You don’t layout your fabric on long table. You feed it from a 5000lbs roll with an automatic indexer and then die cut it. One operator can do the job start to finish. (Been there done that as a toolmaker who made some pattern die rule dies for Levi’s and then bought and rebuilt an 80 ton hydraulic press from them that had whacked out blue jeans every day for 20 years and rebuilt it to cut sandpaper discs for the next 15 years)
The CNC cutter is valuable for a company that does custom cutting work for outside customers rather than for in-house work. Fast to make changes with minimal setups. But prepping the material to feed the machine is more labor intensive.
I was friends with a lady who worked at a dress shirt factory. She ran the bolt back and forth on a carriage over a long table and the stack was cut by another guy with that knife I showed earlier. I imagine it all depends what you’re making and what you’re making it out of whether you die cut or not. Fast fashion (which Levi’s aren’t) would not be die cut.
I make boat canvas and layout and cut by hot knife. The only efficiency I get is if something is symmetrical I cut both side at the same time.
You don’t layout your fabric on long table. You feed it from a 5000lbs roll with an automatic indexer and then die cut it. One operator can do the job start to finish. (Been there done that as a toolmaker who made some pattern die rule dies for Levi’s and then bought and rebuilt an 80 ton hydraulic press from them that had whacked out blue jeans every day for 20 years and rebuilt it to cut sandpaper discs for the next 15 years)
The CNC cutter is valuable for a company that does custom cutting work for outside customers rather than for in-house work. Fast to make changes with minimal setups. But prepping the material to feed the machine is more labor intensive.
I was friends with a lady who worked at a dress shirt factory. She ran the bolt back and forth on a carriage over a long table and the stack was cut by another guy with that knife I showed earlier. I imagine it all depends what you’re making and what you’re making it out of whether you die cut or not. Fast fashion (which Levi’s aren’t) would not be die cut.
I make boat canvas and layout and cut by hot knife. The only efficiency I get is if something is symmetrical I cut both side at the same time.