1. Preproduction Operations: marker making, spreading, and cutting

2. 1. Marker Making
Preproduction operations are depend on perfected patterns
Pattern makers develop the patterns for styles
All the patterns of a style are verified
Pattern makers checked very carefully before sending the patterns to cut order planning.
How create patterns we looked at last lesson.

3. Cut Order Planning The result of cut order planning are cutting orders
Cut order planning translates customer orders into cutting orders
It is the process that coordinates customer orders with all the variables of marker making, spreading, and cutting to minimize total production costs and meet customer demand for timely products
It seeks the most effective use of labor, equipment, fabric and space
The result of cut order planning are cutting orders
Cut order planning can be done manually or by computer. New computer technology is much faster, more accurate, and supported with more data on all the variables. Computerized cut order planning allows experimentation with alternative cutting plans to develop the most effecient options. Cut order planning is a prerequisite to tight markers.

4. Common Variables: may affect cut order planning
Number of colours in order
Maximum spread length, depend about cutting table
Maximum ply height, depend about material and cutting equipment
Fabric cost per meter/yard
Useable cloth width
Etc.
Each marker requires a lay of fabric. A lay is a stack of fabric plies that have been prepared for cutting. Lay planning is the basis of managing cutting room labor and table space. Spreading and cutting schedules are affected by table length, type of equipment, spread length, spreading time, and cutting time. The cutting room manager must minimize throughput time by efficient use of equipment, table space, and personell.

5. A Marker
A marker is a diagram of a precise arrangement of pattern pieces for a specific style to be cut from single spread
Marker making is the process of determining the most efficient layout of pattern pieces for a specified style, fabric, and distribution of sizes
Manually produced markers
Computerized marker making
Plotting is the process of drawing or printing pattern pieces or markers on paper so they can be reviewed or cut.
Manually produced markers may be created by arranging fullsize pattern pieces on marker paper or directly on the top ply of fabric in a spread. Pattern pieces are traced using a pencil or tailor`s chalk. Manual methods of marker making are time-consuming and require a graet deal of space. Full size pieces must be manipulated, adjusted, and readjusted on normal fabric widths.
Production patterns may be developed on the computer or digitized into the computer. Computerized marker making is more accurate and provides the greatest opportunity for pattern manipulation, marker efficiency, reuse of previosly made markers, and shotest response time. With new marker-making software, markers can be automatically created.

6. Marker with detail names

7. Dimensions of Marker
Markers are made to fit the cut table widths of fabrics
Cut table width is the usable portion of the fabric width. Selvages are often not usable
If a marker is narrower than usable width, the unused fabric is wasted
If a marker is wider than the specified fabric, chair parts located on the edge of the marker will not be complete

8. Normal layaout. Effecient is OK. The waste of material is small.

9. Marker is narrower than usable width, the unused fabric is wasted
Marker is narrower than usable width, the unused fabric is wasted. Efficient is come smaller.

10. a marker is wider than the specified fabric, chair parts located on the edge of the marker will not be complete

11. Sectioned Markers
Sectioned markers contain all of the pattern pieces for one style in one or two sizes
Sections may be used separately or joined together to form multi size marker
Sectioned markers may be used to adjust the volume requirements for various sizes or as a remnant marker.
Example: In upholstery industry we can put together sofa and chair markers witch are cut out from the same material.

12. Splice marks
Splice marks are points in a marker where fabrics can be cut and the next piece overlapped to maintain a continuous spread
Splice marks may be from 10cm to 1m, depending on the overlap needed to accommodate the pattern pieces in the area of the splice. The rectangular box indicates the amount of overlap needed. The lower ply should be stratify at the end of the box and the new ply of fabric should be aligned with the beginning of the box.

13. Marker Efficiency
Marker efficiency is determined by fabric utilization, the percentage of the total fabric that is actually used in upholstery textile parts
The area not used in product parts is waste
Marker efficiency depends on how tightly the patterns pieces fit together within the marker
Factors that affect marker efficiency are:
Fabric characteristics
Shapes of pattern pieces
Grain requirements

14. Fabric Characteristics
Fabric characteristics that affect utilization include:
Differences in face and back
Lengthwise directionality
Crosswise symmetry
Need for matching the fabric design
Length of design repeat
Fabric width
These fabric characteristics frecuently limit the arrangement of pattern pieces. Matching fabric designs requires special marker preparation end extra piece goods.

15. Characteristics of Pattern Pieces
Patterns are sometimes modified to increase fabric utilization. The following pattern adjustments may be used to improve fabric utilization:
Splitting pattern pieces and creating a seam
Rounding or slanting corners
Reducing seam allowances
Adjusting grain lines
Modifying the grain lines
Adjusting pattern dimensions

16. Types of Markers
Markers made with full-pattern pieces are called open markers
Markers made with half pattern pieces for laying along the folds of the tube are called closed markers
Marker maker must consider the symmetry (side to side) and directionality (end to end) differences on fabric:
Symmetric fabrics are the same side to side
Asymmetric fabrics are different side to side
Non-directional fabrics are the same end to end
Directional fabrics are different end to end

17. Modes of Marker
Nap-either-way: symmetric, non directional fabrics, considering only grain line
Nap-one-way: asymmetrical and directional fabrics, all pattern pieces be placed on a marker in only one direction
Nap-up-and-down: some directional fabrics all the pattern pieces of one size to be placed in one direction and another size placed in the opposite direction
There are three types of marker modes:
A marker is made fo a specific style, fabric and size!
The length of marker determines the length of lay that will be spread.
Completed markers are sent to the cutting room electronically for the spreading and cutting process.

18. 2. Spreading
Spreading is the process of superimposing lengths of fabric on a spreading table, cutting table, or specially designed surface in preparation for the cutting process
A spread or lay-up is the total amount of fabric prepared for a single marker
A spread may consist of a single ply or multiple plies
The height of a lay-up is limited by fabric characteristics, size of the order to be cut, cutting method, and the vertical capasity of the spreader
The number of plies in a spread may range from 1-300

19. Spreading Modes
A spreading mode is the manner in which fabric plies are laid out for cutting
Two fabric characteristics that determine the spreading mode are:
The direction of fabric face
The direction of fabric nap
The fabric face may be positioned in two ways: face to face FF or with all plies facing one way FOW- face up or face down.
Placement of the nap maybe nap one way NOW or nap up and down NUD

20. Spreading Quality
A high quality spread has the following characteristics:
Is free of noticeable defects in the fabric
Is tension free
Is flat
Selvages are accurately aligned at least on one edge
Is free of static electricity
Is accurately spliced with minimal waste
Is the precise length, mode, and number of plies specified

21. Spreading Equipment Basic spreading equipment consists of:
spreading surfaces
spreading machines
fabric controll devices
fabric cutting devices
Spreading requires a flat, smooth surface
Spreading and cutting surfaces are available in standard width that correspond to fabric width

22. Spreading machine and table

23. Spreading Machines https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjoV8iB2IWs
Automatic fabric spreading means the smooth laying out of various types of fabric according to specific length. Fabric Spreading Machine is one type of machine by which the smooth laying out of various types of fabric according to specific length automatically instead of pulled by workers.

25. Parts of Automatic Spreading Machine
Cutter device: Dismountable fabric spreading auto-cutter is available here and travel length and speed of cutter can be easily adjustable.
Automatic Lifting device: This device automatically lifts the layer of fabric at the time of spreading and the lifting gauze is changeable.
Edge control sensor : This device controls the edge of fabric.
Emergency stop:  It has break line under the two side of table these break lines are can be pulled at the time of emergency to stop the machine immediately.
Bucket for roll fabric: This device automatically relaxes the fabric in tension and release the tension of fabric.
Fabric loading sensor: This device returns the spreader machine back to original position when fabric runs empty.
Expander roller: It catches the fabric both one way and face to face during spreading.
Operation panel : This display enables the user to set up the length of fabric and control the number of layer of fabric easily

26. Advantage Spreading Machine
Auto ply cutting device for spreading of fabric
Auto ply counting arrangements
Auto catcher to gold the ends of the ply
Auto fabric tensioning device is used for spreading of fabric
Fabric selvedge alignment is done by photo electric guide
Fabric fault detector is used in spreading of fabric
Macine gives automatically a signal when spreading of fabric is done
All kind of fabric can be spreaded and all kind of fabric lay can be prepared in this machine
Fabric spreading can be done very quickly. Less labor cost by spreading of fabric

27. 3. Cutting
Cutting is the preproduction process of separating a spread into upholstery cover parts that are the precise size and shape of the pattern pieces on a marker
Stright knive, rotary knive, automated cutter

28. Cutting Quality Cutting quality can be judged by:
The accuracy
Condition of cut edges
Precision of cut upholstery cover parts
Factors that cause cutting inaccuracies are:
Wide or vague lines on the marker
Imprecise following of lines on the marker
Variation in the cutting pitch
Shifting of the spread or block
Fabric bunching up or pushing ahead of the knife
Improper equipment
Improper cutting sequense as parts are cut

29. Cutting equipment
Portable cutting knives- can be moved to and through a spread by an oprator:
Rotary or round knives- is used primarily for stright cuts and large radius curves
Stright knive- make only lateral cuts into a spread
Automated cutting systems:
Blade cutting
Laser cutting
Water jet cutting
Plasma jet cutting
Operator controlled cutting. Operators controll the speed of cutting, the sequence, and the shape being cut.
There are four types of automated cutting:

30. Gerber Paragon Continuous Cutting

31. Home Task Find the cutting equipment for your project:
Pattern and marker making software
Spreading machine and table
Cutting machine and table
Present the technical specifications for all equipment
Form correctly as a part of final report