Method and system for automatic cutting of fabric

Abstract

A method and relative system (1) for automatic cutting of fabric includes providing at least one piece (3) of fabric. The piece is marked with a marking (7) representative of at least two spatial points (8, 9) on the piece. The marking (7) is detected, and through the detected marking, the position and the orientation of the piece (3) with respect to a reference system (X, Y) is determined. Finally, the piece (3) is automatically cut as a function of the determined position and orientation.

1 . Method for automatic cutting of fabric, comprising:
 providing at least one piece of fabric;   marking said at least one piece with a marking representative of two spatial points on said least one piece;   detecting said marking and, through said detected marking, determining a position and an orientation of said at least one piece with respect to a reference system;   automatically cutting said at least one piece as a function of said determined position and orientation.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising determining from said detected marking, a position of said two spatial points with respect to said reference system and to determine, from said determined position of the two spatial points, said position and orientation of said at least one piece, wherein a straight line passing through the two spatial points is in a predetermined relation with a layout of said at least one piece or stack of pieces. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said marking comprises at least two distinct signs representative of said two spatial points, respectively, wherein said at least two distinct signs are different from each other, a first sign of said two signs being representative of a spatial point of origin, positioned in proximity to a vertex of a layout of said at least one piece, a second sign of said at least two signs being representative of a respective spatial point of alignment. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said marking comprises a plurality of distinct signs representative of a respective plurality of spatial points comprising said two spatial points, the signs being mutually equidistant and substantially aligned along a straight line substantially parallel to one side of a layout of said at least one piece. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said marking comprises at least two distinct signs representative of said two spatial points, respectively, each one of said signs being a visual sign, and wherein detecting said marking comprises acquiring one or more digital images of said at least one piece and processing said one or more digital images to recognize said signs and to determine a position of said spatial points with respect to said reference system. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein each one of said visual signs is a barcode, and wherein determining said position of each spatial point with respect to said reference system comprises:
 acquiring a respective digital image containing the respective visual sign representative of said each spatial point, acquiring a spatial position of a reference point of said image with respect to said reference system, determining a relative position of said spatial point in said respective image with respect to said reference point, comparing a dimension of said respective visual sign in said image with a real dimension of said respective visual sign to obtain a scale of said image and determining said position of each spatial point with respect to said reference system as a function of said position of said reference point, of said relative position and of said scale.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein marking said at least one piece comprises applying, directly or indirectly, onto said at least one piece a plurality of labels, each one of said labels being provided with a respective sign representative of a respective spatial point, wherein said labels are applied in proximity to a lateral edge of a layout of said at least one piece. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, to automatically cut said at least one piece, for said automatic cutting, a predetermined cutting window is placed on said at least one piece by translating and/or rotating said cutting window on said one piece as a function of said determined position and orientation. 
     
     
         9 . System for automatic cutting of fabric, comprising:
 a cutting surface for supporting at least one piece of fabric, said cutting surface being associated with a reference system;   a detection system for detecting a marking, when said at least one piece is laid on said cutting surface, said marking being representative of two spatial points on said at least one piece;   a cutting head for cutting said at least one piece;   a control system programmed to determine, as a function of said detected marking, a position and an orientation of said at least one piece with respect to said reference system and to command said cutting head for cutting said at least one piece as a function of said determined position and orientation.   
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , comprising a movement system configured to move said cutting head over said cutting surface along two axes; the two axes being mutually orthogonal and parallel to said cutting surface, wherein said detection system comprises a camera configured to acquire digital images of said at least one piece or portions thereof, said camera being solidly constrained to said cutting head, wherein the control system is programmed to command said movement system to command said cutting head and said detection system, wherein the control system is programmed to process said one or more digital images to recognize said marking, to determine through said marking a position of said two spatial points with respect to said reference system and, through said determined position of the two spatial points, to determine said position and orientation of said at least one piece, wherein said control system is loaded with a cutting pattern for cutting a plurality of shapes within a predetermined cutting window, wherein the control system is programmed to position said cutting window on said at least one piece as a function of said determined position and orientation, and
 a labelling machine comprising a laying surface for said at least one piece, a labelling head, a respective movement system configured to move said labelling head along two orthogonal axes parallel to the laying surface, a command unit programmed to command the movement system and the labelling head to apply, directly or indirectly, onto said at least one piece a plurality of labels in order to realize said marking, wherein the command unit is programmed to apply the labels as a function of a position and an orientation on the laying surface of a layout of said at least one piece.