The application of automation technology is a trend that textile and garment enterprises are particularly interested in and have prioritized for investment.
The application of automation technology is not only a trend in the world today, but is also a way to improve labor productivity and product quality. Artificial intelligence (AI) helps the garment industry overcome high error rates in the production process and optimize product completion time.
AI offers standards for fabric testing
Fabric inspection, which was often performed manually for decades, is currently undergoing a major shift in technology. This process is replacing manual labor with AI, which automatically checks, classifies, and counts fabric defects. This technology has been around for several years, but until now, only a few companies have abandoned the traditional way of doing things to apply AI to fabric inspection.
AI-based fabric defect recognition technology brings many important benefits. Defects in fabrics can be detected directly using technology, and data can be directly connected to factory management systems such as ERP and MES to facilitate assessment, problem-solving, and handling.
Using AI, standardizing fabric management becomes easier. This can reduce the high error rate of businesses in general by up to 78%. In addition, the technology can support 24 hours of uninterrupted work, equivalent to 4 fabric inspection workers. The tool can test 20,000 meters of fabric in 10 working hours/day.
Automation in the cutting room
Today’s cutting technology suppliers have brought in AI technology to upgrade and speed up the pre-production process, solving the problem of unexpected machine downtime that can negatively affect productivity and on-time delivery.
All of our advanced mowers are fitted with hundreds of sensors that can beep when an error is about to occur inside the machine. This prediction is made by collecting the machine’s maintenance data and production data. There are many sensors equipped in the new generation mowers, which can check the level of problem arising in the most important area. With these sensors, the company will notify customers in advance to replace the parts. American machines are also radically changing cutting technology 4.0 with machine learning, M2M communication, and complete digitalization of motion control. If the machine is faulty or not working properly, the device will give a signal on the front screen and the user knows that the part needs to be replaced.
Automation in the garment factory
This is a machine line controlled by robots and specializes in sewing T-shirts without human intervention.
Currently, there are no machines that fully automate the sewing process of many garments. However, there have been certain innovations that serve most important processes in the garment industry. These advances are mainly aimed at reducing human intervention.
One such innovation is the robotic arm system equipped on pattern sewing machines. The biggest advantage of this automatic pattern sewing machine is that it can sew two different designs using the same sewing machine. The sewing machine can visually recognize designs in sewing details and sew according to patterns. All automated, saving a lot of costs in terms of workers, time, and increasing the productivity of the whole process
A recent groundbreaking development in the field of automation is a new clamping method, capable of securely clamping most common textiles and fabrics, and resetting them very precisely. Once the bag has been contoured, there will be an automatic unloading mechanism that stacks the bags, in order, on a storage plate at the end of the transport conveyor.
Automation in product testing and measurement
Garment measuring is a process that requires hundreds of people to measure large quantities of garments in the factory every day. This can be a time-consuming and error-prone process, as it can take up to five minutes to manually measure a garment, record the data, and enter it into a computer program. This can also put a mental strain on testers, making them more susceptible to errors.
Visual garment inspection machines use computer vision and artificial intelligence to automate the measurement process. When a garment enters the machine, the screen automatically generates a pass/fail notification for all measurements within six seconds. The machine can quickly and accurately detect the size of different parts of garments, especially T-shirts, and can automatically identify and calculate errors.
Automation in product folding
Folding garments is another labor-intensive process that can take up hundreds of hours per day in a factory. Automated folding lines, on the other hand, can be operated by just one worker and can fold, pack, and seal packaging for up to 5,500 garments in an eight-hour shift. A series of packing machines can also be used to fold and pack knitwear and trousers at a rate of 500-700 products per hour, or 5,000 products per day.