be supplied to sutures captured therein during predetermined operating intervals in this instance the clamping unit 350 which includes a plurality of vacuum nozzles or fingers 414 as illustrated in fig2 and 30 is rendered operative when a surgical needle is inserted into the packaging tray 170 at workstation 4 in effect by the needle feed or transfer apparatus 300 the suture portion which extends outwardly and downwardly of the tray 170 from its end which is attached to the surgical needle which is parked in the tray is captured by the vacuum operated clamping unit 350 through the intermediary of vacuum nozzles 416 at a location which is below the therewith associated tool nest 60 when the surgical needle has been inserted into the tray 170 and the suture portion depends outwardly and downwardly therefrom as illustrated in fig1 of the drawings it extends through the clamping unit 350 as shown in fig2 and extends downwardly through a further vacuum nozzle arrangement 418 for tensioning the suture portion and into a further lower suture tensioning device not shown which is also vacuum operated and tensions the trailing end of the suture portion upon the tool nest 60 and the tray 170 with the surgical needle and attached suture having been advanced to the winding station 6 for initially rotating the tray 170 at winding station 6 as shown in fig2 and then advanced towards the second winding station 100 7 for winding the entire remaining suture length into the confines of the tray 170 the vacuum in the nozzles 416 of clamping unit 350 is released thereby permitting upward sliding movement therethrough of the.