Page 288 - Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

Marker making, spreading, and cutting of narrow lace 275

17.6.1 Semiautomated die cutting

Lace components with constant shape that are needed in the long run may be cut by
1
dies. Automatic line for lace die cutting is developed by company Bierrebi. The work
process is operated only by one worker. To obtain pairs of symmetrical components,
two fabric plies unwound from two rolls are processed simultaneously feeding them
in the work zone of the machine with their face sides together. By the help of an end-
catcher, the fabric plies are transferred over the cutting surface. If the matched pattern
is needed, an operator manually coordinates the pattern in between two fabric plies
and places them on the work surface carefully, in accordance with reference points
projected on the fabric by the help of a laser pointer. The cutting is performed by the
preformed die that chops out the components from the two ply fabric spread. The ma-
chine ensures automated counting and stacking of the cut fabric plies. At the end of the
process, the operator manually off-loads cut components.
The described die cutting machine can be used also for narrow tubular fabric
processing manufacturing small-size garments, for example, panties and children
underwear.

17.6.2 Semiautomated knife cutting

Multi-ply cutting of the narrow lace can be performed in semiautomated way in-
volving in the work process hardware and software used to process patterned fabrics
(see Sections 15.3.1–15.3.4).

17.6.2.1 Marker making
Lace design image is scanned, imported, or generated as a grid representing its pattern.
The marker is created directly over this image on PC screen by nesting program for
patterned fabrics.

17.6.2.2 Spreading of the lace
Multi-ply spreading is performed on a pin table. By help of an overhead projector, the
marker in its real size is projected on the pin table to determine the needed placement
of pins. The pins are placed in the most important points of the lace pattern to coor-
dinate them and to keep the spread in fixed position (to avoid displacement of fabric
plies). To ease pattern coordination, important pattern lines/grid or a marker can be
projected on the lace during the work process. After spreading is finished, the pins can
be replaced with thread fixing the most important pattern points knotting the thread.

17.6.2.3 Adjustment of the marker

When the ready spread is moved to the cutting surface of the cutter, the corrections are
realized in the initial marker. This is done by the help of a camera fixed in the cutting

1 http://www.bierrebi.com