Litania Sports, Champaign IL

System In Use

CTx-72 Plotter/Cutter, T-Bar Digitizer, 16' Phillocraft Vac table

Application

Vinyl sport pads and mats

Story

Litania Sports Group, the parent company of  two of the most respected names in the sports equipment industry, Gil andPorter, has been manufacturing Athletic equipment in America for almost 100 years.  As the largest producer of track and field equipment in the world, they know the importance of continually improving their manufacturing processes to provide their customers with the best product, at the best price, with the faster turnaround.  This is why we were excited when they decided to add the Carlson Design plotter/cutter to their Champaign Il, facility to automate cutting their protective vinyl gym wall and goal post pads.

They purchased our Classic CTx-72 plotter/cutter on a 16' Phillocraft table, using a 5HP radial vacuum blower.  This gives them enough room to nest 1/2 a pattern set per table.  They use the T-Bar Digitizer for unusual hand patterns and got their CAD department involved to turn their hand patterns into more exact digital drawings.  See their full install here:  http://carlsondesign.com/blog/litania-sports-decimating-cut-times/

Results

"I would certainly like to give you some feedback on the cutter, just don’t know where to start or what to say.

Watching patterns being cut before the Carlson Designs cutter was installed was a painful process.  It was like watching a caveman cut the first animal skins with sharp stones!  Definitely required skill and an eye for detail to ensure everything was correct.  Since the cutter was installed, I have taught three people to cut patterns.  Can you move a mouse and click a few things?  Yep, you’re trained too!  As stated before, we are now cutting jobs in 3 minutes that took us 45 to 60 minutes to cut.  This has freed up valuable resources to help in other areas.  But, what is best is that we are turning out consistent product.  Cut pattern number 1 is exactly the same as cut pattern number 400!  Moving a sew line with a hard template required rebuilding the template.  Cutting something out was left up to the person sewing.  Now?  Give me five minutes and I will update the drawing for you.  We are systematically reducing the extra steps that a seamstress would have to take in trimming, clipping, cutting…..  We haven’t even scratched the surface of where the Carlson Designs machine is going to take us.

One other thing.  I am now looking at everything differently based on one thing you said several times when you were here to install…..  When I look at a part that looks like we are having trouble with, I always remember what you said, “It can be more complicated”.  This reminds me to stop and think that KISS is so true!  Why do we sew this part this way?  Easier stitches make faster pads, which means more volume….and more $$$."