Disrupting the Apparel Supply Chain- Will …...2017/05/23  · Disrupting the Apparel Supply Chain:...

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May23,2017

DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&Technologydeborahweinswig@fung1937.comUS: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&Technologydeborahweinswig@fung1937.comUS: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&Technologydeborahweinswig@fung1937.comUS: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&Technologydeborahweinswig@fung1937.comUS: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&Technologydeborahweinswig@fung1937.comUS: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&Technologydeborahweinswig@fung1937.comUS: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&Technologydeborahweinswig@fung1937.comUS: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

HongKong:8thFloor,LiFungTower888CheungShaWanRoad,KowloonHongKongTel:85223004406London:242-246MaryleboneRoadLondon,NW16JQUnitedKingdomTel:44(0)2076168988NewYork:1359Broadway,9thFloorNewYork,NY10018Tel:6468397017FungGlobalRetailTech.com