Page 157 - Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

144 Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

9.6.1 Different blade tools

Cutting systems operate with a wide range of tools, including power tools such as os-
cillating blades, grinders, and drills, as well as round blades, drag blades, and creasing
and scoring tools. A round blade is used for fast cuts, a tangential knife for details,
and a creasing tool for setting fold lines. All tools are computer-controlled and can be
changed automatically. Cutting systems are used to work with corrugated cardboard,
composites, rubber, cork and filter materials, and technical textiles.

9.6.2 Blade cutters plus lasers
These dual-purpose cutting systems combine a different type of blade cutter with a
high- or low-power CO 2 laser (see Chapter 10). A round blade cutter works with ma-
terials that are not suited to laser cutting, while laser cutting can be combined with
creasing tool operations. Vacuum tables can be built with quick-change cutting sur-
faces or with dual zones suitable for either laser or blade cutting (see Section 10.3).
3
Laser and blade tools are combined in ‘Combi Laser’ cutter by Eastman (see
33
Fig. 9.29), laser systems with mechanical tools by Eurolaser , ‘Genesis laser cutter’
8
with knife and laser gantry by Blackman & White , ‘Elektron Laser ZX Duo’ cutter
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by Aeronaut , and others.
9.6.3 Blade cutters plus ultrasonic tools
Cutting systems can work with thick and difficult materials (corrugated cardboard,
composites, rubber, cork, and filter materials) using blade cutters. When fitted with
ultrasonic tools, the cutting system can also cut technical textiles that cannot be cut
by conventional methods and has the capacity to cut and seal the edges of synthetic
fabrics. The table top is zoned to allow for both blade and ultrasonic cutting. Blade

Fig. 9.29 ‘Combi Laser’ cutter by Eastman.