Pfaff powerquilter 16.0 Manual - Page 29

Correcting Common Issues Skipped Stitches Corrective Measure • The needle is damaged, dull, • Replace the needle often, normally once or twice per day for continuous bent, or installed improperly quilting or at least once per quilt. Use powerquilter™ 16.0 quilting machine recommended needles. • Always change the needle if the needle has struck any hard object such as a straight pin, etc. The tip of the needle can become damaged or burred, resulting in fabric damage as well as skipped stitches, thread breakage or shredding. • Always change the needle if it has been hit, bumped or pulled off center while maneuvering the machine about the quilt. A slightly bent needle can be a major cause of skipped stitches. • Incorrect needle size • Very tightly-woven fabric (such as batiks) • Needle has not been positioned properly • Check for the proper combination of needle size and thread weight being applied to the quilting operation. Some fabrics used in quilting may constrict or impede the thread passing through the front groove of the needle. This diminishes the loop lift required for stitch formation. Typically, a larger needle will solve the problem; however, it has been found that certain smaller sizes of needles as well as the use of ball-pointed needles solve some specific problems. • Position the needle properly to the needle bar. Inspect the position of the needle to make sure the needle is at the 6 o'clock position (see figure 16, page 20)-If you stand directly in front of the needle (facing the bobbin case side of the machine), you will see the entire needle eye directly facing you. This is 6 o'clock position. • Make sure (1) the needle is installed all the way into the needle bar to the needle stop hole in the needle bar, (2) the long groove in the needle is toward the front (bobbin case side), and (3) the scarf/scooped out part of the needle is toward the handwheel. The needle can sometimes be rotated to 5 o'clock (slightly right) or 7 o'clock (slightly left) in order to adjust for a more positive thread loop pickup by the hook point. • Thread tension too tight • Loosen top tension. Re-check top and bobbin tension (see pages 19-20). • Improper threading The Needle Breaks • Inspect that the thread take-up lever, thread stirrup or tension spring are all threaded correctly. Corrective Measure • The needle is bent or not installed properly • The needle hits the needle plate • Replace or correctly change the needle. Make sure that the needle is pushed up into the needle bar clamp until it can go no farther (visually check that it is up to the top of the stop/sight hole above the needle bar clamp screw). Failure to do so can cause damage in the bobbin area and throat plate. • Correctly position the needle, needle plate or hopping foot. Replace needle with a new one. Stitches are Puckered • Tension is not balanced Corrective Measure • Balance the tension of the needle thread after ensuring the bobbin tension is adjusted correctly (see pages 19-20). • Needle too large for material • Replace the needle with a size better suited to the fabric. Page 29