Page 215 - Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

202 Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

Table 12.1 Fusing process problems and their prevention

Problem Probable reasons Prevention
Low adhesion 1 Low fusing temperature 1. Increase temperature, pressure
strength 2. Interlining does not have 2. Select better quality interlining
enough resin on its surface 3. Increase pressure
3. Face fabric has special
finishing against dirt
Large fabric Too high fusing temperature Lower temperature and increase
shrinkage fusing time
Resin gets through 1. Fabric is too thin for the 1. Select suitable interlining
the fabric selected interlining 2. Lower temperature and fusing
2. Too high temperature speed
Bubbling of the 1. Bad quality adhesive 1. Select qualitative interlining
fabric 2. Low fusing temperature 2. Increase temperature
Surface 3. Dirt and debris on the face 3. Clean the face fabric surface
fabric surface

and width (e.g. the front of a jacket). To correct this, the seam allowances must be de-
creased during the sewing process, or the defective components will need to be recut
to produce garments of smaller size.
If the shrinkage level is preestablished and the fabric allowances are placed around
pattern pieces or blocks of fusible components, the problems are still not solved fully.
Usually, the same buffer volume is added to all edges of the fusible components or their
blocks. However, never the same shrinkage appears in lengthwise and crosswise direc-
tions of the component (in warp and weft direction of a fabric). The shrinkage affects
more lengthwise dimensions of the components. This way, side allowances around long
components (fronts and facings) or long blocks of components are used partly or not used
at all. After fusing, they are cut off, and material is wasted. Two-step fabric cutting of
fused components increases time and work consumption, but the use of ungrounded fabric
allowances (buffers) around the components or their blocks increases fabric consumption.
There are two options to avoid described problems: to avoid fabric shrinkage or to
determine precisely fabric shrinkage volume and to change the dimensions of fusible
components in markers in accordance with it.

12.4.4.1 Fusing technologies to avoid fabric shrinkage
Heat or thermal shock is the main reason for fabric shrinkage. It occurs when certain
material is exposed to a sudden and rapid change in temperature. It causes structural
stress, and irreversibly, it changes the properties of the material. To avoid fabric dam-
age, the heating temperature has to be raised gradually extending material heating
time. This can be ensured using an advanced continuous work process fusing press
with a long heating chamber and sensitive heating system.
The heating chamber of this kind of fusing press is designed from several individ-
ually controlled heating zones – heating profiles/plates (see Fig. 12.12). The heat is
applied to every zone so that the fused fabric components heat up gradually avoiding