Crease Marks in Woven Fabrics by Ali Zain

Crease Marks in Woven Fabrics by Ali Zain (Deputy Manager) Weaving Lab, Diamond Fabrics Limited, Sapphire Group

1. Presentation by, Ali Zain Deputy Manager (Weaving Quality) Diamond Fabrics Limited, Sapphire Crease Marks in Woven Fabrics (Causes & Solutions)

2. What are Crease Marks? Crease Marks are unwanted permanent or temporary lines/folds that appear on fabric surfaces during weaving or handling. These marks reduce aesthetic value, affect fabric performance (like during finishing), and increase rejections. Critical especially in export denim, shirting, and greige fabric. Crease mark in Denim Fabric Crease mark in Greige Fabric

3. Types of Crease Marks 1. Permanent Crease Marks Can't be removed even after finishing (e.g., hard set during weaving tension or roll pressing). 2. Temporary Crease Marks May disappear after washing or finishing. 3. Mechanical Crease Marks Caused by machine (loom) faults. 4. Handling Crease Marks Caused during transport, inspection, or packing.

4. Major Causes of Crease Marks (Weaving Stage) Improper Loom Tension Settings Due to improper loom warp tension on weaver’s beam can cause crease marks in woven fabrics. Typically at the start of the fabric roll formation when fabric is properly winded on the take-up roller. This type of creases appear at the end of the inspection frame about 5 to 6 meters. 2. Woven Constructions with Lycra/Spandex Weft Those woven fabric construction in which higher stretch in weft are more likely to have crease marks issues due to high fabric shrinkage at loom stage. For Example: If 20/1 CM CF COTT DUAL FX 50D T-400 + 105D LYCRA D-4.0 which is a high stretch yarn when used in weft, then it will cause high shrinkage due to which there are high changes of crease marks if loom settings are not fined tuned or uneven compressed air pressure in sub nozzles. Solution: This can be avoided by using high width temples on loom and adjusting proper compressed air in sub nozzles.

5. Major Causes of Crease Marks (Weaving Stage) Crease Marks in Stretch Woven Articles Crease Marks in Rigid Woven Construction

6. Major Causes of Crease Marks (Weaving Stage) 3. Crease Mark due to Rolling Machine during Fabric Inspection Sometimes during the fabric inspection stage when this fabric is winded again in roll form at the rolling machine, there are high chances that the fabric may get Crease Marks due to tension imbalance, misalignment of Measuring Roller (Counter Roller or Pull Roller) under the rolling machine which can create center creasing when fabric is not properly spread before reaching this roller. Moreover, If the fabric passes at an angle or builds up on one side, the crease will become more visible. Too much winding speed of Guide Roller can also cause Crease Marks on the fabric surface. How To Prevent: To prevent crease issue at rolling stage, Spreader Bar is used with the measuring roller or sometimes fabric is directly passed through Spreader Bar instead of Measuring Roller to avoid crease issue. Maintain uniform fabric tension during rolling. Use edge sensors for auto alignment. Keep rollers level and parallel.

7. Major Causes of Crease Marks (Weaving Stage)

8. Causes from Post Weaving Handling 4. Crease issue during Fabric Bale Formation Sometimes during excessive pressure during bale packing of fabric can cause cease marks in fabric. 5. Improper Handling Due to improper handling and fabric transportation, creases may appear on the fabric surface. 6. Improper Storage Rolls that are stored under pressure or with folds can cause creases on the fabric surface. Fabric Bale Pressing

9. Troubleshooting Crease Marks (Finishing Stage) 1. Singeing Fabric at last step Singeing burns off surface fibers if fabric has creases, the crease fold lines don’t get evenly singed, resulting in uneven marks or even permanent defects . By doing singeing at the end of the process after the fabric has passed through Cold Pad Batch (bleaching), mercerizing, stentering , and washing most of the crease marks are relaxed or removed. This sequencing ensures that the final singeing is smooth, uniform and free from any distortion caused by earlier creases in the fabric. OSTHOFF Singeing Machine

10. Troubleshooting Crease Marks (Finishing Stage) 2. Boaming (Caustic Soda Feed) Set Low (6–8 instead of 24–28) in Mercerizing Process In normal mercerizing , boaming (caustic soda dosing) is kept high, typically between 24 to 28° Bé , to achieve full fiber swelling and enhance the fabric’s luster and strength. However, when fabric contains crease marks, starting with a high boaming level can cause those creases to become permanently set into the structure. To avoid this, the process begins with a reduced boaming level of 6 to 8° Bé , allowing the fabric to swell gently and gradually open up, which helps release the crease lines. Once the fabric is relaxed and the creases are minimized then we can pass fabric through CPB (Cold Pad Batcher), the boaming concentration is increased later in the process to complete proper mercerization. Benninger Mercerization Machine

11. Troubleshooting Crease Marks (Finishing Stage) 3. Chain Mercerization In chain mercerization, the fabric is held flat and under controlled tension by clips or pins while passing through a caustic soda bath. The swelling of cotton fibers in the alkaline environment helps open up and relax any crease lines formed earlier during weaving or batching. As the fabric is uniformly stretched and then relaxed in the washing and neutralizing zones, the crease marks are effectively removed, leaving a smooth and even surface ready for further finishing. 4. Wet Stretching Wet stretching controls crease marks by taking advantage of the fabric’s flexible state when wet. During this stage, the fabric is stretched under tension to relax folds, yarn puckers, and crease lines. The moisture softens the fiber structure, allowing distortions to be corrected. Once stretched and dried, the fabric maintains a smooth and even surface, which significantly reduces or eliminates visible creases.

12. Recommended Flow chart of Finishing (To Eliminate Crease marks)

13. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Method Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a systematic approach used to identify the underlying causes of problems or defects. In the context of crease marks in woven fabrics, RCA helps uncover why these marks occur by breaking down contributing factors across different categories such as machine, method, and manpower. Tools like the Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa Diagram) are used to visually map potential causes, enabling targeted corrective actions to eliminate the issue at its source and prevent recurrence. Machine Method Man Crease Marks Uneven Loom Tension Loose Fabric Winding Noozle Malfunction Uneven Yarn Tension Skipping inspection Incorrect Loom Settings High Loom RPM Early High Boaming Improper Storage Untrained Operators Negligence Early Singeing Rough Handling Sudden Machine Stops Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa Diagram)