The global apparel manufacturing map is changing, and alongside old destinations some new areas/regions are fast developing, aided by location advantages, trade agreements, buyer’s interest and low-cost of production. Also changing is the centre of R&D for sewing technology...
With Western Europe and Asian powerhouses (Japan) of sewing machine manufacturing giving up on R&D due to stagnant market demand, and China becoming the epicentre for manufacturing of technology, the evolution of sewing machine development virtually came to a standstill. Until recently the focus of every machine manufacturer was to make cheaper, more energy-efficient and more sustainable machines. No one was even thinking of developing breakthrough technology!
But a few years back, Typical of China presented to the world a completely new innovation with its X-Feed system, which has since then been appreciated and awarded at many technology platforms for its path breaking innovation. In 2014 we saw the development of activeseam from Merrow Sewing Machine, US which again changed the way we perceive sewing. Both these offerings are fundamentally new, and are either comprehensively enhancing existing possibilities or creating new possibilities.
The most recent innovation to hit the sewing industry is ZARIF double chainstitch from Uzbekistan. The new stitch type has great practical implications, promising to re-define the de facto standard of sewing. In this issue we have covered this invention in detail and hope that some large multinational sewing technology manufacturers will grab the opportunity to commercialize this innovation.
Even as the spurt of innovations in sewing excites me, also fascinating is the quest for sustainable production and energy-saving options that is pushing the industry to experiment with new concepts. On my recent visit to one of the most technology-savvy Vietnamese garment manufacturing companies, I was surprised to spot giant fans in their laundry department, which prompted me to explore more on this interesting cooling option.
Relatively unknown in the garment manufacturing scenario, High Volume Low Speed (HVLS) fans are a highly efficient and power saving way to keep any large space cool. I am sure during your many travels abroad; some of you may have spotted these gigantic fans at the airport, but never thought about having them in the factory… In this issue we have given a rundown on HVLS, and I purposely refrained from presenting the attractive ROI figures due to many parameters currently unknown. I am sure you will enjoy exploring this technology in your factory in near future.
Another area of development that never seizes to hold my attention is the growing intervention of IT in garment manufacturing, particularly on the production floor. Not many in the industry really know or appreciate how already exciting ‘apps’ can make their production process so much more systematic and consistent. The article ‘Mobile Apps for Garment Industry’, put together by Team StitchWorld, will be a refreshing read for many of you, and I will not be surprised if some of you will actually want to download a few of these apps and check them out. I will surely look forward to your experienced feedback on the same.
With Western Europe and Asian powerhouses (Japan) of sewing machine manufacturing giving up on R&D due to stagnant market demand, and China becoming the epicentre for manufacturing of technology, the evolution of sewing machine development virtually came to a standstill. Until recently the focus of every machine manufacturer was to make cheaper, more energy-efficient and more sustainable machines. No one was even thinking of developing breakthrough technology!
But a few years back, Typical of China presented to the world a completely new innovation with its X-Feed system, which has since then been appreciated and awarded at many technology platforms for its path breaking innovation. In 2014 we saw the development of activeseam from Merrow Sewing Machine, US which again changed the way we perceive sewing. Both these offerings are fundamentally new, and are either comprehensively enhancing existing possibilities or creating new possibilities.
The most recent innovation to hit the sewing industry is ZARIF double chainstitch from Uzbekistan. The new stitch type has great practical implications, promising to re-define the de facto standard of sewing. In this issue we have covered this invention in detail and hope that some large multinational sewing technology manufacturers will grab the opportunity to commercialize this innovation.
Even as the spurt of innovations in sewing excites me, also fascinating is the quest for sustainable production and energy-saving options that is pushing the industry to experiment with new concepts. On my recent visit to one of the most technology-savvy Vietnamese garment manufacturing companies, I was surprised to spot giant fans in their laundry department, which prompted me to explore more on this interesting cooling option.
Relatively unknown in the garment manufacturing scenario, High Volume Low Speed (HVLS) fans are a highly efficient and power saving way to keep any large space cool. I am sure during your many travels abroad; some of you may have spotted these gigantic fans at the airport, but never thought about having them in the factory… In this issue we have given a rundown on HVLS, and I purposely refrained from presenting the attractive ROI figures due to many parameters currently unknown. I am sure you will enjoy exploring this technology in your factory in near future.
Another area of development that never seizes to hold my attention is the growing intervention of IT in garment manufacturing, particularly on the production floor. Not many in the industry really know or appreciate how already exciting ‘apps’ can make their production process so much more systematic and consistent. The article ‘Mobile Apps for Garment Industry’, put together by Team StitchWorld, will be a refreshing read for many of you, and I will not be surprised if some of you will actually want to download a few of these apps and check them out. I will surely look forward to your experienced feedback on the same.
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