Abstract

The present investigation was conducted on automation and CAD/CAM adoption in designing by knitwear industry of Ludhiana. Data were collected from 110 knitwear units of Ludhiana consisting 56 small, 29 medium and 25 large scale knitwear units by using interview schedule. The sample was selected according to the probability proportional to size by following stratified sampling technique. The results revealed that for fabric designing, automatic machines, computer aided designing systems and manual sketching were used whereas in garment designing, manual sketching and CAD system were used. For the designing of knitwears, various softwares like Corel Draw, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Fukuhara, Universal, Stoll, Gerber, Autocad and Shima Seiki were used. Rapid generation of new styles, value addition, cost reduction, fast modification of design etc. were the main reasons given for using automation and CAD/CAM systems in knitwear designing.

Introduction

Knitting is the second most frequently used method of fabric construction. The popularity of knitting has grown tremendously in the recent years because of the increased versatility of techniques, the adaptability of many new man-made fibers and the growth in the consumer demand for wrinkle resistant, stretchable, snug fitted garments, particularly in greatly expanding areas of sports wear and other casual wear-segments (Vadhani 2001).

There have been many changes in the knitwear industry during the last few decades. Previously, knitwears used to be processed manually but now-a-days, different technologies are available for producing good quality products in less time to compete internationally. Technological advancements have brought automation and Computer Aided Designing/Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems in all the areas of manufacturing including textile and garment industry. CAD is industry specific design system using computer as a tool. CAD is used to design anything from an aircraft to knitwear. Originally, it was used to design high precision machinery but in the 1970s, it made an entry into textile and apparel industry. CAD is increasingly used for colouring printed; knitted and woven fabric designs, creating merchandising presentations and pattern design (Anonymous 2004).

During the last decade, the hosiery industry also became dependent on CAD. Today, IT gives the designer various options without actually wasting time, money and efforts towards expensive sampling. Value addition can now be achieved through innovative designs both in the fabric and garment processes to meet consumer demands which make it imperative for a garment supplier to invest in garment manufacturing tools. Design software for knits allows the creation of knit structures, knit design simulations etc.

At present, knitwear accounts for 21 per cent of the total fabric production in the country. However, the global experience suggests that knitwear has a share of about 45 per cent in the clothing consumption indicating the tremendous scope for increasing the share of knitwear fabrics. Ludhiana cluster can play a very important role for increasing the knitwear manufacturing in India. The need is to match the product quality, productivity standards and cost of production with international players (Dhawan 2007). For achieving all this, automation is very necessary.

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About the Authors

The authors are associated with the Department of Clothing and Textiles, PAU, Ludhiana