He just added HOOP at Z-axis of his Jgro CNC Router placed his machine on the Bed, added stepper motor to sewing machine and got the above results...

[Clarence Miller]

Khalid,

thank you for the compliment but I have never been referred to as the chosen one before. Trust me in the fact that I am not worthy of such a title, I'm just a guy.
I do use some of the best equipment available at my day job but my pride and joy is the machine I built out of scrap lineal rail, some used aluminum server brackets, an older dell pc, and the rest of the parts I had to buy from various sources. I highly recommend the Gecko 4 axis motion controller, when I build another one (because I just can't not be building something or another) I will be purchasing from gecko drives again.
If you would like to see the shop made MillerMill you can see video of it at the following link http://cherokeewoodwhisperer.com/Services.html
Keep us posted on your endeavors, I always enjoy the ingenuity of people. Your machine is fantastic, if I ever get the chance to travel to your part of the world I would love to come see it in action.

[Khalid Khattak]

Khalid,
if I ever get the chance to travel to your part of the world I would love to come see it in action.
Mr. Miller you are always Welcome:)...

Recently, I have made drastic changes in embroidery software... These changes were necessary to make optimum Gcode for embroidery work...

Previously, I have made the Gcode that took 30minutes, now the same Gcode is effiecient and takes 16minutes on the embroidery machine... I have added functionalities to move both hoop as well as Needle when the the needle is above the cloth..this saves 40% of embroidery time... I have also added 'Machine Setting' dialogue for the users that will help them for setting Z-axis (sewing Wheel) values in Mach3 software

[James Jaragosky]

Mr. Miller you are always Welcome:)...

Recently, I have made drastic changes in embroidery software... These changes were necessary to make optimum Gcode for embroidery work...

Previously, I have made the Gcode that took 30minutes, now the same Gcode is effiecient and takes 16minutes on the embroidery machine... I have added functionalities to move both hoop as well as Needle when the the needle is above the cloth..this saves 40% of embroidery time... I have also added 'Machine Setting' dialogue for the users that will help them for setting Z-axis (sewing Wheel) values in Mach3 software

Outstanding work. cutting the job time in half is impressive indeed.
keep posting your results I find your work fascinating.
Jim J.

[Khalid Khattak]

Thanks Jim for reading and posting in this thread :) I really feel good when the people here post comments and critique:)

As the Quilting foot is not available for my machine so i modified one of other machine foot to fulfill my needs... I removed the plastic foot and installed the Aluminum One.. What about the craftmanship;)

[James Jaragosky]

Thanks Jim for reading and posting in this thread :) I really feel good when the people here post comments and critique:)

As the Quilting foot is not available for my machine so i modified one of other machine foot to fulfill my needs... I removed the plastic foot and installed the Aluminum One.. What about the craftmanship;)
The craftsmanship looks solid and functional. By my standards that makes it perfect.
I should comment on more posts, yours included. Alas, I sometimes do not feel that I can properly articulate how I feel on many posts, This prevents me from posting many reply's on many fine projects.
Keep up the fine work.
Jim J