Robotics in Apparel Industry

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Robotics in Apparel Industry
A brief on scope and impact of robotics in apparel manufacturing

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Introduction : Industrial Robotics

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 As we enter this 4th industrial revolution of automation through robotics, it’s expected that “artificial intelligence (AI), machine
learning (ML) and cognitive computing will directly impact approximately 47% of U.S. jobs.”
 The growth in industrial robot sales is led by Asia. Between 2011 and 2016 robot sales increased by an average of 12 percent.
 The use of industrial robots across the automotive, electronic and others industries is at its highest, said the International Federation
of Robotics.
 It would be the workers in developing countries that are most likely to be hit by automation.
 In another approach to increase supply chain efficiency, last year Amazon won a patent for an on-demand apparel manufacturing
system that would stitch your clothing after the order was placed.
 However, the current frontier for robotic textile manufacturing is limited in scope to relatively simple pieces made in high quantities.
“We’d never do a bridal dress,” says SoftWear Automation CEO, Palaniswamy Rajan.
Introduction : Industrial Robotics

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Robotics in Apparel Industry

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 Sewbo, an industrial robot programmed to tackle the tricky
task, assembles clothes and makes it look easy.
 Sewbo tackles this by impregnating the fabric with PVA, a non-
toxic biodegradable polymer.
 The temporarily stiffened fabric then can be processed as if it
were sheet metal.
 It can be welded, molded, and most importantly, grabbed and
sewn by the robot in a repeatable manner.
 From the finished garment, the PVA is removed by simply
rinsing it with warm water.
Sewbo – The Sewing Robot

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 The LOWRY system is a four-axis robot that can be used for
fabric handling, pick and place operations, as well as direct
sewing.
 The system uses a high speed visual sensors to precisely track
fabric and prevent distortion during the sewing process.
 The system also allows importing of ASTM (DFX) files from
popular pattern design software and the ability to fine-tune
the parameters using online sewing CAD software before
exporting to the LOWRY robot for production.
 The LOWRY system is also compatible for installation with
existing cutters, fabric transfers and sewing machines and can
run on a continuous basis, reducing unproductive downtime.
LOWRY – The SewBot

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Industrial Robots in Apparel Manufacturing
Fig. 2.1- Computer numerical control sewing factory with two
workpiece holder for a fast change of the workpiece.
Fig. 2.2- Integrated three-dimensional sewing system for the
automatic sewing of a head cushion cover

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Industrial Robots in Apparel Manufacturing
Fig. 2.3- Sewing cell with industrial robots for workpiece feeding Fig. 2.4- Automated sewing system developed by ITA

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Products Manufacturing using SEWBOT®

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Products presently manufactured by SEWBOT®

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Footwear Automation
T-Shirts Automation Towels and Pillows Automation
Mats Automation

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 Footwear –
 SEWBOT® Capabilities:
• The Digital Footwear Upper Workline can produce a shoe
upper 11X faster than template sewing.
• Precision placement of up to 12 overlays
• Sews one upper with three overlays in 26 seconds.
• Vamps and overlays are placed and precision-stitched for
top quality.
• No use of adhesives
• Elimination of traditional overlay templates
• Enables mass production of mixed runs — no pallets
required.
 Pillows –
• The Autonomous Pillow Workline can produce 900 pillows
in one 8-hour shift.
• Fully autonomous single needle lock stitch enables the
Autonomous Pillow Workline to cut labor by 75%.
• Increases Output 150%
• 1.5X increase in output per 8-hour shift
• Cuts labor by 75%
• Stacks and sews one pillow in 32 seconds.
• 1 worker can operate four SEWBOT® worklines at a time.
• SEWBOT® workline produces 900 pillows per 8-hour shift.

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 Bath Mats –
• The Autonomous Bath Mat Workline can produce 1440
mats in one 8-hour shift
• Increases output by 1.5X per 8-hour shift
• Serges one mat in 20 seconds
• Fully autonomous outer edge serging enables the
Autonomous Bath Mat Workline to cut labor by 75%.
• Serges 1 mat every 20 seconds.
 Automotive Mats –
• The Autonomous Automotive Mat Workline can produce
960 mats in one 8-hour shift.
• Doubles output per 8-hour shift
• Serges one mat in 30 seconds
Automotive Mat Workline to cut labor by 75%.
• Serges 1 mat every 30 seconds.

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 T-Shirts –
• The Digital T-Shirt Workline can produce a t-shirt twice as
fast as manual sewing.
• Increases output by 2X per 8-hour shift
• Assembles and sews one t-shirt in 2.5 minutes
• Fully autonomous shoulder, sleeve, side seam, hemming,
and binding enables the Digital T-Shirt Workline to
produce one complete t-shirt in 22 seconds.
• Assembles and sews one t-shirt in 22 seconds.
• 1 SEWBOT® operator produces the same number of t-
shirts as 17 manual sewers.
• SEWBOT® workline produces 1142 mats per 8-hour shift.
 Towels –
• The Automated Towel Workline can produce 640
microfiber towels in one 8-hour shift
• Increases output by 3X per 8-hour shift
• Serges one towel in 45 seconds
Autonomous Towel Workline to cut labor by 75%.
• Serges 1 towel every 45 seconds.
• SEWBOT® workline produces 640 towels per 8-hour shift.

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Application of Robotics in Apparel Industry

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 The Sewbot work-line robots rely on high speed cameras,
which see the individual threads in fabric, pinpointing the exact
location where a needle strikes and adjusting the garment
accordingly.
 Sewbot work-line can produce nearly twice as many finished t-
shirts in an eight-hour shift as manual sewing can run 24 hours
a day. It’s 80 percent more efficient.
 Working across a 70-foot long t-shirt production line, the robot
performs each task, including cutting, sewing a seam, adding a
sleeve, and quality inspection. Each step of the way, the
computer vision guides the fabric.
 Then comes the patented machine vision system. ID Tech Ex
says that it has higher accuracy than the human eye, “tracking
exact needle placement to within half a millimeter of
accuracy.” IEEE explains that it tracks each individual thread
within the fabric.
 “To do that, the company developed a specialized camera
capable of capturing more than 1,000 frames per second, and
a set of image-processing algorithms to detect, on each frame,
where the threads are.”
 Using this high caliber machine vision and real-time analysis,
the robotics then continually manipulate and adjust the fabric
to be properly arranged. The Pick & Place machine mimics how
a seamstress would move and handle fabric.
How Sewing Robots Works

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 The fabric is moved using two methods. The first is a four-axis
robotic arm that can lift and place the fabric using a vacuum
gripper.
 The second is a 360-degree conveyor system which is a table of
embedded spherical rollers.
 With each roller, or Budger Ball, moving independently at high
speeds, the rollers can relocate the fabric or smooth the fabric
as needed.
 Yet the sewing itself is also done a little differently.
 The direct sewing process means that rather than the
fabric moving through a stationary sewing machine, the
Sewbots move the needle rather than the fabric.
How Sewing Robots Works

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Automatic Sewing

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Scope of Robotics in Apparel Industry

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 For companies like Chinese clothing manufacturer Tianyuan Garments Company, who produces clothing for Adidas and Armani, this
automated sewing technology has allowed them to open their newest factory in Arkansas, not China.
 The automated sewing robots reduce the need for sewing laborers. In the case of Tianyuan’s new factory, three to five people will
work each of the 21 robotic production lines. This a labor decrease of 50-70% compared to the 10 workers on a conventional line.
 In addition to lowering costs, the robots will also increase production. A human sewing line produces 669 t-shirts in eight hours,
compared to the robots at 1,142 t-shirts. That’s a 71% increase in production, resulting in a total output of 1.2 million t-shirts per
year.
 Using robotics makes the cost of producing a t-shirt in the U.S. comparable to one that is produced overseas. For example, in
Bangladesh the labor cost to produce a denim shirt is about $0.22. If made by U.S. workers, that labor cost jumps to $7.47, but with a
robotic production line, it’s just $0.33 per t-shirt.
 As Quartz puts it, “the robot, working under the guidance of a single human handler, can make as many shirts per hour as about 17
humans.” So in this instance of John Henry versus the machine, it would seem that the machine wins.
Production Gains From Manufacturing With Robotics

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 Between 2000 and 2010, the U.S. lost 5.6 million manufacturing jobs. However, only 13% of those job losses were a result of moving
facilities offshore. Instead, 85% of the job losses were due to the “productivity growth” of robotics and machinery. It’s predicted that
by 2025, the global average of manufacturing tasks being done by robots will grow from 10% to 25% across all industries.
 Rather than highlighting how robots are replacing manufacturing jobs, SoftWear instead spins the conversation to how manufacturers
can “sew local” so as to “geographically shortening the distance between manufacturing and consumers.”
 With the average garment worker in the U.S. nearing
retirement, disrupting the industry with robotics could be
a long term solution. However, globally, this type of
technology would have a major impact on the Asian
manufacturing industry that employs low wage workers.
 Estimates by the International Labour Organization report
that robots will replace 64% of textile, clothing, and
footwear workers in Indonesia, 86% in Vietnam, and 88%
in Cambodia.
Impact of Sewing Robots on the Textile Manufacturing Industry

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 The fear of automation replacing humans has already pushed industry leaders like Elon Musk to debate this incoming disruption. "AI
is a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilisation and I don't think people will fully appreciate that," Musk said in July 2017.
 Multiple studies by organisations such as the OECD and the World Bank have warned that automation can leave millions of people
jobless, not just in developing countries but also in advanced economies.
 Pakistani businessman Khokhar said it won’t be easy for governments of developing economies to deal with large scale job losses in
the textile industry. Automaton is not going to take jobs away from humans any time soon. This work is too complicated for machines
to handle.
 “But if that happens, the consequences would be devastating.”
 But as per Mr. Rajan, SewBot Chairman, Sewbots are not meant to replace all of garment manufacturing. Using automation for high-
volume basic apparel enables sewing machine workers to focus more on complex garments, while advancing their skill sets and
commanding higher wages all around the world.
 He said, “I read Bangladeshi newspapers everyday. There is so much fanfare every time there is investment in the garment sector. But
I don’t wanna see that because we know that economic landscape is changing and that money could be invested in other sectors.”
Overall Impact of Robotics in Apparel Sector

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Present Market Scenario of Robotics in Apparel Sector

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 The US government has played a crucial role in the promotion
of this technology as well.
 Softwear Automation’s Sewbot concept was conceived by Dr.
Steve Dickerson, a Professor Emeritus of Mechatronics at
Georgia Tech.
 The US Department of Defense supported him with $1.7
million, seeking locally manufactured military uniforms for the
US soldiers in return.
 His firm was later acquired by Rajan’s investment fund, CTW
Venture Partners.
 The companies that do remain in business face ageing workers
on sewing machines, high wages and an uninterested
workforce that views textile factories as sweatshops.
 Softwear Automation has received funding from Walmart as
the retail giant wants to meet the demand of its customers
before fashion wears out.
 A brand or manufacturer that’s willing to commit can have up
to 10 percent of its manufacturing to the US within five years
of setting up a Sewbot factory,” Rajan told TRT World.
US Government to promote Robotics in Apparel Manufacturing

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 Partnership leverages Softwear Automation’s revolutionary SEWBOT® technologies to accelerate the full digitization and automation
of the manufacturing process
 The partnership leverages Li & Fung’s global supplier network and Softwear’s autonomous sewing worklines with the aim of creating
a fully-digital manufacturing supply chain for apparel and textile products. The partnership will initially focus on the supply chain of
t-shirts, with potential to expand to other product categories in the future.
 Softwear’s revolutionary digital t-shirt SEWBOT® Workline is fully autonomous and requires a single operator, producing one
complete t-shirt every 22 seconds – twice as fast as manual sewing. Digitizing the production portion of the supply chain presents a
game-changing opportunity for manufacturers and suppliers.
 Technology solutions like automation will enable manufacturers to deliver better productivity and efficiency and create new, higher-
value employment opportunities for their employees, such as engineers and technicians.
 In March, Li & Fung provided an update on the progress of its Three-Year Plan (2017-2019) and initiatives around speed, innovation
and digitalization, highlighting that the company’s goal of creating the Supply Chain of the Future had a strong start in 2017 and it is
on track to deliver its financial and strategic goals.
Li & Fung Partnership with Softwear Automation

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 The Seattle e-commerce juggernaut just won a patent for “on-
demand apparel manufacturing,” in which machines only start
snipping and stitching once an order has been placed.
 The patent describes a system in which computer software
collects clothing orders from all over the world and comes up
with an efficient plan for fulfilling them.
 Orders can be organized by the computing environment into
one or more groups of orders based on one or more
productivity factors, such as size, shape, fabric type, or delivery
location for the textile products.
 By aggregating orders from various geographic locations and
coordinating apparel assembly processes on a large scale, the
embodiments provide new ways to increase efficiency in
apparel manufacturing.
 The patent also alludes to plans to expand on-demand
manufacturing beyond just clothing. Including clothing or fabric
products, accessories, footwear, bedding, curtains, towels, etc.
Amazon wins patent for ‘on-demand apparel manufacturing’

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 T-Shirt Automations –
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbkOTg0lqhY&feature=youtu.be
 Softwear Automation –
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEgQHLTcI5k
 Can Robots Transform the Garment Industry –
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA96-WX-oXc&feature=youtu.be
 Robot sewing machine –
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i4cfQGe8fY&t=6s
 Robot Sewing from Sewbo –
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjjzo3c7b_8
 Sewing Robot -
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrudo-ckSNU
 The Robot Revolution: Automation Comes into Fashion –
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsSDI8wWAyQ
References – Videos

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 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233895854_Automated_Garment_Assembly_and_Manufacturing_Simulation
 https://www.fastcodesign.com/3064001/meet-the-garment-sewing-robot-that-could-disrupt-the-fashion-industry
 http://www.deviceplus.com/connect/sewbot-in-the-clothing-manufacturing-industry/
 https://www.fastcompany.com/40454692/this-t-shirt-sewing-robot-could-radically-shift-the-apparel-industry
 https://www.geekwire.com/2017/fashion-focused-amazon-wins-patent-demand-apparel-manufacturing/
 http://softwearautomation.com/digital-t-shirt-workline/
 http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/7183/use-of-robots-automation-in-the-garment-industry
 https://www.lifung.com/press-release/li-fung-accelerates-creation-digital-supply-chain-softwear-automation-partnership/
 https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/technology/softwear-automation-avery-dennison-apparel-manufacturing106632-106632/
 https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/will-robots-completely-replace-humans-from-textile-factory-floors--14930
 http://softwearautomation.com/digital-t-shirt-workline/#form_bottom
References – Articles and Websites

Robotics in Apparel Industry

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