Considering that the textile industry was one of the first to be automated in the 18th century, it is ironic that robotics is just now making its way into the sector. This was pointed out in an article that was published in the Wall Street Journal for example.
Obviously, there are already certain components of automation present in the fabric production process. On the other hand, for a considerable amount of time, only some jobs were capable of being consistently automated (for example, yarn formation, carding, cotton mixing, and so on). Dexterity on the part of humans has always been required for increasingly difficult job completion.
The difficulty is that textiles are a medium that is prone to change. According to KP Reddy, who works with SoftWear Automation, one of the most significant technological problems is the fact that material flows. Whenever you touch it, it expands and becomes distorted in a different way.
Industrial robots have traditionally been better suited to dealing with solid and predictable materials such as metal, plastic, wood, and other similar materials.
There are several robotic applications that may assist manufacturers in maintaining their agility, despite the fact that industrial robots are not yet capable of doing every work that is included in the textile production process.
There are nine outstanding applications of robots in the textile industry.
Here are nine applications that are an excellent beginning point for deployment in the textile manufacturing industry. These applications are useful whether you are a textile company, an integrator, or you are just interested in robotics.
1. Illustration and printing by robots
The process of printing patterns into fabric is an essential step in the production of garments. In many instances, the only thing that differentiates similar product lines is the printed design put on them. Robots are ideal for printing and sketching because they can automatically program complicated pathways provided the appropriate tools are used. This makes robots an ideal choice for these tasks.
This technology from Toshin Kogyo Company even makes it possible to use a robot to do intricate screen printing.
2. Transportation of Logistical Goods
It is not the manufacturing operations themselves that have been the source of many of the most interesting new applications in robotics in recent years; rather, it is the transportation and packaging of goods that have been the focus of these applications. There is no difference between the textile sector and other forms of production in terms of the tasks that are relevant to them.
There are many different applications that fall under this category, some of which include picking, packaging, warehousing, and sorting.
3. Operations on Bales
Many types of textiles begin their existence as enormous bales. They are cumbersome, heavy, and may be challenging to maneuver about the production floor due to their size and weight.
The work of bale handling is ideal for huge industrial robots, which are capable of carrying weights of up to approximately two tons on their shoulders. They can be simply programmed to pick up, stack, and sort bales on their own without human intervention.
4. Printing of three-dimensional fiber structures
Three-dimensional printing is one of the most recent advancements in the field of robotic textile production.
Fibers that are coated in a polymer are used in the production of 3D printed textiles, which are used for clothing such as protective firefighting outfits. This process is quite similar to the standard 3D printing process. A hardening polymer is used to secure the fabric in place once it has been guided by the robot into the form of the three-dimensional construction.
5. Select and Positioned
Pick and place is a technique that may be used in almost any production setting when it is necessary to relocate components inside the existing workspace. It is perfectly feasible to move parts around using a robot with a customized gripper, even if textiles are flexible. This may be accomplished with proper programming.
6. Welding using a Laser
Through the course of the last several years, there has been a transition away from sewing as the exclusive method of joining materials. Using a laser, it is possible to fuse two pieces of cloth together by the use of techniques such as laser welding.
When compared to other forms of welding, which are exceptionally well suited to robotic automation, this job is remarkably comparable to those other types of welding.
7. Testing of the Fabric
When it comes to some textile items, product testing is an essential component of quality assurance. Even though there are devices specifically designed to test individual components of textiles, such as yarn or joins, there is still a need for evaluating the complete finished product. This more extensive kind of testing can be performed by robots, which may be a good way to accomplish it since they can apply different stresses to the material.
8. Taking Care of Machines
Human operators are required to load and unload a significant number of the conventional pieces of automated machinery used in the textile manufacturing industry. It is possible that this is tedious and perhaps hazardous work, which implies that it would be ideal for a robot to do. The incorporation of a machine tending robot has the potential to enhance production and enable personnel to shift their focus to more specialized duties.
9. Sewing That Is Complicated
One of the most difficult components of the textile manufacturing process is sewing, and this is especially true when it comes to the production of clothing. In order to sew clothing that has a three-dimensional form, complex pathways are necessary. Given the constraints that the flexible material presents, it may be quite difficult to program these complex paths.
Over the course of time, a number of different techniques have been added in order to manage increasingly complicated sewing chores.
As an example, consider the Sewbo system. The cloth is momentarily transformed into a solid piece by use of a stiffener, which enables the seams to be sewn in a manner that is entirely independent of the machine.
How to Test Your Robotic Application in a Quick and Straightforward Manner
When you switch to robotic automation, it may seem like a significant change. If, on the other hand, something happens and you no longer need a certain robot application, you can simply switch the same robot to another activity and continue to enjoy the advantages of it. This may help your operations become more flexible, which will enable you to swiftly adapt to changes in the global marketplace.
Before you make the jump to incorporating robots into your own textile production process, it is a good idea to do a preliminary test in a reliable simulator. This will allow you to get a feel for how the technology will work in your business. It is even possible to reuse your simulation when you eventually get around to programming the actual robot if you engage in offline programming.
