The document discusses various technologies used in apparel manufacturing, including computer-aided design systems for pattern making and grading, fully automatic spreading machines, cutting technologies like laser cutting and water jet cutting, and a variety of sewing machines. It also covers pressing technologies, computerized embroidery machines, electronic body scanning for customization, and how scanning data can be integrated into e-commerce solutions for customized online shopping.

1. Technology in Apparel
Manufacturing
by
Prof. Biswaranjan Ghosh
SVPISTM, Coimbatore

2. APPAREL MANUFACTURING
TECHNOLOGY
Contents:
• Pattern Making & Grading
• Cutting: Lay Planning, Spreading, Marking
• Sewing:
• Post Sewing Operation / process
• Value added Processes
• Best Management Practices

3. Pattern Making
• To facilitate mass production of garments of
standard sizes, pattern making is necessary
• First block pattern and base patterns are
developed in the process of proto and fit sample
development
• Using base pattern various size pattern are made
through the process of grading to develop size set
samples
• Today Computer Aided Design ( CAD)
technology extensively used for Pattern Making
and Grading.

4. Pattern Making
The fashion/ garment
industry uses computer-
aided design (CAD) systems
to prepare the patterns.
Pattern-making the
process of transforming
the design into the
appropriate pieces needed
to produce an apparel item
It also facilitate grading.
grading the technical
process of increasing or
decreasing the sizes of a
pattern to correspond to a
garment size
Marker Making:

5. Pattern Making
CAD systems store style information such as:
• Flat sketch
• Size spec
• Trim requirements
• Size grade charts
5

6. • The system automatically
produce pattern shapes in
all the pre-specified sizes
6
Grading

7. • Marker – arrangement of all
pattern parts for max. fabric
utilization
• The system indicates the
percentage of waste
• Automatic matching of stripes
and plaids is common to most
systems
7
Marker Making

8. Spreading- Methods
Spreading
Machine
Assisted
Spreading
Semi-
Automatic
Fully
Automatic
Manual
Spreading

9. Spreading related Equipment
• Tables
- Normal table
- Vacuum table
- Conveyor table
- Pinned table
• Fabric Loaders
• Fabric weights/Clamps/Pins
Pinned
Table
Vacuum
Table
Fabric
clamps
Fabric
Weights
Fabric Roll
Loader

10. Spreading Machines

11. Fully Automatic Spreading Machines
• Automatic loading/unloading device
for fabric rolls
• Automatic roll turning arrangement
for face to back lay
• Automatic leveling device for fabric
edge alignment.
• Automatic cutting device at the end of
a run
• Automatic tensioning device to
control fabric tension
• Automatic lay height sensing elevator
• Programmable lay length, ply height
• Spreading seeds up to 140 m/min
Feature
s:

12. Cutting
Cutting
Manual
Scissors
Machine
Portable cutting
knives
Straight
knife
Round
knife
Stationary
cutters
Band
knife
Die
cutting
Servo
cutting
Plasma
cutting
Water jet
cutting
Laser
cutting
Position
markers
Notchers
Drills and
thread
markers

13. Semi-Automatic Cutting Equipment
Advantages
• Comparatively cheap
• Production speed is very good
• Rough work can be easily done by
hands
Disadvantages
• Faulty knife could damage fabric layer
• Knife required to change
• Weight of the motor creates knife
deflection which may be creates faulty
pieces
Straight knife Round knife Band knife Notcher machine

14. Die Cutting
Dies are pre – shaped metal outlines. Most accurate Die cutting operation involves
Placement of fabric, positioning the die on the fabric ,engaging the machine to press
the die into the fabric .Useful for small precision parts.

15. Fully-Automatic Cutting Equipment
Advantages
• Cutting defects are less
• Less labor cost
• Suitable for very large scale
of production
• No need of marker paper
Disadvantages
• Very expensive machines
• Very high on maintenance
• Not suitable for cutting multi
level fabric (water-jet, laser)
• Not suitable for synthetic
fabric(laser cutting)
Computerized
cutting machine
Laser cutting machine Water-jet fabric cutting

16. • Single/multi needle industrial lockstitch sewing machine with or without trimmer
• Blind stitch machine/Chain stitching machine.
• Flat lock machine (cylinder bed and flat bed)
• Over lock machine (3 threads/4 threads and 5 and 6 threads)
• Single/double needle chain stitch machine
• Zigzag flat bed sewing machine.
• Button stitch sewing machine.
• Button hole sewing machine
• Feed of Arm sewing machine
• Label/elastic inserting machine
• Bar tacking machine.
• Hemstitch machine.
• Smocking machine / Automatic multi needle shirring machine
• Collar and cuff turning and blocking machine and pressing machine
• Shoulder pad-attaching machine
Different sewing Machines’ name

18. Lock stitch M/c: single and double

19. Sewing machines
Computer controlled, Direct-Drive, High-Speed, 1
Needle, Lockstitch, Zigzag Stitching Machine with
Automatic thread trimmer.
Automatic Pocket Welting
Machine

20. Feed-of arm- cover stitch m/c
2- needle feed-of arm 4-needle feed-of arm

21. Sewing Machine
Over lock machine Flat lock machine

22. Smocking Sewing Machine with Shirring
This machine adopt vertical movement of looper, suitable for basic sewing and
decoration of high-grade garment for women’s and children’s suit. Up to 32-needles

23. Flatbed, multi needle, double chain stitch machine.
These machines are multi-purpose machines for attaching elastic, attaching waistband, sewing
the front of shirts, attaching line tapes, smocking and shirring
which are ideal for underwear, sportswear, lady's clothes, interior decorated goods (curtains,
table-clothes etc.).

24. Collar Turning and blocking machine

25. Lockstitch Automated Pocket Welting machine with
corner cutting device,
10 different patterns can be stored as stitch length, sewing speed,

26. Feeding- some example

28. Special attachments- Folders and
guides
Yoke attaching Pocket heming

29. Folders and guides
Cuff heming Cuff attaching

30. Folders and guides
Centre placket Centre Placket

31. Folder and guide
Pleat
folder Edge stitch guide

32. Folder and guide
Sleeve attach Sleeve attach- 2nd operation

33. Folder and guide
Sleeve placket folder Lap seam folder

34. Sewing through Profile----

36. Automatic Feeding Button Sewing
Machine

37. Button Holders

38. Pneumatic Multi-head button-attaching Machine
For this machine, the head number can be: 1, 2, 3, 12. The machine series fit for all
kinds of eyelet, snap button, jeans button, snap ring button, decoration button, etc.

39. Button hole sewing machine

40. This is a buttonhole foot for making an automatic buttonhole. As you can see, it is much
different than a traditional sewing machine foot. This foot works with a sensor on your
sewing machine so that it makes the exact size buttonhole for the button you are using.
The button is placed in the slot at the back- not shown in fig

41. Sequins attaching m/c
• This machine is used to attach the sequin on the fabric. There is a wheel on which a roll of
continuous sequin is wound. The fabric is put on under the foot and sequin lace is placed on
the fabric with sewing. This is time saving machine and durability of the sequin is also
increased.

42. Pressing Technology
• Steam iron table
• Vacuum is useful in two key ways. One, the most effective pressing is done by pulling the
steam through the layers. Second, blowing up (via a readily accessible switch) reduces seam
imprinting by the iron. This is particularly noticeable if you’re pressing several layers, the iron
maps allowances underneath. This table is reported to be good for napped fabrics like
corduroy and velvets because blowing up while pressing doesn’t crush the nap.

43. Border Making m/c
• This machine is used to make different types of borders design. which can be select from
pattern memory . Large embroideries can be machine produced based on design developed
using AUTOCAD or other design software.
• The software allows the designer to shrink , enlarge, rotate etc….

44. Computerized Embroidery m/c- single head and
multi head
• Computer connectivity using USB port for transferring patterns from the Internet
is possible

45. Tajima 6 head embroidery machine
Each Toyota Expert ESP 9100 is capable of 1,000 stitches per minute, the machines are
fully networked together and driven by Wilcom software Used to embroider t-shirts,
polo shirts, fleeces, coats, caps and hats, overalls, bags, sports kit, wear and most etc.

46. 47
Electronic body scanning
Advanced CAD for e-Commerce
• A new trend in customizing
clothing
• After scanned, customers
could used the measurement
information for internet
shopping e.g. ez-size
• The perfect fit” -The Virtual
Smart 3D Body Scanner
calculates your customer's
measurements and
characteristics in your retail
stores, in less than 15 seconds.
This information is directly
integrated into Lectra's FitNet
mass customization solution
with the end result: a perfect-
fitting garment

47. 1 Body Scanner
Universal
Backend
Database
3 Database of partipating stores
2.1 Portal terminal
2.2 User home desktop
4 Selected apparel of best fit
Store A
Store B
Store C
5 Shopping centre
Generates list from database
Generates list from database
Selected item shipped
Collection of item
Guess,
Levis,
Oakley,
etc
Suppliers7
customer6