Barudan BEKT Series Embroidery Machine Maintenance Guide

1. Needles high likelihood

How to tell

Skipped stitches, thread breaks, burrs on the needle eye, bent or dull needle points, or excessive noise during stitching. Needles are a consumable item and should be replaced regularly.

Fix

1. Inspect the needle point for dullness or burrs by running a finger pad gently over the tip (away from the point).
2. Check the needle eye for any nicks or rough spots that could fray thread.
3. Ensure the needle is straight and not bent.
4. Loosen the needle clamp screw, remove the old needle, and insert a new needle with the scarf facing the hook, pushing it up until it seats firmly.
5. Tighten the needle clamp screw securely.

Parts involved: Needles & needle bars →

2. Rotary Hook and Bobbin Case high likelihood

How to tell

Frequent thread breaks (especially bobbin thread), poor stitch quality (looping, loose stitches), excessive noise from the hook area, or visible burrs/scratches on the hook point or bobbin case. The hook point can become dull or damaged over time.

Fix

1. Remove the needle plate and bobbin case.
2. Carefully inspect the rotary hook point for any nicks, burrs, or dullness. Use a magnifying glass if available.
3. Check the bobbin case for any burrs, especially around the tension spring or thread exit points.
4. If minor burrs are found, they can sometimes be carefully polished with very fine emery cloth, but replacement is often the best solution for significant damage.
5. To replace, follow your machine's manual for removing the old hook and installing a new one, ensuring proper timing if required (though often a direct swap).
6. Always lubricate the new hook before use.

Parts involved: Rotary hooks & bobbin cases →

3. Thread Path Components (Tension Discs, Thread Guides) medium likelihood

How to tell

Inconsistent thread tension, fraying thread, frequent thread breaks, or visible grooves/wear marks on ceramic or metal thread guides and tension discs. Thread friction wears these parts over time.

Fix

1. Visually inspect all thread guides from the thread cone to the needle for nicks, burrs, or deep grooves.
2. Check tension discs for cleanliness and smooth operation. Ensure they open and close freely.
3. Run a piece of thread through each guide and tension assembly to feel for snags.
4. Clean tension discs with a thin piece of fabric or dental floss.
5. Replace any thread guides or tension discs that show significant wear or damage. This usually involves unscrewing the old component and installing a new one.

Parts involved: Thread path & tension →

4. Trimmer Blades (Moving and Fixed Knives) medium likelihood

How to tell

Incomplete thread trims, frayed thread ends after trimming, thread tails left too long, or a 'chewing' sound during trimming. Blades become dull or nicked with use.

Fix

1. Carefully inspect both the moving and fixed trimmer blades for dullness, nicks, or damage.
2. Ensure the blades are clean and free of lint or thread residue.
3. Check for proper alignment between the moving and fixed blades. They should meet cleanly.
4. If blades are dull or damaged, they need to be replaced. This typically involves removing retaining screws, swapping the blades, and ensuring correct reassembly and alignment according to your machine's service manual.

Parts involved: Cutters & trimmers →

5. Presser Foot and Needle Plate low likelihood

How to tell

Needle strikes on the presser foot or needle plate, burrs around the needle hole, poor fabric hold-down, or damage to the foot itself. Can be caused by bent needles or improper hooping.

Fix

1. Inspect the needle hole on the needle plate for enlargement, burrs, or damage from needle strikes.
2. Check the underside of the presser foot for any nicks or rough spots that could snag fabric.
3. If the needle plate hole is burred, it can sometimes be carefully filed smooth with a very fine file, but replacement is recommended if damage is significant.
4. Replace the needle plate by unscrewing it and installing a new one, ensuring it sits flush.
5. Replace the presser foot if it is bent or damaged beyond repair.

Parts involved: Presser feet & sewing parts →

6. Belts (X/Y Axis, Head Drive) low likelihood

How to tell

Skipped stitches, misaligned designs, unusual noises (squealing, grinding), visible fraying, cracking, or stretching of the belts. Belts can lose tension or degrade over time.

Fix

1. Visually inspect all accessible belts for signs of wear: cracks, fraying, missing teeth, or excessive slack.
2. Gently press on the belts to check for appropriate tension (should have a slight give but not be loose).
3. If a belt is worn or loose, it needs to be replaced. This is often a more involved process requiring access to internal machine components.
4. Replacement involves loosening tensioners, removing the old belt, installing the new belt, and carefully re-tensioning it according to manufacturer specifications (refer to your service manual).
5. Ensure pulleys are clean and free of debris.

Parts involved: Belts, pulleys & gears →

7. Floppy Drive Emulator low likelihood

How to tell

Machine fails to read designs from USB, displays 'disk read error', or the emulator unit itself shows no power/activity. These units can fail electronically or due to connection issues.

Fix

1. Check the USB drive being used; try a different, known-good USB drive.
2. Ensure the USB drive is formatted correctly for the emulator (FAT32 is common).
3. Verify the emulator is properly seated in its bay and all cables are securely connected.
4. If the emulator has a display, check for error codes or lack of power.
5. If troubleshooting steps fail, the emulator unit itself may need replacement. This involves carefully disconnecting the old unit and installing a new one, such as the SFRM72-FU USB Floppy Emulator or Gotek SFR1M44-DU26 USB Floppy Emulator, ensuring correct jumper settings if applicable.

Compatible models include SFRM72-FU USB Floppy Emulator for Tajima, Barudan, Happy, ZSK, Brother, Melco, Feiya, Ricoma Embroidery; Gotek SFR1M44-DU26 USB Floppy Emulator for Tajima TMFX TMEF TFMX, Barudan BEAT BEDY BEKT, Brother, Happy, Ricoma, ZSK, Melco Embroidery Machines; Barudan SFRM72-DU26 Gotek USB Floppy Drive Emulator for BENS, BEAT, BEKT, BEKS, BEDT.

Parts involved: Floppy, USB & memory →

8. Membrane Panel Key Film Keyboard low likelihood

How to tell

Buttons on the control panel are unresponsive, require excessive force to activate, or are visibly worn, cracked, or bubbling. This is due to repeated pressing and environmental factors.

Fix

1. Test all buttons on the control panel to identify unresponsive or intermittently working keys.
2. Visually inspect the membrane for any physical damage, cracks, or signs of liquid ingress.
3. If specific keys are consistently failing, the membrane panel likely needs replacement.
4. Replacement typically involves carefully removing the old membrane (often adhered with adhesive), disconnecting its ribbon cable, cleaning the underlying surface, and then attaching the new Barudan Membrane Panel Key Film Keyboard for BEXT Series, BEKT Series, BEVS Series Embroidery Machines, ensuring the ribbon cable is properly connected.

Use Barudan Membrane Panel Key Film Keyboard for BEXT Series, BEKT Series, BEVS Series Embroidery Machines.

Parts involved: Control panels & displays →