The standard specifies the fitting dimensions of needles and needle holders for sewing machines. It defines general terms for sewing machine needles and specifies the tolerances for their fit in the needle holder of a sewing machine. In addition to the ranges of dimensions for the nominal fitting diameter and the length from butt to eye, this standard also indicates the preferred combinations of these two dimensions. In order to ensure the interchangeability and to reduce the number of needles these should serve as a guide when designing new sewing machines and/or sewing machine needles.#,,#