Three industrial revolutions have thus far caused paradigm modifications in the area of production starting from mechanisation through water and steam electricity, mass manufacturing in assembly strains, and automation through the use of facts technology. However, over the past years, industries together with researchers and policymakers worldwide have increasingly recommended an upcoming fourth revolution.

What is Industry 4.0 or ‘enterprise 4.zero’ (I4.0)? It essentially uses interconnected machining systems which have to interact with themselves for manufacturing— marked by the adoption of cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, cognitive computing, artificial intelligence, and other technological advancements that enable more efficient and flexible processes. Thus, the fourth industrial/ commercial revolution is a paradigm shift in production to records-based digitalisation to enhance automation, productiveness, reliability, protection, and performance in various sectors, including manufacturing.

Advanced production strategies were introduced with the concept of smart manufacturing in the 1980s. This term was coined by several entities, including the Department of Energy (DoE) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States. According to Wallace and Riddick, smart manufacturing is defined as “an information-rich application of information technology at the shop floor level and above, enabling intelligent, efficient, and responsive operations.” There are various other definitions available, but most highlight the use of information and communication technology coupled with advanced data analytics to enhance manufacturing at all levels of the supply network.

Smart manufacturing is characterised by self-awareness, self-learning, self-decision-making, self-execution, and self-adjustment. The majority of these technologies can diagnose problems and efficiently devise solutions to address current and anticipated issues. This manufacturing system integrates with product design, customisation, inventory, supply chain management, analytics, manufacturing processes, and product delivery systems. Using cloud computing, it maintains the demand and supply ecosystem to enhance productivity, quality, delivery, and flexibility. The system is also capable of detecting errors during unforeseen events.

The above figure shows the process flow chart for smart clothing, beginning with the design of the product, patternmaking, embroidery of the fabric, automatic cutting, automatic sewing, and the final process as fitting.

Smart clothing with LED sequences was created as a component of an autonomous system. Because the raw and auxiliary materials required are relatively unusual compared to fashion products and the structure of clothing is straightforward, smart clothing is suited for an automatic production system. The design was made simpler by deleting the attaching detail and lowering the cutting line in consideration of the robot gripping and autonomous sewing procedure. The embroidery technique for embedding smart functionalities was also carried out in the fabric state before being cut, contrary to the order of the regular fashion clothes manufacturing process, to boost the efficiency of the production process.

Step 1: Visual Fitting

CLO (CLO 3D version 7.2, CLO Virtual Fashion Inc., Seoul, Korea) creates garments in real-time technology that prepares pattern blocks and fits with the avatar automatically. The delicate fabrics such as jersey and lightweight wovens are given fit in a 3D form. This software also gives 100 per cent digital samples with clear accuracy. Apart from this, the software helps the designers to identify the simulated environment where they can check the real-time scenario using this software.

Step 2: Pattern Making

Computer-aided design (CAD) is used in the textile and garment industries to create clothing and accessories, patterns, grades, and virtual simulations using programs like Gerber, Lectra, garment CAD, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Optitex. The computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system handles tasks that are closely related to manufacturing, like cutting, spreading, and marking planning. By reducing the need for sample production, cutting down on the amount of time needed for the entire job, and minimising fabric waste, CAD/CAM systems, such as pattern design, grading, 3D virtual simulation, and markers, improve overall productivity, accuracy, and efficiency in the actual clothing production process.

Alpha myu Touch, an apparel CAD system that uses a touch panel and was recently developed and released by Yuka & Alpha Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan has created touch panel pattern makers to improve efficiency and minimise errors. The employees can use their hands to move and adjust the sewing patterns in a conventional way, but this time on the big screen. On the tablet, they can do the revisions like adjusting and comparing parts based on the actual size of the patterns and the confirmation work with the help of a stylus pen. This pen helps the creator with the advantage of using their hands on the big screen for successful creation. The final pattern can be printed to confirm the details of the actual size.

Step 3: Embroidery

Embroidery machines were started to be created during the Industrial Revolution, and digitised-pattern software is still utilised today. To create embroidery goods with electrical properties, technical embroidery technology combines an embroidery machine with conductive materials (thread, wire, fibre, and LED). Using technical embroidery technology, numerous researchers are creating various fibre-type conductive wires, sensors, and antennas. The recent developments made by the ZSK Stickmaschinen, Krefeld, Germany unveil a 24-needle head embroidery machine with a sensor that allows a variety of colours and thread thickness. The custom DH needles help to stitch multidirectional. This machine also has the benefit of adjustable presser feet for different thick materials and strong leathers for better perforation and stitching. The process can be checked by a camera to fulfil the desired expectations. The company also provides various features such as custom frames to fulfil the requirement, and an automatic bobbin changer that handles 8 bobbins per head automatically to select the right choice of threads and thickness. The best feature is a functional sequin device which has the facility of placing LEDs, and RFIDs on the fabric.

Step 4: Automatic Cutting

An automatic cutting device is used (P-CAM series 161, Shima Seiki, Wakayama, Japan) to be cut into patterns. An overhead projector is used to project a full-size pattern piece onto the fabric while it is spread over the cutting area in order to match the embroidered emblem to the precise location. A multi-ply knife is used for the cutting process. Following cutting, the textiles are moved about 1.7 metres through a conveyor belt connected to the cutting machine for pattern identification by a vision sensor and robot grasping. The machine has the features such as knife width auto measurement, and double cut prevention function which can do the single cut for better efficiency and accuracy and reduces the lead time automatically. A high-equipped camera is placed overhead, through which an employee can check the patterns on the CCD panel. Angle adjustment and detailed positioning of a minimum 0.1mm can be done effectively. Touch-sensitive control monitor with LCD screen helps the operator to check the patterns as well.

Robot Handling with a Gripping System - Electric Needle Grippers – Schmalz: Electric Needle Grippers SNGi-AE has the best option of a needle gripping machine for handling highly porous and non-rigid materials. It is a lightweight machine with 10 needles of 0.8mm to 1.2mm with LED status display. There is a single-layer handling with only one gripper, and it can be adjusted for each cycle individually. The needle gripper is used to handle difficult materials such as fleece, insulation, and foam with the help of vacuum. It provides gripping of the cross needles for highly unstable fabrics. Restacking and single-layer handling can be adjusted accordingly.

Step 5: Automatic Sewing Machine with Advanced Robotics Technology

SewBot: SewBot, a term for ‘sewing robots’, is an automatic sewing system that was developed by Steve Dickerson, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the creator of Software Automation in Atlanta. The company is using advanced robotics technology to manufacture T-shirts sustainably. The sewing machine has patented technology that sews T-shirts automatically with the help of automation. This machine has precise machine vision—a patented technology that can recognise the textile distortion and adjust automatically. This technology enables the machines to complete the sewing process. The sewbot machine can adapt itself to any sewing machine brand and takes full control of the machine. The company mentions that sewbots can manufacture T-shirts at low cost.

SewBo: The process of this machine involves stiffening the fabrics temporarily and making it rigid like a sheet of metal for easy handling by robots. The fabric panels can be welded and moulded before being stitched. At the end of the manufacturing process, a hot water rinse removes the stiffener, which is polyvinyl alcohol, a non-toxic polymer, and the soft fabric is sewn all together. The usage of robotics reduces lead time and minimises cost.

Vetron 5656 Auto Seam: Vetron is a German company that produces high-value products, for heavy-duty fabrics and products like jackets, denim and trousers. The company has a 360-degree automatic sewing machine that has features such as x and y controlled 2 stepping motors, enlarged sewing area of 90x60mm, an automatic thread cutter and automatic thread wiper for neat seam finishing, and 99 sewing programs in the machine data which enables the machine to stitch more than seam structures.

RSG Color Thread Monitoring: RSG Automation Technics GmbH & Co. KG is also a German company that manufactures fully automated sewing machines with the patented technologies on two principles—automatic bobbin changing system and checking the thread in the bobbin. The concept is based on the Japanese system – poka yoke. When the bobbin spins in the machine, there is a light sensor present in the machine that monitors the movement of the threads and exchanges when the thread is about to run out. The bobbin station display is present with nearly 15 filled bobbins and the changeover takes place over there. This system helps to minimise the production time due to bobbin exchange in the sewing machine. The machine has other facilities such as automatic torn thread detection and detection of wrong colour combinations.

Step 6: Automatic Button Feeder Machine

Automatic button feeder machine from Sera Sewing enables the process with the maximum speed of 5,000 (stitch/min) and the machine can sew 500 pieces per day. The machine can stitch 10-15 buttons in a front fly within a minute.

Step 7: Automated Piped Pocket Production

The automated piped pocket production machine from Durkopp Adler has many features such as programmable laser marking lamps upto 8, which enhances the marking of the pockets. The programmable needle feed improves the seam quality for specific fabrics like stretch, leather, and coats. Apart from this, there is a separate section for knit mode. The corner knives help to cut the threads effectively for a clean finish. The centre motor drive helps to cut the thickness of the fabric. There is an optimised folding process of the piping seam which prevents the fabric from slippage.

Conclusion

As discussed, each and every process— right from visual fitting and pattern making to automatic cutting and sewing— of garment making has been improvised in recent years. As more and more manufacturing units switch to these types of intelligent machinery, their production process will improve with reduced lead time and minimum errors.