Industrial Sewing Machine
Industrial Sewing Machine

What is an industrial sewing machine?
What is an industrial sewing machine?
An industrial sewing machine is a versatile, heavy-duty piece of equipment that can produce high-quality products at fast speeds. Home sewing machines can sew a few hundred stitches a minute at most, whereas industrial sewing machines can easily sew thousands of stitches a minute.
However, unlike home machines that come with a variety of pre-programmed stitches, industrial sewing machines are specialized to sew only one stitch to maximize the machine’s longevity.
In this buyer's guide, we will take you through the different types of industrial sewing machines available at Ricoma – including how they are used as well as highlighting some of the different features each machine offers.
- Lockstitch (Jump to Section)
- Light-to-Medium Duty Lockstitch (Jump to Section)
- Light-to-Medium Duty Lockstitch (Jump to Section)
- Medium-to-Heavy Duty Lockstitch (Jump to Section)
- Medium-to-Heavy Duty Lockstitch (Jump to Section)
- Heavy-Duty Lockstitch (Jump to Section)
- Zigzag Lockstitch (Jump to Section)
- Overlock (Jump to Section)
- Chainstitch (Jump to Section)
- Bar Tack (Jump to Section)
- Coverstitch (Jump to Section)
- Blindstitch (Jump to Section)

Lockstitch
Lockstitch

Lockstitch
The straight stitch, or lockstitch, is the most common stitch type used to make garments. It’s created by interlocking the top thread of the machine with the bobbin thread. Although it's a basic stitch, it's extremely versatile and can be used to sew virtually any garment or item out of any non-stretch fabric.
If you are looking to start or expand your current sewing business, you can’t go wrong with the versatility of a lockstitch machine.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that the types of fabrics you use and the types of items you want to sew will also affect the type of lockstitch machine you’ll need. For example, Ricoma sells light to heavy-duty industrial lockstitch machines to suit the needs of all of our customers.
Light-to-Medium Duty Lockstitch Machines
Light-to-medium duty machines are used for light-to-medium weight fabrics like cotton, t-shirt fabrics, denim, polyester and some knit fabrics. You can see the light-to-medium machines Ricoma carries and their features in the section below:
iKonix Flat-Bed Lockstitch Industrial Sewing Machine - KS-8700B
The KS-8700B offers many of the same convenient features as the KS-8700 along with a few state-of-the-art upgrades.
This new and improved industrial sewing machine has a built-in single-phase 110V direct-drive motor instead of an external servo motor. This motor comes with advanced energy-saving features and makes the KS-8700B far quieter than other sewing machines on the market.
Additionally, the KS-8700B also comes with a convenient automatic bobbin winder system that allows you to reload empty bobbin spools, as well as a manual needle control that lets you stop and engage your needle with just the press of a button. Its full library of preset program also gives users greater control when sewing their garments.
And, with a top speed of 5,000 stitches per minute, this machine will allow you to easily outpace your competitors.
iKonix Flat-Bed Lockstitch Industrial Sewing Machine - KS-8700B
iKonix Flat-Bed Lockstitch Industrial Sewing Machine - KS-8700B

iKonix Flat-Bed Lockstitch Industrial Sewing Machine - KS-8700
iKonix Flat-Bed Lockstitch Industrial Sewing Machine - KS-8700
The iKonix Flat-Bed Lockstitch Industrial Sewing Machine is a single-needle machine that can reach speeds of 5,500 stitches per minute. The KS-8700 also boasts an advanced noise-decreasing device to help reduce noise coming from the machine's external servo motor, allowing for quieter operation in spite of its lightning fast-speed.
You can also adjust the stitch length on this machine from 1 to 5 mm to accommodate the fabric and item you are sewing. Additionally, its drop-feed mechanism and feed dogs help you feed the material easily and evenly under the needle to help control the stitch’s direction and length. This machine also has a high presser foot clearance of 13mm, so you can fit and easily maneuver even bulky items under the machine’s foot.
iKonix Flat-Bed Lockstitch Industrial Sewing Machine - KS-8700

Finally, the KS-8700 has an automatic lubrication system that keeps it lubricated at all times. This saves you time as you won’t need to constantly oil your machine for it to run smoothly.
Yamata Double-Needle Lockstitch Industrial Sewing Machine - FY875
As the name suggests, the Yamata Double-Needle Lockstitch Sewing Machine has two needles, which means it can create two parallel straight stitches at a time instead of just one. The FY875 can only sew at speeds of 3,000 stitches per minute, which is fast but not as fast as the single-needle machines in the light-to-medium duty category.
One of the most valuable features of the FY875 is its separate needle bar that allows you to operate the machine as either a single or double-needle machine. So, if you have a project that requires one needle, you won’t need to switch to a completely different sewing machine to complete it.
Yamata Double-Needle Lockstitch Industrial Sewing Machine - FY875
Yamata Double-Needle Lockstitch Industrial Sewing Machine - FY875

Finally, the FY875 has an adjustable stitch length between 1 mm to 7 mm, which allows you to switch between shorter and stronger seams to longer and looser seams, depending on the project and material.