1. 'Dialogue on supply
chain is critical'
Flexibility, quality,
environmental
performance and
innovation are four
specific areas of
improvement and
opportunity that brands
and retailers are investing
in to increase the value,
or the perception of
value, of their products.
International Apparel
Federation (IAF)
Secretary-General
MATTHIJS CRIETEE
explains how each area
translates into machinery
needs.
MATTHIJS CRIETEE, SECRETARY-
GENERAL-INTERNATIONAL
APPAREL FEDERATION
MACHINERY NEEDS OF APPAREL INDUSTRY
International Apparel Federation
34 | | MACHINERY COMPENDIUM

2. I
n 2015, the concept
around which many
developments in the
entire clothing industry
supply chain are hinged
must be value. Countless sales periods in most
mature markets have eroded the consumer’s
sense of value of apparel. In my own country
of domicile, the Netherlands, we are seeing a
recovery in the retail volume of apparel after
a seven-year recession. But in terms of value,
the sales of apparel are hardly picking up. This
is because consumers have simply been taught
to spend less on clothing. The combination
of the entry of big global discounters and
the excessive use of discounts to maintain
sales volumes by independent retailers has
decreased the average price a consumer pays
for an article of clothing.
Brands and retailers have different
strategies in place to restore the consumer’s
sense of value of clothing. These are key
to understanding the needs, including the
machinery needs, of the apparel industry.
Flexibility, quality, environmental performance
and innovation are four examples of specific
areas of improvement and opportunity that
brands and retailers are
investing
The manufacturing industry will be faced with an increasing demand for machines that are able to
literally integrate electronics or for example solar panels into garments.
in to increase the value, or the
perception of value, of their
products. In this article I will explain
how for each area this translates
into machinery needs.
The issue of flexibility
In one segment of apparel
retail, the ability to deliver to the
consumer the products that are in
fashion at exactly that time is what
drives value. A consumer will pay a
small premium because he or she is
given the assurance by the retailer
that the article bought is trendy.
This is fast fashion, and it will only
become more important. For a
clothing manufacturer, fast fashion
translates into flexibility, and for a
machinery producer, this translates
into machines with fast changeover
times.
A garment producer entering
the fast fashion game must have
invested in machines suitable for a
flexible way of production, making
it viable to produce short runs.
These can be machines performing
traditional tasks but making use
of programmable stitch patterns,
automated material handling
systems, and robotic controls.
Many of these machines were put
on the shelf during the 1990s,
but the move to fast fashion is
also driving more production
closer to point of consumption,
which makes automation easier
to justify. There are also machines
that perform tasks in entirely new
and more flexible ways. Good
examples of this last category are
digital fabric printers, vision guided
cutting machines, and machines
that communicate with workers,
management, and other machines
to better control quality and
productivity.
MACHINERY COMPENDIUM | | 35

3. The issue of quality
Quality as a requirement is as old as
garments themselves, but it may be
heading for a revival. Especially in Europe
and in the US, we see a consumer
backlash against the trend of fast fashion
and cheap and disposable products. This
trend may be spearheaded by the food
industry where the enormous efficiency of
the supply chain and the power of retail
have made food relatively very cheap.
Supermarket chains are struggling to
survive round upon round of price wars
and in response they are ‘re-teaching’
consumers the value of food. Ahold, a
Dutch chain, is explaining to its customers
that they sell six types of chicken. The first
category is cheapest and most industrially
processed, with least regard for the
animal and the sixth, most expensive
category has chickens reared in a more
animal-friendly environment. It fits into
a trend of ‘slow food’ as opposed to
‘fast food’ and we see this developing in
clothing as well.
Consumers consciously chose clothing
articles that will last longer and they accept
that these are more expensive. They
literally want more value
for money. This does,
however, seriously raise
the bar for quality, and
garment manufacturers
working in this
category must make
a big effort to make
faultless garments.
This is a positive
trend for machine
manufacturers
as there is a
strong correlation
between quality
level and machine
performance and
hence, price. Also,
because quality is
consciously used to raise the
value perception of consumers, garments
ideally contain easily visible attributes
of quality sometimes requiring extra
operations and specialised machinery.
The issue of environmental
performance
The relation between value perception
and environmental performance is very
complex, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t
there. It may turn out that a certain
level of environmental performance will
become a prerequisite for a garment
to be in a certain value level. Dropping
below this performance makes the
product just as unsaleable as a garment
with poor quality. Depending on the
quality of the consumer information
systems that are being developed,
a particularly strong environmental
performance may enable a premium to
be put on the garment’s price.
In this respect, it is wise to closely watch the
SAC, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, that
is currently the main vehicle by which brands
and retailers work together to develop
a standardised communication system
about environmental performance. This
system awards points for different aspects
of environmental performance; added
together it forms a single score. For garment
manufacturers it may be useful to see what
their investments in new energy saving
machinery, can add to the environmental
performance of their customers.
It may be useful particularly to see where
the potential to save water, or energy
or both, to reduce the use of harmful
chemicals, or the opportunities for
recycling are greatest and start investing
there. Often, investments in environmental
performance pay themselves back quickly
A major initiative in Germany
called Industry 4.0 will
fundamentally change
the way the machines
communicate and perform to
produce better quality and
more environment-friendly
products. Industry 4.0 will
enable the connection of
machines, products, and
people.
Made-to-Measure will become more mainstream as manufacturing systems that incorporate
robotics and automation along with Lean production systems are established in local markets.
MACHINERY NEEDS OF APPAREL INDUSTRY
International Apparel Federation
36 | | MACHINERY COMPENDIUM

4. because saving energy or water or reusing
fibres obviously also saves money.
In any case, neither garment
manufacturers nor the machine industry
can afford to wait until the end-
consumer starts to pay a premium for
more environment-friendly garments.
The complex system does not work like
this. In many segments, investments
are needed just to remain in the game.
A major initiative in Germany called
Industry 4.0 will fundamentally change
the way the machines communicate and
perform to produce better quality and
more environment-friendly products.
Industry 4.0 will enable the connection of
machines, products, and people.
It currently identifies nine technology
areas that will be integrated to change the
way manufacturing is done. They are: Big
Data and Analytics, Autonomous Robots,
Simulation, Horizontal and Vertical System
Integration, The Industrial Internet of
Things, Cybersecurity, the Cloud, Additive
Manufacturing, and Augmented Reality.
It becomes more difficult when processes
are reengineered. A good example is
3D design and product development.
Potentially, designing and developing
products and eliminating the need for
physical samples saves money, and
water and energy (which would have
been used to make and to transport
physical samples). But it requires major
organisational changes; so, it is difficult
to predict when and how fast the
trend towards 3D design and product
development will take off. But it will grow
eventually and bring with it different
hardware and software that garment
manufacturers will buy.
The technology already exists to allow
products to be developed as digital
products and communicated globally.
Existing CAD systems can be integrated
with 3D visualisation technology to allow
for accurate fabric/garment characteristics
to be captured and demonstrated on 3D
virtual models. Such technologies as body
scanning, avatar engines, virtual dressing,
and motion capture will enable products
to be created, developed, and approved
before needing to convert them to
physical products.
The issue of innovation
Innovation is back in fashion. And this is
good news for suppliers to the fashion
industry. More brands and retailers
are looking at ways in which new
technologies, or new combinations with
existing technologies from outside of
the industry, can add new value to their
products. Examples are:
1. Fabrics that incorporate
nanotechnology allow for features
to be designed into products. Such
features include stain resistance,
odour absorption, wrinkle resistance,
water repellency, insulation against
heat or cold, UV protection, electricity
generation, and more. Machinery must
deal with nanotechnology.
About IAF
The International
Apparel Federation (IAF) is the
world’s leading federation for
apparel manufacturers, their
associations, apparel retailers
and the supporting industry.
IAF’s membership now includes
apparel associations from nearly
60 countries representing
over 150,000 companies that
provide products and services
to the apparel industry – a
membership that represents
over 5 million employees. The
many corporate and associate
members of IAF are prominent
companies or institutes
in production, retailing,
technology, business services,
logistics, fashion fairs and
education.
IAF stands for:
• Cooperation between
buyers and suppliers. IAF
membership reflects this.
• Helping the industry
become more knowledge
intensive.
• A global approach to global
responsibility, focusing on
improvements.
• Harmonisation of legislation
helping the industry to cut
unnecessary costs.
• Offering practical support
to our members.
• Being a truly global
platform for networking
and information exchange.
The manufacturing industry will be
faced with an increasing demand
for machines that are able to
literally integrate electronics
or for example solar panels into
garments.
MACHINERY COMPENDIUM | | 37

5. 2. Wearable Technology started with
such items as smart watches, activity
trackers, smart glasses, clips, arm
bands, wrist bands, and other devices
that would provide immediate
feedback to the consumer. And
now wearable technology is finding
its way into the clothing industry.
Garments are now being created that
have the ability to track performance
in 3D. They capture biometric
data like temperature, heart rate,
speed, and intensity of workouts.
The manufacturing industry will be
faced with an increasing demand
for machines that are able to literally
integrate electronics or for example
solar panels into garments.
3. Made-to-Measure will become
more mainstream as manufacturing
systems that incorporate robotics
and automation along with Lean
production systems are established in
local markets. Consumers will carry
their personal avatars on their smart
phones and use RFID and QR codes
to try clothes on while in a store,
on a train, or reading a magazine.
Orders will be placed electronically
and fit information will be transmitted
automatically to the vendor. Standard
sizes will still exist, but a better match
will be made when body scanners
have been placed in medical facilities,
fitness centres, and stores around the
world.
4. Waterless Colouring of fabric will not
only save tremendous amounts of
water and waste treatment, but will
allow brands and retailers to detail
the style, size, and colour of products
within a couple of weeks of being
available on the store shelf.
To conclude, machinery manufacturers today face new or renewed demands for products
coming from the acute need of brands and retailers to add new value. Machinery
manufacturers also face complex demand. Quality and environmental performance often
reinforce each other, but flexibility and quality may clash, while a client needs both. To
create a good match between the changing needs of brands and retailers and machinery
producers, excellent dialogue in the supply chain is crucial.
In the end, innovation will not slow down or stop. It will continue and the entire supply
chain, including the machinery industry must move along. We must eventually all prepare
for the time when 3D printers are in the home, and clothing can be produced as needed
for the occasion.
This article has been written with the support and contribution of Mike Fralix, CEO of US based [TC]2
(www.tc2.com) and member of the Board of Directors of the IAF.
Because quality is consciously used to raise the value perception
of consumers, garments ideally contain easily visible attributes
of quality sometimes requiring extra operations and specialised
machinery.
Depending on the quality of the consumer information systems that are being developed, a particularly strong
environmental performance may enable a premium to be put on the garment’s price.
MACHINERY NEEDS OF APPAREL INDUSTRY
International Apparel Federation
38 | | MACHINERY COMPENDIUM