Automated Fabric Cutter

Overview

An automated fabric cutter cuts stacked plies of spread fabric to pattern shapes under CNC control. A reciprocating knife on a moving gantry follows the marker geometry while a vacuum holds the plies flat and motionless against a penetrable bristle bed. Cutting many plies at once, the machine replaces hours of hand cutting and holds shape accuracy across the whole spread. This model cuts up to 1,800 mm wide on a conveyorized bed, advancing the spread so cut length is effectively continuous.

The spread plies rest on the Conveyor Bed, a bristle-block conveyor the blade penetrates into. The Overlay Spreader lays an overlay film over the stack so the vacuum can seal it.

How it works

The X-Y Gantry is a bridge spanning the bed, carrying the cutting head on two servo axes: the gantry beam moves along the table while a carriage runs across it, positioning the head anywhere over the spread on ball screws and linear rails.

Cutting is done by the Cutting Head. A hardened reciprocating blade is driven by a crank that converts motor rotation into rapid up-and-down strokes; a theta axis rotates the blade to keep its edge tangent to the cut path, and a Z axis sets penetration depth. A built-in Vacuum System holds the plies down: zoned blowers pull air through chambers that follow the head, so suction concentrates where the blade is working.

Edge quality is maintained automatically. A grinder in the head re-sharpens the blade on a set schedule, a drill unit punches reference holes, and a presser foot keeps the top plies from lifting. The Control Cabinet holds the motion controller, servo drives and operator touchscreen that run the marker, and a Laser Projector projector shows operators where to place parts on the spread.