Heat Transfer Operation and Guidelines SOP

The Heat Transfer label machine uses pressure and heat to attach labels on garments. In this article, we will
explain the heat transfer operation and its’ guidelines.

Parameters Influence the Fastness of Heat Transfers :

1. Temperature
2. Pressure
3. Time
4. Design / placement of artwork
5. Quality of glue
6. Work requirement before and after heat transfer operation

Guidelines for Heat Transfers

Storage of Heat Transfer Label :

▪ Heat Transfer labels must be stored in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight, below 24 C
(75 F) and humidity below 70%.
▪ As all heat transfer labels have a shelf life, it is recommended to use them within 12 months from their
date of production.

Requirements of the Application Equipment / Heat Transfer Presses :

Only automatic pneumatic machines which are able to apply transfers piece by piece must be used.

Roller transfer press machines and manual presses are not accepted, as they cannot guarantee correct and
consistent application.

Heat Transfer Presses must have the following features:

▪ Pneumatically operated with adjustable time, temperature, and pressure.

▪ Digital microprocessor controller for time and temperature accuracy.
▪ Fingertip controlled operation and programmable print settings.
▪ Digital timer, adjustable which shows time countdown on readout, beeps after elapsed time and
resets when the handle is raised.
▪ Consistent, fully adjustable pneumatically pressure control, with pressure range of at least 0 – 7 bar(0 –
100 psi / 0 – 7 kg / cm2)
▪ Working temperature range of at least 70 – 230 C (160 – 455 F)
▪ Display Time Range of at least 0 – 180 seconds
▪ The Head plate should be made of metal and Teflon coated to prevent soiling which could
contaminate the garments.
▪ The base plate must be made of silicon rubber or can be a fleece platform with sufficient resilience to
ensure close alignment with the upper heat press platen. A fleece platform is recommended to usefor the
application of 3-dimensional heat transfer.
 ▪ Platen size should be at least 38 x 38 cm (15” x 15 “)
▪ The plate should be bigger than the artwork.

Machine Calibration :

Calibration of the Heat Transfer Presses

H/T machine should be calibrated daily to obtain a reliable and consistent result.

Required Tools Calibration of the Heat Transfer Presses :

▪ Thermocouple or Thermo-labels.
▪ A stop watch, cleaning cloth, Machine Calibration Check Log.
Heat Sealing Machine Calibration Check :

▪ Temperature, Pressure and Time must be controlled and documented at a style level.

Temperature Check :

To ensure that the heat is allocated evenly across the platen and the temperature meter (input temperature)
matches the actual output temperature.

▪ Start the machine and set the Temperature at 160 C, time 30 seconds and Pressure at 3 bar (45 PSI).
▪ Place 5 Thermo-label set onto the base plate at the upper right, upper left, center, lowerleft
and lower right position.
▪ Swing the machine onto the position and run a press cycle with time of 30 seconds.
▪ Remove the thermos-labels and review the darkened labels. Each darkened label represents a
temperature that the equipment successfully reached.
▪ Record the highest temperature reached for each location in the Heat Transfer Machine Calibration
Check Log.
▪ Instead of Thermo-labels, also a Thermocouple can be used to check the temperature.
▪ A temperature tolerance of +/- 3 C is acceptable.
▪ Contact the manufacturer for service if the equipment failed.

The use of a digital temperature control is recommended to have an accurate temperature information.
Pressure Balance Check

Test the pressure between the upper and lower plate of the machine

▪ Place 4 paper strips in same size on top of the base plate.

▪ Activate the machine to press the strips in between
▪ Pull the strips sideward with equivalent strength to feel the pressure.
▪ In case the pressure is uneven and strip pulled out, replace the whole silicon or fleece platform or
contact the manufacturer for checking.

The use of pneumatic pressure is recommended to give a stable pressure.

Time Check

▪ Set the time of the machine to 30 seconds.

▪ Put the machine into position and press the start buttons & at the same time start the stopwatch.
▪ Measure the time for the machine to carry out its cycle.
▪ Record the time in the calibration log and repeat until 5 cycles are completed.
▪ Calculate the average and compare log and compare the value to 30 seconds.
▪ The result should be +/- 0.5 seconds
▪ If outside this, contact the press manufacturer to reset the timer.
▪ Record the result in the Heat Transfer Calibration Check Log.

Time should be calculated from the moment of contact between the machine’s top platen and heat transfer label.
 Heat Seal Transfer Application Procedure and Maintenance Operation Check

Before any operation refer to the heat transfer specifications from the supplier for detailed application
directions i.e. time & peel instruction.

▪ Make sure that the machine has been calibrated before operation start.
▪ Make sure that the press platens are clean and free of any residue.
▪ Start the machine and set the temperature, pressure and time which are given by the Heat Seal
Transfer supplier application instructions. Allow correct time to heat for newly start machine
(morning and after breaks) before bulk production.
▪ Put the fabric panel over the base plate and place the heat transfer on the desired location of the
panel.
▪ Make sure that the fabric is smooth but not stretched tight.
▪ Cover a release paper on top of the fabric to avoid direct contact of the heat platen with the fabric.
▪ Activate the press for one application cycle.
▪ Some special heat transfer qualities require a second heat pressing process on the reverse side of the
fabric. It is crucial to follow exactly the Heat Transfer application instructions.
▪ Remove the fabric panel from the press and peel off the transparent backing paper as per the
application instructions either immediately while the transfer is still hot or after cooling down.
▪ Do not stack panels until they have fully cooled.

Heat Transfer machines must be checked every 2 hours during print application to ensure the correct temperature,
pressure and time.

Internal lab test required before bulk production starts for every style.

When Heat Seal machine Calibration Failed :

• When heat seal machine calibration fails, the goods from last 2 hours are isolated to quarantine area and
machine is stopped.

• Inform concerned suppliers and merchandising team.

• Setup machine according to supplier data sheet. Perform machine calibration. If ok, then start production.

• Check all goods in quarantine area and properly short out defective garments.

• Defective garments are send to rejection area.

Different positions of the application platform, middle and outer edges should be checked. Result must be
documented at the Heat Transfer application check log and displayed at the machine.