Pressing and Garment Finishing Technique

Pressing and Garment Finishing Technique

Operation pressing plays a major role in the production of finished garments. The garment's visual appeal is improved with pressing. During the process of construction of the garment, the fabric is subjected to a lot of tension throughout cutting, sewing process. Because of the procedures, the crease forming and crushing of clothing occurs, and this also occurs during handling and shipping. The visibility of a garment is increased by multiple times due to proper printing of the garments thereby attracting the public to buy the garment.
Garments are pressed to remove any creases, and the fabric is delivered to the consumer in a desirable sell able state. Presentation of garments to the customer is a vital step in finishing a product. The customer's opinion is an important step in mark recognition. Poorly presented product will have a negative effect on the quality of the brand and hence the sell ability of the product. A poorly produced garment would diminish its retail value and thus the selling profit of the manufacturer. So pressing is an important step in manufacturing process. Pressing should perform the following:

• Elimination of all manufacturing creases and wrinkles 
• Clarity of plies when plies are present (such as in skirts and pants) 
• Uniformity of collars and cuffs when present 
• Stability of the fabric, especially in the case of wool knitwear to maintain the desired shape 
• Relaxation of any stresses caused during manufacture of the garment.

Pressing classification: The basic processes involved in pressing can be classified into two groups: 

1. Under Pressing–As they are assembled, this is the pressing procedure performed on fabric components.
2. Top Pressing / Final Pressing –This refers to the finishing process that a garment undergoes after being fully assembled.

Both groups include a large number of individual processes, their degree dictated by the garment's fabric, price, and nature.

Pressing Finishing functions: Pressing functions are 

1. Remove the unwanted creases and crush points 
2. Using the style element to add creases to the garment. 
3. To make the garment fit body contour 
4. To allow more sewing by preparing the garment for the next Operation sewing process.
5. To finish the wrapping garment

We may define briefly pressing functions: 

To remove the unwanted creases and crush marks–

During the manufacture of clothing, the shape of creases in the clothing and also during the process, clothing is subjected to crushing due to its movement from place to place and operator handling. The creases and crushes created to give the garment a poor appearance and must be removed as a result. Pressing is doing the job of removing certain crushes and creases. In the case of garments handled in packets, further creasing will be seen by tying up tightly or by piling on trolleys and crates.

Induce creases to the garment depending on the design requirement–

Creases are needed in trousers, skirts, and shirts at certain places to make it look attractive. The pressing operation enables creases to be formed at necessary locations, such as shirt collars, pleated skirts, hem and cuff edges, pocket flaps, top edge waistband, and patch pocket edges

To allow the fabric to fit into the body's contour-

Pressing helps to shrink and stretch. Pressing is done especially in wool fabrics to make the garment fit the contour of the body. It is known as molding. It is not possible to unpick the seams after molding and restore pieces of the fabric to their former flat the state.

Factors affecting pressing: 
There are four basic parameters that need to be regulated to achieve optimal performance in order to achieve good pressing quality: heat, moisture, pressure and vacuum cooling. The value of each parameter is dealt with in the section below.

1. Heat: In most pressing operations, heat is required to allow softening of the fibers and thus stabilize the shape of the garment. The selection of temperatures is of utmost importance since an incorrect temperature setting can cause damage to fibers and yarns.
2. Moisture: The steam is used to absorb moisture. Steam has varying moisture content at different pressures; the higher the pressure from the steam, the lower the moisture in the steam. In fiber swelling, the presence of moisture is required to help shape stabilization. Different fibers demand different quantities of humidity. Natural fibers such as cotton and wool and regenerated cellulose fibers such as bamboo viscose and viscose ray need moisture in the steam, for example, and therefore steaming tables are usually preferred. On the other hand, synthetic fibers need heat to facilitate swelling and therefore structure relaxation. Excessive moisture can lead to shrinking of the fabric and bleeding in color.
3. Pressure: Pressure is applied to the fabric during pressing to ensure good preservation and permanence of the crease. Excessive pressure can cause distortion of the garment or the crease.
4. Vacuum: Vacuum is applied when pressing the operation is complete. This pulls cool air through the fabric, lowers the temperature of the garment, lowers the content of moisture and increases the durability of the form. This also refers to cotton and viscose blends of synthetic fibers such as polyester and nylon, which are particularly important for garments made from wool and wool blends.

The garments can be categorized according to the required amount of pressing. 

They can be categorized as clothing that requires no pressing, minimal pressing of necessary clothing, clothing that requires iron in under pressing and final pressing, clothing that requires extensive pressing and final pressing and clothing that needs permanent pressing or pleating. 

Based on the factors mentioned above, the clothing is divided into different groups according to the amount and type of pressing required.

1. Garments that do not need pressing-garments from the base, stretch swimwear, bras, briefs, and underwear.
2. Garments requiring minimal pressing-Single ply garments such as slips, nightgowns, knitted synthetics, and t-shirts.
3. Garments involving the use of iron in under pressing and final pressing–For opening seams and creasing edges, and for pressing garments with gathers especially fullness, and in cases where changes of style are frequent.
4. Garments that require extensive pressing and final pressing–men's jackets, pants, and waistcoats, women's custom-made jackets, skirts, topcoats. Changing the style of these garments is uncommon.
5. Garments involving pleating or finishing with ' permanent press. 

Pressing Ways: 

Pressing is achieved using different means. Pressing is achieved by applying heat, humidity, and pressure. Moisture is usually used as steam. Various pressing equipment that uses steam for pressing is available.

Basic pressing components: The main elements of the pressing process are heat, pressure, and moisture, which deform fibers, yarns, and fabrics to achieve the necessary effect. 

Heat - The fibers need to be softened, stabilized and the fabric placed in the desired shape. It is important to select temperature based on fibers, yarns, and fabrics. 

Steam (Moisture) - Transmitting the heat to the fabric is the fastest way. Steam and heat are important for relieving the fabric from tension and making the fabric with sufficient flexibility so that it can be molded to obtain the contour needed.

Pressure - Changes in shape and improves molding toughness are applied. Pressure might be applied through a mechanical device or steam. 

Drying - After the application of steam and pressure on the fabric, it is important to dry and cool the garment panel or finished garment; thus, the fabric may return to its normal moisture content and steady-state. This could be achieved by removing the surplus water from the fabric through a vacuum action which simultaneously cools it down.

Time  - The period in which the garment is subjected to steam, pressure & drying depending on the type of fabric getting pressed and an optimum period of time for each product will be set.

Pressing Equipment Types: 

The solid surface pressing equipment uses a hard surface to apply pressure while the pieces of cloth, textile or garment are moulded by steam and heat. Pressure can be applied by rolling, gliding or compressive action.

Hand Iron: 

Iron commonly known as the iron box has existed for a very long time with the current one being used with heat generated from charcoal. There was also iron inside the metal casting which was heated by the gas flame, and it was primarily used to contact men's jackets. Nevertheless, steam and electric Irons are widely used in recent times.

The two main forms of iron, working today are: 

1. Dry Iron 

2. Electric steam iron Usually, hand iron is available in a variety of shapes and weights: • Narrow hand ironing for seam opening on sleeves and pant legs. 

• The narrow single design of the steam iron, as well as curved and narrow ironing bucks, avoid the wrinkle marks on the fabric. Teflon-coated soles should be used for luster prone ironing fabrics 
• Wide ones for flat shapes.
• Pointed form.

Iron table:
The significant factor for the proper selection of an ironing station is the airflow through the garment to cool it and set it. Some types of ironing tables are listed below: 

·          Jacket seam ironing station

·          Trouser seam ironing station standard

·          Sleeve seam ironing station

·          Dress board ironing tables

·          All-purpose table

·          Flat top ironing tables

·          Blouse and shirt ironing station

·          Trouser leg ironing station

·          Hip-bow ironing station

·          Concave ironing station

·          Convex ironing station

·          Curtain ironing table

The stability of the covering of the ironing table is based on several factors such as hydrolysis resistance, pressure resistance and a heat resistance of the used materials. All layers of fabrics in an ironing table together are accountable for the even distribution of steam. The coverage starts at the metal surface of the ironing table. 

1.        Rough wire mesh – Besides the steam spreading it also improves the vacuum suction.

2.        Lower padding – It should be durable as well as heat resistant.

3.        Lower layer – Polyester wire screen mesh which distributes the steam.

4.        Intermediate padding – This provides the softness of the covering.

5.        Upper layer – It is a polyester wire mesh with the inlet.

6.        Final top cover – It must be less heat resistant than other lower layers.

Steam press/buck press: 
Steam presses commonly consist of a static buck and a head of a complementary shape closing onto it, thereby sandwiching the garment to be pressed. It consists of a frame housing the buck which is normally in round shape for pressing different garments and linkages to close the head by a scissor action. 

Fig: Steam press

Steam is passed to the head and buck using a pipe system. Adequate controls are provided for controlling head closure and vacuum. A vacuum is created to provide suction through the buck using a vacuum system. The typical pressing cycle is as follows: 

A garment needs to be pressed is fixed in the buck 
↓ 
The buck head closes and locks 
↓ 
Then steam is applied to the head or the buck to press the garment for a predetermined time 
↓ 
The buck head is released 
↓ 
The vacuum is applied to the garment to cool and dry it 
↓ 
The garment then moved around the buck for the next part of it to be pressed

Similar operations are carried out for completing the pressing of the garment and then the garment is hung on the hanger. It should be ensured that the garment is not damp or distorted after pressing. Various types of presses are used in steam pressing. The different steam presses used for different parts of the garments are collar press, sleeve press, shoulder press, back and front press, collar master.
 

Carousel press: 
Carousel press is a new development in pressing operation in which a pair of bucks is provided that rotates between the operator and the head. The head can be of single or double based on the bucks being identical or an opposite pair for pressing the left and right of a garment part. In this press, scissor action and vertically acting heads can be used. 

Fig: Carousel press

Trouser pressing: 
Trousers include a wide variety of garments, ranging from jeans, women’s trousers with simpler construction and requiring a less sharp crease, men’s trousers including four pockets, and suit trousers. The trouser pressing is carried out in two operations along with under pressing of the seam. The first operation is done for legging on a flat press to set and crease the legs and the second operation for topping in a series of lays around the top of the trouser on a contoured press. 

Fig: Trouser pressing

Double legger-pressing machine: 

The double legger-pressing machine is used for pressing trousers, and in this machine, both the legs are pressed simultaneously with the top hanging down between two separate bucks. These machines consist of vertically acting heads, carousels and microprocessor controls. Heat resistant silicone foam is used for covering bucks of steam presses and tables used with irons and vacuum boards and the outside is covered with a woven polyester cover. Sometimes stretch nylon is used with the highly contoured bucks. 

Steam finisher: 
This equipment is known as a form press or a ‘dolly’ press. It has a compressed air system, frame for a steam distribution system and a pressing form made of a canvas bag in the suitable silhouette of the garment to be pressed. The pant steam finisher and universal steam finisher are shown in the below figure. 

Fig: Steam finisher

Tunnel finisher: 

Tunnel finishers are used for finishing knitted goods. They can be used for manmade fiber garments and their blends also. This garment finishing process involves no pressure application and reduced handling of garments in the steam tunnel. In this finishing process, the garments are put on hangers and fed through a cabinet using a motorized rail. The garments pass through sections with superheated steam and it is dried by blowing air. In some cases, garments are loaded onto frames and passed through the tunnel on a conveyor. 

Fig: Tunnel finisher

Steam helps to relax the fibers in the garment and the tunnel helps in avoiding the need for any other pressing process before or after this operation. In some cases, it completely eliminates the other pressing processes. These tunnels are incorporated with infrared drying in some cases. As the garments are vertically hung, the turbulence of blown air provides additional energy to remove wrinkles in woven fabrics. Proper care should be taken during pressing operations for fibers where excessive agitation causes fabric deformation.

Press cladding: 
Bucks of steam presses and the ironing tables used with hand irons are normally covered with silicone foam. This is covered on the outer side normally by a top cover of polyester woven fabric. The heads of the steam presses could be covered with several layers of materials like a layer made of metal gauze for uniform steam distribution, a layer of synthetic felt to shield the next layer, the main layer of cotton knitted padding and the last layer of outer cover as on the buck.

Creasing machines: 
This unique kind of small press performs an exceptionally useful function. Creasing machines are used to fold over and press the edges of clothing components such as pockets or cuffs to prepare them for easy sewing.

Blades are used to creating creases and folds. The component is kept over a die with blades aiding in forming creases around it and required pressure is exerted during pressing cycle. Creasing machine is actually preparation under pressing machine. Creasing machine principles and components is basically alike regardless of the type or style of the section being creased by the machine.

Pleating: 
Pleating is the process of creating pleats in the garment. Pleats are a type of fold actually formed during stitching by doubling fabric upon itself and securing it in place. However, these pleats can also be introduced in pressing by creating a set of creases in the garment and making it set by pressing. The pleats can even be according to a geometrical pattern. Pleating is done by using pressure, moisture, and heat. There are two types of machine pleating.

One is a blade machine in which pleats are formed by the action of blades and then set by heat and pressure when they pass through a pair of rollers and the other type is a rotary machine in which the rollers are fitted with complimentary dies. Crystal pleating, hand pleating, box pleats and fan-shaped pleats are some of the examples shown in the below figure. 

Fig: Crystal pleating, hand pleating, box pleats, and fan-shaped pleats

Block or Die pressing: 
In die pressing, the fabric is kept over a fixed die prior to the application of steam, heat, and pressure. This is normally used for shaping and moulding of hats and gloves during the manufacturing process. Another variety of an automated die pressing machine is utilized for combined folding and creasing of patch pockets as well as pocket flaps, in which the operator has to keep the components to be pressed over a die and engages the machine for folding and creasing.

Permanent press: 
The permanent press method normally results in a reduction of fabric strength. This method was developed for producing better crease recovery of cellulosic fabrics. The process involves processing the fabrics during their manufacture with a resin. A permanent press fabric is processed after the resin treatment and is then made into garments. The method is commonly used for trousers to introduce the creases at the seams and hems and down the front and back. The garments are then passed through an oven to cure the resin in the fabric.

Future trends in pressing: 
We have already seen the trend of increased automation in pressing together with increases in the use of computer technology to not only monitor production but also reduce the effect of human error in the pressing operation. It is clear that this trend will continue. Pressing will become more automated, and pressing pressures, temperatures and the moisture content of steam will be critically controlled using appropriate software integrated into a network. Similarly, automation is applied to other garment finishing operations. Wet finishing and dyeing processes will continue to be modified as the range of fibers and fiber mixtures increases. Furthermore, consumers are continually demanding increased comfort properties from their garments. These properties will be enhanced by the addition of specific chemical finishes to the garment together with differing fiber mixtures.

The concept of nanotechnology is also making its way into garment finishing. New nanotechnology-based concepts such as ease release, quick wick and rare care finishes further improve the functionally of the textile by imparting the various properties such as soil release, anti-pilling effect, water/oil repellency, hygiene effect, easy-care, and odor-free effect.