Search results

This work highlights the optimization of the consumed amount of sewing thread required to make up a pair of jeans using three different metaheuristic methods; particular swarm optimization (PSO), ant colony optimization (ACO) and genetic algorithm (GA) techniques. Indeed, using metaheuristic optimization techniques enable industrialists to reach the lowest sewing thread quantities in terms of bobbins per garments. Besides, the compared results of this research can obviously prove the impact of each input parameter on the optimization of the sewing thread consumption per pair of jeans.

To assess objectively the sewing thread consumption, the optimized sewing conditions such as thread composition, needle size and fabric composition are investigated and discussed. Hence, a Taguchi design was elaborated to evaluate and optimize objectively the linear model consumption. Thanks to its principal characteristics and popularity, denim fabric is selected to analyze objectively the effects of studied input parameters. In addition, having workers with same skills and qualifications to repeat each time the same sewing process will involve having the same sewing thread consumption values. This can occur in some levels such as end of sewing, the number of machine failures, the kind of failure and its complexity, the competency of the mechanic and his way to repair failure, the loss of thread caused by threading and its frequency. Seam repetition due to operator lack of skill will obviously affect clothing appearance and hence quality decision. Interesting findings and significant relationship between input parameters and the amount of sewing thread consumption are established.

According to the comparative results obtained using metaheuristic methods, the PSO and ACO technique gives the lowest values of the consumption within the best combination of input parameters. The results show the accuracy of the applied metaheuristic methods to optimize the consumed amount needed to sew a pair of jeans with a notable superiority of both PSO and ACO methods compared to experimental ones. However, compared to GA method, ACO and PSO algorithms remained the most accurate techniques allowing industrials to minimize the consumed thread used to sew jeans. They can also widely optimize and predict the consumed thread in the investigated experimental design of interest. Consequently, compared to experimental results and regarding the low error values obtained, it may be concluded that the metaheuristic methods can optimize and evaluate both studied input and output parameters accurately.

This study is most useful for denim industrial applications, which makes it possible to anticipate, calculate and minimize the high consumption of sewing threads. This paper has not only practical implications for clothing appearance and quality but also for reduction in thread wastage occurring during shop floor conditions like machine running, thread breakage, repairs, etc. (Kawabata and Niwa, 1991). Unless the used sewing machine is equipped within a thread trimmer improvement in garment seam appearance cannot be achieved. By comparing and analyzing the operating activities of the regular lock stitch 301 machine with and without a thread trimmer, a difference in time processing can be grasped (Magazine JUKI Corporation, 2008). Time consumed in trimming by a lockstitch machine without a thread trimmer equals 3.1 s compared to 2.6 s by a thread trimming one. Hence, the reduction rate in the time processing equals 16.30%. This paper aimed to implement the optimal consumption (thread waste outstanding number of trials). Unless highly skilled workers are selected and well-motivated, the previous recommended changes will not be applied. The saved cost of the sewing thread reduction can be used to buy a better quality of fabric and/or thread. However, these factors are not always the same as they can vary according to customer's requirements because thread consumption is never a standard for sewn product categories such as trousers, shirts and footwear (Khedher and Jaouachi, 2015).

Until now, there is no work dealing with the investigation of the metaheuristic optimization of the consumed thread per pair of jeans to minimize accurately the amount of sewing thread as well as the sewing thread wastage. Even though these techniques of optimization are currently in full development due to some advantages such as generality and possible application to a large class of combinatorial and constrained assignment problems, efficiency for many problems in providing good quality approximate solutions for a large number of classical optimization problems and large-scale real applications, etc., are not applied yet to decrease sewing thread consumption. Some recent published works used statistical techniques (Taguchi, factorial, etc.), to evaluate approximate consumptions; conversely, other geometrical and mathematical approaches, considering some assumptions, used stitch geometry and remained insufficient to give the industrialists an implemented application generating the exact value of the consumed amount of sewing thread. Generally, in the clothing field 10–15% of sewing thread wastage should be added to the experimental approximate consumption value. Moreover, all investigations are focused on the approximative evaluations and theoretical modeling of sewing thread consumption as function of some input parameters. Practically, the obtained results are successfully applied and the ACO method gives the most accurate results. On the other hand, in the point of view of industrialists the applied metaheuristic methods (based on algorithms) used to decrease the amount of consumed thread remained an easy and fruitful solution that can allow them to control the number of sewing thread bobbin per garments.

Examines the thirteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

Surgical gowns should be designed and produced using special techniques to provide barrier properties against potential risks during surgery and healthcare procedures. Ultrasonic welding is one of these methods used to produce surgical gowns with determined barrier properties. The purpose of this paper is to analyse bond strength and permeability properties of ultrasonically welded nonwoven fabrics and compare them with traditional sewing techniques.

In this study, ultrasonic welding of nonwovens was performed to demonstrate its use as an assembly method. Performance requirements in the design of surgical gowns were determined. Fabric strengths and bond strengths of ultrasonic-welded and traditionally sewn fabrics were analysed. The performance properties, i.e., bond strength, air and water resistance of the fabrics and the joints obtained by ultrasonic and classical sewing methods were studied.

As a result, it was found that ultrasonic welding technique is a suitable method for joining layers in surgical gown production bringing the advantages of high water resistance together with acceptable bond strength.

The current study focuses on the use of ultrasonic welding of nonwovens used for disposable protective surgical gowns. Ultrasound welding technique was presented as an alternative to classic assembly methods and ultrasonic welding technology was applied to different fabric combinations simulating different layers in different joining sections of a surgical gown.

Seam pucker can only be assessed subjectively, by using photographic standards, since instrumental techniques have so far failed to produce accurate results. A low cost means of predicting the degree of pucker has been provided, by correlating measured values of fabric and thread mechanical properties and geometrical relationships with the degree of pucker obtained in the seams. These properties were experimentally measured, for a set of commercial lightweight woven fabrics, and when their values were suitably plotted, three distinct clusters were obtained which, when compared with fabric grading, were found to correspond to severe, critical and acceptable seam pucker. The most important properties were found to be fabric and thread bending, fabric shear, fabric thickness and weight, and certain fabric geometrical parameters using Peirce geometry. The various methods of plotting these properties provide, within the test set of fabrics, a means of predicting the tendency of a fabric to exhibit structural jamming seam pucker.

The mechanism of strength reduction of sewing threads has been discussed in Part I of this paper. The effect of fabric tightness and certain thread properties like its size, coefficient of yarn‐metal friction, twist direction, number of piles, type of fibre and fibre denier on strength reduction has been studied and found to influence the severity of strength reduction of the thread.

Jacquard woven fabrics are widely used in various sections of upholstery industry, where mattress cover is one of them. Strength of jacquard woven mattress fabric depends on several factors. The objective of this study is to model the multi‐linear relationship between fibre, yarn and fabric parameters on the strength of fabric using artificial neural network (ANN) and Taguchi design of experiment (TDOE) methodologies.

TDOE was applied to determine the optimum design values and the contribution of each parameter. Robustness (performance) of models is measured by root mean squared error (RMSE). These tools will enable the user to predict the fabric strength from number of given inputs. It also provides the knowledge related to the contribution of fibre, yarn and fabric parameters on fabric strength. Fabrics tested in this study made from different fibre types and max/min level for several fabric and yarn‐related parameters. The models generated with TDOE and ANN methodologies were compared with the actual experimental data.

It was found that ANN model gives better approximation with the minimum RMSE.

The data taken from factory are related with jacquard woven fabric.

This study has many practical implications that brings up a general approach for textile industry. During manufacturing, waste or scrap ratio can be reduced and production planning become more efficient.

Firstly, before starting manufacturing in factory, we can easily predict the strength of woven fabric using the defined factors. This makes the model usable at the planning stage of the fabric. Secondly, the contribution of factors affecting fabric strength was determined. The ANN model generated in this study helps the engineers of planning department at the company easy to plan the manufacturing of fabric with a good estimation of fabric strength before the production order.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the air permeability of knitted fabrics containing elastane fibre and their seams applying both the new approach based on fabric thickness measurement at different pressures and standard method.

Investigations were performed with commercially available eight polyester knitted fabrics containing different elastane yarn proportion. Bonded seams were laminated applying the urethane thermoplastic adhesive film of 0.175 mm thickness. Bonds were laminated by heat at 5.6 kPa pressure applying pressing device GTK DEA 25 R at 140°C temperature for 40 s duration. Sewn seams were assembled with 607 covering chain stitch applying 5.0 stitches per cm density and 512 overedge chain stitch applying 5.0 stitches per cm density. Specimens without and with the seams were conditioned in standard atmosphere conditions according to the standard LST EN ISO 139 before air permeability testing according to the standard LST EN ISO 9237. Standard thickness of the investigated knitted fabric was determined according to the standard EN ISO 5084. It is known from literature that the porosity is dominant factor influencing the air permeability of knitted fabrics. Therefore, the assumption was made that due to fabric porosity knitted fabric thickness being measured at different pressures also may differ. Thus, the permeability property may also be related to the difference between fabric’s thicknesses being measured under different pressures which may be applied with different material thickness gauges.

There was shown that fabric assemblies make the significant influence on the textile permeability to air. The results obtained indicate that the air permeability of the investigated knitted fabrics depends not only on their structure parameters but also on the fabric seam type. Air permeability of the specimens with the seams was lower than one of specimens without the seams. The highest decrease in permeability which ranged from 19.9 per cent up to 60.0 per cent was determined for the bonds. Fabric specimens with 607 covering chain stitch seam were in the second place with regard to the previously considered parameter. And, their permeability was decreased from 0.6 per cent up to 52.6 per cent. Changes in the air permeability of the specimens with 512 overedge chain stitch seam were lowest in the range of investigated assemblies. Based on the determined results, it was concluded that the thickness difference of the specimens with and without seams measured at different pressures is related to fabric porosity which makes the significant influence on the air permeability.

The samples of investigated fabrics were taken from the two companies which manufactures leisure clothing and sportswear such as skiing or swimming costumes, etc. Thus, the obtained investigation results are significant not only for clothing science but also leads the improvement of clothing quality in fashion industry.

Assuring the comfort of the human body is one of the most important functions of clothing, especially of sportswear and leisure wear. Knitted fabrics should not only be elastic, but also have high air permeability for easily transmit of the perspiration from the skin to the atmosphere, thus making the wearer to feel comfortable. In this research, the air permeability of commercially available polyester knitted fabrics containing different amount of elastane was investigated and the influence of fabric assemblies on the air permeability property was evaluated. A new approach based on the fabric thickness measurement at different pressures and the standard methods for the evaluation of air permeability were used.

The aim of the present study is to consider the influence of the tensile behavior of fabric and sewing thread on the seam appearance.

In this study, the formation of seam puckering on two elastic and normal woven fabrics was explored. In order to prepare samples, various sewing threads were applied. Test specimens were sewn under five different thread tension levels. Then the appearance of samples was evaluated subjectively to determine their seam puckering grade before and after the laundering process.

The obtained outcomes of this study present that although sewing thread tension increment decreases the seam pucker ranking in the similar sewing condition, elastic fabrics have a greater seam pucker grade compared to the normal fabric due to the fabric extension and contraction during sewing and after sewing process, respectively. In addition, the elastic strain of the sewing thread is the key factor that determined sewing thread's tendency to make seam puckering. Moreover, the laundry process due to the relaxation of the sewing thread decreases the seam pucker grade.

The consistency of the tensile property of fabric and sewing thread is a crucial parameter in improving the seam appearance and obtaining a smooth seam.

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a novel method for joining materials without using consumables and without melting the materials. The purpose of this paper is to present the state of the art in robotic FSW and outline important steps for its implementation in industry and specifically the automotive industry.

This study focuses on the robot deflections during FSW, by relating process forces to the deviations from the programmed robot path and to the strength of the obtained joint. A robot adapted for the FSW process has been used in the experimental study. Two sensor‐based methods are implemented to determine path deviations during test runs and the resulting welds were examined with respect to tensile strength and path deviation.

It can be concluded that deflections must be compensated for in high strengths alloys. Several strategies can be applied including online sensing or compensation of the deflection in the robot program. The welding process was proven to be insensitive for small deviations and the presented path compensation methods are sufficient to obtain a strong and defect‐free welding joint.

This paper demonstrates the effect of FSW process forces on the robot, which is not found in literature. This is expected to contribute to the use of robots for FSW. The experiments were performed in a demonstrator facility which clearly showed the possibility of applying robotic FSW as a flexible industrial manufacturing process.

The innovativeness of dressmakers is a concern to respondents to satisfy their clothing needs. The purpose of this study is to determine the criteria that respondents use to judge the quality of clothing and its influences on the innovative ability of dressmakers in the clothing manufacturing industries.

Three hundred and ninety-seven (397) respondents in the Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana filled out a questionnaire, and the results were used to compile data for the study. The sample size was calculated using Miller and Brewer formula. The data was analysed using structural equational modelling with the SmartPLS v.4 software.

The results showed that respondents are very interested in the calibre of clothing produced by their dressmakers. However, the study revealed that when evaluating the quality of a garment, respondents do not simply accept what has been sewn for them but also consider the performance, appearance, fit and shape of the garment. Findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between garment appearance quality (t = 2.605; p < 0.05), garment performance quality (t = 3.915; p < 0.05), garment shape quality (t = 6.248; p <0.05) and fashion innovations. Subsequently, the evaluation of garment fit quality by respondents revealed it does not bring about innovations (t = 1.310; p > 0.05).

The continuous evaluation of custom-made clothing from customers will go a long way towards highlighting the relative criteria they use to evaluate the innovation of dressmakers. This will help improve the creativity of the dressmakers since such feedback will help them understand and innovate their production skills to meet the preferences of customers.

The present study provides an in-depth understanding of how garment quality evaluation by customers influences the innovation of dressmakers in Takoradi, Ghana. The constructs were developed for the study to capture the appropriate data from customers for the study. This presents an evaluation criterion on four garment quality variables imperative for use or modification by other studies.