133347856-Automation-in-Garment-Manufacturing.pdf

Automation

1. Automation in Garment Manufacturing Automation in Garment Manufacturing
––
Its Its
likely impact on advanced and emerging likely impact on advanced and emerging
economies economies A presentation at the
International Conference International Conference
on on
Steering Mature Business Steering Mature Business
A leadership challenge to the Textile Industry A leadership challenge to the Textile Industry
by
Pr
of. Ashwin Thakkar
Depar
tment of Textile Technology
L. D. Coll
eg
e of E
ngineering, Ahm
e
dabad
03.10.2009

2. Historical Review
Pre quota period (Till 1974)
Trade shift
from western countries to Japan
Shift from Japan to the “Asian Big Three” Hong Kong, Ko
re
a and
Taiw
an
Quota period :
MFA Regim
e
(1974-1994)

3. Source : Technop
a
k

4. Quota phase out period : AT
C Regime (1995 to 2004)
Source : Technop
a
k

7. Textiles & Clothing major markets (2005) Textiles & Clothing major markets (2005)
Textiles Textiles
Clothing Clothing
Total (T&C) Total (T&C)
Country Country
Val Val
((
US$Bn US$Bn
))
Share Share
Val Val
((
US$Bn US$Bn
))
Share Share
Val Val
((
US$Bn US$Bn
))
Share Share
World World
203203
276276
479479
EUEU
--
2525
65.83 65.83
30.830.8
128.7 128.7
00
44.844.8
194.53 194.53
40.61 40.61
USUS
22.54 22.54
10.510.5
80.07 80.07
27.927.9
102.61 102.61
21.42 21.42
China China
15.50 15.50
7.27.2
1.631.63
0.60.6
17.13 17.13
3.583.58
Mexico Mexico
6.026.02
2.82.8
2.522.52
0.90.9
8.548.54
1.781.78
Japan Japan
5.815.81
2.72.7
22.54 22.54
7.87.8
28.35 28.35
5.925.92
Canada Canada
4.324.32
2.02.0
5.985.98
2.12.1
10.30 10.30
2.152.15
Source: Dr. J.N.
Singh’s
p
resentation

18. Filiep
Libeert,
President of Euratex
6 June 2005
“However, the same conclusion was reached by the European Commission almost 2 years ago in it
s c
o
mmunication to the Council and
the Europea
n
Parliament entitled “The Future of the Textile and Clothing
industry in the enlarged European
Un
ion
”
. Th
is
led, supported by th
e
European Parliament and the EU member states, to the creation of
the EU
Textile-Clothing High Level Group in early 20
0
4
.
Th
is
H
i
gh
Level
G
r
oup i
n
its
Jun
e

2004 report con
c
luded th
at r
e
search,
development and in
novation is o
n
e, if not TH
E ONE dr
iver of futu
re
competitiveness of our industry in
Europe. Based on the findings
of the
working group on Research, Development and Innovation, the High Level Group made 6 central recommendations
in this field, among which the
establi
s
hment of a European Technolo
gy Platform (ETP) for Textiles and
Clothing stood out as the one wi
th the most strategic long-term
pers
pecti
v
e.”

19. 3 visions of ETP
1.
To move from commodities towards specialty products from high-tech processes; fibres, filame
nts, fabrics and final products
with highly functional, purpose-
targeted properties based on
nano-
m
icro-
&
biotechnologies, new coatings and laminations,
digital
processes etc.
2.
Establishment and expansion of
textiles as raw material of
choice in many sectors and a
pplication fields (transport
systems, construction, medi
cal applic
ation
s
, consumer
electronics…)
3.
To prepare the end of the era of mass manufacture of textile products and to move towards the new industrial era charac
terised
b
y c
u
stomis
ation, personalis
ation, as
well as
flexible, on-d
emand production coupled with intelligent
logistics, distribution and services.

23. The Objectives of the Research Module
In order to achieve the long-term in
dustrial transformation of the
Clothing Industry the LEAPFROG
initiative focused on 3 major
objectives:
1
A step-change in productivity, qualit
y and cost efficiency in the garment
manufacturing process. Radical reductions in the product
design and development time and
cost through direct 3D design and virtual prototyping, fabric and garme
n
t simulati
on, fit and co
mfort
evaluation on animated virtual
mannequins representative of real
consumer morphotypes, cost and
manufacturability prediction. Radical reengineering and intelligent
automation of the key tasks of
handling and sewing for signif
icant reduction of labour
cost
component in garment manufacture and a massive quality increase. A significant improvement of fabric
preparation facilitating
subsequent
clothing manufacturing operation
through fabric pre-forming and
temporary or permanent
fabric stiffening.
Overall integ
r
ation and organisation
of all individual processes and
technologies into a h
i
gh
ly effic
i
ent and flexible manufacturing shop
floor.

24. 2
A radical move towards rapid cust
omised
manufacturing in one of the
most d
e
mand-volatile sectors throug
h flexibilisation
and integration of
cost-effective and sustainable processe
s from fabric processing through
to customer delivery.
Development of c
o
ncepts and tool
s for a flexible organisation
of
garment
production in extended supply networks -
t
he extended
Smart Garment Organisati
on
(xSGO).
Methods and systems for efficient product d
e
velop
m
ent and fast
production ramp-up and roll-out
in geographically spread
manufacturing networks.
3
A
paradigm change in customer service and customer relati
onship
management with a focus on va
lue-adding product-services.
Further development of concep
ts and tools for industrial

mass
customisation
and made-to-order of clothing and their effective
integration with the point of s
a
le.

25. The Objectives of the Research Modules Research Module A: Fabri
c
Preparation
The overall objective of the RMA is two fold:
to d
e
velop stimuli sensitive filaments and coatings based on shap
e-
memory nematic
p
olymers, to be co
mbined with natural and man-made
fibers in high quali
t
y yarns and fabrics;
to in
vestigate a pr
oper formu
l
a
tion
of ino
r
gan
i
c nanopartic
les
a
nd
bio-
degradable coatings to permanently and temporarely
i
ncrease
stiffness of the fabr
ic, inc
l
udin
g physical removal after garment
integration.
Cr
itic
al Technologies
employ
ed for objective achievement
Raw stimuli
sensitive polymer, yarn, fabric derived
theret
o
Fabric surface function
alizing and stiffening
Permanent and temporary stiffening

26. Research Module B: Automated Garment Assembly The overall objective
is the complet
e
automation of the garment assembling activities by
means of innovativ
e fast and hi
ghly
re-
c
onfi
gurabl
e roboti
c de
vi
ces
(multi-points gripper, re-configurable
mannequin, sewing head) with as
yet unforeseen d
e
xterity, coop
eratio
n ability and efficiency in handling
and working with limp material.
Cr
itic
al Technologies
employed for
The grasping and handling of near 2D parts The reconfigur
able
m
a
n
n
e
quin
3D sewing (the joining head) The handling robot

27. Research Module C : 3D Virtual Prototyping The overall objective is to revolutionise
t
he
des
i
gn and prototyping of garment
s
by
the development of a 3D Virtual
Prototyp
ing platform targeting the reduction of:
the nu
mber of required
physical
prototypes,
the time to develop a new collection the cost of the compl
e
te new product de
velopment cycle from sketch drawing to
pattern making.
Technologies Employed
Modeling human bodi
es based on st
atistically significant parameters
Libraries of representative virtual 3D mannequins Library of fabrics Direct 3D garment design Virtual prototyping components

28. Integration Module
IM:
The Extende
d
Smart Garment Organi
sation
(xSGO)
The objective of th
i
s
modu
le is
to enable integratio
n of th
e results of
the research areas within a flexible
organisational
structure. This will
be achieved by the development
of a validated framework for the
extended Smart Garment Organisati
on
(xSGO) conception together
with related integration components.
Development Tasks
The xSGO
Conception
The xSGO
Knowledge Infrastructure
The xSGO
Product Tracking Infrastructure
New Garment Ramp Up Framework

29. Quanti
fiable Results of LEAPFROG
#
r
eduction of 60% of physical prot
otypes through 3D virtual garment
design and prototyping. An average time gain of 60% in garmen
t design by reduction of trial-error
loops before acceptable prototype is reached from 5 to 2
#
an average
50% decrease of time of production ramp-up
of new
products in geographically spread production networks
#
a
reduction of average lead times
at the futu
re garment factory of 25%
#
a
reduction of machine times of complex garments
by up to
50%
in
case of part automation of joining and up
to 80%
in case of full automation
#
a
reduction of production errors an
d quality faults in garment made-
up fro
m
cu
r
r
e
nt 15-20% to clos
e to zero
due to removal of the human
error
#
an average
d
e
crease of fabric stocks at textile & garment
manufacturers of 35%
by intelligent, real-time distributed production

planning systems and direct feedback fr
om retail partners enabled in the xSGO
#
an overall
reduction
of gar
m
ent stock levels
and waste
resulting from
unsold items at fashion retailers
through an enlargement of the mass
customisation
a
nd fast fashion segment
from today's below 5% to 20% of the
total market by 2015

40. The first target of this line would be the estim
a
ted 12
millio
n nurse's uniforms required eve
r
y year in Europe,
follo
wed up by further public uniform contracts.

41. "These new developments give us enormously powerful new tools which, given the necessary level of industrial commitment, will change the rules of the game as we know it today, especially in the more conventional clothing and interior textile markets. "A quantum leap in automation, highly efficient and flexible functionalisation
a
nd customisation
i
n the
development and production of textiles and apparel, combined with intelligent logistic and service concepts can make Europe regain its global leadership. It can reverse the current commoditisation
trends which clog
our supply chains and distribution systems with cheap and often ultimately unwanted products with a doubtful environmental and social profile."
Dick Hendriks
Chairman of the Governing Council of the ETP.

43. Thank You Thank You
for for
your patient hearing your patient hearing