Pressing

Pressing

The application of heat, moisture, and pressure to shape, mold or crease fabrics, garments, or garment parts into the geometric forms intended by their designers”

May be done during assembly or as a final finishing process

In-Process Pressing (under-pressing):

To shape, crease and/or smooth components for more accurate seaming

Finish Pressing (off-pressing):

Adds the final shape to seams and garments

Time, temperature, pressure and types of mechanical devices used for pressing depends on;

1- types of material used

2- desired shape or form

3- the degree of permanency needed

Elements of pressing

Heat:

To soften fibers, stabilize, and set the desired shape. Must be according to fibers, yarns and fabrics

Steam:

The means of transferring heat into the fabric
Created by heating water in a pressure/boiler
Higher the pressure, the hotter and drier the steam
Different fabrics require different amounts of moisture and heat
Excessive moisture may cause shrinkage and color bleeding

Pressure:

To alter shape and increase permanency of the molding or creasing
Too much pressure may distort fabric surfaces, flatten textures, and create permanent garment and/or fabric damage

Note:

The amount of pressure and time can be minimized by drying and rapid cooling the garment during the pressing process

Pressing Equipment And Types of pressing

Buck Presses:

Used by manufacturers of slacks, skirts, and jackets and most of the dry cleaning plants
A lower buck and a complementary moveable head with a linkage system, buck padding, steam and vacuum systems, frame and table, gauges and manual/automatic controls for steams, vacuum, heat and pressure
May be used for in-process pressing and finish pressing

Iron Pressing:

Manual molding operation with pressure and heat application with a flat contact surface
Consists of an iron, power line, bed buck, and an iron support system
Irons vary in weight and plate dimensions and characteristics depending on the type of pressing operation, fabric, area to be pressed and quality specifications of the operation
Mostly used for under-pressing and are
more versatile and mobile and
are most common in our daily life

Block or Die Pressing:

To establish a product’s conformance to a form
May change the surface characteristics and dimensions of a product
An operator positions the component over a die and engages the machine, and folding blades fold and hold the edges to the underside for creases to be set
May also be used to mold collars,
collar stands and cuffs

Form Pressing:

Used for final pressing or for renovating garments in dry cleaning plants
Formed in approximate shapes as the finished garment
Designed to reduce the positioning and repositioning time
Just smooth garment fabric
but does not set creases

 

Steamers:

Uses only steam to mold & smooth the garment
Major types include steam jets, steam guns, steam puffs, and steam tunnels or chambers (used to form and stabilize garment shape or smooth the surface of the fabric)

 Pressing techniques

Steam Tunnels/Chambers:

Used for finish pressing
Garments are de-wrinkled within a chamber by the average pressure of the circulating steam
May also use conveyors to carry garments from one place to other while steaming and pressing those garments
Mainly used for pressing finished garments that do not need creasing or molding of any kind

Boilers, Steam Generators and/or Vacuum Systems:

Generate required steam and air pressure
Cost and time required for producing steam contribute directly to the cost of operating the pressing equipment and the rate of produciton

Advancements in pressing equipment

Main focusing areas are:

• Greater versatility
• More precision in determining exact pressing requirements of fabrics and finishes
• Improved quality
• Energy savings

Microprocessors with a variety of settings can control factors such as conveyor speed, steam and air volume, and temperatures.
Equal treatment to each and every garment according to computerizes settings and controls
Automated buck pressing and automated steam tunnels could be the examples