A company named Sewbo has already developed a robot that will sew clothes and garments. The advocacy of this technology-driven organization is to replace people with moving mechanical devices that imitate human beings called automaton.
This type of robots will be placed on assembly lines where they will sew shirts by stiffening the fabric.
The initial approach is to make the fabric to be more like a piece of cardboard. Then the robot's sewing arm will pick up the pre-cut pieces using the suction and puts them into a sewing machine. After the procedure is completed, the robot will drop the shirts into a hot water in order to remove the non-toxic polymer stiffener.
With all the expectations and the possibilities that a sewing robot can do, the programmed machine has its limitations. Sewbo pointed out that their robots cannot handle soft materials with expertise like a human hand can do. The company is not actually a pioneer in the field of sewing robots.
Electroloom has long wanted to 3D print garments. Since automatons may cause a lot of money during its manufacturing process, it is difficult to regain the expenses within a reasonable period of time. However, there are already companies looking to utilize robots full-time.
Adidas has revealed its SpeedFactory in Southern Germany which will be producing shoes next year. Another plant is being eyed in the United States. The company wanted to increase flexibility while reducing inventories by bringing production closer t to the market.
The Spain-based Jeanologia has been using a computer-generated system where lasers can substitute for working individuals in making jeans. The dye used vanishes in a poof of blue smoke during the process. The robots here are already sewing bath towels, drapery pleats and yoga pants.
Steve Dickerson, founder of a textile equipment manufacturer named SoftWear Automation based in Atlanta, has said that the distortion of fabric is no longer an issue. The company is now developing machines which handle problems involved in automated sewing in a number of ways.
