Weaving technology manufacturers are on the way to developing Industry 4.0-ready machines.

By Dr. Abdel-Fatah M. Seyam, Technical Editor

ITMA always means new technology. At the latest edition, developments were characterized by innovative technologies, digital formation of fabrics and garments, digital printing, addressing sustainability concerns, formation of innovative products — such as e-textiles, 3D, and sportswear — and software.

During ITMA, weaving stands were well attended by visitors. The major machine manufacturers demonstrated diversified machines for formation of woven products for apparel, home textiles, and technical textiles applications; and marketed their technologies as Industry 4.0 ready.

Warping, Sizing and Sample Weaving

To be competitive and meet the demand for new product diversity, rapid prototyping machines for sample production and evaluation prior production are necessary. Using production warping, sizing and weaving machines to produce small samples leads to significant loss of production and material waste.

CCI Tech Inc., Taiwan, specializes in sample warpers, sizing winders and sample weaving machines. The company showed its new Lutan.com sample warping machine with creel integrated into the movable warping ring, which offers space savings compared to the earlier Lutan v5.0 and v3.6 versions.

Lutan.com features a 2.6-meter working width, 15 to 500-meter warp length range, 14,400 meters per minute (m/min) warping speed, 24 creel capacity, 5-meter pattern drum circumference and 10 lease rods. The machine is capable of producing intricate color sequences for narrow-wide samples and medium run production. Lutan.com is equipped with built-in Lutronic and SE-edit software with a user-friendly interface for setting the color sequence, number and locations of leases and other warp specifications. Per the user input, the machine automatically forms the warp with desired specifications. Beaming events do require operator intervention to transfer the warp from the pattern drum to the warp beam.

CCI Tech also offer sizing winders, a machine that presents the simplest route for making sized yarn packages for sample warpers. The company recently introduced the 2-spindle sizing winder Taroko offered in 2-spindle and 4-spindle modular versions for a maximum of 4 modules or 16 spindles. Each spindle is individually controlled using a dedicated driving system, size box and heating zone, which allows the machine to run different yarns with different size formulas, size concentrations or size-wet-pickup. The machine may run up to 500 m/min sizing speed. The Taroko is equipped with industrial PC/Windows OS and internet access via WiFi/Ethernet for remote control and monitoring of each position.

During ITMA, CCI Tech also introduced two of its single rapier sample weaving machines — evergreen II and Kebalan. The evergreen II has the same features as the previous version evergreen I, but is more compact and much faster. It is available in weaving widths of 50 centimeters (cm) or 90 cm and can run at a weaving speed of up to 100 picks per min (ppm). The Kebalan, which is still in the prototype stage, offers a high weaving speed of 300 ppm — a record in sample weaving. The shedding motion uses 8 or 16 harnesses, featuring individual harness control using servomotors, weft break detection and optional warp stop motion. The machine is equipped with eight weft feeders to cope with the high-speed weaving.

Germany-based Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH showed the sample warper Multi-Matic®32 at ITMA 2019. The 32 denotes the creel capacity, which permits the use of 32 different yarn colors. Three versions of the Multi-Matic — with creel capacity 32, 64, and 128 wound packages — are available providing flexibility in terms of creel capacity depending on the space and applications required by weavers. A comparison of the three Multi-Matic versions of is shown in Table 1. The machines are capable of producing warp lengths ranging from 35 to 1,050 meters for the 32 model, or 35 to 1,500 meters for the 64 and 128 versions. With such range of warp length and widths, the machines are capable of producing narrow-wide short warps for sample weaving as well as wide and long warps for production weaving. Additionally, the machines are not limited in terms of color repeat size compared to the limited color repeat size in sectional warping machines. Other features include automatic color change, short set up time of color sequence and desired number of leases via friendly user interface CAD system. Following the pre-programming and setting of the packages on the creel, the rest of the warping process is automatic, including the leasing for drawing-in and size rod separation. After the warping is completed, the beaming process requires the operator intervention to transfer the warp from the pattern drum to the warp beam.

Vandewiele NV, Belgium, unveiled Smart Creel at ITMA 2019, which is constructed with cells arranged in rows and columns as a matrix. The yarn is wound on each cell from large packages through a yarn feeder by a robot. At the show, the Smart Creel was feeding a VSi32 Velvet Smart Innovator jacquard. The length of warp pile yarn per each cell is preprogrammed according to the carpet’s design. Several creels and robots may be used to accelerate the warping process. The Smart Creel provides several advantages:

• eliminates human error with color arrangement in the creel;
• eliminates back winding of packages and the need for winders;
• eliminates downtime needed to load/reload the creel;
• reduces waste because of its smaller size compared to traditional creels; and
• reduces creel space because the bin’s size is much smaller than a wound package.

While the Smart Creel is intended for short runs or samples that may run back-to-back, the concept could be expanded for medium and long runs by increasing the size of the bins. Smart Creel can replace the traditional creel of a sectional and sample warper.

Vandewiele also exhibited the Fast Creel that was set-up with a new RCE2+ Rug and Carpet weaving machine. The Fast Creel controls each pile yarn individually using a servomotor that regulates the feed and tension of each yarn according to the pile length needed per the carpet design. The servomotor also functions as a stop motion when its yarn is down via smart sensing of its torque. This allows the pile yarns to be fed directly to the machine without the need to pass through a traditional stop motion, which saves time and allows fast creeling.

In addition, Vandewiele has developed the TEXconnect system for carpet weaving production that acquires data on the consumption of each pile yarn as well as tension and threading. The system also provides predictive maintenance. The combination of Smart Creel, Fast Creel, and TEXconnect systems, makes self-learning carpet weaving machines possible.

Tying-in And Drawing-in

Groz-Beckert KG, Germany, exhibited new automatic drawing-in machine, the WarpMasterPlus. This machine represents the latest generation of the company’s established drawing-in concept whereby the warp is drawn in from a single yarn package. However, the WarpMasterPlus adds features including two touch-screen monitors for two-sided control of the process, drawing-in of Duomix heddles without presorting, automatic heddle type setting, and easy maintenance and repair service. For drawing-in widths greater than 4 meters, Groz-Beckert can supply individual machine lengths as required.

Groz-Beckert also showed its different versions of KnotMaster automatic tying-in machines — AS/3, TS/3, XS/3Q, RS/3, RSD/3, 2s/3, and TS/3 TapeMaster — for a broad range of warp yarns including natural and synthetic, monofilament, textured, spandex, steel wire, fancy, glass and high-performance yarns, as well as polypropylene and polyester tapes. The machines are capable of double end detection from leased or unleased warps and are equipped with yarn break detection.

Switzerland-based Staubli International AG exhibited its known SAFIR 60 automatic drawing-in machine, as well as a new tying-in machine named TIEPRO. The most important feature of this machine is the method of yarn separation. Traditionally, yarns are separated using a needle, and a range of needles is required to handle separation for a variety of yarn types and sizes. The TIEPRO uses a small conical yarn separation mechanism and thus there is no need for needles.

Weaving Technologies

Germany-based Lindauer Dornier GmbH exhibited three A1 air-jet and two P2 rapier weaving machines producing a diverse range of fabrics for apparel, home textiles and industrial textiles at ITMA 2019. A P2 Type TKN 8/S G24/190 cm machine was weaving upholstery fabric and P2 Type TKN 4/E D8/360 cm was weaving coating fabric at a filling insertion rate (FIR) of 925 and 1,134 m/min, respectively. A 210-cm-wide A1 Type AWS 6/S G16 was weaving automotive upholstery fabric at 2,010 FIR, a 340-cm-wide A1 ServoTerry Type ATSF 8/JG was weaving Jacquard terry fabric at 2,184 FIR, and a 240-cm-wide A1 Type AWS 6/JG was weaving jacquard fabric for womenswear at 2,147 FIR.

Itema S.p.A., Italy, showed two A9500-2 air jet and four R9500-2 rapier weaving machines at one booth and at another booth; as well as one R9500-2, two Hercules, and one UniRap machine at the Itematech booth. Itematech is the former Panter company that Itema recently acquired. At the Itema booth, the air-jet A9500-2/340 cm was weaving bed sheeting and the A9500-2/190 cm was weaving apparel fabric. The four R9500 -2 rapier machines — in widths ranging from 190 cm to 340 cm — were weaving denim, shirting, jacquard upholstery and jacquard beach towels.

At the Itematech booth, machines were weaving filter fabric, geotextiles, heavy filter fabric and furnishing fabric. The UniRap machine, exhibited by Panter before joining Itema, is a single positive rapier. At ITMA 2019, the UniRap was weaving a furnishing fabric from linen warp and filling yarns in a form of spread tow with zero twist. The linear density of the warp and filling yarns was 1,000 tex, and warp and filling density was 0.67 threads/cm. To keep the warp yarn orientation flat, a special heddle wires with flat eyes were used. A weft feeder with rotating package also was used to keep the filling orientation flat without adding twist. This machine could be used to weave spread tows from high-performance fibers such as kevlar, carbon or zylon. It should be noted that the warp was fed by creel holding the packages of the spread tows. This setting does not require warping process since the total number of tows is not high.

Itema also introduced the Discovery, which was one of the main weaving attractions at the show. While the company referred to the weft insertion technology as “Positive Flying Shuttle,” the machine is shuttleless using stationary weft packages and filling yarn feeders, which are characteristic of shuttleless weaving. Thus, the machine is similar to a shuttleless projectile machine with gripper. Itema did not provide much information on the prototype other than hosting two demos per day and playing a YouTube video on a monitor by the machine. While a projectile is used as the filling insertion means, its acceleration is conducted by drastically different mechanism. As demonstrated in the video, the projectile is accelerated by a bar — termed “picking bar” — that moves horizontally in a groove. The bar contacts the projectile and moves it a certain distance to provide enough acceleration, then reverses its motion leaving the projectile with the filling yarn to complete the insertion. The contact between the picking bar and the projectile over certain distance and time could be to provide smoother motion with gradual acceleration rather than the sudden impact seen in a traditional projectile machine. Also similar to a traditional projectile, Discovery features several projectiles and the insertion is performed from the left side of the machine. The prototype on display at ITMA was weaving two side-by-side denim fabrics at a speed of 350 ppm, and Itema stated the Discovery can run at 400 ppm, which is similar to the speed range for traditional projectile machines

At its booth, Belgium-based Picanol exhibited 10 weaving machines. Five of these machines were air-jet machines — two OmniPlus-i-4-D-190 machines, one weaving a car seat fabric and the other a poplin fabric; one OmniPlus-i-4-R-190 weaving a parachute fabric; one OmniPlus-i-4-P-280 weaving a sheeting fabric; and one OmniPlus-i-4-P-190 weaving a bottomweight fabric. The other five on display were rapier machines — an OptiMax-i-4-R-220 weaving a denim fabric; an OptiMax-i-4-P-540 weaving an agrotextile fabric; an OptiMax-i-12-J-190 weaving a jacquard upholstery fabric; a TerryMax-i-8-J-260 weaving a jacquard terry towel; and an OptiMax-i-4-R-460 weaving a coating fabric. The range of the filling insertion rate for the air-jet machines was from 1,914 to 2,535 m/min; and for the rapier machines, with the exception of the two machines weaving jacquard terry and upholstery that were running at variable speeds as the design and filling yarn dictated, was from 1,456 to 1,485 m/min.

Nice Corporate Services, a Nigeria-based private company, is building a large vertically integrated textile manufacturing facility that encompasses ginning to finished fabrics. The project will reach its goal of producing 400,000 meters of fabric each day in various phases. The company has signed a contract with Picanol for various models of the OmniPlus-i air-jet weaving machines.

Picanol built the OptiMax-i weaving the denim fabric with near fully digitized filling insertion. The pre-winder is equipped with a programmable tension display (TED) with digital setting of the brake to control filling yarn tension during insertion. This design permits the user to store and monitor the ideal tension for a given filling yarn for future reproducibility. The machine also is equipped with an Electronic Right Gripper Opener (ERGO) that is electronically controlled to digitally set the gripper opening to minimize the length of the filling waste at the right selvage of the fabric. Additionally, the machine is furnished with the QuickStep filling presenter that allows digitally programming different timings for filling presentation, insertion and rest. These features, along with already established digitized weaving efficiency and stop — warp, filling, and other stops — data acquisition, a self-learning machine is possible if big data analysis and artificial intelligence can be added to make the machine Industry 4.0 compatible.

Italy-based Smit S.r.l. exhibited five machines. Four machines were shown at its stand and one machine was on display at the Vandewiele booth. The latter machine was the single rapier ONE with 190 cm reed width and free flight system — no guide is required to support the rapier during weft insertion — weaving intricate upholstery fabric at 380 ppm, or 722 m/min FIR.

The other four machines were:

• New model GS980 with 360 cm reed width weaving a jacquard bed sheeting at 360 ppm, or 1,296 m/min FIR, using a Bonas jumbo jacquard with 27,648 hooks — the highest exhibited at this show;
• Model GS980 machine with 220 cm reed width weaving a man-made sportswear dobby fabric at 550 ppm, or 1,200 m/min FIR, that featured a new device termed 2SAVE, which eliminates auxiliary selvages from both sides and allows the cut weft to be recycled;
• Model GS980 machine with 280 cm reed width and equipped with a Staubli 6144 jacquard head weaving jacquard terry fabric at 289-320 ppm, or 809-896 m/min FIR; and
• Model FAST weaving machine with 220 cm reed width and double free flight rapier producing denim fabric at 700 ppm, or 1,540 m/min FIR, which is high speed for free flight.

At ITMA 2019, Japan-based Toyota Industries Corp. exhibited JAT 810 air-jet machines that were shown at ITMA 2015. Three were demonstrated — a JAT810 8T-280ES-ET weaving three side-by-side bath towels; a JAT810 6SF-340DE-EF weaving curtain fabric; and a JAT810 4F-190EC-EF machine forming upholstery fabric. Additionally, the company showed a new machine introduced as the “JAT New Concept” air-jet weaving machine. The company indicated that this is its next-generation air-jet machine looking ahead of automation, smart factory and eco-technology.

Japan-based Tsudakoma Corp. showed three ZAX9200i Master air-jet Looms at ITMA 2019. One of the machines, a ZAX9200i-190-2C-C6, was weaving industrial fabric using fine 33dtex polyethylene monofilament both warp and weft directions at 1,200 ppm, or 1,872 m/min FIR. Normally, water-jet weaving is used for fine monofilament filling insertion.

The second machine, a ZAX9200i-190-4C-D16, was weaving interior upholstery fabric at 1,300 ppm, or 2,219 m/min FIR. The third machine, a ZAX9200i-Terry-280-8C-J, was weaving three side-by-side jacquard terry fabrics at 1,000 ppm for terry sections and 750 ppm for the border sections, or 2,596 and 1,947 m/min FIR, respectively.

At the recent ITMA, weaving speeds and FIRs did not vary much compared to previous ITMA shows confirming the fact that they have potentially reached the upper limits. As seen at previous shows, the focus of the weaving machine manufacturers was on the diversity of their products. With a variety of weaving machines available, manufacturers demonstrated their machines’ capabilities to weave for the three markets — namely apparel, home textiles and technical textiles.

Narrow Weaving For Smart Applications

At ITMA 2019, Switzerland-based Jakob Müller AG showed its narrow weaving machine NFM® equipped with the Multi Directional Weaving (MDW®) functional and effect thread placing device.

The machine was weaving fabric containing two electrically conductive yarns from blend of polyester and copper/silver electronic yarns (e-yarns). The two yarns were moving independently from the main shedding motion each aided by a guide. A strategic motion can be preprogrammed to raise the e-yarns out of the reed — an open reed or comb — move to either side specified distance and picks, and lower to interlace with the weft yarn. The calculated movement of the e-yarns’ guides results in the formation of an area covered with electrically conductive yarns distributed over the fabric surface with desired pattern. The copper and silver are antibacterial and electrically conductive materials and products with such features may be used as shoe liners for heating. Fabrics with electrically conductive circuits may be used to connect devices in electronic textile that have range of applications.

Three-Dimensional Weaving

At the recent ITMA, more companies contributed to the field of 3D weaving than at previous shows. VÚTS a.s., the Centre for the Development of Engineering Research, Czech Republic, showed a new air-jet weaving machine dedicated to weaving 3D distance fabrics with constant or variable distance between the top and bottom ground fabrics. Two warp beams are used — one to feed the warp sheet for the top and bottom ground fabrics and the other to feed the pile warp sheet. Potential applications for the distance fabrics include inflatable boats of different types, docks, mats, flood protection and lifting bags, among other applications. Currently, the inflatable boat industry is using a drop stitch technique to distance two fabrics that will be laminated post drop stitching. Numerous needles are used for joining the two base fabrics. The drop stitch machines and setting procedures are complex and lengthy, and the process may take more than 20 days to remove and replace the needles. The distance fabrics produced using the VÚTS weaving process are much faster and easier to design and form with the desired geometry.

England-based Optima 3D Ltd., a new company formed in 2018, has designed and developed a range of 3D weaving machines for formation of preforms for the composite industry. Its Optima 500/150 uses a shuttle system for weft insertion and a jacquard shedding system with electronic user interface for structure parameter input that provides preform design flexibility.

Dornier also offers composite systems that include 3D weaving for multilayer preforms for composite applications. The features of its machine include a CAD system to program the weave structure, a rigid rapier filling insertion system, individual warp yarn control jacquard shedding system, creel for feeding warp yarns from wound packages, and an optional horizontal take-up system for thick preforms.

Very skilled woven designers with a deep understanding of 3D fabric geometries generally are required to create 3D textiles. The need for CAD systems that are intuitive and easy to use to develop 3D fabrics is sorely needed. Germany-based EAT GmbH recently introduced its 3D Weave Composite Software. The warp or the weft cross-section is drawn digitally on square paper along with information on warp and weft yarn size and color for each warp layer via user interface. Then the system provides colored a 3D visualization of the structure. The software then converts the design to traditional up and down motion of each warp yarn to weave with one shed at a time on a weaving machine.

Road To Industry 4.0

Although weaving machine manufacturers have made progress toward producing digital machines that are Industry 4.0-ready, more still needs to be done. Weavers are looking for machines with automatic warp break repair; a fully automated start mark prevention mechanism that does not need operator intervention; fully automated style changes; automatic formation of flexible integrated circuits for smart e-textiles; multiphase weaving machines for dobby and jacquard weaving; and variable width/warp density jacquard weaving to overcome the current speed limit of single-phase weaving machines.

The road to Industry 4.0 also requires systems to collect and store large amounts of digital data, use of IoT to allow machine manufacturers to access and process big data using AI and analytics to diagnose and predict disruptive issues, development of robotics to complete automation, etc. It should be pointed out that the upstream yarn manufacturing and downstream — fabric finishing, conversion to products, and marketing — should be integrated with weaving since all data are correlated starting from fiber and ending with the market. One major issue manufacturers are concerned about is the compromise of data and intellectual property (IP), which is an impediment to the road to Industry 4.0. The textile industry is global and diversified and there is a need for global laws to protect manufacturers’ data and IP from hackers.

Editor’s Note: This article was adapted for Textile World from a paper by Dr. Seyam that was published in the NC State Wilson College of Textiles’ Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management (JTATM). The original paper may be viewed here: http://bit.ly/2020weaving

March/April 2020

The most recent ITMA highlighted trends in cutting and sewing automation.

By Dr. Minyoung Suh

An apparel product is a consumer good with a large number of fragmented supply chains. It starts with fiber selection, proceeds to yarn and fabric production, and ends in apparel manufacturing. In many cases, several additional sectors are involved in finishing the final product, which may include trims, findings, embroidery, leather and other fashion accessories.

The major operations of the labor-intensive apparel manufacturing sector can be categorized into three groups — preproduction, production and postproduction¹. Preproduction focuses on preparing necessary materials and services, and includes line planning, sample development, and approvals, sourcing, and production scheduling. During production, fabrics are spread, cut, bundled, and sewn. Several post-production tasks follow — including pressing, inspection, folding and packing — to get goods ready for consumers. Apparel production still relies on manual practices much as it was a few hundreds of years ago².

The labor dependent nature of cutting and sewing tasks make them expensive. Fabric cost and cut-and-sew labor are the two largest expenses in apparel manufacturing². Raw materials represent 50 to 70 percent of the total product cost³, but compromises in quality and quantity of fabric directly influences the quality of a final product. Instead, the viable solution to reduce the fabric cost is to realize the most efficient marker through accurate and precise cutting.

Sewing represents 35 to 40 percent of the total cost⁴. Sewn product manufacturers have lowered labor costs through global supply chain management over the past decades by locating production facilities in developing countries. However, this business strategy is more difficult to maintain because of recent changes in the global labor market. There are urgent needs to find alternative manufacturing solutions and automating cutting and sewing process is one option.

Automation improves productivity as well as the quality of fashion products by minimizing human intervention and preventing manufacturing mistakes. Examples include mechanized fabric handling, computerized techniques, and automatic sewing machine and robots. These processes assist smooth automatic transitions of workpieces between steps or during a process.

There were six sub-sections established under the garment making system presented at the ITMA 2019 textile machinery tradeshow. Those were product development equipment; shrinking, fusing, and cutting; sewing; sewing supplies and consumable; product finishing. Cutting and sewing are the major areas of observations, and multiple examples of automated equipment are reported to highlight key features of technical innovations in cutting and sewing automation.

Automation In Cutting

With increasing mass production, the cutting room in an apparel manufacturing facility has been automated by several new inventions. A spreading machine that carries a roll of fabric over the table has drastically reduced the human workforce. Introduced in the early 1900s, die cutters increased cutting efficiency and quality dramatically as well. With the appearance of numerically controlled (NC) machines in 1940s and 1950s, continuous cutting was possible. This led to greater flexibility in production as well as more economical use of material. Later on, digital technology created computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines and supporting tools such as computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) programs.

Most systems in automated cutting have a similar configuration, where a cutting device is housed in a carriage that is attached to a crossbar over the cutting table. The carriage moves along the crossbar across the width of the cutting table, while the crossbar moves along the length of the table. These movements let the cutting device travel over the cutting area, and are managed precisely by a control unit. In modern cutting devices, cutting tables are equipped with a vacuum system to hold the material down and enhance cutting accuracy during the cutting process. Porous materials such as textiles, have to be cut with an impermeable plastic cover because of this. Suction blowers usually are the component that consumes the most power in cutting operations⁵.

Various cutting technologies are available for a cutting device, such as computer-controlled knives, lasers, water jets, plasma or ultrasound. Knife cutters are suitable for multi-ply cutting of heavy textile materials and have been most widely adopted by textile product manufacturers⁵. The knife cutting head is equipped with multiple cutting tools — knives, notch tools, drill punches and markers — to meet diverse cutting and marking demands. Laser cutters are the second most commonly used cutting method, frequently adopted for single-ply cutting. Lasers can create anti-fray edges on man-made fibers including polyester and nylon. Diverse treatment effects are attainable, such as cutting, kiss cutting and marking, through controlled laser intensity. The choice of cutting method depends on the properties of materials as well as the complexity of required contours to be cut.

The most important consideration when configuring an automated cutting system is whether a single ply or multiple plies of fabric will be cut. Single-ply cutting enables continuous processes and eliminates the need for a spreader because the fabric can be fed to the cutting area directly from a roll. A conveyorized cutting table is used for increased productivity, where the cutting continues with the advance of the cutting surface. With the moving surface, an extra-large component exceeding the length of cutting table may be cut using this configuration.

When multiple stacks of a fabric are spread to cut, stronger cutting power is of course required. An oscillating knife maximizes the cutting capability by moving up and down as the knife advances. The depth of oscillating stroke typically ranges from 5 millimeters (mm) to 200 mm and needs to be engineered according to the cutting conditions⁵. Turkey-based Serkon Tekstil Makina introduced the intelligent knife which oscillates not only up and down, but also from side-to-side. The additional knife motion is helpful to cut pieces accurately across thick stacks of multiple textile layers. Because of the oscillating motions of the knife, the surface of cutting tables must be loose enough to support the movement. In multi-ply cutting with an oscillating knife, the surface of a cutting table is made of bristles, which is typically a static flatbed table. This static cutting configuration ensures higher cutting accuracy than a conveyor surface.

Since Tolland, Conn.-based Gerber Technology introduced the first fully automated cutting system in the 1960s, the automated cutting market has matured and become more competitive. France-based Lectra is another major player in the development of cutting technology.

The main areas of current innovation are related to elaborated sub-functions or supplementary assistance to the existing cutting technology. The major fields of new developments observed at ITMA 2019 could be summarized into three aspects — productivity, versatility, and pattern matching capability.

To enhance productivity, some automated cutters are equipped with an additional cutting device and crossbar, which performs synchronized and simultaneous cutting. According to Kuris Spezialmaschinen GmbH, Germany, dual cutting heads may reduce cutting time by up to 40 percent⁶. Another example of increased efficiency is the implementation of an automatic labeler. This technology was presented by Italy-based Morgan Tecnica S.p.A. and Serkon Tekstil Makina at ITMA 2019. Labelers are incorporated into cutters to ease human mistakes and confusion during unloading processes following cutting. The stickers, of different dimensions according to requirements, are thermally printed and placed in the middle of each cut piece (See Figures 1a and 1b). This makes the necessary information including bar codes immediately visible on the cut pieces.

Aiming for versatile use in a single cutter, Switzerland-based Zund Systemtechnik AG has adopted modular tooling in its automated cutters where the cutting device can be changed interactively by the user (See Figure 2a). Various cutting devices — including electric or pneumatic oscillating tools, rotary or knife blades, laser modules, perforating or creasing tools, and marking or plotting modules — may be selected and mounted on the carrier in a few quick easy steps for specific cutting operations.

At ITMA 2019, Germany-based Eurolaser GmbH presented an automated textile cutting system specialized for wool fabrics based on laser technology (See Figure 2b). Named Cut’nProtect Technology, its cutter was equipped with a steamer that can stabilize the fabric and create smooth lint-free cut edges. This cutter also incorporates a dual cutting device with a laser and a blade for versatility.

Traditionally, pattern matching involved preparing sectioned markers and having two separate cutting steps — rough cutting and fine cutting⁵. Although these processes were time- and labor-consuming, pattern matching accuracy was still elusive, and unnecessary material waste was generated between rough and fine cutting. Several companies, including Zund, Morgan Technica and Kuris — have invested efforts to develop pattern matching hardware and software and demonstrated the improved pattern matching capability in ITMA 2019.

In an automated system, pattern matching can be achieved either by generating an on-screen image of the fabric patterns over the marker table or projecting images of markers on the fabric. In the former method, fabric prints are scanned by an optical device on the cutting head and imported to the marker making software. Garment patterns are placed, and a marker is prepared over the fabric image (See Figure 3a). This allows the operator to optimize cutting parameters for accurate and precise cutting outcomes. Often called visual nest, the latter technology helps the operator view and edit markers in a real time, checking a marker image projected on the fabric surface before cutting (See Figure 3b). The operator can relocate or reorient pieces to match intricate fabric patterns or manipulate with engineered patterns. Since the operator still performs a significant role during the processes, these systems are considered semi-automated.

The key technology of Kuris highlighted at ITMA 2019 was the integrated camera system that records and recognizes the material to be cut. Photographed images of the fabric surface are processed to calculate cutting coordinates. This technology enables a single-ply cutter to perform even without markers in cases of garment patterns printed by a sublimation method (See Figure 3c). Based on the imaging technology, its leather cutter can also detect the arbitrary contours of a leather piece, determine different qualities of surface conditions, and auto-nest markers directly on the leather matching the quality zone (See Figure 3c).

Automation In Sewing

Production processes involved in garment assembly are divided into two sub-functions — handling of material and joining of fabric components. In garment manufacturing, significant time and labor are spent in material handling, such as lifting, moving, mounting, repositioning, and re-orientating cut or semi-finished fabric components. It is important to handle seams precisely and gently in an economic and efficient way to ensure high quality⁷. In commercially available workstations, loading is typically manual, while sewing and unloading processes may be automated⁸.

Compared to handling inflexible materials, working with fabric is significantly more challenging. Fabrics easily deform impermissibly even under very small pressure such as dead weight or air resistance. It is reported that handling during product assembly takes place manually 79-percent of the time⁹. None of the plants handled material automatically, while only 21 percent of companies employed semi-automatic systems. When a piece of clothing is manufactured, the handling time represents about 80 percent of the overall production time, and approximately 80 percent of the factory cost is related to handling cost.⁴

There are several gripping technologies based on either vacuum, Bernoulli gripper, needles, or rollers⁷. In vacuum grippers, the gripping elements are connected to a pneumatic pump and maintain contact with the gripping material¹⁰. The pressure difference allows the gripping material to adhere to the suction pads. Bernoulli grippers enable contactless gripping by creating a Bernoulli effect with the direct use of compressed air. In needle grippers, needles penetrate the materials at an angle and are interlocked with the material to grip. Roller systems often employ freezing and surface grippers, which create temporary adhesion using Peltier elements and electrostatic effects, respectively.

However, these advanced gripping technologies are not yet popularized in assembly systems for textile products. Szimmat⁹ reported that 72 percent of current semi-automatic handling systems do not employ grippers, and the remaining 28 percent use needles or scrap grippers. The only similar application found in ITMA 2019 was the picking pad demonstrated by an on-going project at Spain-based AB Industries. In its system, workpieces float approximately one inch above a table surface structured with bristles. This allows a 360-degree robotic arm to scoop the workpieces up easily using a simple gripping element (See Figure 4). According to AB Industries, the technology is currently under development and not yet commercialized.

Sewing is the most important textile joining technology, representing 85 percent of all joining methods⁴. Sewing is still dependent on highly skilled labor for manual operations and takes 35 to 40 percent of the total cost⁴. Over the past a few decades, sewn product manufacturers lowered the production cost by relocating production facilities to developing countries with low wages. However, this business strategy is nearing the end of its lifetime as market conditions change. Labor costs are rapidly increasing in many developing countries, there is a global shortage of skilled labor, and consumer behavior changes faster than ever pushed by fast fashion trends. Therefore, the garment manufacturing industry is urged to strive for automation in sewing.

The most popular and widely adopted automated sewing configuration observed at ITMA 2019 was the conventional sewing machine mounted on fabric processing machinery such as a winding or calendaring unit. Several companies including Spain-based Texma Machinery S.L. and Italy-based Comatex Textile Machinery S.r.l. used this type of configuration to finish edges, join fabric rolls, or make a tubular structure from a fabric roll (See Figures 5a and 5b). Monti-mac S.r.l., Italy, supplies a series of mobile sewing machine for this configuration (See Figure 5c). Pneumatic-power supply is adopted in some sewing units in case wet processes are involved simultaneously during sewing operations. The common stitch types used for these applications are either chain — 100 or 400 class — or overlock — 500 class — stitches since sewing machines for those stitch types are equipped with a continuous bottom thread supply that does not require stopping the machine to load the threads.

An automatic bobbin changing system is an innovative solution for increased efficiency in sewing. In 301 stitch type lock stitch machines, a fully loaded bobbin lasts for less than 20 minutes in continuous sewing and frequent changes of bobbins are a notorious sewing bottleneck⁸. The automatic system is based on two principles — checking the remaining amount of bobbin thread and replacing with a filled bobbin once the predetermined amount of remaining thread is reached.

RSG Automation Technics GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, demonstrated a fully automatic bobbin exchanger at ITMA. Its patented bobbin checker uses a unique bobbin coded with a specific combination of RGB colors (See Figure 6a). As the bobbin spins during machine operations, a light sensor monitors the color sequence and detects usual bobbin movement or errors when it runs out of threads. In the unit on display at ITMA 2019, a magazine-type bobbin station sits nearby with 15 filled bobbin cases ready, while one space out of 16 slots remains empty for changeover to take place (See Figure 6b). This leads to minimal production stops where the sewing machine stops only for 6 to 8 seconds each time for bobbin exchange.

The principles of automated sewing vary depending on the geometry of sewing paths. Two-dimensional seams can easily be created using CNC sewing technology, where a single or double mobile sewing heads advance over textiles along programmed seam path. For more complicated cases to convert 2D fabrics into 3D seams, the sewing head is guided by a robot in 3D space along the sewing paths while the fabrics are positioned in a 3D shape. However, in many of these cases, two fabric pieces have different contours or curvatures along the seam to be joined. This type of seams needs to be handled by positioning the fabrics 3D and applying different tension to the fabrics in every stitch.

In a 2D sewing configuration, one or more layers of textiles are stitched within fixed sewing frames. Flexible material handling is avoided by clamping the fabric pieces into the holders. The holder guides the sewing head into x and y directions following programmed seam contours. This sewing configuration is mostly used for ornamental and design seams. The size of the sewing field is basically limited by the physical dimensions of the linear axes in the machine. Large machines may handle a sewing area up to 3 meters by 3 meters, while small machines can cover less than 10 cm by 10 cm⁴. Large CNC sewing machines are for quilting a blanket or a mattress (See Figure 7a). Typically, a small-sized machine is used to automatically stitch care or brand labels into clothing (See Figure 7b).

Current advances in automated sewing systems are limited to certain operations. Various semi-automated sewing automats and units are commercially available from many suppliers, including Japan-based Juki Corp., Italy-based RI.MA.C. S.r.l., and Germany-based Durkopp Adler AG. At ITMA 2019, Juki demonstrated a series of automatic sewing machines for buttons, buttonholes, and bartacks; while Rimac showcased an automatic binding machine for finishing round corners of bedding and automobile floor mats (See Figure 8). The workpiece is rotated at the corners using a motorized arm to create a constant curvature while the textile tape is automatically inserted through a feeding unit.

Durkopp Adler introduced a modular production system at ITMA 2019 by demonstrating a double welt pocket sequence (See Figure 9). A welt pocket is produced using a two-needle lock stitch head with a center knife cutter and needle feed mechanism⁸. Sewing frames with a fixed seam path are used for template sewing and they clamp workpieces during the operations. A semi-automatic configuration, the process requires the operator to align and feed the pieces into the system.

A company that did not participate in ITMA 2019, but that is making significant contributions to the automated sewing industry with its Sewbots is Softwear Automation Inc., Atlanta. Its major technological innovation is the integration of advanced computer vision systems, which track individual threads at the needle and coordinate the precise movement of the fabric⁸. Sewbots handle a fabric using a robotic arm and a 360-degree conveyor system. A four-axis robotic arm can lift and place a piece of fabric using a vacuum gripper, while a conveyor table can feed the fabric into a sewing unit. The table is equipped with the spherical rollers, called budgers, embedded in the surface. Thanks to these budgers, each fabric piece can move smoothly over the table in any direction as needed.

Terrebonne, Quebec-based Automatex Inc. demonstrated a fully automated pillowcase production unit at ITMA 2019, where sequential production tasks of trimming, folding, stitching, labeling, and packaging are completed within a single unit. Similar systems are offered by Italy-based Magetron S.r.l., Germany-based Texpa Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG and Germany-based Carl Schmale GmbH & Co. KG for towel production. So far, commercially available production systems with full-automated production capability are limited to planar textile products, such as towel, bedding sheets, and carpets.

Sewing heads need to be mounted on and controlled by robots for 3D sewing operations. Since many processes and steps of semi-automatic machine have to be incorporated, it is difficult to maintain economical and flexible production. Large investments are needed, and robotic systems are not yet adopted for garment production lines. However, a production demonstration carried out by Italy-based ACG Kinna Automatic provided an impressive, futuristic display for automated production. A fully automated system named Borsoi was handling a 3D pillow using robots. Specifically, Borsoi was able to pick up a pillowcase, secure the seam opening, stuff the pillowcase, transport the pillow, close the opening, and pack a finished product in a plastic bag in a single continuous production line (See Figures 11a-11g). All workpieces are handled and advanced forward between each task using robotic arms with clamps.

Completion of more than one production task is a key consideration in advancing automated sewing systems. A sewing machine must be implemented within the existing flow of other operations in the assembly processes, such as stuffing feeders or seam pressers, as was shown by multiple companies at ITMA. The configuration of automated sewing systems relies on product design and production plans, and each production system may have to be customized for different apparel products. Product standardization efforts would lessen the burden. Companies such as RSG Automation Technics offer customization services for textile product plants.

Textile Industry 4.0

The textile industry led the first industrial revolution during the 1800s, which brought the transition from handcrafted production to manufacturing systems based on mechanical power. The second industrial revolution made industrialization and mass production possible, while the third revolution was based on digitalization and automation technologies. Today, production lines are equipped with programmable machines and the industry currently is heading towards the fourth industrial revolution.

Industry 4.0 is a strategic initiative introduced by the German government in 2011¹¹. The initiative was triggered because attempts to lower the manufacturing cost were almost exhausted and new strategies are needed. Reports estimate Industry 4.0 factory can save costs by 10-30 percent in production, by 10-30 percent in logistics, and by 10-20 percent in quality management¹². Other expected outcomes include shorter lead time, improved customer responsiveness, affordable mass customization, worker-friendly environment and more efficient use of natural resources and energy¹¹. Especially, Industry 4.0 solutions may provide key technologies for smart textile production — one of the largest areas of growth in the textile industry. The global market for smart textiles is forecast at $3 billion by 2026.

The main concept of Industry 4.0 is smart automation based on interoperability and connectivity. The application of cyber-physical systems (CPS) and Internet of Things (IoT) to industrial production systems is important for Industry 4.0. Production facilities are CPS, which represents the physical equipment integrated with information and communication technology components. Autonomous systems are able to make their own decisions for self-organization and self-optimization based on machine learning algorithms and real-time data¹³.

Networked systems integrated into apparel manufacturing machinery were introduced at ITMA 2019. The Juki Advanced Network System (JaNets) is software in combination with supporting hardware, where sewing machines in a production line are interlinked to provide data on production activities. Digital sewing machines are an essential component to gather detailed sewing data including error codes (See Figure 12a). Terminals positioned at each workstation provide the detailed analytics of a production progress in real time and reduce time to react to problems. Suzhou Transparent Electronic Technology Co. Ltd., China, (TPET®) also proposes smart factory platform for home textile manufacturing. Its system consists of a series of digital machines interconnected to manufacture products, monitor facilities, carry out analytics, and transport equipment as well as materials (See Figure 12b). This enables predictive maintenance of manufacturing facilities based on big data acquisition and analysis.

The concept of on-demand garment design and production — where an apparel product is manufactured after the customized order is received — is starting to take off¹⁴. The systems consist of an apparel design database and a series of manufacturing machinery for textile printing, cutting, and assembly. Smart automation is essential to reduce the cost and shorten the lead time. It is obvious from ITMA 2019 that the textile and apparel industry is making steady progress every day towards Industry 4.0.

The most recent ITMA highlighted the advanced state of automation in apparel manufacturing. The biggest trend in cutting is the use of optical imaging technologies; and the cutters are becoming more productive, versatile, and precise. Compared to cutting, the development of sewing automation is still in a primitive stage, where only a limited sewing capability is feasible in automated configurations. The seamless integration of customized features into existing production lines is the largest trend in automated sewing currently.

References:

¹Nayak, R. and Padhye, R. (2018). Automation in Garment Manufacturing. In R. Nayak and R. Padhye (Ed.), Automation in Garment Manufacturing (pp. 1-27). Sawston, Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing.

²Burns, L., Mullet, K., and Bryant, N. (2011). The business of fashion: Designing, manufacturing and marketing. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing.

³Vilumsone-Nemes, I. (2018b). Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials (pp. 139-164). Sawston, Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing.

⁴Gries, T. and Lutz, V. (2018). Application of robotics in garment manufacturing. In R. Nayak and R. Padhye (Ed.), Automation in Garment Manufacturing (pp. 179-197). Sawston, Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing.

⁵Vilumsone-Nemes, I. (2018a). Automation in spreading and cutting, In R. Nayak and R. Padhye (Ed.), Automation in Garment Manufacturing (pp. 139-164). Sawston, Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing.

⁶Kuris Spezialmaschinen GmbH (2010). Cutty, Retrieved from https://www.kuris.de/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/KURIS_CuttyDoppelbrucke_4Seiter-GB-Web.pdf

⁷Lutz, V., Fruh, H., Gries, T., and Klingele, J. (2018). Automation in material handling, In R. Nayak and R. Padhye (Ed.), Automation in Garment Manufacturing (pp. 165-177). Sawston, Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing.

⁸Jana, P. (2018). Automation in sewing technology, In R. Nayak and R. Padhye (Ed.), Automation in Garment Manufacturing (pp. 199-236). Sawston, Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing.

⁹Szimmat, F. (2007). Contribution to the separation of plane bending sliders components. Stuttgart, Germany: Fraunhofer Society.

¹⁰Aminpour, R. (2017). Automated fabric picking, US Patent No. 2017/0259445 A1.Washington, DC: US Patent and Trademark Office.

¹¹Rojki, A. (2017). Industry 4.0 concept: Background and overview. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 11(5), 77-90.

¹²Bauernhansl, T., Krüger, J., Reinhart, G., and Schuh, G. (2016). WGP standpoint Industry 4.0. Berlin, Germany: Scientific Society for Production Engineering.

¹³Kusters, D., Prab, N. and Gloy, Y. (2017). Textile learning factory 4.0 – Preparing Germany’s textile industry for the digital future, Procedia Manufacturing, 9(1), 214-221.

¹⁴Aminpour, R., Barnet, A., Liang, N., Alexander, A., Wilson, J., and Mata, J. (2017). On demand apparel manufacturing, US Patent No. 9,623,578. Washington, DC: US Patent and Trademark Office.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Minyoung Suh is an assistant professor in the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State, Raleigh, N.C., in the department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management. This article was adapted for Textile World from a paper by Dr. Suh published in the NC State Wilson College of Textiles’ Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management (JTATM). The original paper may be viewed here: http://bit.ly/2020cutandsew.

March/April 2020

With the slogan “Revolutionize to Evolve,” Colombiatex de las Américas 2020 emphasized sustainability as the key for future growth.

By Dr. Virgilio L. González, Textiles Panamericanos’ Correspondent

In the presence of Saúl Pineda Hoyos, viceminister of Business Development; Maritza López, secretary of Productivity and Competitiveness of Antioquía; and Daniel Quintero Street, mayor of Medellín; accompanied by Carlos Eduardo Botero Hoyos, Inexmoda CEO, Colombiatex 2020 was inaugurated, as a first line platform for trends and business in the Latin American textile sector.

During the inauguration, Botero Hoyos mentioned that he appreciated the national authorities for supporting Colombiatex of the Américas as the most important fair in Latin America’s textile industry. He also emphasized the importance of an environmental approach in an increasingly globalized world as Colombiatex introduced the Environmental Sustainability Route and logo — organized to highlight the sustainability efforts of various exhibitors at the show. “That’s why Colombiatex of the Américas 2020 will show how organizations are transforming their business models, improving their chains of supply to reduce environmental impacts, improve efficiency with technology and improve industrial social conditions,” Botero Hoyos said.

Botero also recognized the work of Diana Osorio, social manager of Medellín and wife of Mayor Daniel Quintero, who led the Environmental Sustainability project, showing her interest for Medellín’s industrial evolution. Osorio pointed out: “It is necessary to add efforts in industry with the purpose to reduce contaminants in the world. This is the result of a lot work that has to be done so a city like Medellín leads innovation, where fashion is a fundamental component because we use it daily and leaves important impacts to the planet.”

Medellín Mayor Quintero said: “Colombiatex is definitely the most important fair for the textile industry in Latin America. The environmental sense and the decisions of the buyers that are increasingly concerned in a lot of industries recognize that in this show, there is a very important challenge that also go towards technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, through initiatives like internet applied to things that will hit the textile industry.”

Show Overview

The show had spaces for education and discussions related to environmental sustainability, with three days for discussing trends, sharing knowledge and conducting businesses.

The fair hosted 546 exhibitors from 21 countries. Colombia represented the largest number of exhibitors with at a total of 328. Forty-six percent were from Antioquia, 44 percent from Cundinamarca, and 6 percent from Valley of the Cauca, among other departments of Colombia. Some 218 international exhibitors came from countries such as India, Brazil and Italy, among other countries. The exhibitors mostly focused on:

• Environmental Sustainability — the reuse of plastic, water treatment and reduction of undesirable gases.
• Technology — the digital transformation of industry, 3D modeling and robotic arms.
• Technical Textiles — intelligent fibers that do not loose shape and using materials friendly to the environment.

Notable exhibitors included Cotton Council International and Epson from the United States; Vicunha and Canatiba from Brazil; Spain-based Jeanologia; Fukutex and others with the Taiwanese delegation; and Fabricato, ENKA and Coltejer from Colombia.

The exhibition was visited by 13,682 buyers of which 12,587 were from Colombia. More than 1,500 buyers were international, coming from Ecuador, Peru and Mexico, among other countries.

The sustainability tour was a successful initiative with more than 57 companies participating, 56 percent of which were from Colombia.

This edition of Colombiatex also emphasized creativity. A collection of 20 Colombian illustrators showed off their talent in the Graphic Market, a joint project between Inexmoda and Artextil aimed to offer market opportunities for the designers.

Trend Forums

Colombiatex of the Américas presented fashion trend information for the season Spring/Summer 2020, with displays of textiles and raw materials as well as daily talks on the subject, which gathered nearly 2,000 people during the three-day-event.

The key trends were:

• Textiles with blurred or cellophane appearance, melted graphics and ball prints inspired by California.
• Ultrafine fabrics, textured, pleated and natural fabrics, as well as granulated appearances like pumice stone, floral watercolor patterns and fruits in retro shape.
• Meshes and chains, frosted surfaces, luxurious velvets, printed animal designs and graffiti.

In addition, Inexmoda made a tribute to denim through the Denimm Day, an invitation for people to show their best clothing manufactured using this material.

Knowledge Pavilion

Inexmoda and the University Pontificia Bolivariana-UPB hosted the Knowledge Pavilion, where 28 experts shared their experience and knowledge through lectures and workshops. The topics, mainly covering sustainability and the fashion business, gathered together almost 7,000 people in person and another 7,400 people via streaming. During the Fair, Inexmoda and the UPB celebrated 10 years of collaboration on the Knowledge Pavilion, and reaffirmed commitment to this initiative for future events.

Heimtextil Launch

During Colombiatex, Inexmoda and Germany-based Messe Frankfurt announced their alliance to launch Heimtextil Colombia, a fair that will be a key American event for interiors and home textiles. The show, to be held in April 2021, is expected to boost Latin American textile initiatives to diversify and increase their textile supply to the world.

Contribution To The Economy

Colombiatex of the Américas occupied 11,000-square-meters of exhibition space and at this edition, required 4,700 people and 2,600 vehicles for set up.

Colombiatex also contributes approximately $9.4 million to the local economy of Medellín with a hotel occupation rate of 91 percent. According to market research firm Invamer, business expectations are on the order of the $753 million, of which 56 percent closed during the fair, and the remaining 44 percent to be achieved in the year following the event. Distribution of businesses was as follows: textiles at 43 percent; machinery at 12 percent; chemicals and other raw materials at 11 percent; complete package at 8 percent; and textile fibers at 6 percent.

Colombia And The United States

For most Colombian-manufactured products, including textiles and tailored goods, the United States has become a most important partner. Last year, nearly half of the textile goods exported from Colombia — 49.2 percent — went to the United States. According to Maria Claudia Lacouture, director of the Colombo-American Chamber of Commerce: “Sales increase occurred because rules of the free trade treaty has been clear and followed correctly by both countries. The treaty has taken place, giving Colombian businessmen advantages for export goods to North America.”

Approximately $209 million of textile exports went to the United States from Colombia last year, mainly in jeans, swimwear and shapewear. U.S. exports to Colombia last year totaled $91.4 millions dollars, increasing 4.2-percent compared to the previous year.

In summary, it appears Colombiatex of the Américas will continue to be a top show in Latin American textiles and tailored goods. “With the challenge to begin homologating our measure indicators with the international tradeshows, from 2021 we will move from measuring from the expectations and business perspective rates, to the standard data of the world tradeshows, which are tantamount to the numbers dynamizing the economy on a direct way as the investment in mobility, infrastructure and direct and indirect hiring; as well as the city impact coming with the commercial platforms as Colombiatex de las Americas,” Botero Hoyos summarized.

March/April 2020