Page 269 - Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

256 Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

(A) (B)
Fig. 16.1 Matched checked pattern on the front (A) and the back (B) of a woman jacket.

16.2.2.1 The length of a marker and fabric repeat

To ensure precise pattern coordination in between all garments produced, the start of
the marker always must correspond with the determined start position of the repeat
of the fabric pattern. Very often, to ensure this, the length of the marker must be
extended (see Fig. 16.2). During the cutting process, this spare fabric is cut off and
wasted.
The more complex the fabric pattern is, the more time and labour consumption is
required in the marker-making process. Furthermore, the larger the repeat of a pattern,
the lower is the fabric utilization. Described fabric losses are not avoidable.

16.2.2.2 Variability of fabric structure
As textile materials have some variability in their structures, the size of the pattern
repeats may vary slightly. The stability of the repeat is influenced by the fabric compo-
nents, their construction, their manufacturing processes, and their storage and spread-
ing conditions. Some additional structural distortions happen when fabric is rewinded,
moved, and spread on the spreading/cutting table. Performing these actions in the
correct way is not critical for plain fabrics, but the situation is quite different regard-
ing processing intricate pattern textiles. Even minimal structural changes can result
in distorted pattern of a fabric ply and later incorrect pattern and its placement in cut
components.
By using traditional cutting methods, the structure/pattern of the fabric ply is cor-
rected, laying the ply on the spreading table. In performing multi-ply spreads, the
pattern of the fabric ply has to be coordinated with the pattern of the previous fabric
plies in the spread.