Researchers have still not been able to develop a robot that could handle most of the highly flexible fabrics the way humans maneuver them with fingers. But a German firm has developed a robot that can stitch denim jeans.
The denim cloth is also too soft for any robot to handle during stitching but the inventor of a startup instead of further fine-tuning the robot stiffened the denim fabric with chemicals. The robot could handle the stiffened fabric the way it handles car bumpers. After stitching is completed the apparel is washed to bring back the original softness of the jeans. This experiment has thrilled those desiring to bring apparel production back to Europe and the United States.
After the prototype machine, the manufacturers have gone for mass-scale production. They have obtained orders from a Los Angeles-based jean manufacturer to make jeans on a large scale in the United States. Some famous Jean brands have also shown interest in robotic jean-making machines including Levi Straus & Co.
Although each western apparel brand that outsources apparel to developing economies of Asia and Africa also has a great desire to bring back stitching to their home country. However, they do not talk about it openly as this sends shockwaves among garment workers in low-cost countries. Even a Levi spokesman simply confirmed that the company participated in the early stages of denim production through robotic machines but refused to talk any further.
Apparel is over a $1.0 trillion industry and textiles is the only global industry with a turnover of over one trillion dollars that has not been fully automated. Jeans are a significant part of apparel manufacturing. The transfer of jean production to developed economies would accelerate research to make robotic sewing machines for other fabrics as well.
