The textile and fabric industry is one of the oldest and most important industries in the world. It's also an industry that has been slow to change and adapt to new technologies. However, that is starting to change. With the development of new fabric inspection technologies, the textile and fabric industry is finally starting to catch up with other industries that have been using advanced technologies for years. In this blog post, we will explore the development of fabric inspection technology and how it changes the textile and fabric industry. We will also discuss the benefits of this new technology and how it can help improve quality control in the textile and fabric industry.

The Need for Fabric Inspection Technology

As the textile industry has developed, the need for more efficient and accurate fabric inspection technology has grown. In the early days of the industry, fabrics were inspected manually, which was both time-consuming and often led to errors. With the development of new technologies, however, automated fabric inspection machines have become increasingly common in textile factories.

These machines use a variety of sensors to examine fabrics for defects, and can often do so much more quickly and accurately than human inspectors. In some cases, they can even detect defects that would be invisible to the naked eye. As a result, fabric inspection technology is playing an increasingly important role in ensuring the quality of textile products.

The Different Types of Fabric Inspection Systems

There are 4 main types of fabric inspection systems: optical, mechanical, thermal, and acoustic.

1. Optical Inspection System

It uses cameras to inspect the fabric for defects. These systems can be either stationary or portable. Stationary systems are usually used in textile mills, while portable systems are used in quality control laboratories or on the production floor.

2. Mechanical Inspection System

The mechanical inspection system uses a variety of sensors to detect defects in the fabric. These sensors can include optical sensors, pressure sensors, and vibration sensors. Mechanical systems can be either standalone or integrated into other types of machines, such as knitting machines or weaving machines.

3. Thermal Inspection System

It uses infrared cameras to detect defects in the fabric. These cameras can be either handheld or fixed-mounted. Thermal inspection is often used in conjunction with other methods, such as mechanical or optical inspection.

4. Acoustic Inspection System

This system use microphones to detect defects in the fabric. These microphones can be either handheld or fixed-mounted. Acoustic inspection is often used in conjunction with other methods, such as mechanical or optical inspection.

5. SUNTECH Fabric Inspection Machine

ST-WFIM is a fabric inspection machine that produced by SUNTECH, offering optional data collection and analysis system (4-point system), for handling a wide range of rolled woven fabric.

ST-WFIM can be applied to operate from plait/loose fabrics to roll, or with various other fabric inlet and outlet options. The main functions and components can be sorted as below 9 points.

5.1 End of Fabric Roll Automatic Stop Sensor

The automatic stop sensor allow fabric rolls to be inspected continuously, from one fabric roll to next.

5.2 Full Width Fabric Inspection Available

The 30 degree fixed angle inspection screen achieves the fabric inspection under the aid of different viewing and lighting for you.

5.3 Accurate Fabric Length and Optional Weighing Machine

The industrial standard measuring systems and digital readouts can take the length and weight of fabric roll length out by giving consistent fabric roll assessments.

5.4 Accurate Fabric Edge Controlling & Consistent Roll Output

The edge alignment photo-sensor allows the perfect roll generation, with twin rewinding roller and roll hardness adjustment.

5.6 Optional Versatile Fabric Input and Output

The optional systems are available for your different fabric input and output presentations, roll to roll, continuous fabric input, etc.

5.7 Optional Data Collection and Analysis System (4-point System)

It is for 100% fabric inspection with software for accurate fabric roll analysis and printout.

5.8 Optional Linear Fabric Roll End Cutter

It is for full width cutting at the end of processed roll, fast and accurate.

SUNTECH ST-WFIM fabric inspection machine gathers the functions of counting, inspecting, cutting, weighing, software recording at a nice price, requiring only 1 operator for the whole fabric inspection machine process, it is suitable for all kinds of fabrics and also accepts your customization!

ST- WFIM SUNTECH FABRIC INSPECTION MACHINE

How Fabric Inspection Systems Work

The first step in understanding how fabric inspection systems work is to understand the difference between a visual inspection and an automated inspection. A visual inspection is performed by a human operator who looks at the fabric and makes a decision about its quality. An automated inspection is performed by a machine that uses sensors to measure the fabric and make a decision about its quality.

There are two main types of fabric inspection systems: those that use optical sensors and those that use physical sensors. Optical sensors, such as cameras, capture an image of the fabric and then use software to analyze the image to identify defects. Physical sensors, such as lasers, measure the dimensions of the fabric and then compare those dimensions to a known good reference sample.

Most modern fabric inspection systems use both optical and physical sensors to provide the best possible coverage of defects. The optical sensor is used to identify large defects, while the physical sensor is used to identify small defects.

Fabric inspection systems can be classified based on their operating principle: contact or non-contact. Contact inspections require that the sensor touch the surface of the fabric, while non-contact inspections do not require contact between the sensor and the fabric.

Contactless systems are generally considered to be more gentle on fabrics, as they do not require any physical contact between the sensor and the fabric. However, contactless systems can have difficulty detecting very small defects. As a result, many modern systems use a combination of both contact and non-contact methods for optimum defect.

The Benefits of Fabric Inspection Systems

The fabric inspection systems have many benefits that include reducing the amount of fabric waste, increasing productivity, and improving the quality of the garments. The inspection systems can be used to detect defects in the fabric before it is cut or sewn into a garment. This helps to reduce the amount of fabric waste that is generated by the garment industry. The inspection systems can also be used to increase productivity by eliminating the need for manual inspection of fabrics. This can help to improve the quality of the garments by ensuring that only defect-free fabrics are used in the production process.

The Future of Fabric Inspection Systems

The future of fabric inspection systems looks very promising. With the advancement of digital technologies, fabric inspection systems are becoming more and more accurate and efficient.

Digital fabric inspection systems can detect even the smallest defects in fabrics, making them extremely reliable. They are also faster than traditional methods of fabric inspection, which means that they can be used in a wider range of applications.

Fabric inspection systems are constantly evolving and improving. As they become more sophisticated, they will continue to provide textile manufacturers with invaluable tools for ensuring the quality of their products.