Page 95 - Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

82 Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

6.6 Spreading modes in the automated spreading
process

All fabric spreading modes can be performed by automated standard spreading ma-
chines (spreaders with movable cradle feeding system, see Section 6.3.2.1). Taking
into account the fact that the entire fabric roll and not just its edge is transferred above
a spreading table, there are some process performance differences between automated
and manual spreading.

6.6.1 ‘Face up/down in single direction’ spreading mode

The fabric is fixed in a spreading machine with its face side up. The spreading ma-
chine moves the fabric over the table to the beginning of a spread (see Fig. 6.25A). As
the spreading process is not performed during this action, it is called ‘deadheading’.
As the machine returns, the fabric ply is laid onto the previously spread plies (see
Fig. 6.25B). If necessary, an operator smooths the fabric surface and checks the quality
of the fabric. After the ply is spread, the fabric is automatically cut off. When perform-
ing ‘face down in single direction’ spreading, the fabric is fixed in a machine with its
face side down. The spreading process is then carried out in the same way as ‘face up
in single direction’ spreading.

6.6.2 ‘Face up/down in both directions’ spreading mode

The fabric is fixed in the machine with its face side up or down. After laying down each
fabric ply (Fig. 6.26A), the fabric roll is turned through 180 degrees (see Fig. 6.26B),
and the spreading process is continued in the opposite direction (see Fig. 6.26C). This
mode of fabric spreading can be used when the spreading machine is equipped with a
special turntable (turn turret) that turns the fabric roll and enables automatic rewind-
ing, threading, and positioning of the material for the next lay. ‘Deadheading’ (return
to the original position) is not necessary as it is both directional spreading. However,
additional time is needed to turn the fabric roll at the end of each spread.

6.6.3 ‘Face to face in single direction’ spreading mode
The first fabric ply is spread with its face side up in the traditional way (see Fig. 6.27A).
When the spreading machine moves back to lay the next ply (during the “deadhead-
ing”), it turns the fabric roll through 180 degrees (see Fig. 6.27B). The next ply will be

(A) (B)
Fig. 6.25 Face up/down single direction fabric spreading: The fabric is moved over the table
to the beginning of a spread (A), and the fabric ply is laid onto the previously spread plies (B).