[TC]² Bi-Weekly Technology Communicator

[TC]² Announces 3D Body Scanning European Alliance with Hometrica Consulting

[TC]² and Hometrica Consulting of Switzerland are announcing a 3D body scanner sales alliance specifically focusing on the European countries of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Italy.  Hometrica will collaborate directly with [TC]²’s existing EU distribution partner, ShapeAnalysis (www.shapeanalysis.com).  “Over the past 5 years Dr. Nicola D’Appuzo has become one of the leading international consultants in this arena  and we are very excited to have his company focus on [TC]² 3D body scanning technology and align with us to expand our coverage for Europe,” comments David Bruner, VP, Technology Development. 

“I personally consider [TC]²'s NX-16 3D body scanner the best product in its category available nowadays in the market. There is no other 3D body scanning solution that can match its enhanced privacy (self-operated scanning mode), its unique features “avatar from 3D scan” and its affordable price. Finally, I believe there will be in the near future a strong increment of demand of 3D body scan data and therefore an increased need of 3D body scanners. In my opinion, [TC]² will play a key role in the expansion of this market and the collaboration with Hometrica Consulting will in this way extend its distribution channels,” states Nicola D’Apuzzo.

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July Seminar Offerings at [TC]²

Are your required lead times shrinking? Are the quantities of different styles you are being asked to design and produce growing? In today's ever changing marketplace, Lean business practices are a must. Sign up for this two-day program to learn how Lean practices reduce non-value added activities, inventories, and operating costs while increasing quality, flexibility, efficiency, and employee retention.

Attend this seminar to get the best price on an apparel product. Whether buying or selling you will be able to make better informed decisions. The cost of a sewn product drives decisions at both the Manufacturing and Retail end of the supply chain. The common understanding derived from this seminar should help create contracts and partnerships that are beneficial, in the short and long term, to all parties involved.

August Seminars

The seminars will be presented at [TC]²’s facility - 5651 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC.

For additional information on these programs or to register, contact Debra Gill at 919.653.3501, or use our contact form.

To download or print a copy of [TC]²’s 2009 seminar offerings, click here (pdf).

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What Can Be Done About:
NEEDLE CUTS AND OTHER VARIABLES THAT CAUSE FABRIC HOLES

By Kim Anderson, [TC]²\

INTRODUCTION
Needle cuts are a recurring problem in many apparel sewing plants and unfortunately there’s little that can be done to remove them. Once the garment is in the consumer’s hands the needle cuts can take an even more destructive route—turning into long runs. So just what causes these insidious little defects and how can they be avoided?

Needle cuts occur when the point of the needle penetrates the fabric and severs the fiber structure creating a hole or a run (see Image One).

Image One: Needle Cut

Courtesy: Groz-Beckert®

The needle point is the part of the needle starting at the beginning of the top of the needle eye and ending at the needle’s tip (see Image Two).

Image Two: Needle Point

Courtesy: Groz-Beckert®

VARIABLES THAT CAN CAUSE NEEDLE CUTS
Needle cuts can be caused by a variety of reasons. One of the most common causes of needle cuts is the presence of a burr or rough spot on the needle point. When the needle penetrates the fabric the burr or rough spot severs the fibers. Burrs and rough spots are often not visually detectable and sometimes can’t even be detected by feeling the needle. To remedy this situation the machine that is causing the needle cuts should be identified and the needle changed immediately.

Using the wrong needle for a specific fabric construction can also result in needle cuts. To accommodate different fabric constructions, needle points are manufactured in a variety of sizes and profiles (see Image Three).

Image Three: Different Needle Point Profiles

Courtesy: Groz-Beckert®

If the needle point is too large for a specific fabric, the needle point can damage the fibers when the needle penetrates the material. Using the wrong needle point profile may also damage the fibers in the fabric. The proper size and profile should be selected to accommodate the fabric construction being sewn.

OTHER SEWING MACHINE VARIABLES THAT CAUSE FABRIC HOLES

Not all holes and runs occurring around the area where the needle penetrates the fabric can be attributed to the point of the needle.  It can be hard to determine whether a visual abnormality is a needle cut or a rupture caused by some other source.

When visual abnormalities in the fabric occur during sewing, the obvious interferences should be checked—burrs and rough spots on the needle point and improper needle selection. If the visual abnormalities continue to persist, other possible causes should be investigated.

The sewing needle is composed of a needle point which tapers out to create the blade, widening further into the shoulder and finally the shank. The shank is fitted into the needle holder (see Image Four).

Image Four: Needle Parts

Courtesy: Groz-Beckert®

If the diameter of the working part of the blade (the part that penetrates the fabric) is too large, a rupture can occur. To avoid damage to the fibers by the needle blade, the smallest possible needle size should be used.

When sewing thick fabric, the shoulder may also penetrate the fabric and rupture fibers. When this happens a longer needle should be used. However, careful attention should be paid to needle length. Longer needles tend to break and bend more readily than shorter needles.

Many sewing machines which produce the commonly used overedge stitch use a straight needle. In an ideal set-up the needle path should be perfectly perpendicular to the plane of the fabric. However, often there is an angularity between the needle and the plane of the fabric—sometimes as high as 20 degrees. The angularity, even if it is small, can create a sawing action on the fabric caused by both the needle’s surface and the sewing thread. The sawing action can sever the fibers and result in a hole. A thread lubricant can be applied to minimize the friction generated by the sawing action of the needle blade and sewing thread on the material’s fiber structure.

When sewing knit fabric constructions, a curved needle machine is often used.  As the needle penetrates the fabric the sewing thread and the needle’s surface can abrade the fabric. In this case a thread lubricant can also help remedy the situation.  

The occurrence of fabric pinching can also result in holes. The fabric can get caught or pinched between the needle and the entry hole in the needle plate (see Image Five).

Image Five

To avoid fabric pinching, the hole in the needle plate should be one and a half times the diameter of the needle blade. The needle should also be positioned so that the point penetrates the hole directly in the center. If the needle is off to one side it may rub on the plate, creating a burr or rough spot on the needle point.

On new machines the throat plate can have either a drilled or countersunk configuration (see Image Six).

Image Six

Courtesy: Groz-Beckert®

In some cases the fabric can become pinched between the needle and the surface of the throat plate. To eliminate pinching, the edges of the throat plate should be beveled so the fabric has the freedom to be manipulated as the needle enters the hole. The edges of the throat plate can be beveled using an emery cord or tape (see Image Seven). However, it is important to note that excessive beveling can cause skipped stitches.

Image Seven

Courtesy: Groz-Beckert®

The teeth of the feed dog can also cause holes in the fabric. The teeth of the feed dog move in an elliptical motion—carrying the fabric into the sewing zone (refer to Image Five). The teeth sharpness should be selected according to the fabric type. If the teeth are too sharp, fibers can be severed. In addition, if the feed dog is offset or adjusted improperly to suit the fabric type and stitch length, the fabric can be pinched or caught between the feed dog and the needle plate, creating a hole.

HOLES ATTRIBUTED TO VARIABLES OTHER THAN THE SEWING MACHINE PARTS
Holes created in fabric during sewing can also be caused by variables other than the sewing machine itself. Other variables that can cause holes include brittle and weak fabric, improper fabric handling by machine operators and poor machine maintenance.

Brittle fabric is susceptible to damage during sewing. There are a number of variables that can cause fabric to become brittle.

It has been observed by industry professionals that dark colored fabrics have more of a propensity to get needle holes than lighter colored fabrics. When dyeing dark colors some dye classes can make the fabric brittle, specifically direct and sulfur dyes.

When direct dyes are used to dye fabrics dark shades an after treatment is required to help fix the dye and improve the wash-fastness. The after treatment can make the fabric brittle. When sulphur dyes are used to dye fabrics, especially a black shade, an after wash process is necessary. If the after wash process is incorrectly performed, the fabric can experience tendering (loss of strength) during prolonged storage.

Fabrics can become brittle if the humidity in the plant is not carefully controlled. Arid environments dry out fabric making the fibers more susceptible to breakage. In this event, a fabric softener can be applied to the fabric. There are a variety of softeners. However, some softeners can adversely affect the strength of the fabric, therefore softeners should be carefully selected.

Holes in the fabric can also be attributed to improper fabric handling by the sewing operators. While manipulating the material, operators sometimes pull the fabric too tight—putting the yarns in the fabric in an elongated state. In this taut state the yarns do not have the ability to move out of the way of the needle point which can potentially damage the fibers upon penetration.

Regular and thorough machine maintenance will also help to avoid unwanted holes in the fabric. Lint and dirt in a sewing machine can change the path of the sewing needle. If the path of the needle is deflected it can come in contact with other machine parts, resulting in needle damage.

Once needle cuts occur in the fabric, there is little that can be done to get rid of them. The best solution is to take preventative steps by choosing the right needle, ensuring proper machine adjustments and conducting regular machine maintenance. If holes continue to appear it is imperative to look for other potential culprits to get rid of holes as quickly as possible!

Jack Nienke, Manager of Industry Services at [TC]², provided much of the information in this article. If you have questions regarding needle cuts or fabric holes, contact Jack using our contact form.

References
Groz-Beckert. Needles of High Precision Sewing Manual

Jack Nienke, Manager of Industry Services, [TC]²

Len Farias, Cotton Incorporated

Schmetz Needles. Technical Advice for Sewing Textiles

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Malaysian Sizing Survey

By Karen Davis, [TC]²

The University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, through one of its research centers, CRYSTAL, is spearheading a national sizing survey using the [TC]² NX-16 3D body scanner. This national sizing survey is coined MySIZE (Malaysian Sizing Survey).

MySIZE plans a similar approach to that of SizeUK and SizeUSA for creating a database representative of a cross-section of the population. The SizeUK study was completed in 2001, and SizeUSA ended in 2003.  Both studies scanned approximately 11,000 adult subjects.  MySIZE will be the first national survey in a predominantly Muslim country.

“The university welcomes inquiries from international apparel, garment or textile manufacturers to participate in MySIZE,” comments Dr. Amir Merican, Chairman of the MySize project.   

For information on the sizing survey, go to http://crystal.um.edu.my/mysize2.html.

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Connecting Through Creativity, Technology and Business
Designers and Product Developers Meet the Challenge

August 12-13, 2009
Philadelphia University, Philadelphia PA

‘Connecting Through Creativity, Technology and Business’ is a symposium for professionals working in design and product development areas of the textile, apparel, home furnishings and related soft goods industries. Program attendees will have the opportunity to hear from a diverse group of experts that will address topics and issues related to:

• Sustainability
• Emerging technologies for product design, communication and production
• Product design and management within the global supply chain
• Innovation in product design
• Maintaining and/or generating creativity among designers
• Managing product cost and quality

In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to network with other professionals in the design field and discuss technologies and business strategies that support innovation, creativity, and sustainability as key factors in the development process for soft goods.

Confirmed speakers include: Duncan Ross, AVA CAD CAM; Andrew Vermeulen, Carole Hochman Design Group; Ken Butts, Datacolor; Joy Boutrup, Designkolen Kolding; Lisa Hayes, Drexel University; Thomas Ng, ecVision; Danielle Locastro, First2Print; Gerber Technology (speaker to be named); S. Lee and Michael Pope, Kwantlen Polytechnic University; Jill Simmons, Lectra; Lisa Parillo-Chapman, North Carolina State University; Gretchen Morrisey, MorriseyDesign LLC; Marcia Weiss, Philadelphia University; Kevin Schwartz, PRTM Management Consultants, Inc.; Tim Curran and Kerry King, [TC]²; Joe Walkuski, TEXbase; Suzanne Tick, Suzanne Tick, Inc.; Tom McCall, TCM Group; Duncan Neil, University of Ulster, Belfast; and Ellen Piper.

Click here to register. For program details, click here.

Co-Produced by
[TC]², AATCC, and Philadelphia University

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[TC]² Activity
FESPA 2009, Amsterdam

By Kerry King, [TC]²

FESPA Digital Europe, a premier trade show for the digital print industry, took place on May 12th through 14th at Amsterdam’s RAI Convention Center. Following on the heels of last year’s successful program in Geneva, the FESPA organization once again partnered with the publishers of Digital Textile to produce a Digital Textile Conference that ran the first two days of the event. I attended the conference and trade show as part of [TC]²’s ongoing investigation of emerging technology systems for digital textile printing and sustainable fabric coloration.

Digital Textile Conference 

The conference program was designed to highlight advances in technology and provide an opportunity for attendees to learn from companies that are utilizing digital printing systems for a variety of textile applications and markets.  On the first day of the program, Dr. John Provost, Consultant and Technical Editor for Digital Textile Magazine, provided an overview of current and future markets for digital textile printing, noting that while traditional textile markets have been slower to adopt digital, new or specialized textile markets including sportswear (e.g. team/jerseys), soft signage, direct to garment, and consumer novelties have been much more open to emerging solutions.  With these applications in mind, it was not surprising to learn that in 2008 Disperse Transfer Printing (sublimation) made up 52% of the total market for digitally printed textiles.  He also mentioned that direct to garment applications have supported developments in pigment based chemistry and have lead to the formulation and introduction of pigment white inks for digital application.

In the area of technology development, Rob Morskate of Osiris Digital Prints provided an update on the introduction of the high speed ‘Isis’ machine – a joint development project between Osiris Digital Prints and printhead developer, Markem Imaje.  This technology has been designed to meet the production requirements of the traditional screen printing industry and Morskate notes that the machine supports production print rates of up to 30 linear meters per minute.  The equipment is currently being used by Maver of Italy. Two additional machines have been installed at a print provider in India who is producing printed textiles for India’s domestic market.

Josef Osl from Zimmer Austria also addressed technology for production printing. Through their Chromojet system, Zimmer has become an established provider of digital technology for the ‘voluminous fabric’ and carpet printing industry. With the introduction of the Colaris system they are now offering technology for printing on lighter weight fabrics including those for home, fashion/apparel, flags and banner.  Osl notes that the machine has been designed using Seiko variable drop printhead technology that Zimmer has re-engineered or ‘fine tuned’ for use in the Colaris machine.  He also indicated that the print system includes hardware, software, and inks and supports printing with up to 8 process colors.  On standard width goods this machine enables print rates of up to 480m2/hr (8m2/min) in high quality mode.

Coloration chemistry and sustainability were also topics of note at the conference. Dr. Andy Hancock of Mexar Ltd. provided some valuable insight into the environmental impact of various classes of inks highlighting the use of pigments and direct application of disperse dyes as potentially ‘greener’ solutions for the digital print industry.  Jos Notermans from Stork Digital Imaging described their patented software controlled method for addressing print quality issues.  Notermans indicated that Stork’s method involves the use of an auxiliary chemical installed as a dedicated print channel (color position on the machine) and deposited in advance of the color during the printing process.  When the solution is applied it causes controlled spreading of the colored ink drops which enables the color to penetrate the thickness of the fabric more readily and cover dithering or banding issues without compromising print speed. Enrico Grasselli from J-Teck3 described a similar strategy that they call the Equalized Print System.  Both vendors indicate that this method is particularly useful for the printing of scarves, flags, and swimwear where color penetration into/through the cloth is of key value to the customer.

Amongst the technology presentations, conference organizers also provided insight into current applications.  Attendees had a glimpse into digital printing within the Como region of Italy through presentations by Christian Sampietro of the Sampietro Group (http://www.sampietro.it/) who has harnessed digital printing to serve the luxury interiors market and Giuliano Sala of TCS  (http://www.tcs.it/) who uses the digital method to provide additional value in the product development, apparel and accessories area.  Andreas Skantze of BIG Image (http://www.bigimagesystems.com/en/Home.aspx)  highlighted the use of digital for the production of large format prints for special event, theater, and other unique applications.  Alex Walker of Indigo Clothing (http://www.indigoclothing.com/ ) and Torbjorn Johansson of Tobex (http://www.tobex.se/) highlighted digital as an enabling technology for print on demand. 

FESPA Trade Show

While the Digital Textile Conference was a key draw for the textile audience, there was also plenty to see and learn on the trade show floor.  Production oriented hardware was noted as a key trend for development. Show highlights included textile printing systems by La Meccanica who demonstrated two versions of the Qualijet technology (with or without a belt feed).  D gen showed the new Artrix printer (up to 100m2/hr) along with the two-sided printer called ‘the S’.  Konica Minolta showed the Nassenger VII machine (up to 217 m2/hr).  MS Machine demonstrated a selection of direct to garment technologies in addition to the new MS-JP5 roll to roll technology and Hollanders exhibited a complete line of equipment including the new Color Booster XL and Color Fixer XL for super wide printing and fixation.  Printing technologies from ATPColor (DFP–740), Eurotech (Mermaid), Costruzione Macchine Speciali SRL (Green Flag), Itochu (Inkmax), and Mutoh (Viper) were also represented.

La Meccanica – QualiJet	Hollanders – ColorBooster XL	MS Macchine – MS-JP5

There was also an opportunity to see technologies for imaging on garments.  In the direct to garment arena, the demonstration by Kornit Digital was of particular interest as they showed imaging on a royal blue polyester jersey – a challenge within the digital environment.  In addition to the direct to garment strategies, a number of vendors also showcased imaging on t-shirts using films that are printed and heat transferred onto the substrate.  Although these prints provide a heavy hand they do provide vibrancy of color and ease of application.

In addition to hardware, there were numerous vendors offering ink chemistry for textiles.  Sublimation inks for both transfer and direct application were widely shown.  Availability of pigment chemistry was also seen as a key trend and offerings from Huntsman, Chromoink, Itochu, JTech, Kiian Group, and Sawgrass were noted. It’s clear that ongoing development for this colorant type will continue to be important to monitor.

Looking Forward to FESPA 2010

While FESPA’s Digital Europe show offers the opportunity to see a wide selection of equipment for digital imaging, it’s apparent that textile printing solutions are becoming increasingly significant for the digital printing industry.  Although this emphasis is largely a reflection of the use of textile media within the soft signage market, more traditional textile and apparel firms will benefit from the technology developments showcased.  With that in mind the event organizers are looking to 2010 as an opportunity to highlight textile solutions as a ‘show within a show.’       

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Partner Profile - Lawson

By Karen Davis, [TC]²

In 2006, Lawson Software and Intentia merged to form the new Lawson. The company delivers software and implementation services to 4,000 customer sites in manufacturing, distribution and services industries across 40 countries.

Its Financials, Human Capital Management, Customer Sales & Service, Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing, Business Intelligence, Asset Management, Product Lifecycle Management and industry-specific solutions help customers streamline processes and enhance their business performance. And, by radically simplifying the process of deploying and using its applications, Lawson helps customers reduce costs while increasing flexibility.

Lawson offers enterprise resource planning (ERP) and product lifecycle management software solutions that provide the competitive advantage and flexibility expected in best-practice business process automation. Its enterprise business software solutions are built and proven on the most advanced, open standard technologies.

The Lawson M3 Enterprise Management System provides a number of integrated business application suites that cover all core and supporting processes including financial management, customer relationship management, manufacturing, supply chain planning, supply chain execution, and service and maintenance.

Lawson Fashion PLM supports product design and development in apparel companies. Planning Workbench for Fashion supports manufacturers in the planning of production across multiple lines and sites. Assortment Replenishment Planner is a ‘single solution’ offering for a more effective, efficient and integrated store assortment and replenishment planning process.

Among its resources, Lawson employs Opportunity Analyzer™, a tool and methodology for M3 customers, designed with the key objective of aligning IT to corporate goals. Opportunity Analyzer™ integrates real financial figures and process improvement ideas to create key performance indicators that will drive a company’s business.

Regional learning centers offer the latest training courses in the appropriate language in many locations throughout the world.  For more details on learning opportunities and other Lawson services, visit www.lawson.com.

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5th Annual SizeUSA User Group Meeting
August 18, 2009
**New Online Webinar Format**

[TC]² is soliciting submissions from academic and commercial SizeUSA users for inclusion in the SizeUSA webinar update. This online user group meeting format will provide more attendee accessibility and lower the cost of participation – which will be free for existing SizeUSA users and those who submit approved presentation content.

[TC]² will be presenting its latest research on shape and sizing analysis, especially with regard to virtual product development and virtual fashion.  Its new avatar creation capabilities utilizing SizeUSA data will be highlighted.

August 18th has been selected as the webinar date. Program time, registration fees, and link information will be provided in upcoming Technology Communicator issues.

If you would like to be included as a webinar presenter, please send an outline of the proposed program content to Kerry King (via our contact form) for consideration by June 19th. If you have questions, please contact Kerry at 919.653.3523.

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Important Dates

June

July

For detailed information about industry events, visit www.techexchange.com

Thanks to the techexchange site sponsors
Apparel Magazine, Gerber Technology, Lawson, Lectra, Methods Workshop and Reach Technologies.

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A Look Ahead in the Newsletter



VESTEX

View previous editions of this newsletter

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[TC]²
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Phone: 919-380-2156
Fax: 919-380-2181

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