How Laser Cutting Technology Benefits your Upholstery Business
By Yoyo Ding, Golden Laser / February 16, 2022
If you're looking for a way to improve your upholstery business, laser cutting may be the answer. Laser cutting is a process that uses a laser beam to cut materials like fabric and leather. It is a precise process that can create clean, accurate cuts. This makes it the perfect choice for upholstery businesses who want to produce high-quality products. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of laser cutting and how it can help your upholstery business thrive!
Automated laser cutting technology has benefited many industries, including automotive, transportation, aerospace, architecture and design. Now it’s making inroads into the furniture industry. A new automated fabric laser cutter promises to make short work of creating custom-fit upholstery for everything from dining room chairs to sofas - and most any complex shape.
As a leader in laser application solutions for the textile industry, Goldenlaser has pioneered the development of a series of laser cutting machines for use by furniture upholsterers, seat makers and custom auto-trimmers. Equipped with high-speed and high-precision rack and pinion drive, the system is designed to produce large and complex shapes at a speed of 600mm~1200mm per second. And It is capable of cutting single-layer and double-layer materials.
The system works by using an automated, computerized laser cutting head that can follow any style of pattern or shape that may be required for a particular project. The result is a clean cut without the need for post-cutting processing by hand. Laser cutting technology really enables the custom upholstery and trim companies to expand their capabilities; they can make any style of furniture. Upholstery shops would be among the first users of this new automated fabric laser cutting technology. But beyond the current capabilities for upholsterers, We see applications in transportation (not just for auto upholstery, but also for aircraft interiors), architecture, and furnishing design.
“We can cut any length of upholstery material at a time with the laser cutters we source from goldenlaser,” said Steffie Muncher, vice president of sales and marketing for a North American furniture interior manufacturing company. “One of the most popular upholstery applications right now is architectural needs, where we are doing furniture pieces that are curved or shaped in certain ways to fit into a room.”
In the automotive industry, laser cutting technology can help with a variety of applications in vehicle interiors, from headliners to sun visors and carpet trim. “Not only require a lot of material or a lot of parts, but also they do require a very high degree of accuracy in what they do,” Steffie Muncher said. “This laser technology also allows the upholstery shop to expand their capabilities and not be so limited in what they can do with traditional methods.”
According to Steffie Muncher, each laser machine can produce up to 10 times the output of a skilled craftsman working with traditional methods. The investment in laser cutters and the subsequent monthly cost of running the machine (mainly electricity) may seem like a hefty price tag, but Steffie Muncher says it will pay for itself in the short term.
“The cutting head on the machine is like a router, it’s following this pattern that we downloaded from the Web and sending laser beams down to cut out one vehicle seat at a time. It’s very accurate; it can hit within less than 1/32nd of an inch every single time, which is better than any human being is capable of doing,” Steffie Muncher said. “The time savings are significant because the pattern doesn’t have to be changed for each individual vehicle.”
Steffie Muncher added that upholstery shops can also cut various styles in one job by simply uploading different designs into the system and running them through the automated fabric laser cutter. “We can cut upholstery material for an entire car or truck at one time,” he said. “The patterns are drawn on a computer screen. It takes out all of those steps that used to be required to do that job - it’s very efficient and fast.”
Goldenlaser has been selling these automated fabric laser cutters to various upholstery shops across North America, Europe and Asia since 2005. One such user is a Toronto-area automotive interiors company that purchased a laser cutting machine from goldenlaser in May 2021. Owner Robert Madison said he has been very pleased with the results.
“Our business is an upholstery shop and we make a lot of trim, headliners and other things for truck interiors in Canada and North America,” he said. “This technology offers automatic cutting - it saves time, it saves money and it helps maintain consistency because everything is cut very accurately.”
Robert Madison has personally tested the machine by running through two different styles of headliners to see how different patterns would look on a vehicle. “I can quickly change patterns and styles, without having to send it out or have somebody else do it for me - it saves so much time.”
If you're running an upholstery business, laser cutting may be a service that you want to consider offering. Laser technology offers many benefits for businesses in the upholstery industry. Contact Goldenlaser Now! We will talk about how to choose the right laser cutter for your needs. We are ready to take your business to the next level!
About the Author:
Yoyo Ding from Golden Laser
Ms. Yoyo Ding is the Senior Director of Marketing at GOLDENLASER, a leading manufacturer and supplier of CO2 laser cutting machines, CO2 Galvo laser machines and digital laser die cutting machines. She is actively involved in laser processing applications and regularly contributes her insights for various blogs in laser cutting, laser engraving and laser marking in general.
