Seam Pucker Research Articles

Objective Evaluation of Pucker in Three-Dimensional Garment Seams

This paper considers the objective evaluation of seam puckering on three-dimensional garments. In order to simulate garment surfaces in three dimensions, seamed samples are supported on five different surfaces: plane (both with and without tilt) and curved (both convex and concave). A set of five samples having seams with varying degrees of pucker are prepared from each of five fabrics, and profiles parallel to the seams are measured using a laser distance scanner. These profiles are then filtered using a band-pass Cheby shev filter (where the "frequencies" are measured in cycles/m) to remove the high frequency component contributed by the individual threads or fabric texture and the low-frequency component contributed by the shape of the sample. These band-pass filtered profiles are analyzed by calculating four statistical parameters and comparing these with the subjective AATCC grades. Excellent correlation is obtained for two of the parameters with the subjective pucker grades.

Towards the objective evaluation of garment appearance

As a first step towards objective evaluation of garment appearance, the present work considered seams on three‐dimensional surfaces which simulate actual garment surfaces. The geometric profiles of the 3‐D seams were scanned using a laser scanner. 1‐D and 2‐D digital filters were applied to obtain pucker signals from the geometric profiles by removing “high frequency” components due to fabric surface texture and “low frequency” components due to garment silhouette and drape. The advantages and disadvantages of the 1‐D and 2‐D digital filters are compared. Four physical parameters are examined to see their relevance to the subjective pucker grade. It was found that log(σ2), i.e. the logarithm of the variance of the heights of pucker signals, is the best set of physical parameters for the objective evaluation of seam pucker. In addition, latest attempts at capturing and analyzing 3D garment image using a Cyberware laser scanner and Surfacer software are reported.

Evaluation of Seam Pucker Using Fractal Geometry

The effect of shape parameters of seam puckering on its fractal dimension has been analyzed to evaluate the seam pucker of the garments. The shape of seam puckering has been defined as three-dimensional waves that are generated on the seam line and propagate to the edge line. Five shape parameters are defined to characterize the wavy nature of seam pucker. An objective five-rating method of seam pucker, using fractal geometry, has been suggested with the five AA TCC reference puckered samples.The 'Box Counting Method' has been employed to determine the fractal dimension of seam puckers generated by the simulator, as well as measuring them with a laser scanning system. The fractal dimensions of various seam puckers with different shape parameters have been statistically analyzed through experimental design. The five shape parameters of seam pucker distinctly affect its fractal dimension. Also, the fractal dimension of each reference puckered seam has been closely related to its AA TCC seam pucker grade. Regression analysis of the fractal dimension with the objective five-rating of seam pucker has been conducted.It has been shown that fractal geometry can be effectively used to objectively evaluate seam pucker. A new objective five-rating as well as a ten-rating scale for a puckered seam using fractal geometry has been suggested as a substitute for the conventional subjective AATCC five-rating method.

An Application of Digital Filtering to Seam Pucker Grading in Clothing

Seam pucker is an important quality control parameter in garment manufacture but until now has been measured by a subjective comparison method. Attempts have been made to measure pucker objectively but these have only been successful for flat seams laid on flat surfaces. The intention of the authors' work is to develop methods applicable to seams or actual garments. This paper demonstrates that by the use of laser profile measurement and the application of appropriate digital filters, objective measurements of pucker level can be made as accurately on curved surfaces as on flat. In the case of doubly-curved surfaces it was necessary to use a two-dimensional filter. It was also found that the logarithm of the chosen parameters, the variance and the mean error, were linearly related to the pucker grade. This is a case-study of a novel appilcatlon of a well-known engineering technique in a non-engineering area.

フラクタル次元を用いたシームパッカリングの自動評価

フラクタル次元を用いたシームパッカリングの自動評価

Clothing engineering based on objective measurement technology

Engineered manufacturing of high quality garments has long been a target of textile technology. There are three main factors for manufacturing high quality garments. They are: the selection of good fabrics for the garments; the process control of garment manufacturing; and the performance and correct adjustment of manufacturing machines such as sewing machines. In recent years, objective evaluation technology of fabric quality has been developed, and many researchers are now moving toward the engineered design of fabric quality based on this objective evaluation technology. The present authors are also conducting research on these three factors on the basis of the development of objective evaluation technology. This paper consists of two parts. The first part is a brief introduction about the investigation of the first and the second factors, which have been investigated by the authors. The second part presents our recent research on seam pucker problems. This problem is a machine‐materials interaction problem, and the mechanical properties of sewing thread and fabric are closely connected in this problem.

The fabric pressing performance and its role in predicting the appearance of men’s wool suit jackets

A test method and instrumentation have been developed to facilitate the identification of potential appearance problems and for the development of improved fabric pressing performance. The method determines the fabric pressing performance with a greater degree of certainty than using a steam press. The weft “pressing performance” crease angle, as measured by the test method developed by CSIRO, in cooperation with IWS (Biella Technical Centre) and the Italian industries, combined with warp formability, as measured by SIROFAST, were found to be the two fabric properties most important for the prediction of the acceptability and appearance of a range of high quality men’s suits. It also appears that a good pressing performance can partly compensate for the seam pucker symptoms of low formability.

Seam pucker simulation

States that computer simulations of seam pucker were executed. The simulations were based on the computer program which predicts the shape of virtual fabric with an assumption that the relationship between stress and strain of the virtual fabric is linear. The simulations predicted the shape of fabric with the conditions such as material puckering and mechanical properties of fabric. The rating of simulated seam pucker changes according to material puckering. It was shown that bending stiffness and tensile modulus affect the rating of seam pucker. Seam pucker samples were made from fabric for comparison. Computerised seam pucker samples were executed utilising the same properties and shape of seam line as the sample fabric. A fairly similar shape was obtained by the simulation.

織物物性によるシームパッカリングの予測とその防止法

Seam pucker means a phenomenon which appears along the seam line when two perces of fabric are sewn together by a sewing machine. It was found that among fabric mechanical properties, weight, extensibility bending rigidety, thickness and surface friction coefficient have relation to seam pucker. But it was difficult predict grade of seam pucker over all different types of fabric accurately by a multiple regression equation.However, it was found possible to predict commercial acceptability precisely of all fabric sewn under several sewing machine conditions, by discriminant analysis using only two variables. And this allows suggesting the proper sewing machine conditions for each fabric simply. Modification of textile mechanical properties and ironning were discussed for faric uncontrolled by adjusting sewing machine conditions. Futhermore seam pucker prediction in the designing stage was discussed.

An Extension of Seam Pucker Simulation to Manage Collisions.

The seam pucker simulation was extended to be able to treat collisions. In case of seam pucker simulation, an element of one virtual fabric might not collide with the remote portion of another virtual fabric. The local search of collisions is enough for the purpose of seam pucker simulation. For the detection of collisions, “selection” which is one of the functions of a graphic library was utilized. Collisions were settled that the colliding elements were made to contact with each other. Two ways of collision management were proposed. One was the iterated use of “selection” and the other was the geometrical calculation. To utilize for the calculation of deformation, the force from one fabric to another through the contact point was calculated. A test simulation of seam pucker was executed. Another test simulation of an elastic cube wrapped with a fabric was also executed and the proposed collision management was verified.

The Performance of Sewing Threads with Respect to Seam Appearance

This paper reports an experimental investigation into the effect of the physical and mechanical properties of sewing threads on the seam appearance of lightweight fabrics, which are prone to seam pucker. In this work, a range of forty-two commercial sewing threads of various ticket numbers, yarn structures, and from various suppliers were used, and their performance ranked according to the appearance of the seams after sewing. Based on a statistical analysis, the important physical and mechanical properties of sewing threads related to seam appearance were identified and a quantitative relationship between these properties and the performance rankings of sewing threads in terms of seam appearance was established. A parameter, called ‘Sewing Thread Pucker Index’, which incorporates those properties of sewing threads which are important with respect to seam appearance, is proposed to provide an objective measure of performance.

A new evaluation of seam pucker and its applications

The AATCC grades of seam pucker do not provide sufficient information for analysing and solving the problems. Develops a new measurement system which redefines seam pucker with shape parameters and evaluates it using artificial intelligence. New standards of seam pucker with five shape parameters were developed. Shows that prediction and optimization for seam pucker are possible using these means. The system has already been employed in men’s suit manufacture.

An experiment on human sensory measurement and its objective measurement

Presents a report on a recent experiment on the evaluation of seam pucker level by the objective method. Explains that human beings measure physical quantity and quality by means of subjective methods. Fabric hand evaluation is an example of this type of evaluation and an example of a relatively complex measurement with many relating physical variables. The measurement of seam pucker is a much simpler measurement than fabric hand evaluation, as only the fabric geometry along a seam line is visually observed and evaluated. This simplicity, however, is useful when investigating the human objective judgement of a geometrical phenomenon. Suggests that this investigation may be applied directly to the development of an objective system of seam pucker level.

Objective Rating of Seam Pucker Using Neural Networks

An objective method of evaluating seam pucker in woven fabrics during garment manufacturing is studied using artificial neural networks. An automatic sewing machine and new measurement system with a laser sensor are presented. For objective evaluation of seam pucker using aatcc standards, two artificial neural networks are constructed from pattern recognition and learning. An error backpropagation model is adopted for the neural networks. The puckered shape of a sewn fabric is converted into the numerical data on three-dimensional coordinates by the laser scanning system. Measurement data in a parallel direction with the seam line are transformed into power spectra on the frequency domain using fast Fourier transformation. The power spectra then generate the specified patterns for neural networks. Finally, the neural networks evaluate seam pucker the same way as the aatcc rating of well trained human experts.

Sewability of denim

Denim fabrics of various weight ranges were sewn with three different compositions of sewing threads ‐ 100 per cent cotton, 100 per cent polyester and corespun thread ‐ with all possible ticket numbers, to examine the interaction of various fabric‐thread combinations. The sewing thread performance in terms of seam efficiency, pucker, slippage and needle cutting index was determined and the results were analysed in the light of the dimensional and mechanical properties of the fabric, thread and seam itself. Corespun threads were found to be most suitable from a seam efficiency point of view. However, other sewing parameters such as pucker, slippage and damage were adversely affected by sewing with corespun threads. Tensile properties of fabrics and threads were found to be the most important factors for sewability. Breaking strength and elongation of the fabric and sewing thread had an excellent correlation with seam efficiency. Cotton threads were found to be most suitable for sewing denim from a seam puckering point of view. On the other hand, polyester threads were more prone to develop seam pucker. Corespun thread was the greatest yarn damager compared to cotton and polyester threads. Fabric cover factor and sewing thread diameter were highly correlated with the needle cutting index.

The Effects of Sewing Machine Needle and Bobbin Thread Tension on Stitch Balance and Seam Pucker.

We investigated the thread tension of sewing machines in practical conditions by interviewing several sewing engineering experts. Of those interviewed, 80% replied that they rely on their experience and intuition, when they adjust the needle and bobbin thread tension of a sewing machine in order to obtain a well balanced stitch. Bobbin thread tension changes during a pulley rotation and also reeling amount of bobbin thread, even if the other condition is the same. In this study, we tried to clarify the effect of needle and bobbin thread tension on stitch balance and seam puckering. The seamed samples were prepared using the fabrics and sewing machine threads having different mechanical properties. We postulate the following the criteria that when the length of the needle and bobbin thread per unit fabric length are the same, a stitch is well balanced. Needle thread tension should increase if bobbin thread tension raises to obtain a balanced stitch. To achieve a pucker free seam, the thread tension must be maintained as low as possidle. In the above conditions, a large amount of thread is necessary to obtain a good seam. We established the relationship among needle and bobbin thread tension, stitch balance and seam puckering. The effect of physical properties of fabric and sewing thread on the above relationship was also studied.

Effect of Thread Tension on Seam Puckering.

Effect of Thread Tension on Seam Puckering.

Communications: “engineering” the extensibility and formability of wool fabrics to improve garment appearance

Observes that the formability of woven fabric has a major effect on the appearance of garments, in that seams sewn from fabrics with low formability are more likely to pucker than those sewn from fabric with high formability. Describes the concept of formability and illustrates the relationship between this parameter and seam pucker, the difficulty of a particular sewing operation and the appearance of structured jackets. Notes that the formability of wool fabrics is most appropriately controlled in finishing by modifying the extensibility of the fabric. Discusses the difficulties associated with engineering, the extensibility of woven fabrics and the implications for other fabric properties, such as relaxation shrinkage.

Effects of Mechanical Properties of Fabric in the Simulations of Seam Puckers.

The simulations of seam puckers were executed utilizing a software of mechanical calculation for fabric. In the simulation, the shapes of seam puckers were predicted by minimizing the energy due to deformation of a virtual rectangular fabric. The center line of the virtual fabric was regarded as seam line, and the material puckering was defined by shortening the seam line. The percentage of the material puckering or the mechanical properties were changed as the boundary conditions or the parameters for the simulation. The seam puckers of different grades were obtained when the percentage of material puckering was changed. The shape of seam puckers varied in a similar manner as real puckers when the bending rigidity was changed. The tensile rigidity also affected the grade of seam puckers.

The mechatronic principles for intelligent sewing environments

The subjective decisions during textile and garment manufacture are mimicked and implemented in the next generation of intelligent apparel manufacturing environments. A Sewability Integrated Environment (SIE) has been devised which consists of three mechatronic systems: the Sewability Prediction System which can automatically predict material problems and advise correction of properties prior to manufacture, the Intelligent Sewing System which can automatically set the optimum static and dynamic sewing parameters of the sewing machinery, and the Safeguard Quality System to ensure high quality and consistency. These systems are integrated to form an on-line intelligent environment which is capable of self-learning (automatic updating). These systems have been designed and developed to enable on-line, automatic measurement of fabric properties such as tension, bending, thickness and compression as well as stitching quality, which are all interconnected with each other. Two different paradigms are implemented: seam pucker, as it is mostly found in woven fabrics, and sewing damage, found in densely knitted fabrics. The operation of these environments is robust and should not require special operational skill. Pilot industrial trials have identified improvements from implementing such systems in production efficiency, flexibility of manufacture quality and design enhancements of products.