SGIA Journal September/October 2013 - (Page 63)

feature The Edge is Near: Innovations in Fabric Finishing The right finishing techniques can mean the difference between an acceptable product and an exceptional one. As specialty imaging moves forward, so do the equipment and techniques used to produce a better, higher-quality product. In fabric finishing, there’s more to good results than just printing — the right finishing techniques can mean the difference between an acceptable product and an exceptional one. These processes, and the machinery needed to obtain them are constantly created, improved and perfected to meet and exceed customer demand. Depending on the fabric, different finishing techniques are applied. Whether the graphic will need sewing, hot knifing, grommeting, welding or cutting has a lot to do with not only the material but also the type of graphic. Hanging graphics may require a blockout layer, which will need heavy-duty sewing, and woven signs may need a hot knife to prevent fraying. No matter the finishing technique, proper and efficient execution is necessary to prevent delays for the customer. The Need for Speed One of the biggest challenges in the industry is speed, or more specifically, the lack of it. More and more customers are demanding a high quality product with a faster completion time. The industry’s response is to try to eliminate as much manual processing as possible to speed up production time, requiring machinery to take the place of a company’s most skilled operators. Automated systems provide faster throughput while simultaneously reducing labor costs and human error, which in turn saves more time and money spent on correcting those errors. Machines, especially when paired with advanced software, can ensure exact measurements and consistent results that manual labor cannot provide as quickly. Companies all over the world are taking advantage of the latest technology and coming out with products and equipment to deliver faster, higher-quality results in less time than ever before. Beware of the Bottleneck MATIC, S.A. (Expo Booth #3440), a textile manufacturer and distributor based in Barcelona, Spain, is helping to lead the industry in automated finishing solutions in cutting and handling process as well as reduce manual involvement. “The workflow many clients have in their production is not perfectly optimized: Too much manual handling, manual way of welding, sewing and cutting. All these points are responsible to create a bottleneck in ‘finishing’, due to the fact that the printers become faster and faster and skilled operators are not easy to find anymore,” said Jordi Carbonell, general manager at MATIC, S.A. According to Carbonell, MATIC has one of the most advanced automatic welding machines available in the industry, the Ares Plus. The complete automation of processes such as hems, joinings, reinforcements, zippers and overlaps has simplified the work of any and all operators. Specifically, their welding machine uses electric impulse technology tailored to fabrics like screens, PVC, acrylics and polyesters. What’s more, the “seamless” technology by MATIC can create invisible welding. The Ares Plus was created so that only one person — even a less-skilled operator — could control it. For cutting, MATIC offers its Helios Lasercutter. This cutting and sealing product can be used on virtually any textile, and was designed to save valuable production time and money for grandformat printers. It prevents problems like fraying and shrinkage, and offers a supersized 3,500 by 8,000 f lat cutting area. It boasts an air-cooled laser that Renee Nevius, Freelance Writer Visit SGIA at SGIA.org SGIA Journal ■ September/October 2013 | 63 http://www.SGIA.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SGIA Journal September/October 2013

How to Sell in a Tough Economy
How One Fine-Art Photographer Created a Four-Story-Tall Print
December 1, 2013 Training Deadline Approaches
Affordable Care Act — What is New and What is Happening
Reducing Inkjet Ink Usage
Want Your Graphics to Look Great and Last? Start with Surface Preparation and Cleaning
2013 Market Trends & Product Specialties Report
Digital Ceramic Printing Continues to Cast a New Business Model for Output Providers
How to Hire and Retain a Sales Champion
Going Grand: Does It Make Sense for Your Business?
Flames Made Easy with Knifeless Tape
The Edge is Near: Innovations in Fabric Finishing
SGIA Expo Sponsors Lead the Industry Charge to Orlando
The Innovation of an Art Form: A History of Screen Printing
In Many Specialty Graphics Shops, Old and New Technologies Sit Side by Side
SGIA Helps Making Shipping Easier with YRC
New Products
Specialty Imaging Shines at the 2013 SGIA Expo

SGIA Journal September/October 2013