Page 216 - Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

Fusing of cut textile components 203

Fig. 12.12 Heating chamber of a continuous-work-process fusing press: an upper heating
zone with two heating profiles (1) and a lower heating zone with four heating profiles (2).

thermal shock of the material. To enlarge heating surface and ensure smoother appli-
cation of heat, the heating profiles have lightly curved shapes. Extended heating time
and gradual temperature rise ensure qualitative fusing without any fabric damage even
at lower temperature than using a traditional short heating chamber press.
The heating capacity and the design of the heating chamber of the press determine
the material to be fused. Lighter fabrics require lower heating capacity and the use of
a press with shorter heating chamber with less heating zones. The main heat should
come from the face fabric side, in order to have the melting resins flow towards the
face fabric. In case of shirt component fusing, firstly, adhesive of the interlining has to
be melted by initial upper heating zone. Then, the extended lower heating zone draws
it downwards into the face fabric.
For heavier fabrics and sandwich or multilayer fusing, the presses with higher
heating capacity and longer heating chambers with several heating zones are needed.
Besides, only heating from both top and bottom sides with separate thermocontrol can
ensure the correct temperature balance.

12.4.4.2 Fused fabric testing before processing
In practice, fabric testing directly before its processing is done seldom. Manufacturers
excuse with a lack of time, very large variety of materials, and the lack of workers to
perform the material testing. However, nesting and cutting will not be interrupted or
slowed down if the material tests are performed whilst fabric is received, registered,
and stored in a warehouse. The quick and precise results will be guaranteed if the tests
are carried out by experienced staff using the date base of previously performed tests.
Extended number of markers (if there is necessity to add different shrinkage amount
to dimensions of fusible components for different fabrics) is also not a problem in case
of automated nesting and cutting process.
The manufacturers should remember two more facts:
Additionally spending work and time to determine optimal fusing parameters will be much
●
smaller than work and time to perform two-step cutting of fusible components.
Material consumption will be reduced because of more rational placement of pattern pieces
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in the marker – not forming separate blocks of the fusible components and reducing or
avoiding material buffers around the fusible components.