Intelligent Production of Quality Apparels

ABSTRACT

Example applications are developed, covering typical sections of garments manufacturing and addressing robotic solutions in three different contexts. The first deals with the fabric storing and sorting sections. The case aims at the integrated management of cloth data (included each bolt failure maps), so that the work-plans setting progresses according to optimal schedules, without surprises of defective parts to be replaced. The change is made possible after redesign of fabric warehousing, with higher automation, in order that all pertinent data on cloth quality are monitored, shared, exploited and up-dated. The second one addresses the laying and cutting sections, already fully operated by unmanned mode. The upgrading looks at knowledge intensive setting, for on-process management of discontinuities, making easy the combined-mode (batch and one-of-a-kind) schedules to expand plant flexibility, joined to early removal of defective parts (using fabric fault maps). The development specifically requires re-thinking the enterprise policy, with minor changes of the computer interfaces, but proper resetting of the shop information system. The third context differs, as we refer to assembly and sewing sections, still, mainly operated by front-end workers. It should be said that the setting of fully automatic sewing cells has been conceived and actual fixtures exist for the mass production of steady specialised articles; yet, this is hardly consistent with economy of scope; a different implementation is outlined, with front-end workers and shared information steering duty-cycle changes. Again, proper improvements are obtained, with benefits requesting little investments in hardware, rather than work-plans up-dating depending on the process progression.

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