TEXTILES


FABULOUS FABRICS


Rachel Berkowitz explores the wealth of ways that textiles can be cut, engraved, perforated, and patterned with a laser


D


istressed denim, whereby jeans have a worn look, might be fashionable, but the traditional techniques to produce such an effect, like sandblasting, manual


scrapping, or applying potassium permanganate, can be incredibly harmful to factory workers manufacturing the jeans – blasting denim with sand, for instance, has been linked to lung disease in workers. Laser processing has been shown to be a viable


alternative to sandblasting to give denim the appearance of being worn. Valencia-based firm Jeanologia has supplied more than 1,000 laser systems for marking jeans for renowned brands such as Levi’s, Polo Jeans, Abercrombie and Fitch, Edwin Japan, Pepe Jeans, Diesel, Hilfiger


Denim, Calvin Klein, and other large retailers such as Gap, Uniqlo and H&M. Now a multinational company, Jeanologia


designs and develops laser systems that enhance industrial productivity, improve energy efficiency, and eliminate waste. In particular, the firm focuses on providing laser technology for the jeans garment finishing industry. ‘Tanks to lasers, it is possible to achieve – in a sustainable and efficient way – endless designs, vintage looks, precise breaks, total prints, [and different] textures,’ explained Jeanologia’s marketing manager Carmen Silla. Jeanologia offers its Flexi HS3D laser for garment finishing. It uses a CO2


slab laser and


features a scan head from Scanlab. Jeanologia also supplies its eMark soſtware to program the laser system, within which it is possible to combine designs, apply filters and textures, and experiment with different brightness to get an authentic and 3D look in the final product. Laser technology offers opportunities for


scaling production. ‘We can test different designs, make the final samples, and get all


parameters turned into bulk production,’ added Silla. Tis ability considerably reduces the time and cost of going from market to production.


Cut from the same cloth Laser cutting can offer considerable advantages over traditional textile and fabric processing techniques that use cutting dies or punching tools. CO2 from CO2


A cotton apron engraved with Epilog Laser’s desktop cutting tools


lasers – 10µm-wavelength radiation lasers is absorbed by organic materials


better than the shorter 1µm wavelengths of fibre lasers – have been increasingly employed for trimming fabrics, and when teamed with a scanner, allow for flexible changes at minimal cost. To users, that’s a huge advantage for creating complex shapes or patterns, as well as for producing individual products and generating small production runs. Some designers seek out artistic patterns,


while other manufacturers will use laser perforation to create breathable membranes. Different technologies are available to achieve these features, from laser cutters suitable for an artist’s studio, to high performance laser systems. Artist Amy Karle uses Colorado-based Epilog


Perforated fabric cut with CO2 22 laser LASER SYSTEMS EUROPE ISSUE 36 • AUTUMN 2017


Laser’s tools to turn drawings into laser cut fabric for custom-fit garments and fine art. Starting with a hand drawing, she scans the image at


@lasersystemsmag | www.lasersystemseurope.com


Synrad, a registered trademark of Novanta


Epilog Laser


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