ZSK Technical Embroidery systems

A Division of ZSK Stickmaschinen GmbH

Machines to Lay and embroider Wires, Fibers and tubes

Fixing through embroidering is
one of the most accurate and
efficient production methods.

ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems

machines to Lay and Embroider fibers, wires and Tubes
The ZSK TECHNICAL EMBROIDERY SYSTEMS enables with the use of new and
innovative techniques the laying and fixing of different media on textile and
other flexible carrier material.
Media as wires and any kind of fibers, tubes and optical fibers can be layed
flexible and will be fixed secure and strongly through embroidery techniques
like the ZigZag stitch. Materials with different conditions like Polyamid,
Polyester, PPS or Aramid are available as a yarn. For products with special load
requirements yarns with a steel core can be used if applicable.
3 ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems

Methods
The different embroidery technologies used by ZSK TECHNICAL EMBROIDERY SYSTEMS enable through their typical
individual characteristics a wide scope of products, applications and methodical procedures.

Examples
•• Integration of wire into fabrics for heating and sensing (e.g. moisture, temperature, stretch) applications.
•• Embroidery with conductive yarn to create textile electrodes for body signal monitoring (e.g. ECG) or electro
stimulation (EMS or TENS) or embroidered connectors between electronic parts and textiles (conductive paths and
connection pads).
•• Placement with Functional Sequin Devices (FSD) e.g. LED-sequins and automatic electrical connection obtained by
embroidery with conductive threads.
•• Production of near net shape composite preforms via Tailored Fiber Placement (TFP) of carbon roving.
•• Fixation of fibrous material like carbon, glass, basalt, aramid, natural, thermoplastic, ceramic fibers as well as
metallic threads and PCL, PVA, PA, PP, PVDF on textile and flexible carrier material in complex shapes for e.g. local
reinforcement or material combination.

To obtain these vary widely applications ZSK TECHNICAL EMBROIDERY SYSTEMS provides machine with three different
embroidery technologies. Each of these three technologies are obtained by a specific embroidery head (W-Head, F-Head
and K-Head). This three different embroidery heads can be freely combined with each other on one machine, configured
at the factory, the so-called combination machines. Common combinations are for example the combination of the
W-Head for fiber or wire placement and the F- Head for standard embroidery as well as the K-Head for textile electrodes
in combination with the F-Head.

W-Head F-Head K-Head

ZSK‘s W-Head provides an often The F-Head is the most commonly The K-Head facilitates the so-
asked feature from the technical used embroidery head at ZSK called moss embroidery. With only
embroidery methods: the laying of embroidery machines for one thread the K-Head creates
fibers, wires and tubes onto textile “decorative” embroidery. Stitches voluminous and soft surfaces.
or other flexible carrier material. like the double lock stitch or the In combination with conductive
Embroidery technologies like satin stitch belongs to his qualities. material, this special embroidery
the tailored wire, fiber and tube More functional applications can head is ideal for producing sensors
placement can be realized with be realized with unconventional or similar like they are required for
this special head. threads like i.e. conductive yarn. smart or medical textiles.
ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems 4

W-Head
laying wires
The laying of wire is an essential part in the production of
many products from all spheres of life today. Laying wire
with ZSK‘s Technical Embroidery Systems is cost efficient,
reliable and environmentally friendly.
Principle of W-Head
Today’s most common application for laying of wires The material to lay is supplied by an active wire and
obtained by embroidery is the production of heated fiber system to a guiding element close to the surface of
steering wheels with a market share of almost 100 % and the carrier material.
heated car seats with a market share of over 10 %. Without The media is finally fixed by embroidery and upper
any damage of the textiles characteristic especially the thread with a zigzag stitch.
breathability and drapability, heating wires are placed on The carrier material, fixed at the clamping and stretching
a textile substrate. system, is moved by the pantograph, enabling to lay e.g.
Laying wire with ZSK‘s Technical Embroidery Systems can rovings in any direction and quantity. The W-Head can
be used for many other fields of application. process wires from 70 μm up to several mm thickness.
Exemplary products amongst others are:
•• Heated working- or outdoor clothing,
•• Infrared heating systems,
•• Luminous textiles to improve security or comfort,
•• Embroidered RFID antennas,
•• Embroidered sensors on textiles for measurement
of fill level, movement, temperature, moisture or
stretch,
•• Embroidered circuits to integrate electrical functions.

Advantage
Superior Flexibility
The outstanding and essential difference between
the processes of ZSK‘s Technical Embroidery Systems
and techniques like weaving, knitting or even braiding
consists into the absolutely free and flexible laying of the
media at the 2-dimensional level of the carrier material.
The laying is limited only by the physical characteristic
of the media.
5 ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems

laying fibers
An innovative technology to build up reinforcement fabrics is the free orientation, placing and fixing of reinforcement
materials through an embroidery machine. It is already good practice in the production of near net shape preforms for
composite parts. The application spectrum covers productions of components or textile structures which requires the
stitching of variable geometry ply stacks, where fabrics need to be reinforced locally, or where fabrics must be assembled.
Single laid rovings are fixed to the base material by stitching.
During the process, the base material is moved by the pantograph, enabling to lay rovings in any direction and quantity up
to a thickness of 7 mm.
TFP - Tailored Fiber Placement
Several fibrous material like carbon, glass, basalt, aramid,
natural, thermo-plastic, ceramic fibers or metallic threads
can be placed in a near net shape on a carrier material by
TFP. Even the placement of different materials at the same
time or one after another can be proceed by TFP.

Especially while using the TFP technology for the placement

of carbon rovings to create preforms for composite parts,
high degree of freedom is an advantage. The rovings can
be placed exactly according to the distribution of forces
within a structural component. This leads to a higher force
absorption with less stacked layers.

100% reproducibility speaks for itself and is accomplished

by the following:

•• Automatic preform production

•• Low mass tolerance
•• High dimensional accuracy
•• Reliable identical laying roving
This cost effective process is driven by high stitching speed
on one hand and multiple laying heads on a machine.
In comparison to other textile technologies the expensive
loss of materials is kept to a minimum because of the near
net shape production of the product. Accordingly, the
problem of waste disposal is very little.

laying tubes
Tailored Tube Placement (TTP)
can be used to place tubes of several diameters on a
textile structure.
Examples of use:
•• Integration of tubes into textile reinforced concrete
e.g. for heat exchange systems,
•• Suits and vests with tubes for cooling purposes,
•• Pipe systems for fluids of any kind applied to a textile
structure or a flexible carrier material,
•• Ducts for electrical cables and connections as a cable
harnesses applied to a textile structure or a flexible
carrier material.
ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems 6

F-Head
The F-Head is the most common used embroidery technology, often referred to as standard embroidery. By using this
standard technology for a satin- or running stitch with conductive threads, many applications for Wearables, E-Textiles and
Smart Textiles are possible. Due to several available attachments like sequin-, cording- or Hot Air Cutting-device the F-Head
can be used for a lot of technical applications.

Example: Conductive Yarns

Embroidered LED Sequins (Functional Sequin Device - FSD) Embr. connections of main board, textile, conductive fiber

Example: Embroidery of Wire

Principle of F-Head
The loop forming at the so-called double lockstitch
happens in several steps. The needle leads the
embroidery yarn and the hook at the bobbin the lower
bobbin thread.
First, the needle will pierce the textile material, at the
same time the hook at the bobbin rotates and pick the
bobbin thread.
Now the hook pass through the loop of the upper
embroidery yarn. The needle leads back and the hook 4 mm
turns further on into the start position.
Embroidered Nitinol wire (100 µm) [1]

Embroidered Copper wire (70 µm)

ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems 8

K-Head The K-Head realizes the so-called moss embroidery. The

single thread system creates loops at the surface of the
carrier material. Voluminous surfaces will be generated by
the compact placement of the stitches.
An actuator system with four separate single motor units
supports the customization of parameters like the height
of the loops, the presser foot or the inclined position to
satisfy the required needs.
Moss embroidery associated with electro conductive
yarn is the ideal combination for products from the fields
of “Smart Textiles”, „Wearables“ and “Medical Textiles”.
At these groups, textiles are equipped with additional
functions like sensors or actors.

Fields of Application
•• Workaday clothes and workwear with integrated
electrodes for ECG or EEG for e.g. long-term
monitoring of at-risk patients or high-risk groups.
•• Custom-fit and high-individualized textile electrodes
for e.g. electrophysiological techniques to stimulate
dedicated muscle fiber.
•• Textiles like braces for electric stimulation therapy at
sports, fitness or medical rehabilitation.

Moss Embroidery - Volume by compact Stitches

Moss Embroidery - Close Detail

9 ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems

K-Head Supply System

ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems with K-Head offer a
special supply system for the working thread which is
positioned below the table. The system holds available
six positions to provide fibers or conductive yarns with
different characteristics.

ANTELOPE.SUIT
With Moss Embroidered Electrodes for
Graphical scheme of K-Head supply system Electrical Muscle Stimulation [2]

Principle of K-Head
The moss embroidery machines are built
differently than traditional embroidery
machines however use a similar
embroidery technique. Moss embroidery
is created by a one-thread system. In
this system, the needle goes through the
carrier material (1) and pulls the thread
out from under the needle, plate side up.
Then, a loop is created by a rotary motion
of the needle (2) on the upper side of the
carrier material. Repeating this pattern
frequently produces a moss-like surface.
ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems 10

Options
Active wire and fiber supply systems
1 Two supply systems can be installed on each laying head. Each supply system can take wire or fiber rolls up to
10kg. New function to detect end of supplied media.

Automatic unwinding function

2 The advantage to supply wires and fibers from big rolls bears the disadvantage that the materials has to be guided
to the zig-zag layer by pipes and that limits the possible rotation to 360 degrees. Because of this limitation wires
could not be laid in spirals for example. ZSK has solved this problem by an automatic unwinding function!

Automatic change of different media

3 The change between two different media like two different wires or
fibers and wires is fully automatic. (Patent pending.)
Pneumatic media trimmer
4 The pneumatic trimming system cuts all kind of fibers and even stronger
wires.

Wire hit detection system

5 If a laid wire is hit by the needle the machine stops
and indicates the affected laying head. The defective
part can be marked to be sorted out. In many branches
like in the production of car seat heating systems this
function is obligatory.

Fast fiber laying

6 For large objects a fiber laying speed up to 5m per minute can be reached

Carbon protection for the electronics

7 All electronic devices of a ZSK laying machine are protected against carbon dust.
11 ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems

Pneumatic clamping and stretching system

A very flat designed clamping and stretching system for the carrier material. 8
Automatic pull through system
The carrier material is automatically pulled trough from roll to roll, back to front. 9
The system is available for all one head laying systems.
•• Carrier material (woven, non woven, foils) up to 140cm wide is pulled automatically from back to front.
•• The roll and re-roll stands follow the side movement of the pneumatic frame which allows to transport
and re-clamp the carrier material in any position of the frame.
•• Transporting and re-clamping is possible in back to front and vice versa direction
in the middle of a wire laying design.
•• The length of a wire laying design is just limited to the length of the carrier material available on the roll.
•• The unrestricted changing of the transporting direction of the carrier material allows
to have the start and end of a wire for example at one point for easy connection.
Semi automatic pull through system
In case of multi head laying systems (up to 11 laying heads) the carrier material is pulled 10
trough from left to right. In connection with a pneumatic clam-
ping and stretching system and the motor supported roll up the
loading time takes less then 2 minutes.

Automatic bobbin changer

The pneumatic bobbin changer for the under thread 11
is equipped with a magazine for 7 full and one
empty bobbin for up to 8 hours of running time.

Advantage
High Level of Automation
A significant higher efficiency can be
achieved at the production of technical
textiles by using our advanced automation
techniques. Quality, production output
SGW 0100-1375-1200 and labour costs will benefit on a high level
from the options which are available for
any machine of ZSK‘s Technical Embroidery
Systems.
ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems 12

Machines
Machine models and laying sizes for technical embroidery machines

W - Head
JCW 0100-500-700 JGW 0100-650-700 1 JGW 0200-550-700 3
No of heads 1 1 2
Head distance - - 550 mm / 21.653“
Max. laying depth 600 mm 600 mm - multiple 600 mm
23.622“ 23.622“ - multiple 23.622“
Max. laying width 450 mm / 17.716“ 650 mm / 25.59“ 2 x 550 mm / 2 x 21.653“ or
1 x 1,100 mm / 43.3“
Machine net size l/d 1,570 x 1,730 mm 2,000 x 1,800 mm 3,440 x 1,840 mm
61.711“ x 68.11“ 78.74“ x 70.866“ 135.433“ x 72.44“

SGW 0100-1375-1000 SGW 0100-1375-1200 1 SGW 0100-1375-2000 3

No of heads 1 1 1
Head distance - - -
Max. laying depth 900 mm / 35.433“ 1,100 mm - multiple 1,900 mm / 74.8“
43.3“ - multiple
Max. laying width 1,350 mm / 53.149“ 1,200 mm / 47.244“ 1,350 mm / 53.149“
Machine net size l/d 4,100 x 2,460 mm 4,100 x 3,800 mm 4,100 x 4,460 mm
161.417“ x 96.85“ 161.417“ x 149.6“ 161.4174“ x 175.59“

YCW 0600-1180-1500 1 YGW 0800-800-1000 ZBW 1100-750-1200 2

No of heads 6 8 11
Head distance 1,180 mm / 46.456“ 800 mm / 31.496“ 750 mm / 29.527“
Max. laying depth 1,400 mm / 55.118“ 900 mm / 35.433“ 900 mm / 35.433“
Max. laying width 6 x 700 mm 8 x 800 mm 11 x 750 mm
6 x 27.559“ 8 x 31.496“ 11 x 29.527
Machine net size l/d 8,900 x 3,600 mm 9,275 x 2,460 mm 12,700 x 2,860 mm
350.393“ x 141.732“ 365.157“ x 96.85“ 500“ x 112.598“

ZCW 0400-1800-1500 2 ZCW 0800-900D-1500 2 ZCW 0800-900D-2000

No of heads 4 8 8
Head distance 1,800 mm / 70.866“ 900 mm / 35.433“ 900 mm / 35.433“
Max. laying depth 1,200 mm / 47.244“ 1,200 mm / 47.244“ 1,900 mm / 74.8“
Max. laying width 4 x 1,800 mm 8 x 900 mm / 4 x 1,800 mm 8 x 900 mm / 4 x 1,800 mm
4 x 70.866“ 8 x 35.433“ / 4 x 70.866“ 8 x 35.433“ / 4 x 70.866“
Machine net size l/d 13,000 x 3,460 mm 13,000 x 3,460 mm 11,560 x 4,460 mm
511.811“ x 136.22“ 511.811“ x 136.22“ 455.118“ x 175.59“
13 ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems

Combi Head - F +W
JCZA 0109-550-700 JGZA 0109-550-700 3 SGZA 0109-825-1200
No of heads 1+1 1+1 1+1
Head distance (W-W | F-W) - | 275 mm / - | 10.82“ - | 550 mm / - | 21.653“ - | 550 mm / - | 21.653“
Max. laying depth 600 mm / 23.622“ 600 mm / 23.622“ 1,100 mm / 43.3“
Max. laying width 550 mm / 21.653“ 550 mm / 21.653“ 825 mm / 32.48“
Machine net size l/w 2,000 x 1,730 mm 3,440 x 1,840 mm 4,100 x 2,460 mm
78.74“ x 68.11“ 135.433“ x 72.44“ 161.417“ x 96.85“

YGZA 0809-800-1000 ZCZA 0809-900-1500 ZCZA 0809-900-2000

No of heads 8+8 8+8 8+8
Head distance (W-W | F-W) 800 mm | 350 mm 900 mm | 450 mm 900 mm | 450 mm
31.496“ | 13.779“ 35.433“ | 17.716“ 35.433“ | 17.716“
Max. laying depth 900 mm / 35.433“ 1,400 mm / 55.118“ 1,900 mm / 74.8“
Max. laying width 800 mm / 31.496“ 900 mm / 35.433“ 900 mm / 35.433“
Machine net size l/w 9,275 x 2,460 mm 11,560 x 3,460 mm 11,560 x 4,460 mm
369.09“ x 96.85“ 455.118“ x 136.22“ 455.118“ x 175.59“

Combi Head - F + K Combi Head - F + K + W

JCHA 0109-550-700 SGVA 0109-825-1000
No of heads 1+1 No of heads 1+1+1
Head distance (K-K | F-K) - | 275 mm Head distance (F-F | F-K | K-W) - |275 mm|275 mm
- | 10.82“ - | 10.82“ | 10.82“
Max. embroidery depth 700 mm / 27.559“ Max. laying depth 900 mm / 35.433“
Max. embroidery width 550 mm / 21.653“ Max. laying width 825 mm / 32.48“
Machine net size l/w 2,000 x 1,730 mm Machine net size l/w 4,100 x 2,460 mm
78.74“ x 68.11“ 161.417“ x 96.85“

F - Head
SPRINT 6 - LED
No of heads 1
Head distance -
Max. embroidery depth 220 mm / 8.66“ 1 Pull Through System - Roll to Roll - back to front
Max. embroidery width 420 mm / 16.535“
2 Pull Through System - Roll to Roll - left to right
Machine net size l/w 1,040 x 985 mm
40.944“ x 38.779“ 3 System on Request
About
ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems is a division solutions since the 1990’s. Today ZSK‘s
of ZSK Stickmaschinen GmbH, the leading TECHNICAL EMBROIDERY SYSTEMS enable the
German manufacturer of industrial embroidery free orientated laying of fibers and wires in a
machines „Made in Germany“. 2-dimensional space on flexible carrier material.
With great expertise and experience in the textile TAILORED FIBER PLACEMENT, meaning the laying
machine construction, the company from the according to the distribution of forces within a
Lower-Rhine area has developed a broad range structural component is a major advantage of
of applications for its embroidery machines. this process.
Beside large machines for the challenges at the With innovative applications like active wire and
mass production and embroidery machines to fiber supply systems for industrial demands,
individualize textiles, ZSK Stickmaschinen GmbH automatic pull-through systems for the carrier
manufactures machines for laying and fixing material or a wire hit detection system ZSK
fibres, wires and tubes, the so-called TECHNICAL TECHNICAL EMBROIDERY SYSTEMS achieve a
EMBROIDERY SYSTEMS. high level of automatization and efficiency.
ZSK has been shaped this sector with the
development of customized embroidery
15 ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems

Service
Hotline Training Courses
Sales and service partner in over 75 Training courses for customers
countries worldwide will help you and partners on location or at ZSK
when you need it. headquarter training center.

Spare Parts Technical Support

Guaranteed fast and global delivery Trained experts and technicians that
and installation for over 10.000 speak your language in more than 75
available spare parts. countries.
Email: service@zsk.de

ZSK Technical Embroidery Systems

A Division of ZSK Stickmaschinen GmbH
Magdeburger Str. 38 - 40
47800 Krefeld
Germany
Online: www.technical-embroidery.com
Email: contact@technical-embroidery.com

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Picture Credits
[1] Hörr, M.; Gries, T.; Jockenhövel, S.: Sticken zur Funktionalisierung von Textilien.
TVP : Fachzeitschrift für Textilveredlung und Promotion (2015), H. 4, S. 58-61
[2] Wearable Life Science GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
ZSK - Die Stickmaschine.