Softening
There are two routes. Chemical softening pads a softener onto the cloth, often a silicone, and dries it. The equipment is a padding mangle and a dryer or stenter.
Mechanical softening uses an airflow tumbler. The cloth is blown through a tube and hits the stainless steel wall again and again. The fibers loosen and the cloth becomes soft and bulky, and it dries at the same time. It is the route for denim, cotton and linen with a washed look.
Starching (stiffening)
Starching adds body to the cloth. Starch or a synthetic resin such as acrylic or PVA is padded on, then the cloth is dried or cured. It is used on shirt fabric, home textiles and interlining.
There is usually no special machine. A padding mangle plus a dryer or stenter does the job. Do not confuse starching with sizing: sizing is the coating applied to warp yarn before weaving, on a different machine.
Softening and starching compared
| Item | Chemical softening | Airflow softening | Starching |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | Padder + dryer or stenter | Airflow tumbler | Padder + dryer or stenter |
| What changes | Slippery, supple handle | Bulky, washed look | Firm, crisp handle |
| Wet pick-up (typical) | About 55 to 75% | Not applicable | About 55 to 75% |
| Typical fabrics | Woven and knit | Denim, cotton, linen | Shirting, home textiles, interlining |
| Main control | Chemical dose, squeeze | Air flow, time, temperature | Starch dose, squeeze, drying |
Typical process values. Machine ratings are given in the quotation.
How to choose
Choose by the result. A supple handle comes from chemical softening. A washed, bulky handle comes from the airflow tumbler. A crisp handle comes from starching.
For padded finishes, match the padder to the fabric width and the pick-up you need. Even squeeze across the width decides the evenness of the finish.
For the tumbler, state the fabric weight and the batch size.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate machine for starching?
Usually not. A padder with a dryer or stenter handles it.
Can I soften and dry in one step?
Yes. On an airflow tumbler the cloth is softened and dried at the same time.
What do I send for a quote?
Fabric type and weight, width, the finish you want, batch size or daily meters, and destination country.
