Robotics to rule textile & apparel manufacturing processes

As scientists predict, the day is not far when robots will rule the world. High profile, technologically superior robots will take care of the work that human beings had been slogging at for long. Human intervention will be needed only in monitoring and instructing. Artificial intelligence is likely to scale down this limitation of the need for human monitoring and instructing to the maximum extent possible. Machinery manufacturers will adopt as much automation as they can for processes, and the resultant will likely be a fully-automated manufacturing plant with hardly any human intervention.

The textile industry is fast moving in this direction. Renowned textile machinery manufacturers and solution providers claim that the global textile industry will not take long to become fully automated. Robotics will help achieve this dream. Latest advancements in robotics for the textile industry will be showcased in the ITMA 2015 fair about to be held in Milan this November. Machinery companies will present innovative solutions with respect to automation for the various functions in textile and apparel manufacture like ginning, spinning, knitting, weaving, dyeing, finishing and various others.

Neuenhauser Maschinenbau GmbH, providing automated handling and transport system for natural, chemical and carbon fibre bobbins, will exhibit new automation solutions for collecting packages from spinning machines, palletising and packaging at ITMA. Wilhelm Languis, head - Textile Industry Automation at Neuenhauser said in a statement, “Anybody who walks into a spinning plant, wherein Neuenhauser has had a hand in designing, is likely to believe to be in some kind of a science fiction film. Robots carry out an enormous variety of tasks autonomously in cavernous production halls almost unpopulated by humans. Even loading and unloading the machines, transporting and packing the bobbins are executed without human intervention.”

More and more spinning units are switching to the use of robots to do burdensome tasks formerly carried out by humans, especially handling, transport and packaging of bulky natural, chemical and carbon fibre bobbins, according to Languis. The company provides solutions to spinning mills all over the world and 80 per cent of its output is exported. Its primary markets are India, China, Turkey and the United States of America. It recently provided automation solutions involving robotics to the Welspun manufacturing facility located in Anjar, India, which is its largest order till date for roving bobbin and package transport systems with palletisation. Welspun wanted a completely automated, contactless material transport system for its unit.