Page 131 - Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

118 Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

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(Italy), Oteman (Spain), Gemini (Romania), Kimla (Poland), Autometrix (the
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United States), Union Special (USA), Shimaseiki (Japan), Takatori Corporation
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(Japan), Hashima (Japan), Tukatech (India), Iecho (China), Oshima (Taiwan),
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Aeronaut (Australia), and Pathfinder (Australia).
Knife cutting is the most widely used automated method to process textile materi-
als. It ensures a sufficiently high quality and accuracy for both single- and multi-ply
cutting processes.
9.3.1 Cutting tools
The cutting process is done by multitool cutting head (see Fig. 9.4) that is equipped
with knives, notch tools, drill punches, and markers to carry out a variety of cutting
operations. During a single cutting process, the tools can be used with a complete
indexing of tool direction, enabling alteration of their angle and height. A software-
controlled pressure regulator applies the correct force to each tool, so high-pressure
tools such as drill punches and creasers can be exchanged with other tools as neces-
sary. The cutting tools are modular and easy adaptable to the cutting head for their
quick replacement and maintenance. Often, wide range of apparel and technical tex-
tiles, even composites, can be processed by the same cutter providing appropriate
tooling in accordance with an application.
The choice of each tool for the cutting process depends upon the cut material, the
configuration of the required contours, and the cutting operations. Textiles are used
to be cut by different nonmotorized (passive), electrically, or pneumatically driven
knives. Nonmotorized tools (round knives, drag knives, punches, and creasing tools)
and electrically driven tools (round knives, tangential knives, oscillating knives, and
creasing tools) are used to cut thinner and softer materials. Pneumatically driven tools
(oscillating knives and punches) cut hard and dense materials. The profiles of the ob-
jects are cut by drag knives, round blade knives, and oscillating knives.

9.3.1.1 Drag knife
A drag knife has a sharp-angled blade. During the cutting process, it is dragged along
the profile of the cut component (see Fig. 9.5). The drag knives differ in shape of their

18 http://www.oteman.com
19 https://www.geminicad.com
20 http://www.kimla.pl
21 http://www.autometrix.com
22 http://www.unionspecial.com
23 http://www.shimaseiki.com/
24 http://www.takatori-g.co.jp
25 http://www.hashima.co.jp
26 http://www.tukatech.com/
27 https://www.iechocuttingmachines.com
28 http://www.oshima.com.tw
29 http://www.aeronaut.org/
30 http://www.pathfinderaus.com.au/