Why New Production Concepts Are Necessary
Digital solutions are only fully implemented in a few textile companies. Since sewing textiles requires handling flexible materials, there are still only a few highly specialized automation solutions available today.
The high specialization of machines in high-quality garment manufacturing leads to low utilization (<30%) of production equipment. Due to rigid production planning systems, neither machine utilization nor workforce capacity is optimized. Individual skills and physical workload of employees are often neglected, significantly reducing the attractiveness and productivity of professions in the predominantly medium-sized manufacturing industry.
To meet individual requirements and counter cost pressures, new digitally supported production systems must be developed.
Microfactory Engineering for the Production of the Future
In the M3 MicroFactories module, flexible and digitized production concepts for resource-efficient manufacturing are being explored. This requires new digitalized concepts that enable the economical production of small and very small batch sizes (1–100) in close proximity to sales locations.
This module therefore implements measures for the establishment and operation of a functional real-world laboratory, in which production technologies and concepts for integrated and digitized textile production of the future are researched collaboratively with research and industry partners. Building on this work, scalable manufacturing concepts will in the future be implemented in the production processes of T7 partners, allowing them to respond to the fast-paced nature of the textile industry.
The focus of the real-world laboratory is on the sectors of apparel, medical/sports, and mobility textiles.