FUSING MACHINES

BYSHEIKH KASHIF FAIZ MAMSHI OSHIN VASWEE DUBEY

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FUSE-ON INTERLINING ARE FABRICATION

COATED WITH SOME FORM OF RESIN OR ADHESIVE THAT SERVES AS A BONDING AGENT TO HOLD THE INTERLINING TO THE SHELL FABRIC
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REQUIREMENTS FOR FUSING

Base Cloth
Coating System

Interlining

Adhesives

Good fusible interlines must have: Good bond strength

Good peel bond after wash
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Controlled differential shrinkage

Active shrinkage and elongation through wash and dry process

Does not get effected due to steaming Can withstand overheat and pressure

PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF FUSING

Temperature:

range from 130 to 180oC (250oF to 355oF)

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Pressure :

30psi-45psi

Time :

12 to 20 seconds

Cooling under pressure

WHAT IS FUSING TEMPERATURE ?

Fusing in fact is lamination of two ore more textile surfaces by using thermoplastic resins. Therefore temperature is the most important factor for the application of fusing. In the day-to-day practice there are generally two kind of temperature mentioned: 1. the temperature suggestion of the interlining supplier, 2. the temperature setting or reading on the fusing machine.

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FUSING PROCEDURE
Always ensure the fusing machine is properly heated up before starting bulk production every day or shift. Always test using same bulk panels.
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Interlining must be at least 2 mm shorter all around the fabric panel to be fused. Never cut interlining larger than the fabric. This way, glue will contaminate the conveyor belt and fabric. Use carrier sheets while loading the fusing panels to ensure that the interning panel is not moved while loading. Fusing speed, roller pressure and temperature must be correct as specified by supplier otherwise any incorrect standard will result in defective poor fusing quality.

 Never use sandwich or multi layer fusing to save time. This will result in poor fusing quality. Machine head changed must be checked for uniform temperature otherwise poor quality fusing will result. If fusing by hand iron then iron must be placed firmly with weight and must not be slide across the panel. Proper maintenance of machine is done on regular basis. Never use steam iron for using panels. Do not blow cold air around fusing machine but rather use a well-ventilated area for good working atmosphere. Always do testing by coordinated matching of fabric and interlining in warp and weft direction Interning must always be fused with interning on top of the fabric and not upside down.
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FUSING TECHNIQUE

Single Fusing
Fusible positioned on the top of the Cloth
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Reverse Fusing
Cloth is Positioned on the top of Fusible

Sandwich Fusing
Fusing 2 components in 1 operation Cloth on the outside, 2 fusible in the middle

Double Fusing
Fusing 2 fusible positioned one on the top of other, to the top cloth in 1 operation

Top Fusing
Fusible components are positioned on the top of the cloth and heat I applied directly to the top cloth

A FUSING MACHINE HAS DIFFERENT TEMPERATURE LEVELS:

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Fusing Equipments

Flat Bed Press

Continuous Fusing Machine

Hand Iron

Steam Press

High Frequency Fusing

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FLAT BED PRESS

Padded top and Bottom bucks

Heating Element in 1 or both bucks

Bottom Buck Static, Top buck can be moved vertically Option of Single tray and Twin tray systems Low Productivity

The three processes are Loading, Fusing and Cooling.

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CONTINUOUS FUSING PRESS

Use of Conveyor Belt as a mean of transport Synchronized belt speed Heating plates, cylinder, rollers, and heating zones are used

Rubber covered steel rollers to apply pressure

Air cooling and water cooling systems Take off could be done manually or mechanically

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HIGH FREQUENCY FUSING

Multiple plies are stacked up (up to 70 mm height) and fused simultaneously High Productivity Heat from high frequency energy No shrinkage or color change Dielectric heat: plates generate high frequency field, heat effect is distributed uniformly in length ,width and full height between platen

HIGH FREQUENCY FUSING

Heating effect is different for different polymers Adhesive is heated up faster than fabric or interlining

Time depend on capacity of High Frequency unit and weight of load to be fused
o

E.g.; 30 Kw unit ; load 5-20 kg : 1-3 min

Disadvantage: the press needs to be set for fusing materials on basis of fibre, content, weight thickness and moisture content

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HOW TO CHECK TEMPERATURE AND HEATING

SYSTEM OF A FUSING MACHINE

Most suitable for a temperature test are the well-known paper measuring tapes. The measured temperature between the belts (without fusing material) at medium machine speed should be in accordance with the temperature reading on the thermostat. In case of a separate digital temperature reading it should, after heating-up of the machine, indicate exactly the temperature setting. The easiest way to test the glueline temperature is also by using the paper tapes. To test the capacity and the reliability of a heating system one should prepare a number of swatches of heavier fabric and interlining with temperature tapes in-between, pass them through the machine successively and compare the results: All tapes should show the same temperature.

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THE HEATING CAPACITY AND THE GEOMETRY

OF THE HEATING ZONES

are decisive for the application of a fusing machine in view of the material to be fused:
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Lighter material like for shirts, blouses or dresses require generally lower heating capacity or shorter heating zones.

In this case the main heat should come through the face fabric side, in order to have the melting resins flow towards the face fabric.
If primarily heavier fabrics are to be fused, or in case of sandwich or multi-layer fusing, higher heating capacity and a longer heating zone is needed to make sure that the machine capacity can follow the loading speed of the operators.

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1.

Heating Profiles: with specially treated surface and optimum curvature for best belt contact Heating Mat: intimately laminated to the inside of the profile for best heat transfer

2.

3.

Sensor Position: ideally next to heating mat and belt contact surface for quick reaction
Contact Surface: continuous contact with the belts for continuous heat flow Profile Thickness: relatively thin for fast heat transfer to the belt surfaces Curved Heating Zones: for intensive contact between material and heating surface by high fusing belt tension Separate Heating Zones for optimum adjustment of the temperature balance according to fusing method.

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4.

5.

6.

7.

The best heating system does not make sense when the temperature control system is poorly designed. Its functions must be fast and precise. At any time the temperature on the belt surface must correspond with the reading of the temperature regulator. There may not be any temperature swing, regardless of the degree of loading the machine with material. A slow reacting control system leads to unacceptable temperature variations, whereas a fast reacting system keeps the fusing temperature on a constantly even level

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SPECIFIC PRESSURE AND PRESSURE EVENNESS

Contrary to flat bed presses, it is almost impossible on continuous fusing machines, to determine the exact pressure applied to the material to be fused. The specific pressure is not only depending on the pressure reading on the pressure dial, but also from a few additional factors, such as:

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hardness, thickness and surface of the thickness and hardness of the material to be fused degree of machine width coverage.

silicone coating,

Therefore when fusing with a machine equipped with a conventional pressure system the pressure adjustment must be decided after fusing tests with the specific material.

A swatch of a standard part width should be used for finding out the optimum settings, considering the best possible bond strength, surface and handle results. Additionally it is advisable to tests the evenness of the pressure over the working width of the fusing machine. After testing the evenness of temperature one should load the machine over the working width with several samples of the same material combination and check the bond strength of all samples.

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FLEXIBILITY BY DIFFERENT PRESSURE SYSTEMS

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Single Pressure System

* all kind of ordinary
fabrics * outerwear mainly * reliable and sturdy

Double Pressure System "CU"

special treated fabrics * dress and casual shirts * flexible pressure range * for all kind of interlining
*

Flexo Pressure System

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* for sensitive fabrics * balancing thick and thin fabric * soft pressure supply * for single and sandwich fusing at the same time * sadwich fusing * thick and thin shell fabric at the same time *high quality fusing for outerwear

THE CONVEYOR SYSTEM

The conveyor belts are the most delicate design elements of a continuous fusing machine. Their function, however, is crucial for the performance of all other elements. - They must be strong, with high tear and tensile strength. - The surface must be smooth, to avoid marks or structure transfer on delicate fabrics. - The surface should not allow any resin adherence. - They must withstand temperatures up to 250 Celsius. - They must be thin for optimum heat transfer. - They may not change their dimensions when heated up. - They must have a smooth teflon coating. - To avoid shifting of material they must have an antistatic treatment. - To avoid marks they should not have a thick welding joint. - The belt edges must be sealed, to avoid fraying.
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1. Cover Belt:

- endless high tech fabric - smooth surface - Teflon coating - for sensible belt tracking control

2. Tracking Sensor:

3. Control Roller:

- gentle horizontal movement - no over stretching of belts

- for additional safety - stops machine if belt goes off - for uniform belt tension - for intensive heat contact - for compensation of belt tension - for centered belt tracking - endless high tech fabric - smooth surface - Teflon coating

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4. Safety Sensor:

5. Belt Tensioning:

6. Tensioning Roller:

7. Transport Belt:

PROBLEMS FACED IN FUSING MACHINES

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CAPACITY

The capacity depends on material, quantity and variations of fabrics and interlinings to be fused. The exact capacity can only be calculated according to the individual situation of the particular production. The individual capacity calculation considers:

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- all fabric and interlining parts, - the fusing method, - planned or actual production figures, - daily working time or shift time in minutes, - the individual efficiency, - the individual cost per minute.
(- Example stated in the document)

REFERENCES:

http://www.fusingbelts.com/all_about_fusing/all_abo ut_fusing_on_fusingbelts.html
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11-5-13 (17:50)

http://www.fusingbelts.com/Fusing%20tests/fusing %20tests.pdf

5-5-13 (12:13)

http://www.indiantextilejournal.com/articles/FAdetail s.asp?id=3927

5-5-13 (12:20)

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THANK YOU