General

Introduction:

Midwest Products, Inc. is the world leader in commercial embroidery hooping systems. As the sole manufacturer and innovator in the embroidery industry and best known for developing the HoopMaster Station and magnetic embroidery hoops called Mighty Hoop. These embroidery tools have revolutionized hooping by providing precision, efficiency, and ease of use. Whether you are a small business or a large production facility, these products simplify the embroidery process, ensuring consistent hooping results every time.

What is the HoopMaster Station?

The HoopMaster Station is a specialized hooping board designed to streamline the embroidery setup process. It provides a structured platform that ensures accurate and repeatable placement of garments in embroidery hoops. This tool eliminates guesswork, reduces errors, and speeds up production, making it an essential investment for embroiderers seeking consistency and efficiency. Watch this video to understand more about the function of the letters, numbers, and holes on the Station. https://youtu.be/TybpAhjqTgQ (Starts a 01:01)

What are Mighty Hoops?

A Mighty Hoop is a magnetic embroidery hoop designed to hold garments securely without the need for excessive manual tightening. Unlike traditional hoops that rely on tension and clamping pressure, Mighty Hoops use powerful magnets to hold fabric in place, significantly reducing strain on the user’s hands and ensuring uniform tension for high-quality embroidery results.

How Magnetic Hoops Work:

Magnetic hoops aka Mighty Hoop function by utilizing strong embedded magnets that clamp fabric between the top ring and bottom ring of the hoop. The magnetic force securely holds the material without causing stretching or distortion, making it ideal for various fabric types, including thick Carhartt jackets, leather, delicate lace, silk, and everything in between. This innovative design allows for easy hooping and removal, reducing the physical effort required in traditional hooping methods.

Benefits of Using Mighty Hoops:

Mighty Hoops offer numerous benefits over conventional hoops, including ease of use, reduced operator fatigue, and improved hooping accuracy. The strong magnetic hold ensures that fabric stays in place, preventing shifting during embroidery. Additionally, the hoop’s design minimizes hoop burn, making it a preferred choice for embroiderers working with delicate materials. These advantages contribute to faster production times and more consistent embroidery quality.

Mighty Hoops and Tubular Embroidery Machines:

Mighty Hoops are only compatible with tubular embroidery machines. A tubular embroidery machine is a type of embroidery machine designed to accommodate open-ended garments such as shirts, jackets, and bags by allowing free movement of the fabric around the hoop. Unlike flatbed embroidery machines, which require fabric to be clamped flat, tubular machines allow for more versatility in hooping and stitching.

There are many different brands of tubular embroidery machines, including:

• Tajima
• Barudan
• Brother
• Baby Lock
• Happy
• SWF
• ZSK
• Melco
• Ricoma
• Bai
• Bernina
• Avance
• Smartstitch
• Toyota (and so much more!)

Depending on your machine brand and model, we will install a specific style of brackets on your Mighty Hoops to ensure they fit properly. Each machine requires uniquely designed brackets for seamless compatibility, allowing the hoop to be securely attached and function correctly with your embroidery machine.

View our entire brand machine list here: https://hoopmaster.com/products/mighty-hoop

Don’t see your machine brand? Email info@hoopmaster.com

Visit this link to see what we offer for Brother and Baby Lock Flatbed Embroidery machines. https://hoopmaster.com/products/hoopmaster-home-edition

Reducing Hoop Burn:

Hoop burn occurs when excessive pressure from traditional hoops leaves marks or indentations on the fabric. Mighty Hoops significantly reduce hoop burns because they do not require tight clamping. The magnetic hold applies even pressure without crushing fibers, making it ideal for sensitive materials such as fleece, silk, and performance fabrics.

Enhancing Efficiency:

Efficiency is key in any embroidery operation, and Mighty Hoops contribute by reducing setup time and minimizing rework. The quick and easy hooping process allows embroiderers to complete more orders in less time. The combination of HoopMaster Station, Mighty Hoop Fixtures and Mighty Hoops creates the perfect hooping set-up.

Basic Operation:

Using Mighty Hoops to hoop your garments is simple. The fabric is placed between the two magnetic hoop components, which snap together securely. The hoop is then positioned in the embroidery machine’s frame, and the design is stitched. Once completed, the hoop can be easily separated, and the finished product removed with minimal effort. This process eliminates the need for manual tightening, making it accessible for users of all experience levels.

User Precautions:

While Mighty Hoops offer numerous advantages, users should exercise caution due to the strength of the magnets. Handling the hoops carefully is essential to avoid finger pinching or accidental snapping. Additionally, individuals with pacemakers or medical implants should consult their healthcare provider before using magnetic hoops due to potential interference. View our warning list here: https://hoopmaster.com/support/mighty-hoops-magnetic-hoops-safety-warning

Conclusion:

Midwest Products, Inc. continues to set industry standards with its innovative embroidery hooping systems. The HoopMaster Station and Mighty Hoops have transformed the way embroiderers work by improving accuracy, efficiency, and user comfort. Whether you are an experienced embroiderer or just starting, investing in these high-quality American made tools can elevate your embroidery projects, making the process faster, easier, and more professional.

Many embroiderers are familiar with both HoopMaster and Mighty Hoop, but not everyone knows how they are related—or how they differ. Both patented products come from Midwest Products, Inc., and while they work together seamlessly, they serve distinct purposes in the embroidery process.

The Origins of HoopMaster

The original HoopMaster system was designed as a precision hoop placement tool to work with the standard hoops that come with your embroidery machine. Before its invention, embroiderers often struggled with consistent hoop placement, leading to alignment issues and wasted time. HoopMaster solved this problem by introducing:

• A Station, which provides a stable base for hooping shirts, sweatshirts, jackets.
• A Fixture, designed to securely hold the hoop while placing garments.
• A Portable Mounting Base with Fixture and FreeStyle Arm, which allows for hooping smaller garments, Onesies, bags, and anything else that can’t fit on the Station.

While the HoopMaster system tremendously improved accuracy and consistency, there was still a major challenge when using traditional hoops:

• You still had to manually adjust the inner and outer rings to match the fabric thickness.
• The tightening process was hard on your wrists, especially after repeated use.
• Traditional hoops could cause fabric distortion and hoop burn, particularly on delicate or thick materials.

These challenges made hooping tedious, especially in high-production environments. That’s where Mighty Hoop came in.

The Introduction of Mighty Hoops

Over time, as embroidery technology evolved, Mighty Hoops were developed and patented as an industry first magnetic hooping solution. Unlike traditional hoops that rely on tension and pressure, Mighty Hoops use strong magnets to hold the fabric securely in place. This offers several advantages:

• Less strain on fabric – No need to over-tighten the hoop, reducing the risk of hoop burn.
• Faster hooping – Simply place the fabric and let the magnets do the work.
• Easier hooping of thick materials – Works exceptionally well with items like leather, Carhartt jackets, and heavy sweatshirts.

While Mighty Hoops provided a new way to hoop garments, they were designed to be fully compatible with the original HoopMaster Station. Instead of the HoopMaster Fixture holding a standard hoop, Mighty Hoop Fixtures were introduced to securely hold Mighty Hoops in place during the hooping process. This allowed embroiderers to continue using the same HoopMaster setup while benefiting from the ease of magnetic hooping.

HoopMaster & Mighty Hoop: A Perfect Pair

Even though they were developed at different times, HoopMaster and Mighty Hoop are designed to work together. The HoopMaster Station remains a critical tool for ensuring precision placement, while the Mighty Hoop provides a stress-free and efficient hooping experience.

Today, embroiderers can choose to use HoopMaster with either traditional hoops or Mighty Hoops, depending on their needs. Regardless of the choice, the same fundamental concept applies—using the HoopMaster system to ensure accuracy and efficiency in the hooping process.

Midwest Products, Inc.: The Company Behind It All

HoopMaster and Mighty Hoop are both embroidery tools specifically invented, engineered, and patented, by Midwest Products, Inc., a US company dedicated to improving efficiency in the embroidery industry and inventing new and innovative embroidery accessories. HoopMaster and Mighty Hoop are manufactured, assembled, and distributed worldwide from their manufacturing facilities in Germantown, Wisconsin. Their products have led them to become the world leader in commercial embroidery hooping systems. Helping embroiderers of all skill levels throughout the world streamline their workflow and improve the quality of their work.

By understanding the differences and connections between HoopMaster and Mighty Hoop, embroiderers can make the best choice for their production needs, whether sticking with traditional hoops and the original HoopMaster setup or upgrading to the magnetic ease of Mighty Hoops while still benefiting from the precise placement of the HoopMaster Station.

Midwest Products, Inc. takes great pride in manufacturing all of our products in the USA. Our patented HoopMaster and Mighty Hoop products are designed to be the best in the industry, which we are! We are also committed to providing outstanding customer service, ensuring that every customer receives the support they need. Our sales and customer service team are located right here in our home office and warehouse in Germantown, WI, so you can always count on talking to a knowledgeable representative who truly understands our products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do you still sell HoopMaster Products?
A: Yes! The HoopMaster system is still available and continues to be a reliable tool for precise hoop placement.

Q: Do you sell the traditional hoops that come with embroidery machines?
A: No. We do not manufacture or sell the standard hoops that come with your embroidery machine.

Q: Why would someone still buy the traditional HoopMaster setup when the Mighty Hoop system is far superior?
A: We understand that our patented Mighty Hoops are an investment. Large embroidery shops needing 200+ Mighty Hoops of just one size can see costs add up quickly. Many shops slowly invest in our line of products while still using the hoops that came with their machine. By using the HoopMaster setup, they can continue to achieve consistent placement while gradually transitioning to Mighty Hoops over time.