# Possible to embroider rubber floor mats?



## tim3560 (Jan 7, 2007)

I have a customer that wants to embroider "Mazda" in the stock floormats that he has for his car. They are thick rubber underneath with carpet on top.

Any suggestions on how to do this the right way? or is it even possible?


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## weave (Jan 30, 2008)

Would need to see them. Some embroidery machines can even stitch through light metal. Depends on embroidery machine. Contact an embroiderer.


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## rwshirts (Dec 5, 2007)

I'm not sure if our Tajimas would pierce the rubber backing. The factory embroidered mats have the embroidery applied to the carpet first, and then the carpet attached to the rubber backing. We can embroider through some really thick leather materials, but you have to keep an eye on the work in the event of a broken needle.


RW


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## EMBDenton (May 4, 2007)

rwshirts said:


> I'm not sure if our Tajimas would pierce the rubber backing. The factory embroidered mats have the embroidery applied to the carpet first, and then the carpet attached to the rubber backing. We can embroider through some really thick leather materials, but you have to keep an eye on the work in the event of a broken needle.
> 
> 
> RW


we have done some floor mats but like RW stated the largest concern is needle break and if the material can be hooped. We use clamps from HD to hold the frame together and a fast frame if that is not possible. Just need to let the customer know it will not look like a factory embroidery job and need to have them sign a waver on the possible product damage/responsibility waver.


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## tim3560 (Jan 7, 2007)

Cool, thanks to you both. He's into auto body and upholster so I'll ask him if it might be possible to remove the carpet from the rubber first. Our other idea was to cut out a large chunk of the rubber from underneath and glue it back after sewing.


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## KenS (Apr 27, 2007)

My biggest concern would be the needle perforating the rubber. I would be just like the perforations in your checkbook. They will tear out easy. We do mats for the household, like what you put in front of the sink. They have a rubberized backing and we do those with no problems. The higher your stitch density the more likely they are going to punch out.


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## DakotaPrintArt (Dec 20, 2007)

When I was in sales, I worked with a large company in California that makes almost every embroidered patch for all of the auto floor mats. They still use the old Shiffli machines and make patches that are then applied to the mat. They also do all of the NFL and MLB patches.


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## tim3560 (Jan 7, 2007)

DakotaPrintArt said:


> When I was in sales, I worked with a large company in California that makes almost every embroidered patch for all of the auto floor mats. They still use the old Shiffli machines and make patches that are then applied to the mat. They also do all of the NFL and MLB patches.


How did they apply the patch to the mat? Do they do orders of 1-4 pieces?


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## DakotaPrintArt (Dec 20, 2007)

tim3560 said:


> How did they apply the patch to the mat? Do they do orders of 1-4 pieces?


Well Tim, I would be more than happy to answer your question if I could remember who the company was... Let me do some investigating and get back to you.


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## TPrintDesigner (Sep 16, 2007)

We embroider a patch with a satin border and apply a heavy duty heat seal to the back. The patch is fused to the mat in a heat press.... This is the difficult part because you need it to bond with the mat base, not just the carpet fibre.


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## conofre (Dec 22, 2011)

can you heat press a floor mat?


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

I wouldn't even try to embroider on a finished floor mat. You really need to start with a blank material, embroider on that then add the backing and edging.


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## myfinishingtouch (Nov 21, 2009)

When I was at ISS I was looking at floor mats that were done on an SWF machine. These had a rubber backing...the sales person said they were simply WalMart floor mats.

I also know I was embroidering a steno pad holder cover that had a thick hard plastic stiffener inside the polyester cover. I had thought I had the sewing arm under the plastic but I didn't and ended up sewing a 20,000 stitch design through this hard plastic and didn't even realize it until I tried to remove the hoop. I'm talking really thick plastic.

I would think the main problem with the rubber backing would be that it would grab the thread and there might be looping issues. I'd want to test it out first on some scrap flooring and I'd use a larger needle (much like I use when I'm embroidering on seat belt material)

Dave


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