Investing in new cutting technology can be an intimidating notion, where lots of factors need to be taken into consideration. However, within the textile industry, things are moving. And they are moving fast. Trends continue to change and challenges, such as the waste issue, need to be faced. When you take a look at the reliability and versatility of laser cutting. We notice the laser technology offers countless possibilities to counter these cutting challenges in the textile market.
Face the challenges
The market for textiles is vast and varied, filled with organizations producing garments and products for all manner of customers. But despite the end products being so different, many of them experience similar cutting challenges. From the need for personalization and individuality inherent in fashion and sportswear, through to the soft and delicate materials of interior design and the sustainability of soft signage. But also the need to minimize labour costs through automation is a key barrier throughout the operator zone.
More efficient workflows are also a must when introducing and maintaining faster processing methods. Especially for the swift turnaround of fast fashion. And for every corner of the market, waste management continues to present itself as one of the most pressing issues. Needlessly ruined and over-worked materials are a black hole of costs that are also leaving a damaging impact on the environment. The market needs a reliable technology solution that can address all of these issues.
Loose the black and white habit
Shaking off old habits and traditions can be tough, especially for the textile market. Long-established processes such as pre-cutting and more common technology solutions have outstayed their welcome. But with laser cutting, a new future of cutting versatility presents itself, ready to face common challenges. Laser technology enables users to move away from the inefficient methods of pre-cutting. Which too often wastes materials by forcing cutting and printing into two costly processes. With laser cutting, processing textiles happens much faster, enabling users to get their products to market with renewed speed, while ensuring the highest quality work ends up in the hands of their customers.
Laser cutting also drastically reduces one key factor that confronts every challenge operating in textiles: wasted materials. With laser technology from Summa, users can utilize contactless cutting methods that avoid needless damage to your textiles. This technology ensures sealed edges and accurate fixed size cutting. Leveraging powerful laser cutting enables businesses to not just reduce waste, but decrease labour costs by automating processes that previously required manual intervention. And by transforming your workflows with more efficient laser-driven solutions, fashion textile operators can acquire greater control of the delicate production phase.
One size sometimes does fit all
Technology budgets aren’t limitless, so confidence in new solutions and their ROI is key. Each market is different, with its own ever-changing trends and ever-present challenges in textile cutting workflows. Summa’s range of leading-edge cutting solutions is tailored to leverage the laser cutting purposes in multiple markets.
- Take soft signage, for instance. It has become a popular alternative to rigid signage thanks to lower costs, sleek backlit options and ease of transport. With the demand for printed textiles growing in this market, the optimized Summa laser cutting technology can expand the signage output into more areas of application, while simultaneously reducing labour costs through automation. Finishing is incredibly important to this market, and laser cutting provides a reliable investment that will maintain quality while keeping waste to a minimum. View the L3214 laser cutting soft signage.
- For those operating in manufacturing garments for sportswear, the cutting technology in play needs to be as diverse as the sports it is supporting. That means users are often working with very different materials - many of which are incredibly delicate - while maintaining ever-changing styles through personalization. Users are better off here by utilizing post-press and single-ply cutting. They demand error-free results every time while increasing control of the overall production process. Summa’s laser cutting solutions are an ideal fit for optimized sportswear machining. View the L1810 laser cutter.
- Interior design presents its own challenges as well. The need to express and represent brand identities while incorporating new styles, colours and materials is a key area that manufacturers are constantly looking to improve. They call for fast turnarounds and efficient nesting techniques. While circular processes should be any manufacture’s objective, laser cutting enables interior design operators to reduce waste while cutting labour costs down for good. Read more about Laser cutting textiles versus traditional systems.
- Much like sportswear, the need for personalization also drives apparel garments. Fashion is fast, and that means users need to process garments at the drop of a hat. Even when using delicate and fine materials that get easily damaged or overworked. In this market, pre-print is a common practice and the print nesting happens on the roll before cutting. Summa’s laser cutting solutions allow users to optimize their process for those challenging clothing patterns.
