Seamless bra cup moulding of fabric-foam laminated materials

Kit Lun Yick, Long Wu, Lai Ying Lin, Hiu Kan Lui

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

Abstract

Seamless bra cup moulding is an important manufacturing technique for the apparel industry, and in particular, for bra production. Polyurethane (PU) foams and/or fabric-foam laminated sheets are moulded into a desirable cup shape in order to fit the three-dimensional (3D) breast contour. Such foam cups not only provide a wide range of designs combined with different levels of softness and support, but also reduce production costs with minimum cutting and sewing of seams. In this study, two selected PU foam and fabric materials typically used for bra cup moulding were examined. Their respective performance behaviour in relation to different moulding temperatures and time changes were recorded and analyzed. The results reveal that cup heights are greatly affected by the use of foam and/or fabric-foam laminated materials. High moulding temperatures and/or prolonged dwell time could be required when deforming laminated materials and setting large cup sizes. Nevertheless, cup height cannot be taken as the only criteria to determine the optimal moulding conditions, and this is especially the case for large cup sizes. The design of mould heads is a major factor that affects the dimension changes of foam cups. In this respect, to control the foam moulding process, it is suggested that bra manufacturers examine the fabric/foam material properties to determine the optimal moulding condition, and quantify the shape of foam cups to enhance the design and development process of aluminum mould heads.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)633-638
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Donghua University (English Edition)
Volume27
Issue number5
Publication statusPublished - 31 Oct 2010

Keywords

  • Bra cup moulding
  • Fabric-foam laminated materials
  • Moulding conditions

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Polymers and Plastics
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

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