CUTTING EQUIPMENTS

SEWN PRODUCT MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENTS

CUTTING

Cutting is the pre production process of separating (sectioning, carving, severing) a spread

into garment parts that are precise size and shape as the pattern pieces on the marker.
Fabric cutting is the most important part of garment industry. Cutting different parts of

garment apparel very carefully according to shape ofpattern is called fabric cutting.
Consistent fabric cutting is very important for perfect garments making.

OBJECTIVE OF CUTTING

The objective of cutting is to separate fabric parts as replicas of the pattern pieces in the
marker plan. In achieving this objective, certain requirements must be fulfilled:
Precision of cut
Clean edges
Support of the lay
Consistent cutting

METHODS OF CUTTING

Cutting

Manual

Semiautomatic

Fully
automatic

MANUAL CUTTING EQUIPMENTS

Hand Shear
Hand shears are normally used when cutting only single or double plies. The lower blade of
the shears passes under the plies, and some distortion of the fabric might occur which can be
avoided with practice
Advantages
Almost every type of cloth are cut by scissor.
Scissors are mainly used for cutting single plyfabric.
Appropriate for made to measure Garments.

Disadvantages
It takes huge time for fabric cutting
It is impossible to cut the fabric lay of any height

SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE

Straight Knife
The straight knife is a common
means
of
cutting
lays
in
conventional cutting rooms because
it is versatile, portable, cheaper than
a band knife, more accurate on
curves than a round knife and
relatively reliable and easy to
maintain.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE

Advantages of Straight knife

The knife is comparatively cheap & can be transferred from one place to another easily.
Lay of higher height can be cut very easily.
Suitable for large production rate as it is convenient to cut the lay of 10 inches height.
Fabric can be cut from any angle

Disadvantages of Straight knife

Sometimes deflecting may occur due to the weight of the motor.
Chance of accident is high.
Blade deflection occurs so quality may behampered.
Skill hand required.

STRAIGHT KNIFE

SERVO ASSISTED STRAIGHT KNIFE

The more recent development has been a travelling suspension system equipped with a

modified straight knife.

These system supports the knife from above, which allows the heavy base plate and rollers

to be replaced with a small, flat plate, reducing the possibility of distortion during cutting
which can arise fromthe thickness of the conventional base plate.
The drive trolley of the support arm moves automatically along rails on the side of the

table supports as the straight knife is moved during the cutting process, allowing the best
support to the knife at any part of the lay. These servo knife system enable a much higher
degree of cutting accuracy than unsupported straight knife, with less operator skill
required. In many cases they allow a standard of cutting to be achieved with a straight cut
that is normally only achievable by transporting roughly cut work to a band knife.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE

Round Knife
The elements of a round knife are a base plate, above which is mounted

an electric motor, a handle for the cutter to direct the blade, and a circular
blade rotating so that the leading edge cuts downwards into the fabric.
Blade diameters vary from 6 cm to 20 cm. Round knives are not suitable

for cutting curved lines in high lays because the blade does not strike all
the plies simultaneously at the same point as a vertical point does.
Therefore, a round knife is used only for straight lines or lower no of lays
of relatively few plies.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE

Advantages of Round knife

Round knife is widely used to separate the big parts and separate the blocks of fabric from

relatively small height of fabric lay.

Low consumption of electricity.
Low sound, constant running, easy to handle

Disadvantages of Round knife

Not suitable for cutting very curved lines in higher number of lays as the blade does not

strike all the plies simultaneously at the same point.

Round knife is only used for straight lines and lower number of plies.
Not suitable for mass production.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE
Band Knife
The band knife passes through a slot in the cutting table in a fixed

position and the section of the lay to be cut is moved past it.
Band knives are used when a higher standard of cutting accuracy is

required than can be obtained with a straight knife. Pieces to be cut are
first cut on a block, and then cut exactly on a band knife.
Features
Band knife cutting machine is a primary device equipment in garment

and knitting etc. industries. It could accurately cut the pattern offabrics.
This machine is with special blower decreases resistance between fabrics
and table, which enables the fabrics be moved easily andbe cut
precisely. Andit couldadjustable speed to fit different fabrics.

BAND KNIFE

SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE
Die Cutters
Die cuttinginvolves pressingarigid blade through the layof

fabric.
Thedieis aknife in the shape of a pattern periphery,

including notches.
They can be ofstrip steel or heavier gage, forged dies.
cut thesmall parts of larger garments such as collars

andtrouser pocketing or the parts of smaller garments such

as bras.
They are only appropriate tosituations where large quantities

of the samepattern shape will be cut.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE
Advantages
Die cutting is suitable for precession cutting of small parts of a garment.
It is suitable for cutting the fabric in any angle & any shape.
Especially suitable for knitted fabric

Disadvantages
Die cutting method needs block of fabric lay.
More fabric wastage.
Die manufacturing cost is high.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE

Drill Markers
The drill mounting includes a motor, a base plate with a hole

to allow the drill to pass through, and a spirit level to ensure

that the base is horizontal and hence the drill vertical.
On many fabrics the drill is used cold and the hole remains

visible until the sewing operator comes to use it.

On looser weave fabrics, where the hole may close up, a hot
drill is used, which will slightly scorch or fuse the edges of the
hole. A hypodermic (or dye spot) drill may also be used which
leaves a small deposit of paint on each ply of fabric.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE
Notchers
Many garment parts require that notches are cut into the
edges of them to enable alignment during sewing with
other garments parts.
A knife notcher is an upright, cylindrical device which
cuts the side of a block to a predetermined distance.
An alternative machine, the hot notcher, incorporates a
heating element in order that the blade may slightly
scorch the fibers adjacent to the notch in order to prevent
it fraying and disappearing. This cannot be used with
thermoplastic fibres or certain unlined garments

SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE

End Cutter
It mainly used to cut the edge of the fabric ply to
expedite fabric spreading onto cutting table. It can
be fixed to any type of cutting table with an easy to
use compressing bracket, cutting of extensive stuff
with large table options

SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE
Auto arm Machine
Those apparels which having puffiness item like padding,

fusing or something that time need auto arm cutting. By this

process first padding item lay down onto a conventional
cutting table equipped with air vacuum system by men or
spreader and upon that fabric computerized marker paper
need to be set and upon it a polythene layer need to be set
Advantages
Semi-automated appliance which increase efficiency and

easy to control
Low noise, stable running, long life and easy to maintain
Easy operation, high efficiency
Auto knife grinding andthe blade can be replaceable if

needed.

AUTOMATIC MACHINES
Computerised control knife cutting
This methods provides the most accurate possible cutting, at high speed, a

typical computer system has a table with a cutting surface consisting of

nylon bristles which support the fabric lays but are flexible enough to permit
penetration and movement of the knife blade which is supported only on
the top
Cutting blades are sharpened automatically based upon the type of fabric

being cut.
Gerber Garment Technology manufactures one of the most commonly used

cutting systems.
Advantages
Very active & fastcutting by computer controlled system.
Suitable for very large-scale production.
Cutting defects are lessthan other.-Less labor cost.-No need of marker

paper

AUTOMATIC MACHINES
Laser cutting machine
As

a brand new processing method, laser cutting

processing depends on its precise processing, faster,
simple operation, high degree of automation has been
widely used in the leather and textile garment industry

Advantages
Very high speed cutting.
Suitable for single ply cutting.

Disadvantages
Not suitable for cutting multi-layer of fabric.
Not suitable for synthetic fabric.
Possibility of burning.

LASER CUTTING MACHINE

LASER CUTTING MACHINE

AUTOMATIC MACHINES
Water Jet cutting
A very high velocity, small diameter stream ofwater is created by applying high pressure

water to a nozzle. The high pressure jet acts asa solid tool when it encounters the material
to becut, tearing the fibres onimpact. As the jet penetrates successive plies in a spread,
the momentum decreases and cutting ability is reduced. The jet spread out and cut is
wider and rougher at the bottom of the spread.
Advantages
Very fast cutting operation
Not require to sharp the blade

Disadvantages
Capital costs are high
Water is to be filtered and de-ionized

AUTOMATIC MACHINES
Plasma Cutting
Plasma cutting was originally developed to satisfy a demand for high quality cutting on

stainless steels and aluminum, but it can also be used to cut textile materials. Cutting is
achieved by means of a high velocity jet of high temperature ionized gas (argon). This
method has the potential to become the faster cutter of single plies, but there are
engineering and cost issues.
Ultrasonic Cutting Machine
More recently developed are cutting systems that use an ultrasonically driven knife blade.

Vibration frequencies in the 20 kHz range produce 1/20 mm movement in the blade, small
enough to remove the need for a bristle base to the cutting table. Disposable knife blades
save sharpening time and last for 10 to 14 days. Single ply and very low lays can be cut
and low vacuum only is needed.

DEFECTS DUE TO IMPROPER CUTTING

Frayed edges
Fuzzy, ragged / serrated edges
Ply- to-ply fusion
Single edge fusion
Pattern Precision
Notches
Drilling

FACTORS AFFECTING IMPROPER CUTTING

Wide/ vague lines on the marker

Imprecise following of lines on the marker
Variation in the cutting pitch
Shifting of the spread or block
Allowing fabric to bunch up or push ahead of the knife
Using improper equipment
Improper cutting sequence as parts are cut
Higher depth of spread/ greater number of plies