Industry 4.0 textile industry: Produced the first sewing robot

In a major breakthrough in apparel manufacturing, the US tech startup announced that it had achieved its long-sought goal of automatic sewing. The company has achieved a milestone when using an industrial robot to make a t-shirt. For the first time a robot has been used to sew a complete garment.

Although widely used in many other industries, automation has failed to find a foothold in garment manufacturing due to the inability of robots to handle soft fabrics. The Sewbo startup avoided these barriers by temporarily hardening the fabric, making it easier for traditional robots to sew the goods as they were made from sheet metal. The process is then reversed to create a soft, fully assembled sewing product.

“Our technology will enable manufacturers to create high quality garments at low cost and in less time than ever before,” said Jonathan Zornow, technology inventor. Avoiding labor and shortening the supply chain will help reduce the complexity and many headaches surrounding today’s global supply network. And digital production will completely change fashion, even down to the way we buy clothing by making it easier to produce according to customer requirements and ensure affordability for everyone.”

Sewbo did this by using the industrial robot they taught to operate the home sewing machine. Having successfully demonstrated its core concept, Sewbo is now expanding its research group and moving towards commercialization of technology.

With the continuous development of Industry 4.0, labor-intensive industries like textiles and clothing will face enormous challenges when there are robots that replace humans. Every business, every individual needs to be well equipped to prepare for the upcoming changing movements of technology, keeping up with the world trend.

Productivity and Quality Office