Patent ID: 8336214

Claim:
A sewing machine which includes a needle bar to which an engraving needle is attached and is capable of executing an engraving process of engraving a plurality of marks on a workpiece by moving the engraving needle upward and downward while the workpiece is transferred in two predetermined directions by a transfer mechanism, the sewing machine comprising: a heightwise position adjusting mechanism which adjusts a mounting heightwise position of the engraving needle relative to the needle bar; an imaging unit which images the dents formed on the workpiece by the engraving needle, thereby obtaining an image of each engraved mark; a detection unit which extracts a region of each engraved mark from the image to detect a size of each engraved mark; a determination unit which compares the size of each engraved mark detected by the detection unit with a reference value stored, thereby determining a mounting heightwise position of the engraving needle; and an informing unit which informs of information for adjusting the mounting heightwise position of the engraving needle according to a determination made by the determination unit.