By Alex White, Managing Director, Blackman & White
Maldon, UK. 3rd October 2019: Textile printing is in the ascendent, thanks to developments in digital ink technology and a growing customer interest in new textures, unique designs and more environmentally friendly materials. From sports apparel to soft signage to sailcloth, there are a host of opportunities in textiles to explore.
As digital textile printing technology has evolved, so have cutting systems;Â there’s little point in investing in the latest printer if it creates a bottleneck in the finishing department. Laser cutting offers a wealth of benefits for businesses adding textiles to their service offering, chiefly the technology’s versatility. Blackman & White built on unparalleled decades of cutting experience to become the first in the industry to add a laser conveyor cutter specifically for textiles, expanding the technology’s application potential – which already delivers cutting, creasing and routing of common materials such as vinyl, banner, foam board, Correx, Perspex and Dibond –Â to offer compatibility with with myriad fabric and technical textiles. The laser is also modular, meaning other tools can be used on the same system, such as a router, driven wheel and electric oscillating knife, to name a few. This enables both scalability and material cutting flexibility.
In short, an investment in a single machine with laser cutting capabilities could accelerate everyday production while future-proofing for entry into new markets, while ticking all the boxes demanded by modern designers and manufacturers: fast processing and production rates, high levels of reliability and minimal maintenance requirements, and an excellent quality finish.
Indeed, it is this easily achievable high-end finish that makes laser-cutting particularly compatible with textiles. It achieves snag-free, sealed edges on a wide range of fabrics, notably synthetics like nylon and polyester, and natural materials including leather, cotton and silk. It can leave a sharp finish even on the most intricate shapes, allowing creative designs on, for instance, backlit displays – adding lighting effects can produce incredibly effective finishes – or 3D-effect displays created by layering cut fabric. Laser finishing leaves no obvious discolouration on dark-coloured textiles, and on light colours this can be minimised by altering the laser power, air pressure and cut speed – all easily done during operation – for seriously impressive output.
In addition to aesthetics, laser cutting offers safety and user-friendly benefits over other cutting methods, thanks to its contactless operation. Rotary wheel cutting may incur accidental lifting or moving of the material, and potentially threads wrapping around the wheels – issues that are removed by laser cutting. And, some fabrics, such as a flag material, can be cut as fast or faster than using a rotary wheel, with no fraying edges. While hot knife cutting can achieve the same quality of sealed edges, this technology can be a time-consuming additional process that can – owing to its contact with the material – can stretch and distort the fabrics, and create hazardous fumes. Additionally, the contact-free nature of laser cutting means the structure of the fabric is irrelevant – it can be processed in any direction – and there is reduced dust production and no tool wear.
Laser cutting is a clean, precise technology ideally suited to textiles, while also offering functionality on a variety of other substrates. With the added reliability, efficiency and user-friendliness of digital operation, it can open exciting doors across many markets.
