Swapping clutch motor to servo motor, please assist

[Ana1234]

Hi, 

I'd love some suggestions for a servo motor. Preferably from a distrubotor based in Europe EU to avoid import taxes and high shipping costs. 

I bought a machine online from my neighbourhood but have no idea what brand it is. It could be a copy of a Highlead GC0618 (that's what the UK distrubotor said) or it is in fact that original machine. 

Would love to achieve a really slow speed and also have the control of making a one stitch at the time. 

From reading a lot of posts I get that the speed depends on the person installing it. I'll be getting help with that but still would like as much info as possible to learn and to make sure I get the best result possible. 

Thanks! 

 

 

[chrisash]

The price difference between the 550 watt  and 750 watt servos is so small you may as well buy the more powerful version , but the 550 is still fine for that grade of machine shown

Its simple to fit yourself and any of the middle price are all much the same

To get 1 stitch at a time per second you really need to also buy a speed reducer on a ratio of 3 to 1 and again easy to fit yourself

In the UK Amazon always has a large number of servo motors or companies like https://www.college-sewing.co.uk/ have a wide assortment of all makes of sewing machine parts

[kgg]

6 hours ago, Ana1234 said:

From reading a lot of posts I get that the speed depends on the person installing it.

Not really, the sewing speed is going to depend the motor controller (analog vs electronic), whether it is coupled with a speed reducer and of course the operator. If you purchase a electronic controlled motor it is mainly going to depend on how many coils the motor was constructed with where the more coils gives better speed control and torque. A lot of the cheaper electronic controlled servo's have 6 coils while the better ones have 12 coils which is usually reflected in the cost also some of the cheaper ones have a minimum start speed so they maybe a be jerky. If you want / need that stitch by stitch ability you really need to invest in a speed reducer like @chrisash suggested.

For the machine in the photo's a 550 watt will work just fine but if the cost difference between a 550 and 750 watt is minimal and like @chrisash suggested get the 750 watt. 

From the looks of the machine in the photo it doesn't look like a Highlead GC0618 even through it has a tag that says GC0618. The whole from end is closer to that of a Juki DU 1181N rather then the Highlead GC0618. Base on the tension assembly I would consider the one in the photo to be a lighter duty machine with lesser sewing needle size availability, thickness capabilities thread size selection and probably a walking foot rather then a compound feed where the needle just moves up and down with no front to rear movement.

What are you planning on sewing and with what size of needle and thread?

kgg

 

Edited June 29, 2023 by kgg

[dikman]

Servo motors are a straight swap, they use the same locating bolt holes as the existing motor. You'll most likely need a different length belt. Mount the control box underneath the table (that's the usual location), connect the linkage to the foot pedal and plug in the cables. Then just adjust the parameters in the control box to suit your needs. You could try it as is first and if it's not slow enough then fit a speed reducer, but personally I would just fit one right from the start, particularly if you're going to sew leather (I have some sort of reducer on each of my machines).

It might seem a bit daunting at first but fitting a servo isn't rocket science.

[Ana1234]

Chrisash thanks for the post, appreciate it! Lovely part of the world you are based, I was living in London for many years and yes, you can pretty much find anything you need in the UK. Also photography wise!  Now though as you know, taxes and shipping costs are a problem...  Can you recommend a speed reducer? Please see the motor I was offered below..

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Kgg, ok I'll go for a 750 watt. And thanks for the suggestion on model of machine, been pulling my hair out not having a manual and being new to industrials. Must say I had a steep learning curve, screwing apart this machine and learning about mechanics  Something I was never interested in before... I guess I am not a fan of this stuff but I DO WISH to achieve that perfect stitch so learning is a must. Grateful for forums like this and the support given. I am using a 19 needle with the M20 thread (not sure what this relates to in TEX)? I have a slightly smaller needle for the M40 thread. I am sewing faux leather accessories and bags and there are many layers at times. My machine has been getting through it all well but I am struggling with the speed, that's all. It has a walking foot yes. Please see the motor I was offered below..

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dikman, yes it is daunting!  Not my cup of tea. Thanks for the information. Can you recommend a speed reducer? Please see the motor I was offered below..

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I was sent this option by an Italian distributor. Does anyone know anything about thos servo? Is it a good option for me? Comments from the company below, Chinese to me!! They say it is 350 EUR. For the motor I get is this price OK?  - 

https://www.cowboysew.com/extra-heavy-duty-sewing-machine-servo-motor.htm

 

It is brushless, 8Nm torque, with needle positioning for easy use, silence and low power.

You need to add the synchronizer to the wheel so the motor can work with 2 needle position, up and down.

 

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I can see that this brand has been discussed by some of you already.... Have you heard anything new about it?

[dikman]

I don't recall reading anything more about it since the other posting was made. It seems a bit expensive to me for what it is, but I'm not familiar with ebay pricing of servo motors in Europe. The vast majority of servo motors on ebay are pretty generic, with the main difference usually being the control panel and how to use it. Any of the generic servos, whether 550w or 750w, should be more than adequate for your machine. Some of our European members may be able to offer advice on what to buy/where to buy and speed reducers over there.

Exactly where are you? It's a good idea to put your location under your name as it helps people provide more localised information.

[Ana1234]

It was from a distributor in Italy but I think so yes, I should be able to get something cheaper. I'm based in Slovenia. 

[kgg]

9 minutes ago, Ana1234 said:

I am using a 19 needle with the M20 thread (not sure what this relates to in TEX)? I have a slightly smaller needle for the M40 thread.

Here is a good reference chart for needle size to thread size.  https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html

Note sometimes you have to move up a needle size in thick / tough / sticky material. The M20 thread size is equal to V138 (Tex 135).

14 minutes ago, Ana1234 said:

I am sewing faux leather accessories and bags and there are many layers at times.

I would recommend using at least a #22 needle and if you find you are having stitch problems particularly in the multi layers you may have to move up a size or two. If the hole that needle makes isn't large enough the loop that the hook needs to catch will not be properly formed material so you get skipped stitches or stitches that are not constant. Depending on the faux leather you may have to use a leather needle to cut through rather then a fabric needle that punches through and separates the fibers of the material. I am going to assume you are using the 135 x 17 (DP17) needle system for fabric so a leather needle would be 135 x 16 (DP16).

On 6/29/2023 at 5:11 AM, Ana1234 said:

I bought a machine online from my neighbourhood but have no idea what brand it is.

I would ask your neighbor if they know what brand the machine is or if they have still have the manual

35 minutes ago, Ana1234 said:

I can see that this brand has been discussed by some of you already.... Have you heard anything new about it?

I would have like to see more coils but 9 coils is a good middle of the road servo motor. As for installing this style of servo motor, brushless, getting the synchronizer to work with a speed reduced is probably not going to work. In a lot of cases you can get either i) really slow sewing speeds with stitch by stitch ability and extra torque for punching power by using a speed reducer

OR

ii) slower sewing speed with less torque and needle synchronizing for the needle up or down positioning. 

I am going to assume your machine has very similar sewing abilities as my Juki DU 1181n which is a light weight walking foot and the only reason I would consider adding a speed reducer is to get better low speed control. My rough rule of thumb is adding a speed reducer for more slow speed, stitch by stitch, control is a good idea but, but to add a speed reducer just to get more punching power, no. I figure I'm using the wrong class of machine for the work and something is going to twist or break under full load and torque. As far as the needle positioning it is a I think a personal preference based on the what works best for them, some people love it and others not so much.

1 hour ago, Ana1234 said:

They say it is 350 EUR.

The cost to me seems really steep. 350 EUR would be ~ $500 CAD or $380 USD.

kgg

[Ana1234]

kgg, yes that's correct needle wise. I did invest in some leather needles (DP16) but was told that they will tear the microfabric that I am using in between the faux leather. I ordered some ballpoint needles after that and they stitch nicely. But I will give the leather needles a go now to see what they do to the lining... 

 

I asked for the brand and manual when I bought it of course, she don't have it. I think she also bought it second hand and wasn't able to dive into the technical aspects of it all but I am determined to make it work. And I believe I need to fully know how the machine works in order to be able to adjust things myself in the long run. Otherwise it gets expensive. 

 

Did a search on the needle synchronizing. Maybe this is a stupid question but wouldn't I be able to just go with the first option 'really slow sewing speeds with stitch by stitch ability and extra torque for punching power by using a speed reducer'. And then just using the handwheel to place the needle down at a corner for pivoting? If I have a lot of control then surely, with time, I will know how to work the pedal in order to stop the needle where I want it? If it will sew very slowly? or I just use the handwheel? Isn't it more important to have the slow speed and stitch by stitch and the power, then having needle synchronizing?

So from this conversation I might just need a speed reducer??

Saying that though the noise is a factor too..... it would be really nice to get rid of the noise. Then a servo would be better I guess.

Appreciate the support! 

[kgg]

4 hours ago, Ana1234 said:

I think she also bought it second hand and wasn't able to dive into the technical aspects of it all but I am determined to make it work. And I believe I need to fully know how the machine works in order to be able to adjust things myself in the long run. Otherwise it gets expensive. 

I would download manual for the Highlead GC0618. I have included the three for the Juki DU-1181n and see which manual seems to be the one for your machine.

4 hours ago, Ana1234 said:

Maybe this is a stupid question but wouldn't I be able to just go with the first option 'really slow sewing speeds with stitch by stitch ability and extra torque for punching power by using a speed reducer'.

No such thing as a stupid question. Maybe it's just me but I don't really see the need of installing a needle positioner on any of my machines for my needs. My new machine that will arrive shortly is coming with a brushless servo motor and needle positioner. The needle positioner will not be installed and will remain in the box. A speed reducer will then be installed as I would rather have better stitch by stitch control. Beside that for my stuff I don't like the idea of the machine telling me where the needle is supposed to be when I release the go pedal, that would just frustrate me to no end. At present I use brush servo motors on all my machines and only time will tell if I keep the brushless servo installed on the new machine. The more electronics the greater the potential for more problems.

5 hours ago, Ana1234 said:

Saying that though the noise is a factor too..... it would be really nice to get rid of the noise. Then a servo would be better I guess.

The difference between a clutch motor and either a brush or brushless servo motor is like night and day. The servo motors only run when give hit the go pedal where as the clutch motors roar to life the moment you turn the power switch on. The clutch motors are inherently noisy while the servo motors are almost silent.

kgg

Juki_1181n_instruction_7K.pdf DU-1181 eng manual.pdf Juki 1181N parts.pdf