Industry Technologies
Cameras on Cutters
By Dr. Trevor Little, Professor Emeritus, North Carolina State UniversityPreambleAnyone in today’s fashion apparel business knows that a camera can be fitted to a cutter in the place of a person so that the shape can be cut accurately. This article looks at the development of both camera and their main use on today’s cutters.
The cutters where the camera is mostly used fall into the category of “single-ply cutters” so that the camera can capture an image of the fabric being cut. The rise of customization or personalization of the final product continues to dominate parts of the marketplace whether it be style, color, size, or matching requirement.
First, let’s get to know more about the “digital” camera.
Digital Camera DevelopmentNo sooner had mankind stepped on the moon, than attention turned toward developing the digital camera. It is said that the first digital camera was developed by Kodak (1975) and it was less than 1 megapixel. Nevertheless, the firm chose not to further develop the device.
There are two basic chip technologies that form the digital camera CCD and CMOS. Of course, there continues to be a discussion as to which one is better yet the CMOS technology appears to be the preferred approach for the “point and click” everyday camera. CCD (charged coupled device) cameras are used today in space photography and specialized everyday uses. However, they require more energy than the CMOS chip which has led to longer battery life especially. It appears that both technologies have emerged in parallel but the CMOS chip technology is taking the lead over this century.
Of course, the launch of the iPhone in 2007 caught the attention of consumers and allowed consumers to add “photos” to their collections.
Today, the vast majority of cutters use cameras based on CMOS chip technology and the amount of information on the chip is pushing 20 megapixels.
Sublimation Printing DevelopmentWhile sublimation printing has been practiced before the commercialization of Polyester (1952), polyester and sublimation printing were made for each other. For the purposes of this article, we can state that the development of customized high-end fashion began this century with the DuPont Artistri (2001).
The marketplace demanded that the patterns would be sublimated onto the fabric in areas of what would form the garment and a vision system would be needed to cut out the patterns. The camera on the cutter would read the pattern profile and a cutting device would cut out the pattern.
Laser cutting of Mimaki printed fabrics - sublimation ink in laser test - eurolaser.tv
There are many examples of sublimation printed fabrics being cut by lasers using a vision system. Depending on the resolution as well as the cutter width, multiple cameras may form the vision system on a cutter.
The traditional knife cutter also comes equipped with Vision Systems.
See: Gerber Z1 single-ply cutting machine for on-demand production | Lectra
P-CAM Multi-Ply Fabric Cutting Machines | Product Lineup | Apparel/Interior | CAD/CAM Systems | Products | SHIMA SEIKI | Computerized Flat Knitting Machines, Design Systems, CAD/CAM Systems
Zünd and MindCUT Studio for digital textile cutting – a perfect match - Zünd Systemtechnik AG (zund.com)
Naturally, there are many other Vision systems on cutters and these examples serve to show that the Vision System and cutting tool are independent.
Stripe and Plaid MatchingThe Vision System plays an important role in the matching of stripes and plaids. First, the nominal repeat is entered into a CAD system and the Vision System makes small adjustments to accommodate small changes if the fabric repeats. Usually, the Vision System is mounted on the cutting head rather than above the machine.
Stripe and Plaid Matching Cutting Machine_Automatic Cutter_CAM Equipment_Products_TIANJIN RICHPEACE AI CO., LIMITED
Quality Control of Leather There is an ongoing demand for leather goods whether you are in fashion, furniture, or automotive. The Vision System again plays an important role in making certain that the ‘grade’ of leathers joined together are comparable. A good example of the solution can be found with Lectra’s Versalis:
Automated leather cutting digital machine for furniture production | Lectra
SummaryThe camera on the cutter is a significant part of the solution, especially as the industry moves deeper and deeper into the customization and personalization of its products. While we refer to it as a Vision System, the camera is at the core to first give the digital output that then can be incorporated into the Vision System. The early attempts at automation beamed the marker onto the fabric and an operator moved the part to a match point. Today, however, the solution requires full automation to have meaningful applications. To my knowledge, grading of leather products requires a skilled “grader’ to input leather qualities but the cutter takes over the remainder of the process. With the significant movement into “vegan” leather by the industry based on mycelium we anxiously await how it will be put onto the roll.
Zünd and MindCUT Studio for digital textile cutting – a perfect match - Zünd Systemtechnik AG (zund.com)
Naturally, there are many other Vision systems on cutters and these examples serve to show that the Vision System and cutting tool are independent.
Stripe and Plaid MatchingThe Vision System plays an important role in the matching of stripes and plaids. First, the nominal repeat is entered into a CAD system and the Vision System makes small adjustments to accommodate small changes if the fabric repeats. Usually, the Vision System is mounted on the cutting head rather than above the machine.
Stripe and Plaid Matching Cutting Machine_Automatic Cutter_CAM Equipment_Products_TIANJIN RICHPEACE AI CO., LIMITED
Quality Control of Leather There is an ongoing demand for leather goods whether you are in fashion, furniture, or automotive. The Vision System again plays an important role in making certain that the ‘grade’ of leathers joined together are comparable. A good example of the solution can be found with Lectra’s Versalis:
Automated leather cutting digital machine for furniture production | Lectra
SummaryThe camera on the cutter is a significant part of the solution, especially as the industry moves deeper and deeper into the customization and personalization of its products. While we refer to it as a Vision System, the camera is at the core to first give the digital output that then can be incorporated into the Vision System. The early attempts at automation beamed the marker onto the fabric and an operator moved the part to a match point. Today, however, the solution requires full automation to have meaningful applications. To my knowledge, grading of leather products requires a skilled “grader’ to input leather qualities but the cutter takes over the remainder of the process. With the significant movement into “vegan” leather by the industry based on mycelium we anxiously await how it will be put onto the roll.
