Servo Motors On Needle Awl Machines

[steadybrook]

Is anyone using a servo motor on their needle / awl machines ? If so, does it allow you to stitch one stitch at a time? And what size motor are you using?

[Darren Brosowski]

You would need a fully programmable motor but I am not sure that the starting Torque would be high enough.

[pcox]

I use a 550 watt family sew- pro on my Randall. I can sew 1 stitch at a time or I can sew continuous as slow as 1 stitch every 4 seconds. I am using a speed reducer The smallest and the center pulleys. plenty of punching power for 3/4 inch of harness leather.

[Darren Brosowski]

Glad to hear that! I always answer cautiously when someone wants to try something unusual and I am not sure if anyone has actually tried it. I might set up my Puritan with a servo.

I use a 550 watt family sew- pro on my Randall. I can sew 1 stitch at a time or I can sew continuous as slow as 1 stitch every 4 seconds. I am using a speed reducer The smallest and the center pulleys. plenty of punching power for 3/4 inch of harness leather.

[steadybrook]

Can you post a few pictures of your set up on your Randall?

[pcox]

I can but it may take a day or two. Nothing special, belt from the servo to the small pulley belt from middle pulley to the hand wheel. the Randall really doesn't need much help with punching power. They were designed to be a treadle machine. If you ever get to run one on a treadle base you will be amazed at how easy they sew thick leather.

[pcox]

Darren I run my Puritan with a common 1/2 hp 1725 motor. The Puritan clutch gives great control.

Edited January 10, 2015 by pcox

[steadybrook]

Thanks, I would like to see the pictures. Here is my set up now with the clutch motor.

[CowboyBob]

James,

Clutchmotors have a feature where you can turn the end & have the clutch arm any direction you want it,if you put a servo on your machine the mounting bracket needs to be horizontal instead of verticle like your is because the arm isn't adjustable on the servos.

It probably wouldn't be to hard to make a different mounting bracket.

[steadybrook]

Thanks Bob. Does anyone have a video of a needle awl machine run by a servo motor?

[Wizcrafts]

I dunno bout that. Most of the servo motors I've had don't freewheel as well as clutch motors. My Family Sew barely has 3/8 inch of toe movement on the pedal before it engages forcefully. The only way to get more usable free motion is to remove the brake pad entirely. Most clutch motors can be set for well over 3/4 inch of free motion before engaging.

I mention this because I always hand wheeled my Union Lockstitch machines around corners, belt tips and fishtail patterns. Without the ability to freewheel, I would have had to depend on the ability of the motor to sew slowly enough to place the awl exactly where I wanted it, no questions asked. Also, without free motion, these motors fight your efforts to hand wheel a machine.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Wizcrafts

[steadybrook]

I was hoping to sew one stitch at a time around corners, also try 45 degree corner stitching. [ like pcox in the thread above , he has a servo on his randall ]. I contacted Campbell and they are just setting up a needle awl machine with a servo motor.. I am awaiting a video and reply from them.

[Gump]

Servo motors make 100% of thier torque at startup and ramp down as rpm increases. It should have no problem running your machine with the existing reduction. If you add a speed reducer, you should have time to go to the house for a tea between stitches. I have a Sew Quiet 5000 with 4/5 hp on a 153 w 103, and it will sew a stitch at a time with a 2" pulley and no speed reducer. Also very smooth on acceleration with no modifications needed. Gump.

[steadybrook]

Thanks Gump, Is your Sew Quiet 500 on a needle / awl machine?

[Gump]

No it is on a walking foot cyl. arm machine that will sew 3/8", and no speed reducer. Clutch motors are usually only 1/3 to1/2 hp., and because they are constant rpm, they use centrifugal force to maintain torque. Servo motors give better low rpm torque. Gump.

[steadybrook]

Thanks.

[pcox]

Here is my Randall with the servo motor. Said file was too big.

Edited January 27, 2015 by pcox

[steadybrook]

Send it to me @ steadybrook@eastlink.ca and thanks.

[Cobra Steve]

We have sold many servo motors to Needle and Awl owners with no problems mounting them.

[steadybrook]

Thanks. Any pictures with the servo motors mounted ?

[pcox]

Take the clutch motor off mount the servo to the bottom of the table run the belt to the big pulley on the jackshaft.

[sbrownn]

I put a Reliable Sew Quiet 6000 SM on my old Champion 30. The motor speed is programmable and it can be set up to make one stitch at a time with the awl/needle stopping in any position desired. I am not running any type of speed reducer as the motor running at its slowest speed is slow enough. To make a single stitch you just tap and release the motor control pedal and the machine makes one stitch and stops. I have my machine set to stop with the awl just above the work so I can check its position if I need to. This feature works good for going around corners of following intricate patterns as you can position and align the work piece after every stitch.

[steadybrook]

Thanks for the replies, I did put a servo motor on the needle awl machine and it works great, one perfect stitch at a time!