According to the working process, the cutting machine may be classified into three categories.
- Manual cutting machine
- Semi-Automatic cutting machine
- Fully Automatic / Computerized cutting machine
Manual Cutting Machine
Hand scissors are used for cutting fabric plies manually. Hand scissors are not machines but very useful cutting equipment. Factories may have semi-automatic and fully automatic machines for fabric cutting, but can’t avoid the use of hand scissors in the cutting section. Scissors are a common tool in the cutting process and hand scissors has much use in the cutting room.
Semi-Automatic Cutting Machine
Straight Knife cutting machine : The straight knife is a common means of cutting lays in conventional cutting rooms because it is versatile, portable, cheaper than a band knife, more accurate on curves than a round knife and relatively reliable and easy to maintain.
Straight Knife cutting machine
Band Knife cutting machine: Band knives are used when a higher standard of cutting accuracy is required than can be obtained with a straight knife. Pieces to be cut are first cut on a block and then cut exactly on a band knife.
Round knife cutting machine: A round knife is used only for straight lines or lower no of lays of relatively few plies.
Die-cutting machine: This machine is useful where small motifs with particular shapes and patterns and accuracy in cutting are needed.
Notcher Cutting Machine: It is a special type of cutting machine & use in a special case. Useful to cut a small notch to the fabric. It is most useful to make consistency in notching. This cannot be used in thermoplastic fibers or certain unlined garments.
Drill Cutting Machine: Sometimes it is needed to mark on the end of components of dresses especially for the position of pockets, darts and similar features, a hole is often drilled through all the plies of fabric in the lay. This machine is also used for marking on the middle of the components of dresses.
Automatic Cutting Machine
Laser cutting machine: Instead of a blade fabric layer is cut by laser rays. A laser cutting machine is also a computer-controlled machine.
Rib Cutting Machine:
These are specialized machines used to cut rib or rolls of strips from knitted tubular fabrics. The Knit garment industry uses this machine widely.
Plasma Torch Cutting Machine:
Plasma cutting was originally developed to satisfy our demand for high-quality cutting. But it can also be used to cut textile material. In this system, fabrics are cut by a thin through the nozzle which is made by Argon gas.
Computerized cutting machine:
- Used for manufacturing a high volume of garments.
- It cuts fabric layers as per the command given in the computer system.
- Also known as CNC machine.
- Fabrics are spread on the table by auto spreader and the lay is positioned in the cutting table prior to automatic cutting.
