ACE CORPORATE APPAREL

LASER CUTTING

Laser cutting is a manufacturing method which uses laser to cut material. Laser cutting

design has become very popular in fashion industry. Laser cutting came into existence

due to its accuracy, clean cuts and sealed fabric edges which prevent fraying. Laser

cutting is used to cut different types of clothes such as nylon, silk, leather and

polyester. Laser cutting does not create any pressure on the fabric which means no

part of the cutting process requires anything other than the laser to touch the fabric.

The most important thing in laser cutting is that no intended marks are left on the

fabric particularly for delicate fabrics.

Technique on which the Laser Cutting works

Working of the laser cutting technique is the phase where the things get technical.

There are three main types of laser which are used for laser cutting which are as

follows:

The CO2 Laser

The neodymium Laser (Nd)

The Neodymium Yttrium Aluminium Garnet ( Nd-YAG) laser.

For most of the time the CO2 laser method is the choice for cutting wearable fabrics.

This process generally includes a firing of high energy laser that cuts by melting

vaporizing or burning a material.

For precise cutting, laser is made to pass through a tube like device which is reflected

by mirrors. As the beam reaches the focal lens, it targets the laser to a single spot on

the chosen material which is being cut. Adjustments are to be made to vary the

amount of material that is to be cut by the laser. A concentrated beam of light is

generated by the CO2 laser, Nd laser and the Nd – YAG laser. Infrared light is produced

by CO2 laser which is easily absorbed by organic material which makes it the first

choice for cutting fabrics like leather. On the other hand, Nd and Nd-Yag lasers are

solid state lasers that rely on crystals to create the light beam. These high powered

methods are well suited for engraving, welding, cutting and drilling metals.

Benefits of Laser Cutting

Low Power Consumption: 50kw of power in total is consumed by typical blanking

press or turret punch where as 4kw laser system uses just only 10kw total power.

Safety: Fiber laser are designed by keeping in mind the safety features. Fiber laser

are enclosed in a light tight box which means that they do not require any type of

human intervention during cutting. On the other hand, blanking press has a large

blade that moves rapidly up and down and does not have any safety features which

prevents the hand getting in it.

Material Scrap Savings: Laser cut generally requires a common outline which can be

cut with a single cut and that too with no scrap. A minimal scrap skeleton may also

be cut as small as 1/16 of an inch or even less for some materials.

Cutting Properties: Any strength of material can be cut by the laser as long as the

material can be melted.

Low maintenance: Blanking press or turret punch contains expensive tools which need

to be sharpened and stored regularly as different parts are cut. In laser parts are

changed by changing programs and relatively require inexpensive replacement parts

like lenses and nozzles

Flexible Operation: For each part of the traditional blanking line has a tool which has a

fixed design and has a very high investment. Whereas on the other hand turret punch

is better as it can be programmed for any shape and can be used as a set of similar

shapes. Designs are limited to the tools available only but if someone needs to change

the designs then new tool are to be purchased and it must be replaced on the

available slot on the turret. These tools are less pricy, but still require regular

maintenance, which is a specialized task, so the labor cost will be higher. Laser takes

than an hour to reprogram which cost approximately $60 to apply the change.

Improved edge Quality: Presses and punches are shearing through the material which

stretches the edge until it breaks. The top side of a part typically has a rounded over

edge, while the bottom has a bunch of stretched ribbon that are very sharp. These are

sometimes required to be cleaned off with an abrasive, which is a second process and

its add to the cost. In case of laser when cut with a focused beam set for the material,

cuts the part with an edge like a mirror surface, the top edge remain square and the

bottom edge is smooth to touch.

Faster changeover: A laser can change programs instantaneously, leading to time

savings and allowing for smaller production runs to have decreased price.

A laser cutting technique is the future of the fashion industry. So, people should learn

about the laser cutting techniques so as to become a perfect fashion designer.