Prototyping ‘soft materials’ at Créaluz

The business incubator on the Créaluz technology park at Saint-Jean-de-Luz has several sewing machines in its prototyping workshop. Project leaders can work there on many types of textiles and soft materials to design, for example, prototypes for sports and leisure accessories.

The sewing workshop at Créaluz comprises three industrial sewing machines of different powers and an overlock machine for finishing work. These four machines are available on quotation to all project leaders and businesses in the Pays Basque wishing to produce their prototype. Access to the machines is included in the rents of the Créaluz residents. Pierre Diaz, an engineer with Compositadour and the technical director of the Créaluz prototyping workshop, trains people to use these machines within an hour.

The four-thread overlock machine is used for finishing work on prototypes in light textiles. It can cut, sew and overcast in one single operation. The other three sewing machines are flat bed lockstitch machines, for the production of straight stitch. The three flat bed machines at Créaluz vary by their power and type of feed, and therefore their ability to sew a variety of soft materials of different thicknesses.

“The Juki CP-180 is a single feed machine intended for light textile prototypes. Then the Brother S-72 20 C-405 has a more powerful motor and a dual feed which allows you to sew thicker textiles,” explains Pierre Diaz. Finally, the Eurorefrey TW1-1245 machine is the most powerful and has a triple feed. It is used for heavy stitching: leather, webbing, canvas, plastic, foam, neoprene, etc. 

The Créaluz sewing workshop also offers a vast working surface equipped with the necessary haberdashery accessories, and is complemented by a sublimation and transfer printing workshop with a sublimation printer (A4 format), a transfer press and a tracer/plotter.

Among the ideas that have been conceived and designed here by project leaders are textile prototypes, sports articles, accessories using neoprene for slide sports and even prototypes for lifebuoys.

Contact: crealuztechnopole-paysbasque.fr