135 Years of Trust in the Apparel Industry

By Eastman Machine Co. (Sponsored Content)

Although the cutting room is a part of the manufacturing process end users don’t often consider, industrial solutions shape the world’s apparel, windmills, and automobiles through accurate cuts.

Eastman Machine Company is a prominent manufacturer of both manual and automated cutting equipment and the oldest manufacturing company in Buffalo, NY. Founded in 1888, Eastman revolutionized the apparel industry with the invention of the first electric cutting straight knife. Tedious cutting room labor was minimized, and production volume greatly increased. With maximum efficiency, brands like Levi Strauss & Co were able to take off. Almost five generations later, Eastman Machine manual equipment continues to be a staple in cutting rooms across the globe.

Complimenting the iconic straight knives, Eastman cultivated advanced technology with an industrial portfolio of automated cutting and material handling equipment.

Digital Innovation

Consistency and efficiency are requisites in a high-production environment. The Talon is a popular automated option among high volume, classic garment manufacturers due to its ability to cut up to 3 in. (7cm) of compressed material goods. The digital, multi-ply cutter is engineered to process both modern and traditional textiles at true operational speeds up to 40 in. (101.6cm) per second.

Precise vertical stroke cutting is standard with the Talon’s reciprocating knife. The tool head is equipped with a specialized sharpener and a blade wear monitor, allowing operators to preserve a perfect cut edge. Popular Talon accessory options include a takeoff LCD display screen, knife chiller to prevent fusion of material, single or dual drill, and a thermal label printer.

Specialty Software

Trending in the apparel industry is custom, one-off garments through die-sublimation printing. Direct-to-material printing allows for versatility when sourcing textiles. Instead of being committed to a specific print or material type, manufacturers can invest in blank textiles and still produce a vibrant product.

When the pattern is printed directly onto the material, specialty camera-based software is needed. Eastman’s Scan-To-Cut uses exclusive Optical Pattern Recognition allowing the user to scan the entire cutting window with one click. Within seconds the full pattern, captured in the image, is sent directly to a cut file.

Move, manage, and store material safely and efficiently with supporting material handling equipment. Productivity is taken to the next level with spreading systems, feeding systems, material rewinders, and carousels / roll racks. Eastman, unlike other manufacturers in the industry, prides itself in the ability to offer a comprehensive package for front-end material preparation.

For over a century, Eastman’s line of cutting solutions has been setting industry standard. “Our continued focus on identifying and creating tools to enable modern manufacturing in the U.S. is what has made Eastman an iconic name in the business,” says Robert Stevenson, Eastman Machine Company CEO.

Beyond the machines manufactured at Eastman, the company supplies a worldwide customer network with critical parts, technical service, and remote support from its headquarters in Buffalo, New York.

Learn more about how Eastman helped revive apparel manufacturing in Swainsboro, Georgia with America Knits.