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FASHION DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY - CITS

3 Garments requiring extensive under pressing and final pressing –Men’s jackets, trousers and waistcoats,
women’s tailored jackets, skirts, top coats. Style change in these garments is infrequent.
4 Garments requiring pleating or ‘permanent press’ finishing.
Tools and Equipments for Garment Pressing
In garments industry, the following pressing equipment is used.
Steam iron or hand iron
The most frequent but least productive pressing equipment is the hand iron, which is appropriate for executing
a large number of jobs in processing with the aid of moisture and heat. In house hold operations, normal electric
irons are extensively used. But today steam irons are used for industrial purposes. In stem irons, the iron is
heated up by steam which is supplied from a central boiler or a mini boiler.
Dry iron: These are lightweight irons weighing about 1.4 kg with 70°C–240°C heating range along with electronic
temperature controls. This kind of iron is made in various shapes and is mostly used for smoothing of finishing
operations where steam is unnecessary.
Electric steam irons: These are generally used as a kind of hand iron which could carry out numerous operations,
specifically concerned with under pressing. Normally, the electric iron has a heating element, and steam is passed
from a central or independent boiler into the steam chamber at the base of the iron.
Steam pressing machine
A steam pressing machine consists of a static Buck and Head of complementary shape, which closes onto it.
Thus garment is sandwiched between head and buck. This is used mainly for pressing a garment like skirt, shirt,
trouser, etc (Fig 1)
Steam Air Finisher / Form pressing machine / Dolly press
Form presses are used largely for off pressing operations.The final pressing is operated on the manufactured
apparel product before it is packaged and distributed to the retailer. All the form presses used in the apparel
manufacturing are based on the principle of expanding a collapsible bag, made in approximate form of the finished
product, with steam or air. (Fig 2)

Fig 1 Fig 2

These finishers are also known as a ‘puffer’, a form press or a ‘dolly’ press. It is called as a finisher instead of a
presser due to very less pressure exertion during pressing and the entire garment is pressed at the same time
thus reducing the time in positioning and repositioning the garment. These finishers are fitted with controls for
steam and air release.
Tunnel finisher
This equipment comprises a conveyor fed unit through which the garments are moved while being steamed and
dried. A smaller capacity form of this equipment is known as a cabinet tunnel, which could process separate
batches of 4 or 5 garments at a time automatically. The production capacity of cabinet tunnel machines is smaller
than a larger tunnel finisher. The main objective of the steam is to relax natural fibres. With the garments on
hangers, the tension due to gravity removes the wrinkles, and the turbulence of air blowing gives additional
energy to remove wrinkles in woven fabrics. (Fig 3)

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CITS : Apparel - Fashion Design & Technology -Lesson 13-24