American & Efird, Inc. Thread Science 10/10/02 Page 1 Thread Science Introdu ction: Choosing the Right Thread Thread is an integral part of many items that we use daily. Certainly the various components of our apparel are joined with thread but what about the string that is attached to our tea bags? What would happen to upholstery, seat belts, and head liner of an automobile if the thread were removed? What about the seams in our tents, back packs, sleeping bags, and other camping equipment? How are the components of baseballs and footballs joined? Each of these products requires a thread with different physical properties to achieve optimum performance. If you consider the many uses of thread, the complexity of designing a thread becomes apparent. Consideration must be given to: Sewability, loop strength, linear strength, elongation, shrinkage, abrasion resistance, colorfastness, and resistance to chemicals, heat, light, etc. Each can affect the desirability of a thread for a particular end-use. A&E threads are designed for many general and specific end-uses. Selecting the proper thread for your product can be simplified if these basic factors are considered: required seam strength; type of seam; stitch type and number of stitches per inch; type of material being sewn; type of sewing machines and related equipment; conditions under which the product must perform; normal life of the product; and cost effectiveness. Analyzing these factors would give an indication of which physical properties are most important in the thread. Selection then becomes a matter of choosing a thread with the most desirable properties. Of course, thorough testing is necessary to confirm that the thread chosen is indeed t...
