Help on lasering textile pads

[Uros Sovilj]

Hi

I have received inquery to laser 1000 of textile pads for cleaning lenses for sun glasses. Have anybody any experience with lasering textile like this. I would really like to take this job since is on monthly base.

Thanks for help in advance

Regards

[Joe Hillmann]

When engraving on fabric/textile needs to be held so it is flat and wrinkle free. If only doing a few pieces you can tape the fabric to the bed of the laser but that takes a lot of time. You could use embroidery hoops to hold it but that also takes a lot of time to load the fabric on to the hoops. I think the best way to hold the fabric would be to use a vacuum table or use re-positionable adhesive spray that is meant for holding down shirts for screen printing.

As far as settings on the you want very low power, high speed and low resolution (low PPI or DPI depending on laser settings)

I would do a few samples starting with very low power and working your way up until you get a mark that is acceptable and then try washing it a few times to make sure that it doesn't cause the fabric to fall apart.

Edit: I assumed that you meant laser engraving on the fabric and not laser cutting the fabric.

[Uros Sovilj]

Hi

Thanks for quick reply. I ment engraving fabric. I will have to do some vacum tabele if it's going to be buissines on regular base. Any of you guys did vac table for your needs. I will think of something but any help is welcome. Thats the beatuy of engraving job cos you always have to engeniring new solutions for problems and i realy like this and with help of people willing to share their expirience on this forum everithing goes much smoother.

Regards

[Joe Hillmann]

The only vacuum table I ever built used the vacuum from my ventilation system and a piece of peg board, but I don't think that would work on fabric because the fabric would get wrinkled by the holes in the peg board. Someone on this forum has built one and for the table he used low density fiber board. He said if you sand the finish off both sides of it you can draw a vacuum right through it. If you do a search for vacuum table you might be able to find it.

[Khalid Nazim]

How about a multimat? Check this http://www.artisan-es.com/MultiMat1.htm. I have not used one though. You should call the supplier/manufacturer to see if its suitable for cloth.

[Joe Hillmann]

I have never used one but I would think that lint from fabric would cause it to lose it holding ability pretty quickly.

[Craig Matheny]

If you do not have a vacuum table make a jig out of wood with an opening to lay over the cloth have the opening the area that you engrave not a big deal. Yes a vacuum table is the preferred method but this will work. the other option is a piece of metal and magnets to hold it down.

[Dan Hintz]

I don't think that would work on fabric because the fabric would get wrinkled by the holes in the peg board.
Throw a piece of screen door mesh over it...

[Mike Lassiter]

we have done fleece,felt and demin several times on our cutting table with no problems. Our laser has a 24x48 inch table, and a 3 hp 1500 cfm blower. Also have the traveling exhaust due to sometimes cutting fabric with class 4 module with side door open. Suction from air flow holds material down good. I have not observed material being sucked into openings in cutting table enough to see it by eye, and have not observed any problems with focus. Some rastered and cut using 2" focus lens, some using 3". Unless you are trying to get very small lettering a longer focus lens allows much quicker engraving time due to wider beam focus spot. I wouldn't think you would be trying to engrave fabric with a very fine type font, the fabric could make too small or fine lettering disapear in the texture of the material.
I have also done a fairly thick fine textured material on the cutting table that looked very good. We used these for our made in USA with our business name tag sewn inside our custom made and embroidered Christmas Stockings.

[Rodne Gold]

If these are already cut , You cannot do these 1 by 1 , it will take forever. Use your laser to make a jig , a solid piece almost the whole table size as the base and a piece with cut outs that the cloth pieces fit in, Glue the 2 together in fact make 2 of these , while one is lasering the other can be unloaded/loaded. We did that on our Shenuis to do 1000's of thin denim patches and it worked real well. Exhaust Vacuum wont suck out pieces or anything like that. Your honeycomb table is actually steel so if you need to engrave and cut the patches , you can hold the material down nice and flat with magnets.

[Uros Sovilj]

Hi

I found solution that combine your ideas and work great. I have sealed front side of machine where is one bigger opening and other small gaps with duct tape so i forced sucking vent to take most of air through honeycomb table. I put some magnets on fabric that holds fabric nice tend. The air flow through table was just strong enough to hold fabric still and flat and i did the job with no problem.
Thanks for ideas
Regards
Hi

I found solution that combine your ideas and work great. I have sealed front side of machine where is one bigger opening and other small gaps with duct tape so i forced sucking vent to take most of air through honeycomb table. I put some magnets on fabric that holds fabric nice tend. The air flow through table was just strong enough to hold fabric still and flat and i did the job with no problem.
Thanks for ideas
Regards