Laser Marking Fabric

Can you clean the rollers in a Brother laser printer drum unit?

We have a relatively new Brother HL 2035 laser printer that uses a Brother DR2005 drum unit. It seems that someone has run a piece of paper through it with fabric taped to the paper, in an attempt to print onto the fabric. The fabric and paper emerged, but a small quantity of tape has become stuck to one of the rollers. This leaves a repeating streak mark at approximately 10cm intervals down the page.

Can this be cleaned, or 'printed out' with use, or do we need an entirely new drum unit?

Thanks!

If it's stuck to the actual drum (usually shiny green, almost metallic) then you need a new drum unit. You will never get it clean, and taking it off will damage the drum.

If it's stuck to heater or transport rollers (usually black or brown) then you could try carefully picking it off, when the printer is cold.

Moral: only use a printer for what it's designed for.

Omnigrid Marking Ruler Trio $24.71 Omnigrid marking ruler is perfect for your craft needsTrio guide is made from premium quality plastic and laser cut for a smooth edgeRuler allows for easier deeper cutting of fabric layersDesigned for left or right handed useUse these rulers to quickly and accurately perform a variety of marking tasksCenter line is exactly .25 inches from both edges of the ruler Do not use with rotary cutter knives or other cutting instruments Rulers are designed for marking onlyIncludes 4, 6 and 12-inch rulers

Omnigrid Marking Ruler Trio-4, 6 & 12(Pack of 1) $43.55 Omnigrid Marking Ruler Trio-4", 6" & 12". DRITZ-Omnigrid Marking Ruler Trio are made from a durable premium quality plastic and laser cut for a smooth edge that allows for easier deeper cutting of fabric layers. Designed for left or right handed use. Us

Singer Fabric Marking Pencils, 2pk(Pack of 72) $2.49 Case of 72 packages of Singer Fabric Marking Pencils. Each retail package contains 2 fabric marking pencils with brush erasers. These pencils may be used to mark fabrics on the right or wrong side. Easy to use for transferring marks from the pat

Clover Chacopel Fine Fabric Marking Pencils $17.44 Brand: CloverStyle: Chacopel fineProduct: Fabric marking pencilsColors:White, yellow, pink and blueSharpener includedYellow and white pencils include brush endsMaterials: PlasticModel No: 418Easy marking for copying designs for applique, embroidery, sewing and quiltingImported

Dritz Marking Water Pen $7.99 Use marking pens, pencils and chalks for sewing, quilting and crafting. Water Pen- Used to remove Mark-B-Gone ink from fabric, make quick marks that disappear when dry. Includes Green water pen and a White replacement nib.

Dritz Marking Tailor's Set $13.49 Use marking pens, pencils and chalks for sewing, quilting and crafting. Tailor's Set- Strong ceramic lead is made from water soluble dyes and is specially formulated for fabric. Lead colors are suitable for dark and light fabrics. Include a soft finger grip for comfort. .9mm ceramic leads in White, Pink and Green.

Dritz Marking Laundry Pen Kit $3.69 Use marking pens, pencils and chalks for sewing, quilting and crafting. Laundry Pen Kit- Includes 2.5 yards of 1/2" iron-on marking tape and pen with indelible ink. Great for marking clothing for school, camp or sports. Write name on fabric side of tape, cut tape, rounding corners and iron for 30 seconds.

Collins Marking Pen Vanishing 24 Hour Fabric Purple $5.49 Collins has an incredible assortment of innovative fabric marking pens for quilting, sewing and crafting. Vanishing 24 Hour Fabric Purple- Bright Purple mark vanishes without washing and within 48 hours. However marks may be removed earlier by simply washing in cold water.

Dritz Marking Pen Disappearing Ink Pink $6.29 Use marking pens, pencils and chalks for sewing, quilting and crafting. Pen Disappearing Ink Pink- Marking pens is air and water soluble. Disappearing ink normally disappears in 48-72 hours. Use marking pen on washable fabrics to transfer pattern markings and quilt or craft designs. Some fiber contents, fabric finishes or dyes (red and pink in particular) may not be suitable for use with this pen. To remove marks, rub gently with clean damp cloth well moistened with plain water. Not recommended for dry clean only fabrics.

Dritz Marking Pen Disappearing Ink Purple $6.29 Use marking pens, pencils and chalks for sewing, quilting and crafting. Pen Disappearing Ink Purple- These marking pens are air and water soluble. Disappearing ink normally disappears in 48-72 hours. Use marking pen on washable fabrics to transfer pattern markings and quilt or craft designs. Some fiber contents, fabric finishes or dyes (red and pink in particular) may not be suitable for use with this pen. To remove marks, rub gently with clean damp cloth well moistened with plain water. Not recommended for dry clean only fabrics.

Collins Marking Pen Fine Line Permanent Black $6.29 Collins has an incredible assortment of innovative fabric marking pens for quilting, sewing and crafting. Fine Line Permanent Black- Pin-point tip permanent marker adds a personal touch to your finished quilt or garments.

Collins Marking Pen Wonder Blue Washable $5.49 Collins has an incredible assortment of innovative fabric marking pens for quilting, sewing and crafting. Wonder Blue Washable- Bright Blue mark vanishes quickly with plain water.

Dritz Marking Pencil Iron-On Transfer Raspberry $3.89 Use marking pens, pencils and chalks for sewing, quilting and crafting. Pencil Iron-On Transfer Raspberry- Can be used to trace or draw your own designs or to transfer designs from paper to fabric with a warm iron.

Morovision MVPMTM000A4 MTM Mini Thermal Monocular with Visible Red Marking Laser $23341.5 Insight TechGear s handheld thermal imager provides stationary mansized target detection performance over 400 meters. It s compact lightweight form and exceptional image quality make the MTM a versatile tool for a wide range of missions including reconnaissance and search and rescue. Lightweight11 oz. (with Batteries). Waterproof up to 3 feet (66 feet option available). External Video Jack. Facial Recognition 25 Meters. Stationary ManSized Target Detection at 400 Meters. Moving ManSized Target Detection at 500 Meters. Integrated Visible Red or IR Marking Laser. Digital Image Capture and Download (up to 160 images). Menudriven functions include: Brightness GainPolarity (WH BH) Calibration2x Digital Zoom. Adjustable Focus. Unity Magnification. External Video Jack. Ergonomically Designed for Handheld Operation. 4 Hours Continuous Operation Using Two 3Volt Lithium Batteries (123). Lightweight/Pocketsize 11.5 oz. Waterproof to 66 .

Dritz Marking Pen Mark-B-Gone White $6.09 Use marking pens, pencils and chalks for sewing, quilting and crafting. Pen Mark-B-Gone White- Press firmly when marking fabric. Marks will appear when ink dries. Gently rub with moistened cloth to remove. Use marking pen on washable fabrics to transfer pattern markings and quilt or craft designs. Some fiber contents, fabric finishes or dyes (red and pink in particular) may not be suitable for use with this pen. To remove marks, rub gently with clean damp cloth well moistened with plain water. Not recommended for dry clean only fabrics.

Dritz Marking Pen Twin Purple/Blue $6.29 Use marking pens, pencils and chalks for sewing, quilting and crafting. Pen Twin Purple/Blue- Purple disappearing ink normally disappears in 48-72 hours. Remove the Blue ink with a damp cloth. Use marking pen on washable fabrics to transfer pattern markings and quilt or craft designs. Some fiber contents, fabric finishes or dyes (red and pink in particular) may not be suitable for use with this pen. To remove marks, rub gently with clean damp cloth well moistened with plain water. Not recommended for dry clean only fabrics.

Dritz Marking Pen Mark-B-Gone Blue $6.29 Use marking pens, pencils and chalks for sewing, quilting and crafting. Pen Mark-B-Gone Blue- Use marking pen on washable fabrics to transfer pattern markings and quilt or craft designs. Some fiber contents, fabric finishes or dyes (red and pink in particular) may not be suitable for use with this pen. To remove marks, rub gently with clean damp cloth well moistened with plain water. Not recommended for dry clean only fabrics.

Dritz Marking Pen Mark-B-Gone Pink $6.29 Use marking pens, pencils and chalks for sewing, quilting and crafting. Pen Mark-B-Gone Pink- Use marking pen on washable fabrics to transfer pattern markings and quilt or craft designs. Some fiber contents, fabric finishes or dyes (red and pink in particular) may not be suitable for use with this pen. To remove marks, rub gently with clean damp cloth well moistened with plain water. Not recommended for dry clean only fabrics.

	Avery Printable Tags with Strings for Inkjet Printers, 2 x 3.5-Inches, Pack of 96 Tags (22802) List Price: $19.75
	Description Give your products an upscale, elegant feel with easy-to-customize hanging tags. These micro-perforated, print-to-the-edge tags are optimized to display rich colors and sharp text. The double-sided printing feature gives plenty of room for your logo, message, pricing or barcode...

	Brady BMP 21 Label Printer List Price: $145.95
	Description The Brady BMP 21 Portable Label Printer prints via thermal transfer at 203 dots per inch (dpi) on a variety of materials, and uses easy-to-load cartridges and automatic label formatting. With a simple ABC keyboard, the Brady BMP 21 prints in character sizes up to 3/4” wide and up to 1...

laesr marking fabric and fabric applique

Fabricators Using Laser Machines Look for Nesting Solutions by Optimation

OptiLaser by Optimation, utilizes a Collision Avoidance expert system in order to optimize the toolpath by maintaining a head-down position during rapid traverse whenever possible, avoiding tipped-up pieces; it provides a full-featured approach that allows the user to specify which parts can be common edge cut when a part is libraried.  “Powerful automated nesting and NC Programming software packages are rarely available to fabricators using laser machines --flying or fixed optic, hybrid,” according to Michael D. Lundy, P.E., President & CEO of Optimation.

OptiLaser determines kerf side and direction automatically as well as sets feed rates and powersetting based on geometry. Users can manually key orders into OptiLaser directly, or it can be interfaced to any scheduling system that outputs an ASCII file, eliminating the need to manually re-enter. Orders are automatically checked to ensure that the part can be produced and "flagged," if needed (for First Article Inspection, for example, or if engineering changes are detected). All clean orders are placed in the Active Order File while those not passing inspection are sent to the Suspended Orders File.  This module enables the software to read the Active Order File for the current demand of parts, extract the appropriate ready-to-nest parts from the Part Library's Master File and, drawing on the parameters you have established in the "Knowledge Base," create the optimal nesting pattern. The Nesting Module's ability to use several intelligent tools to create the nest is one of the primary advantages of Optimation's software and, ultimately, the feature that enables you to get the parts you need, when you need them, in their exact quantities, at the lowest cost.

Lundy noted, ”OptiLaser reads and applies key manufacturing information marks for bend lines, weld lines, grain direction, part numbers, order numbers, or anything you need with Geometric Marking and Text Etching.  It also provides "Point and Shoot" tab placement after a nest is created as well as automatically creates lead-in/lead-out based on a lead-in library.”

Machine tools OptiLaser runs by vendor:
Alabama Laser Systems
Amada
Bystronics
Cincinnati
Heid
Laser Lab
Mazak
MG
Mitsubishi
Murata Wiedemann
Strippit LVD
Tanaka
Trumpf

For 30 years Optimation® has been the world leader in Part Nesting for Optimized Material and Labor utilization. Consistently providing product advancement leadership to industry, the company’s new Nesting Technology, AxiomVE make previous nesting methods obsolete.   The new technology, Vision Emulation™, allows the system to “see” the shape of parts, just as human eyes would view them.  When a person looks at a part, they see the whole shape and any special features on the part.  This information is then used to determine if the part will fit in an area of the nest.  Vision Emulation eliminates excessive trial and error as well as excessive rotation.

Optimation (www.optimation.com) offers benchmarking against any other method of part nesting; recent benchmarks have show improvements up to 15% in material efficiency alone.  As lean efficiencies are essential, the most advanced nesting technology guarantees the most important parts are always nested in the next available machine, providing advanced information to integrated costing, labor reporting, and material inventory systems. Because Optimation is strong financially and has the most advanced technology; the company offers direct financing from its own capital resources.

Optimation

www.optimation.com

Michael D Lundy P.E.

Opti1@optinest.com

877-827-2100

About the Author

Professional Marketing Firm for the Manufacturing Community and Manufacturing Journalist to most manufacturing magazines