CAD in Pre-production of Apparels

CAD (computer-assisted design) software package for design, pattern-making, and marker-making. These software packages can be used in a few different ways. A base pattern can be made out of cardboard ("the old fashioned way") and then placed on a digitizing table and its coordinates traced out to obtain a digital image of each pattern piece. Alternatively, instead of making the base pattern by hand, a new pattern can be made by electronically manipulating an already digitized pattern. In this way, developing new but not radically different styles and patterns can be done with relative ease. Sizing rules tell the computer how the dimensions of people grow. These sizing rules are not standard; they vary somewhat between companies and significantly between countries. With these rules, the computer can "grade" the pattern and enlarge or shrink the base pattern to obtain the pattern pieces for other sizes.

Grading was traditionally done by hand and is a slow and difficult process. Once a pattern has been graded into all of the required sizes for a particular production run, a marker is developed with the aid of the computer to maximize fabric utilization. A marker is a map of how the different pattern pieces are laid out on the fabric. According to some sources, fabric is usually about 30% of the cost of the garment, so fabric waste minimization is essential to keep costs down. Marker development can be done manually, although it can take several hours and fabric utilization is usually not as efficient as it is when the computer is used. When the marker is completed it is usually printed out on a larger plotter and then delivered to the cutting floor. Most facilities used Gerber technology for design, pattern making and grading, and marker making. The benefits of CAD technology are efficiency and accuracy. With CAD technology, businesses can develop products faster. In addition, since grading and marking is automated, the patterns are more accurate and the percentage of material usage is higher. CAD technology was first used in the garment industry in the 1980s.It has improved significantly in terms of functionality and user friendliness in the last five to ten years.

Another development in pre-production technology is 3-D body scanning. There are several different models of the 3-D body scanner, but they all do essentially the same thing-they automate measuring body dimensions. Automating this process does two things-it increases the accuracy of measurement (it is difficult to obtain accurate body measurements manually because of human variation and error),11 and it unobtrusively and quickly measures a vast number of body dimensions. Body scanning equipment, referred to as "booths", ranges in price from USD $25,000-$225,000.

Some believe that in the near future it will be common for people to go to body scanning boutiques to have their measurements taken, receive an electronic copy of their measurements, and then download this information to a virtual store to purchase custom-made clothing online. Body scanning technology is the perfect complement for electronic clothing boutiques. An individual can use his or her data to either order custom-made clothes online or determine whether a particular ready-made style fits their own body properly. It is estimated that 38%-40% of all clothing purchased online is returned. Garment industry analyst's project that body scanning technology will significantly decrease the return rate and increase profits of online stores.

The Role of Computers in the Production of Synthetic Fibers

The desire of the synthetic fibers industry to reduce manufacturing cost, to conserve energy and raw materials, and to increase productivity and unit capacity leads to the integration of individual manufacturing steps into high-speed, greatly-automated, one-step processes. Utilizing micropro censors and computers for real-time process supervision or control and continuous mathematical analysis of essential process parameters, the product quality of the fiber produced is largely assured through improved process stability. Computer-assisted process control is steadily diminishing the importance of statistical product-quality testing. Process and equipment performance data, pro ductivity information, and inventory management are further potential benefits of such on-line systems

Benefits of ERP in Textile Industry

The ERP (enterprise resource planning) solutions - seek to integrate the business processes involving eight critical areas in the textile production planning which includes raw material, finance, payroll, inventory, quality, sales and plant maintenance.

An increasing number of owners of textile units believe that IT is not only essential but indispensable. Given that more than 85 percent of the industry consists of small units, the rising trend of textile units going in for IT-related infrastructure is a positive sign. Online quality monitoring helps cut costs significantly. By implementing ERP, it manages to cut costs in processing. Increasingly complex product mixes and longer processing sequences are intensifying the need for IT infrastructure. In composite mills (spinning, weaving, garmenting, retailing), these are becoming inevitable.

ERP helps a business manage key functions such as product planning, parts purchasing, maintaining inventories, interacting with suppliers, providing customer service and tracking orders. Once the plant is equipped with ERP, everything is at your finger tips, With this, the senior management is aware of developments at different units, which helps to utilise the resources better. IT helps in minimising inventories and maximising output. ERP simply gives straight access to data and the knowhow of various stages the process is in. However, it is not only ERP, that textiles firms are interested in. Internet connectivity is another area which they feel can play a vital role in boosting the sector. At a time when newer plants are coming up in inaccessible areas, online connectivity becomes vital. IT infrastructure in textile firms is at a nascent stage. Though ERP is proving helpful for many units, broadband connectivity is equally in high demand. In its absence, online updating is not an easy job. Manufacturing and processing require IT assistance, and more and more firms are going for it. Information technology can streamline processes by organising information from manufacturing, sales and finance, enabling data sharing for improved decision making.