Will the Robots Replace the Human Workforce in Apparel Factories?

An Article published in the Economist had the Title, “Sewing Cloths Still Needs Human Hands, But For How Much Longer”? Thought Provoking Question, Will we be able to find our Answer in this Decade?

The Economist further added that, In 1970, William J Bank, President of the Blue Jeans Corporation, Predicted that there would be a Man on Mars before the Production of Apparel was automated. Though the  very first Industrial Revolution happened around the Textile Industry. Its been a great Pursuit by many researchers in the Automation of Garment Production, Many Still claim The Textile Production process is Human Intensive and we have limitation in doing Automation.

Recently i came across an Article published in Wall street Journal detailing the Latest “Sew Bots” of Apparel Industry.

Cornerstone Capital Group predicts that over the course of the next 10 years, automation will take 6 to 7.5 million jobs from the retail industry, or 38 percent.

Softwear Automation an American Technology Innovation Company have developed an Auto Bot, which could be the Disruptive Technology for Apparel Industry which is $100 Billion USD worth Business.  Softwear Automation developed this disruptive innovation in collaboration with DARPA & Walmart Foundation. A detailed demo of their Auto bot is shown in the below Video.

 

This seems a real solution to tackle the growing Labour costs in the Apparel Producing Nations. The Company claims they have developed Technology Know How for the following Apparel Products Manufacturing.

The Chinese have started adopting this Technology in to their Production Process, This Sew Bots have been perceived as the solution for their Increasing Labour costs.

From the China Daily Magazine it has been learned that, a Chinese Firm “Tianyuan Garments Company” has planned to introduce these fully automated “SewBots” in to their Little Rock Facility in China by 2018. This Investment is expected to manufacture 8,00,000 T Shirts Per Day.

Will this Technology Leads the Brand Owners to have their Investments and Manufacturing facility nearest to their location – manufacturing closer to Consume? Will this Disrupt the Entire Labour Intensive Manufacturing Process? How ever the cost of the Technology and Scope for our Indian Manufacturers to adopt this is yet to be explored. May be Companies like Alpine Knits India Pvt Ltd can explore the opportunity. We have to wait and Watch.

They are organizing a Demonstration in Mumbai on 14th & 15th September, If you are Visiting China during September 27-29th of 2017, you can explore opportunity to schedule a demo with them, at the CISMA Shanghai New International Expo Center. Want to Explore More about this <Click Here>

Raman Azhahia Manavalan

One thought on “Will the Robots Replace the Human Workforce in Apparel Factories?

  1. A long time need,…as labour intensive country like India is facing labor problem in the recent years….

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