The Fastener Division of Avery Dennison Retail Information Services has developed a fast, highly versatile Plastic Staple system with advanced productivity, maintenance-related and energy-saving features. The systems Plastic Staple fasteners present a more attractive appearance and are easier to remove than metal staples, thread or other fastener types.

 

The product, called the Plastic Staple ST9500 System, attaches tickets and tags to apparel items using Plastic Staple ST9500 fasteners, improving productivity in apparel-finishing operations, especially those involving bottoms such as men's and women's jeans, casual pants, dress pants and shorts.

 

The Plastic Staple ST9500 System consists of the ST9500 Attacher, two needles available in Fine fabric and Ultra Fine fabric versions, and ST9500 Plastic Staple fasteners. 

 

The new Plastic Staple ST9500 System can speed up finishing operations, which have traditionally been an apparel-manufacturing bottleneck says John Earley, Worldwide Business Development Manager for Avery Dennison Fastener Division. The system can increase fastening productivity dramatically compared with other products on the market today.

 

The Plastic Staple ST9500 System is a semiautomatic, operator-actuated system featuring a low-maintenance direct-drive motor.  The technology utilized in the Plastic Staple ST9500 System is protected by existing Avery Dennison patents, and additional patents are pending. ST9500Plastic Staple fasteners used with the system have greater tensile strength than standard Plastic Staplefasteners, yet can still be easily removed by hand. Fasteners are dispensed from a continuous reel containing 25,000 ST9500 Plastic Staple fasteners. 

 

In addition to fast ticket attachment, the ST9500 System is also ideal for whiskering and prewashing operations, which give a faded or vintage appearance to jeans, increasing their perceived value says Earley. This is not the case with existing products, introduced over 18 years ago, because they were designed solely for attaching waistband tickets and pocket flashers, not for whiskering. The stronger ST9500Plastic Staple fasteners can hold multiple pleats of denim tightly together during the washing process. Later, they can be easily removed by hand.

 

Also, the needle spacing is adjustable so that with just one staple size (12 millimeters) the needles can be set widely apart to secure thinner denim layers, or set more narrowly to secure thicker layers.

 

The Plastic Staple ST9500 System has a top speed of .25 seconds for a full insertion cycle, much faster than the top speed of its predecessor, the Plastic Staple ST9000, and that of most competing ticket attachers. Speed can be adjusted up or down in .03- and/or .05-second increments to fit different application requirements. Cycles as slow as .60 seconds can be selected to process thicker materials.   

 

Flexible, Programmable Operation

The Plastic Staple System is controlled using an operator-friendly interface. Operators can program virtually all parameters of the system's operation, including cycle speed.  System settings can be password protected if a company wants to prevent settings from being changed.  The system can also be programmed to perform multiple insertion cycles triggered by a single press of the actuation button or foot pedal. A delay function ranging from .1 to 1 second can be programmed between each cycle. This allows the operator to vary the time between cycles in order to reposition the targeted garment before the next fastener is inserted. The interface also contains a batch counter and a life counter.  double-shot feature allows the system to insert two Plastic Staple fasteners at a time, increasing fastener strength and reducing the risk of garment damage from two separate insertions.

 

Spacing between the ST9500's insertion needles can be adjusted from 6 to 12 millimeters in order to process apparel materials of different thicknesses. Existing products on the market today have a fixed needle dimension of 9.5 millimeters. The ST9500½ system's narrow 6-millimeter setting facilitates deep needle penetration through thicker materials or multiple garment layers, while the wide 12-millimeter setting is ideal for fastening thin layers of material tightly together.

 

Low-maintenance Design

The Plastic StapleST9500 System has been designed for highly reliable, low-maintenance operation. Unlike the induction motors found in many fastener systems, the ST9500 Attacher's motor requires no clutches or solenoids.

 

Clutches and solenoids typically have high failure rates and are costly to replace says Avery Dennison's Earley. The ST9500's clutch and solenoid-free design eliminates this potential source of downtime and associated costs. 

 

Energy-saving Performance

The ST9500 system can assist apparel manufacturers in conserving electrical energy and meeting sustainability requirements. Conventional attachers use electricity whenever they are turned on, even when not cycling. In contrast, the motor used in the ST9500 Attacher has a non-continuous power consumption feature, consuming electrical power mainly during its operational cycle. This allows reductions in power consumption of 50% or more compared with standard attacher systems.

 

Apparel companies can employ the ST9500 system in diverse markets without making electrical modifications. An on-board power converter accommodates electrical inputs ranging from 90 to 250 volts, equipping the system for operation in locations with varying electricity and voltage standards.

 

Additional product features include a no-adjust fastener feed system that minimizes reloading time and reduces waste, and built-in RS232 and Ethernet ports that facilitate easy uploading and recording of operational data.  The Plastic Staple ST9500 System also has the capability to be networked to an intranet for remote production monitoring.  

 

The Fastener Division of Avery Dennison Retail Information Services is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacturing and marketing of fastener systems and products for retail, apparel and packaging industry applications. The company is also the originator of the popular Swiftach and Plastic Staple fastener systems.

 

About Avery Dennison Corporation

Avery Dennison is a global leader in pressure-sensitive labelling materials, retail tag, ticketing and branding systems and office products. Based in Pasadena, Calif., Avery Dennison is a FORTUNE 500Company with 2007 sales of $6.3 billion. Avery Dennison employs more than 30,000 individuals in more than 60 countries who develop, manufacture and market a wide range of products for both consumer and industrial markets. Products offered by Avery Dennison include: Fasson brand self-adhesive materials; Avery Dennison brand products for the retail and apparel industries; Averybrand office products and graphics imaging media; specialty tapes, peel-and-stick postage stamps, and labels for a wide variety of automotive, industrial and durable goods applications.

Visit : www.averydennison.com