p66,67 cad cut:Layout 1 16/02/2010 13:55 Page 66
MACHINERY
Maximising workflow
with a Cad-Cutter
Adding new equipment is an
exciting undertaking. Not
only will it offer the potential
for new customers, but,
hopefully, new levels of
profitability. All of this is especially true with
cutters and printer/cutters, which present such
enormous decorating potential.
I
f you’re adding a cutter or printer/cutter to your step. After the unit cuts the design, you’re ready to
business, get ready for an influx of new types of weed away the excess material. Next, you’ll mask
orders, and get the business ready to handle the design by laying onto it a piece of clear,
those orders by laying out your new equipment in adhesive material – it looks rather like a huge
the most efficient manner possible. But before piece of Scotch tape. Bend the adhesive material The work area
moving any new equipment into the business, in the middle slightly so the middle hits the design
you’ll need to give some serious thought as to first, which will help you avoid air bubbles. You With a firm understanding of the workflow
how you’ll physically arrange it, and doing that then need to run a squeegee across the adhesive process for your cutter, you can lay out equipment
requires understanding how the work actually material to push out the air, the first pass lightly, in the most efficient way possible. Ideally you’ll
flows through the decorating process. then a second pass with additional pressure. designate a 3m x 3m area for your cutter, giving
With cutters, everything begins at the computers, Leave the protective backing on the weeded and you ample room to operate the unit comfortably.
where the design is created, manipulated and masked designs so you may stack them up and Embellishers with spacious production areas might
prepared. That said, you'd want to keep the take them in bulk to your heat press area. This is a be tempted to allocate even more room for their
computer as close as possible to the cutter. On more efficient process than actually applying each cutters, but that’s not necessarily a good idea. A
some units, the controls are on the right; by design as you weed and mask it, because you’re compact work area translates into efficiency by
placing the computer on the right side of the unit, grouping together similar tasks rather than putting within arm’s reach the tools and supplies
near the controls, you can easily reach over to the jumping back and forth between dissimilar ones. you need to stay productive. You’ll also want a
cutter’s controls while staying seated at the Use a cart if needed to move those pieces over to table nearby for weeding and masking; a standard
computer. the heat press area. Then, after the garments are 1.5-2m library type table should provide plenty of
If you’re using a printer/cutter, you’ll first print the decorated with the designs, they can be folded, room.
design onto the material; if your unit is a stacked back into the cart, and rolled over to the Devote your cutter area strictly to creating the
conventional cutter, then you’ll obviously skip this packing/shipping area. designs, and handle the application of those
| 66 | March 2010
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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