Robots in the textile and fashion industries: facts and prospectives

Abstract

Constant modernization and automation of production processes through the implementation of new technologies in the textile and fashion industry results in increased efficiency and better use of existing equipment. It is expected that the automation increases productivity and product quality, provides greater flexibility and reduces production process of finished product. New technologies, in this particular case the robotic technology, should facilitate and simplify the production processes. Despite its success in other industrial sectors, the use of robots in textile and fashion industry is rather limited. Main reason is a number of technical difficulties of dealing with soft deformable textile materials. During handling, fabric can buckle, band or fold up. Moreover, during the sewing process, wrinkles and distortion can appear. This paper presents the trend of industrial robots application during the automation of production processes in the textile and fashion industry.