Pressing

The application of heat, moisture and pressure to shape, mould or crease fabrics, garments,
or garment parts into the geometric forms intended by their designers is known as pressing.
May be done during assembly or as a final finishing process.

Elements of Pressing:

 Heat
 Steam or Moisture
 Pressure
 Time

Types of Pressing

1. Under Pressing: Pressing from the wrong side of the garment

2. Top Pressing: Pressing from the face side of the garment
3. In-Process Pressing: Pressing during the garment manufacturing process
4. Finish Pressing: Adds the final shape to seams and garments

Types of pressing equipment

1. Solid Pressure Equipment (Pressing Equipment)

 Pressing irons
 Buck presses
 Mangle presses
 Block presses
 Form presses
 Pleating presses
 Creasing machines: Edge folders

2. Moisture Pressure Equipment (Steaming and Wetting)

 Wetting tanks: London shrinkers and auxiliary equipment
 Sponging machines
 Decaters
 Steam guns and jets
 Steam chambers
 Autoclaves

3. Heat Energy Equipment (Heating and Baking)

 Thermoelectric machines
 Hot plates
 Casting equipment
 Dry heat ovens
Buck Pressing
Steam presses commonly consist of a static buck and a head of complementary shape
closing onto it, thereby sandwiching the garment to be pressed. It consists of a frame

housing the buck which is normally in round shape for pressing different garments and
linkages to close the head by a scissor action.

The components of steam buck press:

 The machine frame

 The bed and head buck
 Buck padding
 Steam distribution system
 Vacuum system
 Pressure gauges
 Linkage system
 Controls for steam vacuum and buck press

Buck padding

 Number of plies varies with:

  Type of padding used
 Padding compression characteristic desired

It has three functions:

1. To distribute steam evenly

2. To reduce the impact of ejected steam
3. To give a relatively soft and resilient surface to fabric

Steam is passed to head and buck using a pipe system. Adequate controls are provided for
controlling head closure and vacuum. Vacuum is created to provide suction through the
buck using a vacuum system. The typical pressing cycle is as follows:

A garment need to be pressed is fixed in the buck

↓
The buck head closes and locks
↓
Then steam is applied to the head or the buck to press the garment for a predetermined
time
↓
The buck head is released
↓
Vacuum is applied to the garment to cool and dry it
↓
The garment then moved around the buck for the next part of it to be pressed

Similar operations are carried out for completing the pressing of the garment and then the
garment is hung on the hanger. It should be ensured that the garment is not damp or
distorted after pressing. Various types of presses are used in steam pressing.

Uses- The different steam presses used for different parts of the garments are collar press,
sleeve press, shoulder press, back and front press, collar master.

Carousel press

Carousel press is a new development in pressing operation in which a pair of bucks is

provided that rotates between operator and the head. The head can be of single or double
based on the bucks being identical or an opposite pair for pressing the left and right of a
garment part. In this press, scissor action and vertically acting heads can be used.
Carousel Press: - pair of bucks rotates between the operator and either a single or a double
head, depending on whether the bucks are identical or an opposite pair.

While machine carries out the controlled pressing cycle, the operator loads the other. It
gives higher output.

Trouser pressing:

Trousers include a wide variety of garments, ranging from jeans, women’s trousers with
simpler construction and requiring a less sharp crease, men’s trousers including four
pockets, and suit trousers. The trouser pressing is carried out in two operations along with
under-pressing of the seam.

Legging on a flat press to set and crease the legs

topping in a series of lays around the top of the trouser on a contoured press
Uses- Suit trousers, men’s trouser, women’s trouser

Double legged-pressing machine:

Double legged-pressing machine is used for pressing trousers, and in this machine both the
legs are pressed simultaneously with the top hanging down between two separate bucks.
These machines consist of vertically acting heads, carousels and microprocessor controls.
Heat resistant silicone foam is used for covering bucks of steam presses and tables used
with irons and vacuum boards and the outside being covered with a woven polyester cover.
Sometimes stretch nylon is used with the highly contoured bucks.

Iron pressing
Manual molding operation with pressure and heat application with a flat contact surface.

Iron placing work station consist of

 Iron
  Power line
 Bed buck
 Iron support system
 Steam and vacuum 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.

The two basic kinds of irons used today are:

1. Dry iron
2. Electric steam irons

Dry Iron: - These are light weight irons weighing about 1.4 kgs with a heat range of between
70-240 degree C and electronic temperature controls that have a reliable accuracy of +/- 3
degree C. This type of iron is made in a variety of shapes and is mainly used for smoothing
or finishing operations where steam is unnecessary.

Electric Steam Irons: - These are the most commonly used type of hand iron and carry out a
wide variety of operations, especially those concerned with under pressing. The iron has a
heating element and steam is fed from a central or independent boiler into the steam
chamber in the base of the iron. The heat generated can be controlled by a thermostat and
supplied with steam either from factory’s main steam supply or from a small boiler adjacent
to the pressing unit. The steam function of the iron is activated by the touch of a button.
Normally, hand irons are available in different shapes
and weights:

 Narrow hand irons are used for seam opening

on sleeves and trouser legs. The wrinkle marks
on the garment are evaded by the narrow sole
construction of the steam iron as well as curved
and narrow ironing bucks. Teflon-coated soles
should be used for ironing fabrics that are
sensitive to lustre
 Wide ones for flat shapes
 Pointed shape

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. It is used to crease patch pockets
and pocket flaps.

The machine components consist of:

 Frame
 Bed block
 Ram pressing block
 Heating element system
 Linkage systems
 Pressure gauges

Positions the component over a die

Engages the machine

Folding blades fold and hold the edges to the underside for creases to be set
 ↓

Contorts a flat fabric to a stabilized 3D form

Steam Finisher
Uses only steam to mold & smooth the garment. Major types include:

 steam jets,
 steam guns
 steam puffs
 steam tunnels or chambers (used to form and stabilize garment shape or smooth the
surface of the fabric)

This equipment is known as a form press or a ‘dolly’ press. It has a compressed air system,
frame for a steam distribution system and a pressing form made of a canvas bag in the
suitable silhouette of the garment to be pressed. The pant steam finisher and universal
steam finisher are shown in below figure:

The dolly press contains a frame which contains form and the steam and compressed air
are flowed by pipe through the form. Steam and air are supplied for a predetermined
time by using a timer. Normally 8 seconds for steam supply and next 8 seconds for hot
air supply.  This type pressing is used for pressing T-shirts, jeans, pants, blouses, and
sportswear and so on.

The garment is fixed on the frame

 ↓

the steam and compressed air are flowed by pipe through the form

Steam is supplied for a predetermined time by using a timer.

Hot air is then supplied for 8 seconds

Steam-air dummies are used to form:

• Dresses

• Suits

• Coats

• Underwear and Certain Other Products

Tunnel finisher:

Tunnel finishers are used for finishing knitted goods. They can be used for manmade
fibre garments and their blends also. This garment finishing process involves no pressure
application and reduced handling of garments in steam tunnel. In this finishing process,
the garments are put on hangers and fed through a cabinet using a motorized rail. The
garments pass through sections with superheated steam and it is dried by blowing air. In
some cases garments are loaded onto frames and passed through the tunnel on a
conveyor.
 Steam helps to relax the fibres in the garment and the tunnel helps in avoiding the need
for any other pressing process before or after this operation. In some cases, it
completely eliminates the other pressing processes. These tunnels are incorporated with
infrared drying in some cases. As the garments are vertically hung, the turbulence of
blown air provides additional energy to remove wrinkles in woven fabrics. Proper care
should be taken during pressing operation for fibres where excessive agitation causes
fabric deformation.

Garments are hung on hanger and fed through a cabinet using a motorized rail

pushed into a tanner containing separate chamber through superheated steam, which
makes the garment moldable

unexpected crease is removed from fabric by a strong hot air flow alongside the
garments and by relaxation and gravitational force.

Garments are dried by cooler air before it leaves the tunnel.

Permanent press
The permanent-press method normally results in reduction of fabric strength. This method
was developed for producing better crease recovery of cellulosic fabrics. The process
involves processing the fabrics during its manufacture with a resin. A permanent-press
fabric is processed after the resin treatment and is then made into garments. The method is
commonly used for trousers to introduce the creases at the seams and hems and down
the front and back. The garments are then passed through an oven to cure the resin in the
fabric.

Resin solution and additives ( without catalyst )

batch at 70 C for 2 hours

Wash-Dry

Pad with catalyst

Dry - Stitch garment

hot press to shape and form creases and pleats

Cure at 160 C for 10 to 15 min

Wash

Hot rinse

Cold rinse

Dry.

Creasing machines:
This unique kind of small press performs an exceptionally
useful function. Creasing machines are used to fold over
and press the edges of clothing components such as pockets
or cuffs to prepare them for easy sewing.

Blades are used to create creases and folds. The component

is kept over a die with blades aiding in forming creases
around it and required pressure is exerted during pressing
cycle. Creasing machine is actually preparation under-
pressing machine. Creasing machine principles and
components are basically alike regardless of type or style of the section being creased by the
machine.

Pleating:

Pleating is the process of creating pleats in the

garment. Pleats are a type of fold actually formed
during stitching by doubling fabric upon itself and
securing it in place. However, these pleats can also
be introduced in pressing by creating a set of
creases in the garment and making it set by
pressing. The pleats can even be according to a
geometrical pattern. Pleating is done by using pressure, moisture and heat. There are two
types in machine pleating.

One is a blade machine in which pleats are formed by the action of blades and then set by
heat and pressure when they pass through a pair of rollers and the other type is a rotary
machine in which the rollers are fitted with complimentary dies. Crystal pleating, hand
pleating, box pleats and fan-shaped pleats are some of the examples.