Differential Feed Technology - Any exposure?

[baileyuph]

While working on original auto interiors, furniture upholstery (new items), frequently a few minutes of my time is spent analyzing what the manufacturers did.  Recent observation is how effective they incorporate differential feet capability.  While observing, of course the equipment/software is equally in question.

Had an interesting way to use differential feeding displayed recently.  The objective was to join two panels together but this sitution required easing each panel before the join of the two, because each required a different rate and magnitude.  hen, after the easing was accomplished, as described, the two panels were joined with a lock stitch, the conventional way.

The differential technique/equipment eased the material by sewing, gathering the material to a desired fullness and locking it into the gathered position by sewing through a very narrow bias tape.  This demonstrated differential feed at its best and certainly intrigued someone with several years of upholstery experience in a variety of fields, furniture and auto, who might have to want to duplicate some of these items.

Of course your mind starts thinking about the equipment used and the science supporting such a process.  In todays tech, sofaware incorporating integral calculus to control the differential feed processes was somewhat intuitive, for a previous student in math, but far from polished in understanding. 

Before software capability was interfaced with sewing equipment, easing or gathering processes were done by analog techniques, feed dogs and other mechanical apparatus.  Of course, that too is impressive, but from analysis of current products everywhere related to sewing, we have come a long way baby.  It would be nice in understanding to update.

Yes, it would be so interesting, if perhaps an engineer, familiar with the state of art in this tecnique, could talk.

It does have its revelance, because the custom shop today is many years behind the technology and efficiency curve of capabilities of current manufacturing.  That is reducing our position in our business today, but merely portraying the disparity of between custom and manufacturing activites.   

Too not think about things like this is to not fully understand, apprecite, or get a grasp of why some of the things are the way they are in our smaller business.

We hear things like I can't make the money I think I should, or I am making less today than a few years ago, much less the throw away society.  Understanding more of it can be understanding more about technology and how important effiency in what we do is.  Subjects that are tantamont in any business, large or small.

pplications?  I am seeing so much of it done in furniture cushions where seams have been reduced using the bull nose techique in curves.  It sure adds a luxury affect and enables fitting these complex situations. 

I have to admit, seeing some of these feats as described makes me kinda dizzy thinking of trying to do this on a lockstitch machine we all are so familiar with.  Technology, in a word, has passed us by.  Complex and tasteful easing can't be done as systematically and accurately on upholstery materials, including leather, with our older methods.

Anyway, anyone who has ever worked with newer technologies of easing or gathers, or simply differential feeding, your choice; just jump in here with any further input.  I am wondering if there is something specifically addressing this available for reading?

I won't bore you longer,
;)

Doyle
 

[sofadoc]

Not boring at all.
We had a similar conversation several months ago regarding the technique for gathered seams on puffy recliners.
For a small shop, all I can do is sew elastic to one panel, and then attach it to the un-gathered (or less gathered) panel.
It's a very in-exact science, making it nearly impossible to completely duplicate the factory method. My results are close, and so far, no customer has noticed the difference.
It would ne nice to have some high-tech machinery for this purpose. But cost-wise, probably not practical for a small shop.

[Rich]

Technology, in a word, has passed us by.

You got that right.
Basically, I think, we are artists and artists are usually more feelings based than technology based (more right brained than left). I've seen many instances where a new machine becomes available that can do the job faster and better, but the old method is held onto b/c of the cost and the desire to "do it the way I've always done it".
I use the elastic method like sofadoc.

My .02
Rich

[baileyuph]

Rich,

Am I right, I see some kind of anology taking place in custom upholstery with horse shoe tradesmen of perhaps over 60 years ago?  They were in demand, but as animal power, hand power became less favored against  machine power, shoers hardly exist today.  

But I read it put another way, the tradesman who practiced the blacksmith trade and took interest in the leading edge of metallurgy were actually the replacements to blacksmith.  They became the modern blacksmiths, metallurgical engineers of that era.  

That is an interesting anology and somewhere there has to be a message to upholsterers in all this.  The message might simply be; continue to look at new technologies related to products that we are involved with and try to gain some leverage from them.    

Hopefully, this thread will draw input from someone who has been there and done that.  I am sure it would make interesting reading.

Just some thoughts, back to work.

Doyle

[Rich]

Doyle, I've been in this business for almost 40 years and the one constant has been change. That means that to keep up, one needs to adapt in one way or another. Even if you continue to pursue the same type of work, the methods of attracting customers, doing the actual work, accounting etc. need to change. I personally had followed the trends in the work I've done over the years. Starting with custom auto upholstery and furniture, then getting into van conversions, vinyl tops, window tinting, high end Mercedes, Rolls Royce interiors, then into Simulated convertibles and electric moonroofs, marine covers. These days I am more focused on dental chairs and a few other specialties, but I guess I got bored quickly when I was younger. Marketing has changed quite a bit with computers, I request digital photos from customers before quoting on a job to cut down on travel time, web site sales etc.
I think that as more upholsterers leave the business through retirement or just go out of business, it will, like the farier, enable those who stay to have an easier time of choosing which business they want to do and of pricing more profitably.
I've never been involved in any other business, but I do think that this is one of the more difficult businesses to make a go of.
Rich