disrupting the apparel supply chain- will automation move production closer … · 2017-05-23 ·...
TRANSCRIPT
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May23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
Disrupting the Apparel Supply Chain: Will Automation Move Production Closer to the Consumer?
1) Cost-efficientautomationintheapparelmanufacturingindustrywouldenableonshoreproductionandreducethetimetomarketforgarmentdistribution.Yet,theuseofrobotsatmostconventionalapparelmanufacturersremainslow,duetothecostsaswellasthetechnicalchallengesassociatedwithautomatedsewing,especiallyforsoftfabrics.
2) Twostartups,SoftWearAutomationandSewbo,areaddressingthesechallengesbybuildingrobotswhichaimtoautomatethesewingprocess,whiletraditionalsewing-equipmentmanufacturersareinnovatingincrementallytomakehuman-operatedsewingmachinesmoreefficientanduser-friendly.
3) Atthisstage,technologiessuchasthosedevelopedbySoftWearAutomationandSewbolookpromising,butarestillattheearlystagesofdevelopmentandcommercialization,whichmeansincrementalinnovationinsewingtechnologywillhaveabiggerimpactonapparelmanufacturinginthemedium-term.
FungGlobalRetail&Technologyiscoveringthedifferentwaystechnologyisusedtostreamlineandupgradeapparelsupplychainsinaseriesofreportsonthethemeofdigitalizationofthesupplychain.
Theuseofautomationandrobotsinapparelmanufacturinghasremainedlow,especiallyforwovenfabrics,whicharesoftanddifficultforroboticarmstomanipulate.Whiletheproductionofknittedgarmentssuchassweatersisclosertobecomingfullyautomatedthroughtheuseofdigital3Dknittingmachines,theproductionofwovengarmentssuchasshirts,dressesandjeansseemsalongwayfromautomation.Thecostofdevelopingtechnologythatcanhandlethewidearrayoffabricsandstyleswithprecisionandspeedhasoutweigheditsbenefits,especiallywhenlow-costproductionhasbeenreadilyavailableindevelopingmarkets.
However,asthecostandavailabilityofthehardwareandsoftwareusedforcomputervisionandrobotics—twotechnologiesnecessaryforapparelmanufacturing
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May23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
automation—havebecomemoreviable,theprospectofseeingthecommercialapplicationoffullyautomatedapparelproductionhasimproved.
Attheforefrontoffullyautomatingthesewingprocessaretwocompanies:SoftWearAutomationandSewbo;however,traditionalequipmentmanufacturersarealsoinnovatingbyintroducingsewingmachinelineswithanincreasinguseoftechnologysuchastheJukiDDL-9000CLockstitchMachine.
Source:Juki/Youtube
OurTakeSoftWearAutomation’sandSewbo’stechnologyinnovationsareboldeffortstoautomateatraditionallyanalogproductionprocess.Ifsuccessful,bothcompanieswillhelpreducetheneedforhumanlabor,therebyloweringtotalsupply-chaincostsandallowingmorecompaniestomanufacturelocallyratherthanoverseaswherelaborcostsarelower.Atthistime,thetechnologieslookpromising,butarestillattheearlystagesofdevelopmentandcommercialization.Thismeanswearestillalongwayofffromseeingtheirmassadoptionandtheautomatedonshoreproductionofapparel.
Ontheotherhand,incrementalinnovationinsewingtechnologywillmakehumanoperatorsmoreefficient.Theywillalsorequirelessskill-basedtrainingbecauseoperatingthemachinesisbecomingmoreuser-friendly.Thistrendwillimpactmanufacturinginthemedium-termindevelopinggeographieswhereinvestmentisbeingmadeinnewcapacityversuscountrieswithlegacyapparelproductioncapacity.
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May23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
SoftWearAutomation
Source:softwearautomation.com
WefirstintroducedSoftWearAutomationinareportin2015.Now,almosttwoyearslater,thecompanyhasmovedforwardwiththedevelopmentofitstechnologytogetherwithpartnerssuchastheWalmartFoundationandtheDefenseAdvancedResearchProjectsAgency(DARPA).
TheTechnologyDevelopedbySoftWearAutomationSewvision:SoftWearAutomation’stechnologyisthefirsttousehigh-speedcameraslinkedtoacomputertotrackstitching.Thecamerastrackatextileasitflexesandbends,allowingtherobotoperatortomakemicroadjustmentsasitsewsaseamtogetheratthecorrecttension.
Sewsmart:Theimagescapturedbythehigh-speedcamerasaremanipulatedbyasoftwaresolutioncalledSewsmarttoproduceahigherlevelofcontrast.Thismorevividimageallowsthecomputertopickoutindividualthreadsinthefabric.Insteadofmeasuringthefabric,theroboticsewingmachinecountsthenumberofthreadstodeterminethestitchingposition.Asaresult,anydistortiontothefabricmadebyeachpunchoftheneedlecanbemeasuredextremelyaccurately.
TheSewvisiontechnologytracksindividualthreadsineachfabrictokeepeverythinginline,regardlessofwhetherthefabricmovesaround.
SewhandsandSewarms(RoboticArms)Sewhands:WithSoftWearAutomation’sSewhands,arobotheadattachedtoanexistingsewingmachinecanmovethefabricupanddownandsidetoside,consistentwithhowahumanoperatorwouldhandlefabric.
Sewarms:TheroboticSewarmspick,placeandsewfabrics,andcanreduceaprocessthattakesafactoryworkeroneminutetojust26seconds.
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May23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
SewtableSoftWearAutomation’sSewtableinvolvesagroupofrobotsworkingtogethertodothingssuchasgrabfabric,manipulateit,spinitaroundandholdontoitwiththerequisitepressureandtensionwhileitisbeingsewn,muchlikeahumanoperatorwould.
TheSewtableenablesaworklineproductionsystem,whichisasewinglinethatisentirelyautomated:justoneoperatorisneededtooverseetheprocess.Worklineworkstationsareclear,streamlinedandhighlyefficient,andcanproduceaT-shirtinaslittleas22seconds.Theyrequiremuchfeweroperators,whichresultsinsignificantlylowermanufacturingcosts.
AccordingtoSoftWearAutomation,usingtheirT-ShirtWorkline,asingleoperatorcanproduce800,000shirtsperyear,andincreaseoutputperoperatorby85%.
CapabilitiesSoftWearAutomation’sformerCEO,KPReddy,hasclaimedthattherearenolimitstothetypesoffabricsSoftWearAutomation’smachinescanworkwith:theycurrentlyworkwellwithdenim,heavierpilefabricsandmedium-lightweightcottons.Theteamisintheprocessoftestingknitsandlighter-weightfabrics,whichareusedinwomenswear.
CompanyBackgroundSoftWearAutomationwasfoundedin2007inAtlanta,Georgia,havinggrownoutofauniversityresearchprojectattheGeorgiaInstituteofTechnology.Itcurrentlyhas20employees,andcustomersincludeDARPA,anarmoftheUSDepartmentofDefense,theWalmartFoundation,UnderArmour,NewBalance,aswellasvarioushomegoodsandautomotivesuppliers.
Sewbo
Source:Sewbo
Sewboisastartupaimingtoautomatetheapparelproductionprocess.In2016,thecompanyannouncedithadsewedthefirstcompletegarmentwithouthumanintervention,attractingconsiderablemediaattention.ThetechnologyusesavastlydifferentapproachtothattakenbySoftWearAutomation,bymanipulatingthefabrictomakeitmorerigidandhenceeasierforarobottoprocess.
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May23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
TheTechnologySewbousesPolyvinylAlcohol,whichisanon-toxicandwater-solublethermoplastic,totemporarilystiffenthefabrics.Thismakesitiseasierforconventionalrobotstohandlethefabricasifitweremadefromsheetmetal.Oncetheseamsarestitched,theprocessisreversedbyrinsingthefinishedgarmentinhotwater,whichremovestheplasticstiffeningagentandrestorestheoriginalfabricqualities.
Source:Sewbo
Duringprototypetests,SewbosewedacompleteT-shirtusinganoff-the-shelfindustrialrobot,whichwastaughttooperateaconsumersewingmachine.Theprocesstookabout30minutesfromstarttofinish,mostofwhichwasspentmeasuringandadjustingthealignments.Inproductionenvironments,sewingmachineswouldoperateatnormalspeeds—sosewingaT-shirtcouldtakeasimilaramountoftimeasonaconventionalline.AccordingtoSewboFounderJonathanZornow,thesewingmachineintheprototypecanbefurtherimprovedformassproduction.
1.ThefabricisstiffenedwiththePolyvinylAlcohol,becomingassturdyascardboard
2.Sewbo’srobottakesthefabrictothesewingmachine
3.TheprocessisrepeatedwithdifferentpartsoftheT-shirt
4.Thestiffenedfinishedgarmentisputintohotwateraftertheseamsarestitched
5.Theresultisasoft,fullyassembledT-shirt
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May23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
CapabilitiesAnymaterialcanbestiffened,however,thelimitationisinthewashingprocess.Waterproofmaterials,forexample,rubberandwax,cannotbesoftenedbacktotheiroriginalstate,andhenceSewbo’sprocesscanonlyworkwithwashablematerials,suchascotton.
Currently,Sewbo’stechnologyisaproofofconcept.Whilestillattheearlystagesofdevelopment,thecompanyisworkingtowardscommercializingitstechnologyandgrowingitsteamsize.
CompanyBackgroundFoundedbyZornowin2014,Sewboisdesignedtosolveoneofthebiggestbarrierstoautomatinggarmentmanufacturing—handlingsoftandflexiblefabrics.Thecompanyisintalkswithfactories,integratorsandautomationcontractors.TheideaistolicenseSewbo’sIPtomanufacturers.
Sewbohasonlyraisedapre-seedroundoffunding,mostlyforthepatentsofchemicals.Zornowiscurrentlytheonlyfull-timeteammember.
Juki’sDDL-9000CSeriesJapanesemanufacturerJukilauncheditsnewflagshipsewingmachine,theDDL-9000C,in2016,advertisedbythecompanyas“theworld’sfirstsewingmachinewhichcomeswithadigitaldrivemechanismandfacilitatesdatatransferthroughNFCtechnology.”
Thedigitalfeedfeatureofthemachineallowsittostorepre-setsewingparametersonamaterial-by-materialbasis,whichsavestimeforhumanoperatorswhodonothavetoadjustthemachineparametersmanuallywhentheychangethetypeoffabrictheyareworkingwith.Thismachinefeaturecaterstosewingoperationswhichproducediversifiedproductsusinganumberofdifferentmaterials.
Inaddition,thepre-setfeaturescanbetransferreddigitallyfromonemachinetoanotherbyusingaUSBorNFC(nearfieldcommunication)connectionandtheJukiSmartApp,whichisamobileappthatrunsonAndroid.Thememoryfeatureofthemachinefurtherallowsittostoredataontheperformanceofthesewingprocessandthehumanoperators,whichcanbeextractedandanalyzedtoimproveoperationalefficiency.
ThedigitalfeaturesofJuki’snewindustrialsewingmachineofferincrementalvaluetomanufacturersintheformofspeedandefficiency,whichweseeasasuccessfulinnovationstrategyinthemedium-term.
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May23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
DeborahWeinswig,CPAManagingDirectorFungGlobalRetail&TechnologyNewYork:917.655.6790HongKong:852.6119.1779China:86.186.1420.3016deborahweinswig@fung1937.comKirilPopovSeniorAnalyst
ShoshanaPollackSeniorResearchAssociate
SimicChanSeniorResearchAssociate
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