Turkey’s First 100 Percent Domestic Embroidery Machine is Ready for Sale, Waiting for Prospective Customers

Among textile machines, embroidery machines are undoubtedly one of the most complex and difficult ones in terms of mechanics, electronics and software. It must not be easy to set up a mechanism that will enable hundreds of shuttles to be thrown at a speed of 600 rpm. Perhaps this is why embroidery machines are only produced in Switzerland worldwide, while no company in Turkey has ever even tried to produce one.

Three Turkish engineers have demolished the perception that ‘producing embroidery machines is almost impossible’ in the world and in Turkey. They are Mechanical and Electronics Engineer Selim Küçükateş, General Manager of Turkuaz Elektromekanik, Mehmet Bayraktutar, R&D Manager Mechanical Engineer Mehmet Bayraktutar and Volkan Yıldız, Finance / Production Manager. Turkuaz has succeeded in producing the embroidery machine, which is produced only in Switzerland, in Turkey with 100 percent domestic mechanics and software.

Küçükateş explains the answer to the question ‘Why Embroidery machine?’ ‘‘Turkey has the human, experience, knowledge and design power to compete with the world in textile products. However, companies transfer all the income they earn from textile exports to the machines they import. When we started this business, we saw that 20 machines were bought every month in Turkey’s 20-year embroidery machine import figures and we decided to make embroidery machines for the Turkish textile industry in 2011.’’

After 3 years of R&D studies, the machine started to be designed, and after the deficiencies that emerged as a result of the tests were eliminated, it reached its final form today. We can call the embroidery machine, which Küçükateş and Bayraktutar developed by designing and producing all the parts themselves without receiving technical support from anywhere, an engineering marvel.

‘‘Our Shuttle Drive System Inspired European Manufacturers’’

Selim Küçükateş stated that they attached importance to develop the machine simpler and plainer compared to its counterparts; ‘‘We developed a new machine with our own mechanisms while preserving the embroidery logic of embroidery machines that have been working in the market for nearly 150 years. Our shuttle drive system, which we call ‘Turkish Head’, even inspired European embroidery machine manufacturers.’’

After the ‘Nakkaş TR 20’ was completed, it was installed in a factory producing embroidery in Adapazarı for trials. When we tried the so-called difficult patterns in the embroidery industry on our machine, the controller we received external support from was not enough. Thus, our team developed a perfect controller that performs even difficult patterns with great success.

So what kind of conveniences does the ‘Nakkaş TR 20’ machine offer to its users? Touch screen control panel and advanced domestic software, ease of installation and disassembly, electronic control cabinet positioned at both ends on the body, automatic needle repetition scheme, needle detection device for easy needle change, easy shuttle change, quiet running cam boxes and long-lasting shuttle drive system are some of the conveniences it offers.

Reduced number of parts, Nakkaş TR 20 Offers Ease of Dismantling and Installation

The machine’s needle fixing device provides ease of disassembly and tooling. The device enables the disassembly and assembly of hundreds of needles on the machine with a single finger movement without the use of any tools. Likewise, the patented needle piercing selector mechanism, designed to rapport the needles, works with a very simple mechanism without the need for continuous air drive. Thus, the machine can be easily disassembled and assembled, reducing the number of parts.

Küçükateş and Yıldız are very confident in the embroidery machine they finalized after many trials. “Our most important asset that we can convince our customers is our confidence in our machine,” says Küçükateş and continues as follows: “Our design and production power is our biggest advantage. So much so that the control and all mechanical design of the machine, even down to some special purpose sensors, belongs to us. The processing speed of our machine is on par with equivalent machines. We will come to the forefront in the sector with our spare parts availability, ease of use, robustness, strong service support, price affordability with quality, and domestic software support that we will constantly update all our machines. In addition, the fact that we realize our design and software within our company reduces our dependence on foreign companies.”

Ability to use double-sided cotton yarn

Cenk Muharrem Sezgin, Software Development Specialist and Owner of Sezginler Brode, who is part of the ‘Nakkaş TR 20’ team, says that one of the most important advantages of the embroidery machine is the weaving quality. Explaining that they show the patterns coming out of Nakkaş TR 20 to embroidery masters working in different factories, Sezgin says; ‘‘We usually get feedback from the masters; ‘We do not understand which machine this pattern came out of’.’’ Sezgin says that Nakkaş TR 20, which can work with double-sided cotton yarn, will save its users from great costs and adds: ‘‘Large companies want the final product to look natural and be made of 100 percent cotton. However, manufacturers avoid using cotton yarn at the back because the machine downtime is too high. For this reason, companies use polyester yarn in the back. First they dye the polyester yarn, then they dye the cotton yarn. This causes cost loss. We can use double-sided cotton yarn in Nakkaş TR 20.’’

‘‘We Aim to Profit from Machine Sales, Not Spare Parts’’

While developing the Nakkaş TR 20, Turkuaz Elektromekanik set out with the aim of making profit from the sale of the machine, not from spare parts. For this reason, they strive to develop the machine in such a way that it does not malfunction and does not need spare parts. In the event that there is a malfunction that requires spare parts, they guarantee that they will eliminate the malfunction and satisfy the customer regardless of high profits. They will even take over all problems caused by the machine within the warranty period.

‘‘We need high-spirited men to introduce our machine to the world’’

The team, who designed a machine that will save Turkish textile manufacturers from great costs, expects embroidery manufacturers to protect their machines. Yıldız; ‘‘We did not receive any support from anyone except for a small amount from Tübitak while we were making our first machine and we brought it to this stage. Our second machine is ready for mass production, but we need serious support during the transition to mass production. We want to partner with friends who will continue to produce this machine. We need the high-spirited who will introduce it to the world and invest in it.  But please, no one should say to us, ‘Sell this machine to us below its cost, let’s give it a try.’’

Yıldız, who considers that the state should find some methods to support domestic machinery manufacturers, comments as follows: ‘‘Because the only thing that will lift Turkey up is production. If production is not supported, small producers like us who are eager to produce will turn to trade. Low-interest, long-term loans can be offered to the investor who will buy the machinery. For example, Uzbekistan is one of the leading countries in cotton production. If they earn 1 lira when they sell cotton raw, they earn 10 lira when they turn cotton thread into embroidery. If Turkey makes a visit to Uzbekistan and introduces our domestic embroidery machine to the government there, and if you offer low-interest loans to your companies that will buy this machine, both Uzbekistan and Turkey will win. We will be in a position to sell machines and they will be in a position to buy quality machines at a cheaper price.’’

Interview: Dilek Hayırlı