Moray College apprentices using 3D printing technology to preserve Singer sewing machines at Johnstons of Elgin
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TWO apprentice engineers are using modern technology to preserve a unique part of Scottish manufacturing heritage.
Lexi Sayle and Carrie Brown, both foundation apprentices from Elgin Academy, are working
on a year-long project through Moray College UHI and luxury textile manufacturers Johnstons of Elgin.
Their innovative 3D printing project aims to solve the challenge of maintaining the company’s
traditional Singer sewing machines that are used to produce their premium products.
Out of production for many years, these rare machines produce the traditional blanket stitch that is used on Johnstons merino and cashmere throws.
The 10 machines are in constant use, with six or seven working on a shift rotation at any one time, which can mean they’re in operation for 20 hours a day.
But spare parts are scarce and there is only a small bank of machine shells.
The two 17-year-old students - who are working towards their Foundation Apprenticeships at Moray College UHI - have been tasked with stripping and rebuilding a machine to suggest potential engineering methods to prolong its life expectancy.
They aim to create a library of 3D printable spare parts, as well as an assembly guide for the old Singer machines.
Carrie said: “Taking the machines apart and constructing components made with 3D printing technology takes a lot of measuring and dedication but it’s really interesting.
“I have learned lots of new things, not least the time and effort it takes to do a project."
Paul Harlow, engineering lecturer at Moray College UHI, said: “Foundation Apprenticeships are a work-based learning opportunity for senior-phase secondary school pupils.
“By giving young people earlier exposure to the world of work, we’re helping them develop the skills, experience and knowledge they’ll need when they leave school.
“The project will deliver a library of component parts to the engineers at Johnstons, which they can then get commercially printed when they need them, with a secondary goal of producing a complete three-dimensional model of the blanket-stitch machine.
“These are incredibly intricate machines, with complex shapes which represent a significant
challenge to take apart, measure and model in three-dimensional computer-aided design.
“Lexi and Carrie are a very effective team. They are motivated and quick to pick things up.
“For them, it’s the chance to get a head start on their careers by gaining an industry-recognised qualification, work on real projects that give them real commercial experience and broaden their career options when they leave school.”
Lexi added: “It’s been a challenging and fun experience and I’ve learned a lot. One of these has been how to do a project presentation. It wasn’t something I was very good at before but now, with some coaching, I feel more comfortable.
“It’s also been really well supported by the college. I’m dyslexic so even little things like them printing work materials off on purple paper have really helped me.”
Johnstons of Elgin has an established history of helping young people into the workforce, running its own apprenticeship schemes on sites in Elgin and Hawick.
However when Developing the Young Workforce Moray made the introduction, they were quick to see the value of taking part in this specific project.
Emma Hay, learning and development manager for Johnstons of Elgin, which celebrates 225 years in business in 2022, said: "We are committed to the communities in which we operate.
“Carrie and Lexi’s wholehearted engagement with this project has proven the value of partnerships between education and industry.
“We would love for interactions - such as the Singer sewing machine project - to lead to young people applying for and accepting careers with Johnstons of Elgin, having found out about the exciting variety of opportunities available on their doorstep”.
Stephen Donachie, senior sewing technician, explained that customers love the unique detail of the stitch produced by the Singer machine but that the machine used to create it is dying out.
“A traditional blanket stitch is often used to reinforce the edge of thick materials, and its distinctive aesthetic is visible on both sides of the fabric.
“There’s nothing else on the market that can give us the blanket stitch in this finish,” he said.
“It's a low-speed, low-impact machine, and there's a fair level of operator skill required. We can still use these machines, give them a spot of oil in the morning, and we don't get many problems.
The only problem arises if a part breaks, they can struggle to get a new one.
“We buy second hand or reconditioned machines," he added, "and even if they have been reconditioned,
we put them on the bench and strip them down to recondition and rebuild them.
“We network with UK suppliers to find part. Some are made in the Far East, but the minimum order is 100, which is about 50 years supply.”
Lexi and Carrie are two of around 43,000 apprentices in jobs and work-based learning
across Scotland. There are more than 12,000 employers involved in Scottish apprenticeships.
Scottish Apprenticeship Week, from March 7-11, shines a light on the vital role apprenticeships play in supporting people, employers and the economy.
You can find out more at https://www.apprenticeships.scot/scottish-apprenticeship-week/
Following its establishment in 1797, Johnstons of Elgin has been owned by just two families – the Johnstons and the
Harrisons.
It is one of the last few remaining vertical mills in the UK that still process the raw cashmere and fine woollen fibres right through to the finished product.
Johnstons of Elgin’s mills in Elgin and Hawick employ 900 people.
