Flock Printing

Flocks: “Flock” is the fine dust of fibre obtained from the loom during the weaving of a fabric.
The fine fibres possess a very soft handle. But flocks from the loom are inadequate to cope with
the printing requirements. So for flock printing, flocks are made artificially from fibres.
According to Textile Institute “Flock is a material obtained by reducing textile fibres to
fragments by cutting, tearing or grinding.”
The monofilament fibres from which flocks are made are-viscose, cotton, wool, nylon, polyester,
acetate etc. The most frequently used fibre types are in the range of 0.9-22 dtex and the usual
fibre lengths are between 0.5 and 2 mm.
Flocks may be white or colored. The use of flocks gives pile effect on surface.
Types of flock:
According to the features of flock cutting there are Two (2) types of flock, namely-
1. Random cut flock: These are obtained from fibre dust. In random cutting, fibres which
are longer than 1mm are separated and only 1mm long fibres are kept.
2. Precision cut flock: These are obtained from viscose, polyester and nylon tow. In
precision cutting, a definite length of fibres i.e. 1mm cut after they extrude out from the
spinneret. Such cutting is done in case of man made fibres.
Again according to end-use, Two (2) classes of flocks, namely-
1. Stuffing flock: Fibres in entangled small masses or beads, usually of irregular broken
fibres, obtained as a byproduct from, for example, milling, cropping or raising of wool
fabric and mainly used for stuffing, padding or upholstery.
2. Coating flock: Cut or ground fibres used for application toe yarn, fabric, paper, wood,
metal or wall surfaces prepared with an adhesive.
Flocking: The method of flock coating on substrate with the help of appropriate adhesive is
called flocking. It is also called pile process or flock printing.
Flocking is a surface finishing technique for the comparatively inexpensive production of high
quality suede, velvet, velour as well as floor covering. In flocking, flocks are uniformly
distributed through the whole fabric and adhesive is applied by means of a doctor blade to the
fabric.

Flock printing:
 Flock printing is a method of fabric ornamentation. In this printing technique the fabric is
printed with and adhesive and then finely chopped fibres are applied all over by means of
dusting-on, air-blast or electrostatic attraction. The fibres adhere only the printed areas and are
removed from the unprinted areas by mechanical action. The two stages of flock printing are-
1. Application of adhesive to the surface of the cloth by machine or screen either uniformly
or according to design.
2. Application of flocks to the adhesive.

Basic principle of flock printing:

For flock printing the fabric to be printed should be well desized, smooth and as compact as
possible. The basic principle of flock printing may be described as below-
1. Application of adhesive: Adhesive is applied to fabic by squeezes, rollers, screens or spray
methods. Synthetic resins can serve as the best adhesive for flock printing.
2. Flock application: The flock is applied from above the material or against the force of
gravity, from below the material. Flocks of precise staple length and titre, with moisture
content of about 13% are essential prerequisites for optimum result in flocking.
3. Drying: The drying conditions are dependent on the requirements of particular bonding
agent used. Dying is carried out at 70 0C for 3-8 mins. Suitable drying unit has steam heated
tunnel driers as well as infra red radiation.
4. Final treatment: At last excess flocks from unprinted areas are removed by brushing with
brush rollers together with a mechanical suction unit.

Types of flock printing:

1. Dusting through a sieve or sprinkling with hand
2. Pneumatic or spraying with air under pressure.
3. Electrostatic method

Electrostatic method: Electrostatic flocking is entirely different from mechanical or pneumatic

methods. The physical principle of electrostatic flocking is based on the attraction of unlike, and
the repulsion of like charges. Therefore electrostatic forces are produced on long-shaped articles,
e.g. flocks, which are capable of carrying electrical charges.
The fibre which have become charged by contact or ionization, are subjected to a force in the
strong electrical field which causes the fibres to move in the direction of oppositely charged
electrode. During this movement the fibers are oriented in the direction of the force line and are
separated from each other due to the repulsion of their like charges.
The flocks are placed on the fabric through charged hopper on the fabric. As the underside of the
fabric is earthed, net positive charge develops on the upper surface of the fabric. Again the flocks
are shot into the adhesive film, which acts as the opposite electrode. Here the flocks are anchored
in aligned state. The electric charges are discharged, over the adhesive film. Those fibres which
have not been able to penetrate into the bonding agent fly back to the other electrode after charge
reversal has taken place and take part in flocking processes once more.
The pile density in this method is very high, so two vacuum suction units are used.

Charged
Suction unit Flocks hopper

Fabric
earthing

Fig: electrostatic
flocking