Confronting a new breed of pressing and fusing challenges

Bobbin, Jan, 1999

As new fabrics are introduced and global sourcing continues to climb, the parties that make up the tailored clothing supply chain must work more closely together to ensure quality in pressing and fusing operations.

During the past few years, the tailored apparel industry has encountered new challenges in the areas of interlinings, fusibles and pressing, stemming from innovations in fabric construction and fiber blends as well as changes in manufacturing venues.

The globalization of production facilities has impacted pressing methods and logistics as manufacturers seek to hang finished garments that can be shipped to retailers with a minimal amount of refurbishing. This trend and the continuing and accelerating use of stretch fibers, new blends and premium fabrics in tailored apparel are two of the major areas driving pressing, fusing and interlining issues.

This article will outline some of the new paradigms the industry needs to embrace, related to pressing and fusing, as well as offer some practical solutions and future considerations. Let's begin by exploring some issues raised by new fiber and fabric directions.

New Fabrics Demand New Interlining Solutions

Changes in consumer lifestyles - especially the powerful "casual" influence - have led fiber producers and fabric mills to introduce and expand their offerings. These trends are likely to continue well into the next century, and have caused the tailored apparel industry to revisit some of its classic methods and materials. For example, all of the following fabric types have increased in popularity, and impacted the tailored industry's traditional approaches to pressing techniques and interlining usage:

* Lycra[R] spandex-blended fabrics;

* Super 100s and 150s;

* Sheer and lightweight fabrics (including more dark, lightweight fabrics);

* Wool and mohair blends;

* Premium blends of wool and/or cashmere, mink, silk, vicuna, etc.; and

* Teflon[R]-treated fabrics.

These and other fabric trends are driving interlining suppliers to develop new and different interlinings for tailored apparel manufacturers. To work with stretch fabrics, for instance, they have developed various stretch interlinings, including single-stretch wovens, double-stretch wovens, single-stretch wefts, double-stretch wefts and special tapes for various applications.

The proper selection of a fusible will depend on the type and amount of stretch required and the part of the garment that is to be fused. Most interlining suppliers will work with their customers to assure that a fusible interlining is compatible with the shell fabric. As a rule, pre-testing must be a standard procedure in the selection of the interlining. (See "Fusing: Guidelines for Pre-Production Testing," page 38, for a variety of interlining testing procedures.)

For the finer and more delicate fabrics, there also have been interlining developments, including:

* Fusibles that have more surface, which helps to eliminate impressions;

* Skin fusibles, which can be used on very delicate fabrics to stabilize the fabric enough to manufacture a conventional or a split canvas front; and

* A resurgence of finer, or higher quality, fusible interlinings.

These new interlinings help to minimize some of the workmanship required in dealing with finer and more delicate fabrics. For example, the split canvas front has been and continues to be used by some better manufacturers to simulate a conventional front. To create a split canvas front, the front canvas is split on the break line, and from that part to the side, the front is fused as normal. With this construction, the lapel area is either skin fused or not fused, and then the chest piece canvas is extended into the lapel and felled to the front to achieve the "hand" and roll of a conventional front.

Additionally, in terms of advancements in fusibles for the new ranges of Teflon- or silicone-treated fabrics, interlining firms are offering fusibles with better adhesion that are designed to help prevent delamination.

Equipment Needs, Communication Issues

Interlining producers aren't the only suppliers challenged to change with the evolving industry. Pressing and fusing machinery suppliers also are faced with a variety of issues as new fabrics roll out of the mills, and manufacturers continue to expand production into global locations.

For instance, as more product is manufactured and pressed offshore and then transported back into the United States, there is a continuing need to retouch, or re-press, apparel at warehousing locations. Moreover, garments finished and pressed at remote contractor locations often are exposed to pressing equipment which does not incorporate the latest technology, which can lead to quality problems. Manufacturers and their pressing and fusing equipment suppliers need to communicate on these and other issues, and discuss new technologies that are needed and/or ways machinery could be redesigned to remedy problems. In particular, they should address:

* Solutions for working with finer, delicate fabrics that require less pressure. Head and buck covers on presses can be changed to better accommodate these fabrics, and new press settings can help eliminate shine or overpressing. Related to this, more pressing machinery should be equipped with bottom air capabilities, in order to reduce impressions often left by retouching operations and pressing of finer fabrics;