Preproduction Operations:

marker making, spreading, and cutting

 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
 Cut Order Planning
• 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
 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.
 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.
Marker with detail names
 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
 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
 Splice marks
• Splice marks are
points in a marker
where fabrics can
be cut and the next
piece overlapped
to maintain a
continuous spread
 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
 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
 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
 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
 Modes of Marker
1. Nap-either-way: symmetric, non directional
fabrics, considering only grain line
2. Nap-one-way: asymmetrical and directional
fabrics, all pattern pieces be placed on a
marker in only one direction
3. 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
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
 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
 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
 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
Spreading machine and table
 Spreading Machines
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjoV8iB2IWs
 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
 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
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
 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
 Cutting equipment
Portable cutting knives- can be moved to and
through a spread by an oprator:
1. Rotary or round knives- is used primarily for
stright cuts and large radius curves
2. Stright knive- make only lateral cuts into a spread
Automated cutting systems:
3. Blade cutting
4. Laser cutting
5. Water jet cutting
6. Plasma jet cutting
Gerber Paragon Continuous Cutting
• https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMLyodv1nT0
 Home Task
1. Find the cutting equipment for your project:
– Pattern and marker making software
– Spreading machine and table
– Cutting machine and table

2. Present the technical specifications for all

equipment
3. Form correctly as a part of final report