Patent ID: 8522703

Claim:
A multi-needle sewing machine, comprising: a plurality of needle bars configured to allow detachable attachment of a sewing needle, a specific needle bar among the plurality of needle bars being configured to allow detachable attachment of a punch needle that punch engraves a surface of a punch workpiece in dot-by-dot strokes; a needle-bar selector/driver mechanism that selects one needle bar from the plurality of needle bars and that drives the selected needle bar; a holder that is configured to hold a workpiece and that is selected from the group of an embroidery frame that is configured to hold a workpiece cloth and a punch workpiece holder that is configured to hold the punch workpiece; a transfer mechanism that allows detachable attachment of either of the embroidery frame and the punch workpiece holder, and that drives the holder in two predetermined directions; a detector that detects the attachment of the punch workpiece holder on the transfer mechanism; and a controller that is configured to execute an embroidery sewing operation on the workpiece cloth with the sewing needle by controlling the needle-bar selector/driver mechanism and the transfer mechanism based on pattern data, and that, when the attachment of the punch workpiece holder is detected by the detector, is configured to execute a punch engraving operation on the punch workpiece with the punch needle by selecting the specific needle bar and by controlling the needle-bar selector/driver mechanism and the transfer mechanism based on punch engraving pattern data which is pre-stored or given by external components.