Equipment tech insights
What technological changes have most impacted your business?
By Janice Kleinschmidt
The biggest change in the past years is the development of ultrasonic cutting without turning the fabric.
—Roel Diederen, ASCO BV
Electronic motors have increased our sales. In the past year, they have become portable. Within the next couple years, standard clutch motors will be obsolete.
—Doug Glenn, Consew
New fabric welding technology has allowed us to get into new markets.
—Jerry Reeves, AC Fabricated Products
The progress of 3-D technology and CAD. Three-dimensional drawings really expand our horizons. Today I don’t know how we would run our business without it.
—Mike Erickson, Canvas Designers Inc.
The advent of the microprocessor has been the biggest advantage and the biggest real technological change for us. It has allowed us to have a high degree of precision, to have repeatability and really make the equipment significantly more accurate. It also makes it easier to use. Now you have one program screen; you no longer have to turn seven dials.
—Jeff Quill, Q-Lab Corp.
There are so many new materials out there that customers are trying to weld. In plastics, there are new materials every day that people are experimenting with.
—John Amery, Leister USA
Laser and ultrasonic systems are becoming more sophisticated and easier to use.
—Bill Slyne, North Cutting Systems
People can take five to seven measurements and build an awning. However, because of CAD, superimposing pictures of awnings on buildings and getting the idea across … has changed the way business is run today.
—Greg Schmieler, Laurel Awning Co.
Digital equipment has changed the industry, and supporting that change is the technological benefit of software used in graphics creation. Having the ability to take those graphics files and create near-equivalent images on textiles demands compatible software and equipment.
—Murray Jefferies, Flying Colours Intl.
