Investigating the Application of Robotics in Textile and Garment
Manufacturing
Throughout history, the textile along with the garment industry maintained its position as one of the world’s largest labor-intensive industries. Traditional methods with manual labor activities defined the entire manufacturing process, including fabric management and inspection since ancient times. The industry started searching for robotic solutions along with automation, while competition intensified and labor expenses grew with growing sustainability needs. The sector of textile production and garment manufacturing now adapts through robotic technology to bring higher efficiency and better quality alongside sustainable practices. This article examines textile and garment robotic manufacturing history through technological reviews of new developments, along with predicted trends and obstacles in the future.
Historical Background and Evolution
The advancement of textile automation has been developing throughout history. Joseph Gerberstarted a technological revolution in apparel manufacturing while he developed numerically controlled cutting machines during the late 1960s. The GERBERcutter S‑70 introduced by Gerber in 1969 brought factories advanced capabilities to cut large stacks of fabric at high speed with precision, which cut material waste as well as production expenses.
The first phase of computer-based system integration established foundations for future technological advancements. The industry matured from traditional manual work through partial automation, until it reached its present condition of fully automated systems which utilize robotics. The modern textile industry utilizes advanced robotics for tasks, extending from cutting and sewing into inspection activities as well as garment assembly operations that require minimal human involvement and operation.
The Current State of Robotic Applications
Robotic Cutting and Fabric Handling
The latest robotic systems operating in textile production facilities have developed advanced capabilities for processing fabrics during cutting operations. Modern vision technology provides high-speed tracking capabilities for fabric movement and it delivers excellent accuracy in pattern recognition. A real-time vision system made for thread counting and texture tracking detects fabric positions in micro-movements, thus enabling exact cutting operations with little waste. Innovations of laser cutting technology together with automated fabric spreaders have optimized the cutting process flow. Modern robots equipped with sensors and computer vision systems now automate fabric spreading operations and simultaneous fabric layer cutting, while replacing previous marker-based manual cutting techniques. The combination of faster production, decreased errors, and material waste is made possible through this technology.
Content retrieved from: https://www.automate.org/news/-69.
