Cutting Department in Garment Industry

Cutting Department in Garment Industry

Cutting is the method of splitting a spread on a marker into fabric components as a replica of pattern pieces.
It also includes the transfer of marks and notches from the marker to components in the fabric to allow stitching.
The cutting method is often carried out in two stages: rough cutting and finishing of precise cutting.

The goal of the Cutting Department

The goal of the cutting is to separate the sections of the fabric as replicas of the pattern in the marker line. In order to achieve this goal, other criteria must be met:-

1. Precision of cut
2. Clean edges
3. Unscorched, uncorked edges
4. Support of lay
5. Consistent cutting edges

The four major processes or operations involved throughout the cutting segment in the clothing industry are:

1. Marker preparation 
2. Fabric spreading 
3. Fabric cutting 
4. Preparation for the assembly process

Lay planning and marker manufacturing processes: If all the requisite data were collected on the textile materials delivered to the cutting room, lay planning and marker manufacturing processes could be further processed in the cutting room. In carrying out the lay planning process, various factors that influence productivity and work efficiency in the cutting room are taken into account. The most important of these are: 

• The number of items ordered for each size of a style; 
• The optimal use of the fabric to reduce any excess of fabric; 
• The technical limits of the methods of spreading and cutting; 
• The optimum use of time and labor.

Usually, two or more sizes of garments are combined in each marker to facilitate an efficient work cycle in a cutting room, the number of fabric plies (or layers) in each spread and the number of spreads needed for the necessary markers are calculated.

You might also like: Marker and Marker Design in Garment Industry 

Cutting objectives: 

The main purpose of cutting is to distinguish fabric plies as pattern replicas in the marker program. Some conditions have to be met in achieving this goal.

Cutting accuracy: The fabric components have to be cut precisely and correctly according to pattern form to enable the assembly process and proper fitting of garments. The effortlessness in achieving this precision is based on the engaged cutting method and on the marker.

Clean edges: The edges of the fabric should not be exhibiting fraying or snagging after cutting. Such defects are due to an imperfectly sharpened knife which could result in heat generation due to surface friction resulting in damage to the cloth. By using sharp knife blades, serrated or wavy edge knife, using anti-fusion paper between leather, spraying lubricant over the blades and minimizing lay height and blade, the heat generation during cutting with knives could be minimized.

Support of the lay: In addition to allowing the blade to pierce the lowest ply of a spread, the cutting method should provide support for the fabric and separate all the plies.

Consistent cutting: The lay height can vary according to the cutting process employed. To achieve a good cutting quality, the lay height should be as low as possible without impacting production planning and cutting efficiency.

Preparation for Cutting: 

Upon completion of the laying process, the spreader has to recount the number of plies as shown in the cutting ticket. Then further steps have to be taken before cutting.

Move the spreading machine aside: The spreading operator must set aside the spreading machine and disable the catchers if used. To allow the cutter to operate, the spreading machine must be set back far enough from the lay.

Facilitating lay shrinkage: If the lay is a knitted fabric, then the layers should be cut into parts and left overnight to relax on the spreading surface. Both pieces are split at points of the natural splice in the lay. The cutter will cut through the width of the fabric between the components to relieve the tension in neighboring table plies.

Rechecking the marker: The marker is placed on top of the spread after the spreading process is completed. The starting line within the marker is centered at the spread starting point. The spreader has to make sure the spread length and width suits the marker length and width.

Fastening the marker to the spread: Below is the methods used to fasten the marker to the fabric lay.

• Cloth weights–Cloth weights made of metal between 2–10 lb can be used to hold down the marker on the layers.
• Lay tacks (sharp staples) –This method uses a stapler-like lay tacker to secure the marker by pressing it with the top layer of fabric to keep the marker in place and stabilize the spread.
• Straight T-pins–Straight 1 1⁄2′′ to 3′′ long T-pins are used on finer woven fabrics such as wool and wool mixtures, and terry cloth.
• Light spray adhesive–This approach covers the bottom portion of the marker with a rubber-type adhesive to secure the marker to the top layer of the fabric and, after cutting, it can be quickly removed.

Fabric cutting methods: 

There are usually two types of fabric cutting techniques; they are portable cutting and stationary cutting techniques. Advances in fabric technologies such as Automated, Numerically Controlled cutting machines with automatic blade cutting, laser cutting, water jet cutting, die-cutting, etc. have been made with the technology advancement. 

Preparation of CutWork for Sewing Room: 

Bundling, shade separation, showing the facial side of the fabrics and working ticketing are the necessary preparatory activities for sewing.

Bundling: Many sewing rooms use the bundling method, where small batches of garments travel in a controlled manner from one workstation to the next. It is important for the operators to be able to identify each pile in order to prepare the cut job. This is the marker feature, if used as the number of the type, the size and the description of the part would form part of the story. Failure to use markers requires a top-ply labeling system.

Separation of shade: Variation of shade in the roll of fabric is popular. Nevertheless, there are likely to be variations in shade within the batch of cut components. It can be assured by placing tissue paper between each portion while cutting pieces. Giving every piece of clothing a pressure-sensitive adhesive ticket with a ply number known as soabaring is quite popular with quality outerwear garments.

Face side indication of fabrics: Few fabrics have a noticeable difference between face and back, which presents no problem for machinists to distinguish. Nevertheless, there is an issue with the fabrics which are similar on both sides. The need for face side recognition is important when there is a close resemblance between the facial and the cloth backside. Soabar tickets may be used for right side identification, whereby the ply number is always placed on the fabric neck.

Job ticketing: This should be followed by job tickets or package tickets whenever the bundling system is used. This provides basic information about the work, such as the number of styles, the size of the garment, the number of clothes in the package and the date given. Job tickets are normally produced on-site once the spreading / cutting result is established.