Key technologies in apparel mass customization

Garment mass customization not only requires a change in the production model, but also requires a series of new technologies to support mass customization. The key technologies in mass customization, such as body type measurement technology, "personalized" clothing design technology, clothing variant design technology, digital printing technology and clothing by "work technology, etc., are analyzed.

Table of Contents

Mass customization will be one of the main trends of the future apparel industry One. Mass customization of apparel not only requires a change in the production model”‘, but but also requires a series of new technologies to support mass customization. For example In the past, suits have been made to measure. In order to meet people’s general desire to wear suits the general desire to wear suits, high-volume assembly line production began to emerge and the invention of The invention of bonded linings has saved resources and simplified production. However, the traditional However, the traditional assembly line production was based on the erasure of individuality to reach commonality, and the suits produced Except for a limited range of variations in size and style, all the suits produced were the same. It was becoming increasingly difficult to meet the diverse and individual needs of many customers. It is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the diverse and individual needs of many customers. Customers can only choose from a limited number of styles and specifications. The customer can only choose from a limited number of styles and specifications, and especially because of the limited specifications, it is difficult to get a true fit even at a high price. It is difficult to buy a suit that really fits. Traditional tailoring means high production cost and long lead time. With the further development of science and technology further development, the combination of high-tech means and tailor-made mass customization technology can make the cost of tailoring significantly lower and The production cycle is significantly shortened. A comparison of mass customization and manual tailoring of suits shows that the cost of tailoring is significantly lower and the production cycle is significantly shorter. We can see that in order to achieve mass customization, new advanced technology is the key.

Body type measurement technology for mass customization of clothing

Mass customization of clothing begins with quick and accurate access to customer body type data. The requirements for body type measurement technology in mass customization are requirements are: simple and convenient measurement, high accuracy, and the customer’s ability to perform independent measurement, etc.

Measuring tools

Japan cenury techno core Co.This set of tools is divided into two sets of tops and pants. Sales

After a short period of training, the staff can be put into operation, according to the training determined

The tools are used to take measurements of the body according to the standard parts and measurement procedures determined in the training. Body measurement fixture

Tool helps to adopt standardized and scientific means of measuring body shape, avoiding

The traditional measurement-button is used to avoid deviations in the measuring part and method due to the personal habits of the measurer.

The body measurement fixture helps to standardize and scientifically measure the body size and avoid the deviation of the measurement part and method due to the personal habits of the measurer.

Camera method

The “2000 Garment CAD System” launched by the School of Information Science of Sun Yat-sen University System”. The system measures the human form through 36 camera lenses, and inputs the measured data into the computer. CAD system” to design a human body model, and then its size, color, style to choose the configuration, and finally size, color and style, and finally output the best solution, and can The final output is the best solution, and can give the effect picture.

Traditional clothing design is often two-dimensional design, only measuring the human body three circumference, and then according to the large, medium and small size pattern for cutting. The “2000 garment cAD system” adopts three-dimensional design, that is, from different angles of the human body The “2000 apparel cAD system” adopts three-dimensional design, that is, from different angles to measure the size of various parts of the human body accurately, and then design a single human body model, so that the clothes made of course fit, beautiful. At present, China’s police police, armed police forces, the new clothing style is designed using the system The system is used to design new clothing styles for our police and armed forces. The Connecticut-based software sportswear company also uses cameras and computers to camera and computer to measure the user’s size, the user from 150 samples from 150 samples, the user selects his or her favorite style, and the final garment style and user’s The final garment pattern and the user’s

measurements are transmitted to the production plant, and the garment is ready for the user in about a week.

Body type scanner

Many users have shopped for clothes online, some of them because the shopping clothing does not fit, and may return it. Size discrepancy is one of the main factors that restrict the online purchase of clothes One of the main factors that restrict the purchase of clothes online. For this reason, scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany have recently developed a system called the Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany have recently developed a system called “online fitting”. Not only can help customers “experience” whether the new clothes fit between the hands and feet, but also can watch the lighting of different occasions. can also watch the effect of the clothing under the light of different occasions, helping customers to select the satisfactory new farm.

The system can not only help customers “experience” whether the new clothes fit between the hands and feet, but also can watch the effect of the lighting in different occasions, helping customers to select the new farm satisfied.

Before the customer carries out the virtual fitting, he or she first scans his or her own body through a handheld three-dimensional body scanner, and the data obtained is transmitted back to the clothing vendor to form the customer’s own virtual three-dimensional image. Then customers can select new clothes according to the clothing catalog provided by the seller to “try on” the body, and can control the virtual image through the mouse to carry out simple actions such as raising hands and bending, in the computer screen to see whether the clothes fit. In addition, customers can even adjust the light and other parameters to further watch the overall convergence of clothing. This fitting system has been unveiled in a fashion show in Porto, Portugal, and began to run online trials U.S. image twin company and specializing in commodity price lists Geomantic, a company specializing in product price lists, have jointly launched a similar body scanner that can get the exact body size of the user, making it easier to shop for clothes online Image Gemini has placed a number of body scanner kiosks in shopping malls and other commercial areas in the United States. Image Gemini has placed a number of body scan kiosks in shopping malls and other commercial areas in the United States.

The scans are free of charge to users who purchase clothing from the Geopoint website or from companies associated with it.The data obtained by the user is stored in a secure database on the Internet. The data obtained will be stored in a secure database on the Internet. 

Beijing Institute of Fashion’s body scanner adopts the principle of “dual-viewpoint projection image processing and data processing through computer. Data processing. It can carry out the non-contact measurement of human body=i dimension. The system The system has a simple structure, easy operation, no special requirements for the use of environmental conditions The system is simple in structure, convenient in operation, no special requirements for the use of environmental conditions, reliable in data, fast in measurement, and can not only obtain the dimensions required for garment design The system has a simple structure, easy operation, no special requirements for the use of environmental conditions, reliable data and fast measurement speed. The system is simple and easy to operate.

“Personalized” clothing design techniques

Because it is often difficult for a customer to express what kind of clothing he/she needs, he/she often has to see the pattern of clothing before he/she can say: “This is the clothing I want”. This requires “personalized” clothing did not plan software, through two-dimensional design technology to help customers quickly express their needs. Its characteristics are: 1) can imitate the texture of the fabric, weaving, hanging degree to achieve computerized three-dimensional simulation display, so that the design of the clothing on the screen shows a perfect and realistic image, the effect is more intuitive; 2) pay more attention to the symmetry and harmony of the whole body, not only consider the wearer’s top and pants The harmonious, but also consider with other goods (such as shoes, hats, skirts, shirts, The clothes are not only considered to match the top and trousers of the wearer, but also to match other commodities (such as shoes, hats, skirts, shirts, ties, carrying bags, etc.). face, body type, skin, hair color, etc. are also taken into consideration to design produce a complete set of clothing that can make the whole body more beautiful; 3) can convert the clothing 3) the ability to convert clothing effects into sample drawings.

The “personalized” garment design uses modular design technology to subdivide the design into several areas, such as necklines, cuffs, trouser hems and waistbands, which are extremely varied and can be combined in numerous ways. When a new combination is created, the computer screen will show the design features of the many combinations that make up the solution, and then the experts will filter these features and select the best design. After a series of screening, the most ideal design in the customer’s mind will be presented.

Garment variation design technology

The key to garment variant design technology is the cAD system that supports garment variant design. The basic requirement for it is intelligent and fast, that is, after inputting the measured body size of the user, the cAD system can automatically and quickly design the corresponding sample and process, without human intervention as much as possible.

fabric digital printing technology

People’s demand for personalized clothing is getting higher and higher, such as women’s outer clothing, swimwear, knitted sportswear, silk clothing and underwear, etc. Fabric of personalization will make clothing personalization shine. Hangzhou Honghua Computer Technology Co. Ltd. has developed digital printing technology and digital jet printing The fabric digital printing technology and digital jet printing machine developed by Hangzhou Honghua Computer Technology Co. Through the computer printing color separation tracing system (cAD) editing processing, and then The computer-controlled micro-piezo inkjet nozzle jets the special dye directly onto the textile to form the desired pattern.

to the textile to form the required pattern. Fabric digital printing technology in the clothing

The application of digital fabric printing technology in clothing mass customization is shown in the following aspects.

Shorten the time and cost of personalized fabric printing

The traditional fabric printing has to go through many complicated processes and needs a month or so cycle. After using digital jet printing machine, as long as a few hours to complete the task of personalized fabric printing. For small batch fabric printing (less than 200m), the cost of using digital printing is significantly lower than with traditional methods.

Reduction of product inventory by moving back the point of customization

By developing digital jet printing machines that use jet printing directly on garments, the cost of customized garments can be further reduced by preparing some mass-produced light-colored garments, such as body shirts, that do not require many styles for jet printing processing on site when they are sold on site.

In order to meet the diversified and personalized needs of customers, companies often design and produce a wide variety of products in advance for customers to choose from, based on their analysis of the market. The problem faced by sellers is: the more varieties and patterns of products, the more stock they have to buy, the bigger the inventory will be, and the more capital and warehouse area they take up; with less stock, they cannot meet the diversified and personalized needs of customers.

In the digital printing clothing stores set up small digital jet printing machines that work directly on the clothing. Sales staff can digitally print directly on the light-colored garments purchased by customers according to their individual needs. By doing so, it is possible to provide Furukawa with highly creative regiments of garment fabrics at a relatively inexpensive price required. In this way Chit provides clothing stores with standard garments produced in large quantities, and clothing stores can both significantly reduce inventory and meet consumer demand flexibly and quickly. By centrally organizing the production process, the clothing store effectively delays the stage of product personalization, thus avoiding a large amount of obsolete inventory.

Processing technology in garment mass customization

The processing technology in the garment mass customization develops in the direction of flexibility, digitalization, intelligence and integration, etc. China’s Groom Company has begun to implement the mass customization of suits. Through the intelligent cooperation between computers and equipment machinery, large CNC cutting machines can be cut after only the parameters of the human body are input into the computer. Taking a group order as an example, it only takes l days to 2 days to complete a precise cutting from the precise measurement a Pos system transmission sales company a production plan. The use of a complete set of hanging suit production line equipment for flowing program operation, swift operation, than the general equipment operation to save manpower, reduce material flow loss, greatly reduce production costs.

Intelligent robots help to measure and cut clothes

Harbin University Group Qunbo Robotics Company has recently developed an intelligent robot The intelligent robot dressmaker is composed of “brain” and “control”. The intelligent robot dressmaker is composed of two major parts: the “brain” and the “control The intelligent robot dressmaker consists of two major parts: the “brain” and the “controller”. The microcomputer-controlled “brain” stores microcomputer-controlled “brain” stores a large number of clothing styles for people to choose from. Users can also scan pictures of their favorite The user can also scan a picture of the desired clothing into the robot’s “brain”, and in a short time, the Intelligent robot dressmaker can be based on the “brain” within the intelligent decomposition and calculations within the “brain”, the intelligent robot dressmaker can accurately provide the cutting data for each part of the garment. Determine After the style of the garment is determined, the operator only needs to put the selected fabric on the specified track. Once the pattern of the garment is determined, the operator simply places the selected fabric on a defined track. The “controller” of the intelligent robotic garment maker can then cut the garment according to the “brain” transmission. The “controller” of the intelligent robot garment maker can automatically draw the fabric according to the digital and analog signals transmitted from the “brain” and carry out The “controller” of the intelligent robot garment maker can automatically draw fabric, cut and sew according to the digital and analog signals transmitted from the “brain”.

Automated sewing systems of the future

The automated sewing system of the future is already taking shape in the Japanese garment industry. The Japanese government has developed a nationwide nine-year plan to develop an automated sewing system for the garment industry. The system will operate as follows: 1) Designers use computer-aided design, and the finalized design can be put into production; 2) Cutting, and several robots equipped with lasers skillfully perform “laser cutting”; 3) Sorting. Robots equipped with camera holes accurately sort the cut pieces; 4) Sewing process. This work is first performed by several fully automatic sewing machines, whose task is to The task is to sew the garment bags on and pin the buttons in the required position; 5) Next, several robots put the finished garments onto the Several robots put the clothes made on the mannequin, and the well put the sleeves and collar on. and collar, so that a finished garment is completed; 6) inspection, by a A group of robots will carry out the specification and quality measurement, and then send it to the shipping office.

This automated sewing system may also pose a challenge to the garment manufacturing in my past. Because, the current apparel manufacturing industry is labor-intensive and less automated, our country has the advantage. And when the automated sewing system is highly and densely automated for garment making, its cost is reduced to a lower level, and the garments produced may have a great competitive power.

The integration of garment processing

The function of special equipment for garment processing is more integrated, that is, an operator can operate several pieces of equipment. The combination of equipment such as buttoning, eyelet, collar sewing, hemming, ironing, etc., the operator only needs to The operator only needs to put the cut pieces on a feeding device, and the combination machine can automatically finish feeding, positioning, sewing and ironing. The operator only needs to put the cut pieces on a feeding device, and the combination machine can automatically complete the feeding, positioning, sewing and folding actions.

Advanced bonding technology

Various blended fabrics, knitted fabrics, non-woven fabrics and single-use paper garments and the emergence of bonded lining, will certainly give the garment production process Bring major reforms. Experts predict that the use of advanced bonding technology, will will produce “seamless suits” and “bonded shirts”, giving garment processing a A new look.

Conclusion

The key technologies for mass customization of clothing are.

1. body type measurement technology. The requirements are: simple and convenient measurement, high accuracy, customer can make independent measurement, etc. At present, the more appropriate technology in this area are: body measurement fixture, camera method and body scanner.

2. “Personalized” clothing design technology. Its requirements are: after the body measurement, the customer quickly design the clothing really want, and let the customer immediately know whether the future processing of good clothing is really suitable for themselves. Its technical characteristics are three-dimensional design technology, modular design technology, etc. 

3. Clothing variant design technology. Its requirements are: intelligent and fast. Its main method is the base type method and correspondence method.

4. Digital fabric printing technology. Its main role is: to shorten the time and cost of personalized fabric printing; to move back the point of customization and reduce product inventory.

5, garment processing technology. Its requirements are: flexibility, digitalization, intelligence and integration, etc. Here involves advanced garment processing equipment, computer control technology, bonding technology, robotics, etc.

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Pan Pan

Hi, I'm Pan Pan, the founder of BoloTex , I've been running a factory in China that makes Print Fabric for 10 years now, and the purpose of this article is to share with you the knowledge related to Fabric from a Chinese supplier's perspective.

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