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In today’s fashion world, technology has taken on an important role for the creation of novel design effects. As a type of digital technology, laser engraving is applied for decorative purposes with unique fashion design looks. With this technology, simple and complex patterns can be engraved onto the surface of garments by using laser beam scanning. This study explores the application of laser technology on assembled garments for diverse engraved patterns. To improve the visual appearance, different design methods, such as the graphic and resist methods, are applied for carbon dioxide (CO2) laser engraving onto garments made from rayon/polyester blended fabric with optimal laser engraving parameters, including resolution (dpi) and pixel time (μs). This study also reveals the many potential of fashion designs through the use of laser engraving technology. Based on computer-aided design, laser engraving could open up new possibilities for green fashion design with distinct patterns and textures that would cater to the demands of industries and consumers.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how electronic components can be utilized and integrated into polymeric optical fibre (POF) textiles to refine the design aesthetic, tactile quality and initiate the interaction of textiles with the users; and to study the design process of interactive products by using a novel design process model.

Fashion and textile design methods, textile technology are used in combination with modern technologies such as laser engraving, sensing, short-distance communication technology, throughout the entire process of development of interactive photonics creations.

The results of evaluation indicate that the engineered prototypes can enhance the interactive function of interior furnishing. The usability of interactive POF cushions is optimized by innovative design methods considering both design and technology.

This research explores to combine knowledge from different disciplines, including textile, electronics, sensor and laser to create interactive soft furnishings. The inter-disciplinary research provides a new perspective on how POF fabric can be utilized as a new media to change the way people interact with their living surroundings. The interior soft furnishings are no longer unresponsive to people, but can react to them, adapt to their behaviors, change color according to their preferences and therefore merge into our daily life. The developed prototypes reshape interior soft furnishing, and therefore have both theoretical and practical significance.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of pad printing for producing electrical conductors and to define the factors affecting the print quality of polymeric silver ink conductors.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film and polyphenylene oxide (PPO) compound film were used as substrate materials. Three different polymeric silver inks, marked A, B and C, were used and tested.

The results indicated that the important factors in the pad printing of silver ink conductors are the printing parameters and characteristics of the ink, pad, cliché and substrate. The interactions of these factors should be considered on a case-by-case basis. The sheet resistances of triple-pressed ink conductors varied between 20 and 110 mΩ/sq for 5.7- to 8.5-μm-thick conductors. Ink (B) had a higher sheet resistance than Ink (A) because of its lower silver particle content but also because of the shorter curing time and lower curing temperature. Ink (A) showed excellent adhesion on PET, and Ink (B) had moderate adhesion on PET without corona or plasma pre-treatments, but both inks adhered weakly on PPO compound. Both corona and plasma treatments raised adhesion of these two inks on all test substrates to the highest classification value, 5B.

This paper contains a survey and preliminary testing of the pad printing of polymeric silver ink conductors on flexible thermoplastic foils. Finally, the paper introduces the advantages and drawbacks of the technique.

In this paper, the novel surface effects of fashion garments through CO2 laser engraving treatment were investigated. To improve the visual appearance, the wool/polyester blended fabric was treated with ideal parameters including resolution (dpi) and pixel time (μs). The physical properties, which include weight, thickness, air permeability, thermal conductivity and tear strength, were evaluated in accordance with international specifications. This study reveals the potential of feasible fashion designs through laser engraving. The computer-aided design method can open up new possibilities for green fashion design. It is believed that fashion design with rich artistic appearances such as patterns, colors and textures can cater for fashion industries and the process can facilitate quick responses to the market.

The paper aims to provide a review of the use of lasers in industry, with an emphasis on applications in manufacturing and material processing.

Following an introduction to lasers and their development, this paper considers a selection of key material processing applications.

This shows that, since their invention in 1960, lasers have emerged to play a vital role in numerous industrial processes. Gas (CO₂), solid‐state, excimer, semiconductor and fibre lasers are used in welding, soldering, drilling, cutting, micromachining, marking, engraving, heat treatment, material deposition and adhesive curing.

The paper provides a detailed review of the uses of lasers in industrial material processing and also places these applications in an historical context.

The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of the movement of the powder bed material during selective laser sintering (SLS) of bisphenol‐A polycarbonate (PC) powder and its effect on the morphology of the sintered specimen.

Two sintering experiments, i.e. single‐spot laser sintering and raster‐scan laser sintering, were carried out and the material movement mechanisms were investigated in situ and subsequently by scanning electron microscopy.

During the raster‐scan laser sintering process, the movement of the powder was found to be primarily perpendicular to the scanning direction. When sintering at a high laser power, it significantly affected the surface morphology of the sintered specimens and parallel surface bands occurred along the scanning direction.

Experiments were carried out on a modified laser engraving machine rather than a commercial SLS machine.

A schematic model of the material movement mechanism for each of the sintering strategies is presented.

The results further the understanding of the sintering behaviour of the powder bed.

The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of the effect of glass microsphere (GMS) and potassium bromide (KBr) powder as an additive on the reflectance and transmittance of TrueForm^TM acrylic‐styrene co‐polymer (TF) powder to CO₂ laser during selective laser sintering (SLS).

GMSs and KBr powder were chosen because glass is opaque to CO₂ laser while KBr is transparent. The GMSs were treated with silane coupling agent and hydrofluoric acid to study the surface effect on the optical properties of TF/GMS blends. KBr powder was blend with TF powder in an attempt to modify the penetration depth of the laser in the powder bed. An integrating sphere was used to measure the reflectance of the powder bed. In the measurement of transmittance, a power meter was placed below the powder layer, which was supported by a KCl disc, to register the transmitted laser energy through the powder layer.

For the TF/GMS blends, smaller GMSs gave a higher reflectance while the surface treatments had little effect. The transmittance of both the polymer and the blends were very low. Although bulk KBr is highly transparent to CO₂ laser, adding 30 vol% of KBr powder to TF hardly increased the transmittance of the powder bed.

Experiments were carried out on a modified laser engraving machine rather than a commercial SLS machine. The laser energy density used was lower than that for normal SLS processes and no significant changes of physical condition of the powder bed were inflicted. The results only indicate the optical properties in the initial state.

The effects of transparent and non‐transparent fillers on the optical properties of the powder bed are presented.

This work furthers the understanding of heat absorption behavior of the powder bed during SLS.

The paper describes an offset printing method for the production of inner layers based on an automatic laser engraving machine. The operation of the machine is outlined; characteristics of the various pattern generation methods for PCB inner layers are compared before a final summary of the advantages of the offset printing method is given.

This paper aims to study the effects of solid additives and compounding processes on the selective laser sintering (SLS) behavior of composite powders.

Composite powders were prepared from TrueForm™ acrylic‐styrene co‐polymer and SiO₂ powder. Dry mixing and melt extrusion were used as the blending processes to produce the composite powders. Some SiO₂ powder was ground and treated with silane coupling agent before blending to study the effects of particle size and surface treatment of the filler, respectively. The temperature of the powder bed was monitored using an infrared thermometer. The fusion behaviors of the powders were investigated in situ using an optical microscope and the sintered specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy.

For a given volume fraction of the filler, reducing its particle size will hinder fusion between the polymer particles and weaken the sintered specimens. Surface treatment of the filler by silane coupling agent had little effect on the morphology of the sintered specimens; however, it slightly improved their strength. The blending method plays an important role in the sintering behavior of the composite powders. Although melt blending improved the polymer‐to‐polymer contact between the composite powder particles, the high‐resultant viscosity of the material adversely affected the densification of the powder bed, leading to a highly porous structure of the sintered specimens.

The sintering experiments were conducted in ambient conditions using a laser engraving machine instead of a commercial SLS machine with atmospheric control. The temperature gradient within the powder bed was expected to be higher than that in normal SLS processes.

The SLS behavior of a composite powder not only depends on its composition but also on the powder preparation method or powder morphology.

This paper provides some useful information for future development of composite powders for SLS applications.