By Alison Cole
There are three types of sewing machines- mechanical sewing machines, electronic sewing machines, and computerized sewing machines. Since their introduction in 1800 till 1960's, all sewing machines were mechanical. Mechanical sewing machines are controlled by a rotary wheel. They have knobs and dials to make changes in the tension or the length or width of the stitch.
Lockstitch sewing machines make use of a hook and a bobbin thread to create stitch patterns, whereas chain stitch machines use a looper to form stitches. One of the major drawbacks of chain stitching is that it is very weak and the stitch can easily be pulled apart. In addition to lock stitching and chain stitching machines, there are blind stitch and buttonhole-and-button-sewing machines that use a spreader to create stitches.
Mechanical sewing machines are less expensive and are the simplest type of sewing machine in terms of build. Bernina 1008, Kenmore 11101, Singer 6038, Elna 2005, Kenmore Mini, Kenmore 15212, and Sears Kenmore 15218 are some of the mechanical sewing machines available in the market.
By the year 1970, electronic sewing machines became popular. There are more features in an electronic sewing machine than in a mechanical sewing machine. Instead of turning knobs or dials, electronic sewing machines use button to adjust length or width of the stitch. Electronic sewing machines have motors; each one is assigned with a specific task and is run by electricity. Singer 7442, Singer 7462, Singer CE-100 Futura, Elna 3230, and Janome Decor Excel 5124 are some instances of electronic sewing machines.
Another type is the computerized sewing machine, which is very fast and easy to use. Computerized sewing machines are similar to electronic sewing machines. They use the same chips and stepper motors that are used in electronic machines. Besides, they posses a microprocessor which helps the sewing machine to accept new information in a card form and create stitching patterns based on the information loaded in the card. Singer CE-200 Quantum Futura, Singer Quantum XL-6000, Brother SE270D, and Janome 8080 are some examples of computerized sewing machine.
