SUNTECH Fabric Inspection Machine: Improve Fabric Inspecting Efficiency

 

With the improvement of living standards, customers' demands for clothing are becoming increasingly high, and clothing manufacturers naturally have higher requirements for the quality of raw materials and fabrics. Prior to leaving the factory, fabrics not only need to undergo high-quality and high-standard production processes, but fabric inspection also strict procedures.

The purpose of fabric inspection is to minimize the number of defective finished garments. When fabric enters the factory, the quality and quantity of the fabric must first be inspected. Because the quality of the greige fabric directly affects the quality and output of the finished product, it is necessary to verify the number, size, density, batch number, and thread density according to the cutting fabric formula before cutting. During the fabric inspection, the greige fabric is inspected one by one according to the standard, and all types of defects that affect the quality of the finished product, such as color patterns, missed stitches, holes, and oil stains, must be marked and recorded for quality purposes. Failure to carry out fabric inspection will have an impact on subsequent production and the quality of the finished garment.

Fabric inspection Aspects

1. Width:

During the printing and dyeing process, the fabric is inevitably subjected to mechanical tension. If the tension is uneven or the drying is not thorough, it can cause uneven fabric shrinkage and changes in width. When inspecting a roll of fabric, its width should be checked at least three times at the beginning, middle, and end.

If the width of a roll of fabric is close to the minimum width requirement or the width is uneven, then the number of inspections for that roll must be increased. If the width of the roll is less than the minimum required purchasing width, it will be deemed as non-compliant.

For woven fabrics, if the width is 1 inch wider than the specified purchasing width, the roll will be deemed non-compliant. However, for elastic woven fabrics, even if the width is 2 inches wider than the specified width, it can still be deemed compliant.

For knitted fabrics, if the width is 2 inches wider than the specified purchasing width, the roll will be deemed non-compliant. However, for raschel knitted fabrics, even if the width is 3 inches wider than the specified width, it can still be deemed compliant.

2. Defects:

Defects on fabrics have a direct impact on the appearance of finished garments. If there are too many or serious defects on the garment, the product may be downgraded or even scrapped. Therefore, inspecting the fabric before production can detect defects prior to cutting, reducing the need for fabric replacement and lowering costs, as well as easing the workload of fabric inspection.

Major defects will be considered as three or four-point defects. If there are obvious loose or tight threads on one selvage of the fabric, or if there are ripples, wrinkles, creases or folds on the main body of the fabric, causing the fabric to be uneven when unfolded in the usual manner, such rolls cannot be rated as first-class products.

3. Color Difference:

During the printing and dyeing process, there will be some color differences between different batches of grey fabrics, and even between fabrics from the same batch. This is influenced by many factors such as the dyeing equipment and conditions, and the method of dye formulation during fabric processing.

4. Skew and Bowing of Warp:

Woven fabrics are often subjected to tension during printing and finishing processes, causing them to be stretched. If the tension is uneven, it can easily cause the fabric to skew in the direction of the warp yarn, which is known as skewing. When the tension is uneven in the middle of the fabric, the warp yarn will be bent in an arc shape, which is known as bowing. These phenomena need to be inspected during fabric inspection.

5. Quantity:

Check whether the number of fabric rolls received and the length of each roll are consistent with the delivery order.

The entire fabric inspection process involves multiple steps and complex operations, and requires high levels of expertise, technical skills, and patience from fabric inspectors. Additionally, fabric inspection machines must meet high standards in order to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of the inspection process. For instance, the inspection of fabric width, weft skewness, and warp distortion are all related to the tension of the fabric, which requires fabric inspection machines to be capable of controlling fabric tension in order to guarantee accurate inspection results.

The SUNTECH ST-KFIM series of tension-free fabric inspection machines for knit fabrics can automatically control fabric tension. The machine speed is controlled by a PLC, and the end heads of the fabric rolls are connected to the output shaft of the magnetic powder brake through a mechanical device. The magnetic powder brake's braking force can be adjusted by controlling the current, which is then controlled by the PLC's tension controller. A proximity switch is used as a speed measurement device to form an effective closed-loop control, which can accurately and in real-time adjust the braking force based on changes in the inertia of the fabric rolls, thereby maintaining a constant fabric tension to meet the requirements of automatic fabric inspection. Compared to other tension control fabric inspection machines, this device has more stable, precise, and rapid tension adjustment capabilities, and can effectively improve the efficiency of defect detection on the fabric surface.

The SUNTECH fabric inspection machine boasts several advantages:

1. Automatic tension-free detection: a unique combination of mechanical and electrical structures ensures constant fabric feeding, inspection, and winding speeds.
2. Full-width fabric inspection: a fixed inspection table at a 60-degree angle.
3. Edge control: edge rollers and air blowers are used to control the fabric edges.
4. Accurate length measurement (in meters): counting error ≤1m/km.
5. Accurate edge alignment: edge alignment error ≤6mm.
6. Adjustable fabric roll tension.
7. Customizable fabric feeding and receiving methods according to customer requirements.

As a veteran textile machinery company with 50 years of technological expertise and equipment manufacturing experience, SUNTECH Textile Machinery has over 4,500 customers and 10,000 installed machines worldwide, capable of providing tailored fabric inspection machines to meet production needs. All machines come with a 12-month warranty and free accessories such as edge photoelectric sensors and digital length counters. SUNTECH's prices are highly competitive within the industry. For further information, please contact us.