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The Research and Development
Project
fiscal 1982 to 1990
in
Japan
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[Outline of the Research and
Development Project]
The purpose of this project is to develop technology
to reduce a per-piece manufacturing time in small lot but
wide variety production system at smaller and medium-size
apparel manufacturers to less than half of existing
production time. In order to achieve this objective, this
project is to carry out research and development activities
on the "Total
System" to set up general production system
technology, with four essential technologies organically
combined -the"Preparatory
Sewing Technology",
"Sewing and Assembly
Technology",
"Fabric Handling
Technology" and
"System Management and Control
Technology".
This project steps up research and development through
closer cooperation of 28 enterprises affiliated by the
Technology Research Association with all national research
organizations of Research Institute for Polymers and
Textiles, Industrial Products Research Institute and
Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, and the development
period is 9 years from fiscal 1982 to 1990, and the total
research and development cost amounts to about \8
billion.
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Test Plant Layout for Automated Sewing
System
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A lockstitch sewing head attaching sleeve to body with
robot arm 3-dimensionally driven
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Image Illustration of Automated Sewing
System
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Preparatory
Sewing Technology
The objectives of this
technology are for the introduction of fabric materials for
the process preceding the sewing process, and are classified
into four sub-elemental techniques: the fabric
characteristics evaluation technique, fabric stabilization
technique, high-performance pattern-making technique, and
fabric inspection, spreading and cutting technique. Studies
on the fabric characteristics necessary for sewing and
assembly of apparel and on the shape of patterns capable of
realizing labor-savings, and techniques to stably feed
fabrics and to automatically cut fabrics are being
developed.
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Fabric Characteristics Evaluation Technique
This aims at constructing a data base for the
establishing optimum working conditions in the sewing
process, and research is made in relation to the workmanship
of products by fabric dynamic and static
characteristics.@
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Fabric Stabilization Technique
In order to facilitate handling of fabrics in the
sewing process research on the techniques for temporarily or
permanently stabilizing fabrics and on remedying texture
curvature are being undertaken at present.
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High-performance Pattern-Making Technique
Software is being constructed capable of realizing
labor-savings by easy-workability without impairing design
image and converting patterns including production working
information from existing patterns.
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Fabric inspection, Spreading, and Cutting
Technique
This technique may be divided into two: the fabric
inspection technique and fabric spreading and cutting
technique. The fabric inspection technique aims at the
establishment of a system that automatically detects defects
produced on fabrics.
In the fabric spreading and cutting technique, research is
being made on both knife mesh cutting and laser
cutting.@
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Sewing and
Assembly Technology
This is the technology in the
central field of sewing, the object of which is to finish by
sewing fabrics that have been cut, and this field at present
is the most labor-intensive. The objective of the system
development in this field is processes for the making of
parts in accordance with sewing information, etc. integrated
in the cut pieces of fabrics, and further, to perform
assembly sewing by combining them. Research and development
is being carried out based on the following three
sub-element
techniques.
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Sewing pre-processing technique
As a pre-processing working technique forthe cut
pieces of fabrics, the development of a interlining cloth
sub-
stitution technique, interlining cloth adhesion technique,
and adhesion sewing technique is being carried out.
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Multi-functional sewing station
Performs sewing various parts with exchanging varioes
sewing heads and jigs.
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High-performance sewing technique
Research is being and is divided into the
multi-functional technique that processes various parts
sewing as FMS, the three-dimensoinal sewing technique with
the intention of stereo assembly sewing, and the super
stitching technique related to a new stitching
system.
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High-frequency induction heating device
This device performs adhesion of the interlining cloth
without heating the fabrics by high-frequency induction
heating using an adhesive mixed with a suscepter.
Small-sized light-weight sewing machine for the
three-dimensional sewing
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High-performance pressing technique
Research is being made on the finish-pressing
technique that uses a flexible dummy and the forming
technique to provide seam splitting and deformation.
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Stereo finish-pressing device
Performs finishing with a flexible dummy dressed with
sewn products.
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Fabric Handling
Technology
This technology is for handling
the completion of cutting to the finish-pressing process and
aims at techniques for conveying between processes and for
transferring during a process, high-accuracy positioning for
the work and conveying machines, and auxiliary operating
fabric for the work process.
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Fabric Holding Technique
As a result of patternization of the holding function
on the basis of examining and analyzing the movement of
hands and fingers during the sewing operation, three modules
of the vertical-holding type, parallel-holding type and
fabric-manipulation type are being developed.
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Vertical-holding device
Holds from the upper surface of fabric.
Fabric-manipulation device
Holds and manipulates 2 pieves of fabric during
sewing.
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High-performance Positioning Technique
A sewing handler is being developes which can be
applied to all processes for positioning the fabric to the
soecifies position for the sewing machines and for
performing sewing and pressing work.
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Module handler
This is a handler constructed with modules. Two
handlers operate in cooperation with each other.
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Soft Fabric Conveying Technique
For conveying systems in the sewing process,
techniques such as the conveyer system,etc. are generally
used as the technique for simply conveying of fabrics, so
that in this research, a stock module that provides a buffer
function between the before and after processes and a mating
module that causes the fabric to join are being
developed.
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Mating module
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System Management
and Control Technology
In the system management and
control technique, in order to greatly reduce lead time in
automated sewing plants on the basis of apparel company's
production program compared with the existing state,
research and development is now under way with the intention
of developing of the following four sub-element techniques:
the system general management technique with the objective
of optimizing the process organization and optimum control;
an inspection and
diagnostic technique that will include inspection of
defective processed goods and detection of machine trouble;
the control information necessary during the process for the
workpieces; and the information recognizing technique that
will read the added control information and recognize the
shape and condition of the fabrics and parts by a picture
processing technique.
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System General Management Technique
This technique optimally manages and controls the
general production lines necessary for the automated sewing
system, and particularly in short-cycle production of
small-quantity goods of a large variety, there is program
change loss resulting from changing the sort of products, so
that research on the process organizing method that will
prevent the lowering of the operation rate were under
way.
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Picture recognition Photograph
Processes pictures picked up by a television camera
and detects any flaws.
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Inspection and Diagnostic Technique
The inspection and troubleshooting technique aims at
the establishment of a defective workpiece inspection
technique and establishment of a troubleshooting technique
for automated processing devices. The inspection technique
picks up picture information through a television camera,
and the computer processes this to detect any failures in
the systrm. In the troubleshooting technique, research was
under way in which troubleshooting is made between the
control system provided on each automated machine and the
process control computer located above it.
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Control Information Providing Technique
A technique that provides a part of control
information for automated sewing equipment to cut pieces of
fabric was developed.
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Providing device
Supply providing media using the ink jet
system.
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Information Recognizing Technique
This corresponds to the function of eyes in the sewing
operation, and its objective is to be able to recognize
graphic and character information provided for goods to be
sewed. The function includes shape recognition,
pattern-matching recognition, and stereo shape recognition.
The research on the system technique related to them
preponderantly performs an examination of algorithm for
computer-processing picture information acquired with a
television camera and studies the algorithm suited for the
detected objects
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Research on
systemtization of a test plant
The research for automation of a
production system was put and functions of the test plant
were being assessed and confirmed by its operations.
The content of research and development consisted of two
automation studies the automation study of a production
system in a sequence of development of FMS , FA and the
automation study from apparel side classified into five
types tops, bottoms, dresses,sportwears, and night
wears.
While the assessment of 4 sub-systems to be introduced in
the following were studied as a test plant of ladies's
blazers, the designing researches of production plant were
being carried out on the above-stated five clothes,
reflecting its results.
The designing, manufacturing and
operation of the test plant of ladies' blazers were studied.
The test plant was consisted of 4 sub-systems such as
High-speed Laser Cutting Sub-system, Flexible Sewing
Sub-system, High-technology Assembly Sub-system and 3-D
Flexible Press Sub-system to be introduced in the following.
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High-speed Laser
Cutting Sub-system
It automatically spreads and inspects cloth in roll, and
outputs the position coordinates of adefect. It avoids a
defect on the cloth with the above-mentioned data, making a
high-efficient pattern. It spreads cloth in roll, matches
patterns and cuts them. It provides cutting parts with
process controlling data and picks them up.
 
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Flexible Sewing
Sub-system
 It
automatically and flexibly carries out the interlining
process of front and back bodies, and their stitching. Parts
recognition before parts stitching and inspection of an
intermediate goods after parts stitching are carried out.
Pocket pattern with hemline folded is sewn, matching with
front body pattern for automatic stitching.
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High-technology
Assembly Sub-system
 It
transports front and back bodies to automatically join
sides, opens seams and processes the seam section. It
automatically conducts semi-3D stitching to close right and
left bodies and seam center line of back bodies. It
automatically seams sleeves on to body in three-dimensional
way.
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3-D Flexible Press
Sub-system
It delivers products in hangers, transports the hangers and
attaches or detaches them to halt at the constant position.
It automatically transfers hanger with products to press
body to get it on or off. It automatically sets the pressing
shape matched with product size and processes an air bag
press of each part such as collars, sleeves etc. by
stages.
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The examples applied practically the
Automated Sewing System in the pressing
process
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The examples applied practically the
Automated Sewing System in the sewing
machines
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The U.S. Textile and Apparel Industry: A Revolution in
Progress @@NTIS order #PB87-196762
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http://www.wws.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/byteserv.prl/~ota/disk2/1987/8733/873301.PDF
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The next critical step in apparel automation has been the
development of technologies that can identify@and pick up a single
ply of fabric from a multi-ply lay, position the piece, and join it
to another.
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Graders at H.L. Miller and Son are using the Gerber AM-5
system to remake new patterns out of old patterns@stored in
the system. What used to take 1 hour when done manually now
takes less than 2 minutes.
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Such advances, another result of the efforts of (TC)2, has been
transferred to the Singer Sewing Co., which@plans to begin
commercial use in late 1987. This in-novation, of course, depends on
robots that have more than limited decision making and movement
flexibility capacities, such as those that exist in current
industrial robotics.
Another promising technological development in apparel, currently
being worked on at Japanfs Research@Institute for Polymers &
Textiles, is the ap-plication of computer graphics to apparel
design.
Other developments are ready for marketing. Toray of Japan is ready
to market a low-cost, microcomputer-controlled, pattern-making system
this year.
The Nagano Prefectural Research Institute for Information Technology
in Japan has developed sophis-ticated software for
microcomputer-controlled evaluation of fabric.
In the early 1980s, the Japanese Government provided $60 million
to a special apparel research group.
The overall objective of this group has been the development of a
system to administer and control the total manufacturing process and
to reduce production time by 50 percent, with a pilot plant operating
by 1989. Although the project has encountered some difficulty in
fulfilling its goal of simultaneously addressing problems faced by
both large and small businesses, several of its programs especially
those that target large-scale production are proceeding
vigorously.
The groupfs four specific objectives are:
1.To develop pre-sewing technology, including evaluation of the
fabric, material stabilization technology, pattern making and
cutting, automatic spreading, and inspection for fabric defects.
2.To automate sewing and assembly of parts, including the development
of machines to fold, cut, and bind temporarily; of programmable and
automatic sewing machines; and of devices for automatic pressing on
forms. Also to be explored is the development of innovative methods
of joining garment sections without the use of conventional sewing
techniques.
3.To improve materials handling, including creating devices to hold
material similar to human fingers and arms, which can transfer
garment parts to precise locations; can assemble component parts into
segments to be sewn together, such as collars with interlinings; and
can transfer parts into segments to be sewn together, such as
collars with interlinings; and can transfer parts from one process to
the next.
4. To implement a control system with the technology to integrate the
production line, especially when types of products are changed, such
as the flexible manufacturing system (FMS) con-cept; to monitor the
production line, and repair or replace damaged machine parts
automat-ically; to detect, remove, and replace defects in the goods
in process; to establish a method of marking the fabric parts with
sewing control information; and to develop devices to read control
information during the production process.
A highly automated and flexible apparel manufacturing system will
have a profound effect on the distribution system, as will the
introduction of sophisticated microelectronic devices in retail
stores for customer sizing and selection. This process will require
the development of a more sensitive and sophisticated marketing
orientation. In other words, the apparel industry must get gcloser
to the consumer. h
If there is to be a technological revolution in ap-parel, a
substantial adjustment by the apparel labor force may be required of
both production workers and managers. Unemployment among apparel
workers is likely to grow; plans to minimize dislocation could be
made now, rather than later. Aside from changes in the numbers and
types of production workers, there will be new demands on
managers.
Skills necessary to supervise large numbers of workers using
simple machines with repetitive tasks are distinct from skills
necessary to supervise automated lines with automated control systems
and a few highly trained technicians. Management could also plan for
orderly change within its own ranks sewing stations.
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Some years ago, Chalmers developed an air-jet, single-ply
separator. As in so many cases of this type, however, there
was no short-term commercial payback for industry, so the
prototype has gathered dust in the laboratory.
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