Event-based cooperative control of a high-speed bar-tacking sewing machine

Purpose - Bar-tacking is a specialized sewing stitch designed to provide immense tensile strength to the garment which requires a high-speed precision bar-tacking sewing machine. This paper aims to present an event-driven multi-axis cooperative control method for a bar-tacking sewing machine. Design/methodology/approach - The control method consists of two parts: the multi-axis cooperative control and the needle stop positioning control. The challenges include the high speed and the precision. For example, the needle must stop at a set position in milliseconds. Findings - The presented multi-axis cooperative control can ensure the high speed response and the precision of the cooperative control. The needle stop positioning control is based on a combination of the velocity control and the position control with velocity feed-forward and limitation. Research limitations/implications - The bar-tacking sewing machine requires high-speed start and stop response and coordination of displacement and velocity only at some given points. Therefore, the conventional multi-axis cooperative control methods are not suitable. In addition, it requires high-speed precision control under varying loading conditions. Practical implications - While there are a number of commercial textile machines available in the market, designing a smart bar-tacking sewing machine with good speed and precision performance remains a challenge. Originality/value - The bar-tacking sewing machine requires highly accurate multi-axes cooperative control. The presented event-driven multi-axis control method is effective. It has not only the required high accuracy but also the fast time response.