Different Technological Methodologies Used in Garment Industry Apparel Manufacutring technological advancements adopted by different countries

Different Technological Methodologies Used in Garment Industry

Apparel Manufacutring technological advancements adopted by different countries

In this article technologies adopted for production preparatory process, production process and post-production process used in the garment manufacturing industry and the level of technology that is used for each process commonly used by different countries viz. India, China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka.

Contents?

The research purpose is to learn about the machinery used in various processes i.e., Production Preparatory Process, Production Process and Post-Production Process of garment manufacturing industry and the level of technologies used by different countries in different processes. It is important to know the advancement in the industry so that the implementation of new technology can be proposed.

This research paper will cover the importance of technology in the garment industry. Study of the apparel industry in India, China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. Defining various production preparatory process, production process and post-production process used in the garment manufacturing industry and the level of technology that can be used for each process. Different countries adopting the different technological methodology.

This research article is different from previous related research as it gives the overview of all the process used in the industry with the information of the level of technology being used in each process and how other countries are using different techniques for the same process. The research is done with the help of studying data from various published and related websites about the technologies being used in the garment industry.

Introduction to Apparel Industry

The apparel industry includes companies that operate by manufacturing, producing, and supplying apparels for several purposes. Garment production is a systematic activity comprising of sequential operations such as laying, marking, cutting, stitching, checking, finishing, pressing and packaging. It is a procedure of converting raw materials into finished products.

Garment manufacturing comprises many processing steps, starting with the design concept and ending with a finished product. The apparel manufacturing process involves various processes, broadly divided into production preparatory process, production process, and post-production.

Production preparatory is a collection of work carried out before mass production. It involves fabric inspection, shade segregation, preparing GRN, pattern making, cut order plan, fabric Spreading, lay marking, lay cutting and relay of check fabrics.

The production process includes sewing of fabric panels with the help of a single needle machine, double-needle machine, overlock machine and feed of arm, fusing, embroidery and button attached.

The post-Production process includes garment pressing, folding, carton packing and thread cutting.

Apparel Industry in India

India is one of the world’s leading textile manufacturers. The Indian textile and textile industry is characterized by its strong vertical integration and presence in almost every sub-sector of the industry from fibre to export and export garments.

India’s ability to produce both man-made textiles and textiles, its availability of workers in line with the spirit of business reflects a strong environment thus guaranteeing long-term growth prospects in the Indian textile and clothing industry. In 2016, the textile industry accounted for 10% of the manufacturing sector, 2% of India’s GDP and 13% of total exports.

India is the seventh-largest economy after the United States, China, Japan, Germany, the UK and France. The gross domestic product (GDP) for 2015 at current prices stands at USD 2.095 trillion which accounts for 3% of the global economy. Critical economic factors such as oil prices, foreign investment, the government’s goal of reform, etc. have become commonplace in the economy. India has been the fastest-growing global economy with a GDP growth rate of 7.6% in 2015 and an expected growth rate of 6.6%, 7.2% and 7.7% in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively. GDP per capita in India was regularly recorded at the US $ 15983 in 2015.

India lags behind other emerging economies such as Brazil, China, and Russia etc on per capita income, however with the change in the social and economic framework in India capita revenue is expected to increase. And the number of middle-aged people making up a large chunk of private use is expected to increase. According to the World Bank population, the emerging middle class is expected to reach about 60% of the country’s population by 2025, making India the fifth largest consumer market in the world.

Apparel Industry in China

China is known for its apparel industries. It’s the second-largest in the world after the USA. The gross domestic product (GDP) for 2015 at current prices stands at USD 11.008 trillion accounting for 15% of the global economy. It is one of the most powerful emerging economies in the world and recorded real GDP growth of 6.9% 9 in 2015. China’s GDP is expected to grow by 6.7% in 2016, 6.5% in 2017 and 6.0% in 2018.

China’s clothing market remains one of the fastest in the world. The GDP per capita in 2015 in China was USD 8027.7010 and private consumption accounted for 37% of the country’s GDP. International brands and independent labels enter tier-II cities such as Dalian (Liaoning province), Jinan, Qingdao, Nanjing, Wuhan, etc., in addition to the four fashion destinations Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

China is the largest supplier of clothing at ~ 37% (USD 162.3 Bn) of exports in 2015. Shipping of goods is ~ 7% of total export nationwide. Exports have grown at a CAGR of ~ 6% during 2010-15. It is noteworthy that there has been a 6.4% decline in exports in 2014-15, which has led to rising labour costs, a decline in the Yuan and a global recession. The leading export partners for clothing are the USA, Japan, the U.K, Germany and South Korea accounting for ~ 44% of the exports.

China has dominated the textile and clothing industry for decades; however, it has recently faced challenges. China’s rising wages have led to the withdrawal of business from China to emerging markets in South and South-East Asia. The purchasing power of the commodity is changing around the world with new trade agreements that favour emerging markets with cheaper labour and relatively low production costs.

Apparel Industry in Bangladesh

Bangladesh stands at the 2nd?position in Readymade Garment Exporter (RMG), after China. 81% of the total exports of the country comes from this sector. 20%of GDP is contributed by the Apparel sector. 20million people are given employment in the apparel industry which can be seen as the major driving force of the country’s economy.

With the help of the RMG sector, the country intends to take the title of a middle-income country by 2021. They are trying to catch the goal of achieving apparel exports worth $50 billion by the end of the year. The Export Promotion Bureau showed a tally about the overall export of the country which stated a 5.18% growth in the financial year 2018, which added the sum to $36.67 billion owing to the Apparel sector. And in this year, it rose by 8.76% which was said to be 1.51% higher than the set target.

The hardworking labour force is the main reason leading the apparel industry in Bangladesh. To complete the target the worker, try to put extra effort into the system. Eventually, the per capita income of the country is improved which in turns improving the living standards of the citizens. Also, the country acquired an opportunity to trade with American and European countries.

Many global retail brands look up to this country because of the technology and quality compliance parameter in its apparel manufacturing systems. They have built excellent vertical capacities, which previously was offered only by China. It also helps global brands to more transparency in their supply chains.

Apparel Industry in Vietnam

Vietnam’s major industries are the textile and garment industry. The textile and garment industry produces the second-largest export turnover in the country. Vietnam saw a continuous growth of an average rate of 17% annually in its textile industry in the last 5 years.

The garment and textile industry of Vietnam includes three sub-sectors

• Upstream sector i.e., fibre production
• Midstream sector i.e., fabric production and dyeing
• Downstream sector i.e., garment manufacturing

Low-quality production of the fabric and fibre by the sub-sectors leads to only domestic consumption. Around 70 per cent of the total garment sector is accounted for by the garment manufacturing sector that is downstream, the main activity in this is cut make trim activity. Vietnam exports its garment products mainly to the US, Japan, Europe and South Korea. Despite having great cotton cultivation potential Vietnam imported cotton in 2019.

COVID-19 pandemic harshly hit Vietnam’s garment and textile industry. Vietnam had a raw material shortage because the industry suspended the input production from china along with the pause on exports to the US and Europe led to revenue loss and job loss. The industry faced a loss of about US$508 million by June 2020.

The country decided to produce a face mask to solve the problem of suspended orders and raise demand in the domestic and international market. Vietnam’s local manufacturers produced 40 million face masks per day on average and the whole garment sector produced 100 million face masks per day.

Vietnam is one of the top textile producer and apparel exporters.

Apparel Industry in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s biggest industries are design, manufacture and textile exports and apparel production. They play a key role in improving the country’s economy.15% of the country’s workforce gets employment from Sri Lanka’s apparel industry. Half of Sri Lanka’s exports consist of its apparel exports. One of the top apparels producing countries in the world relative to its population in Sri Lanka.

• The apparel industry is Sri Lanka’s largest foreign exchange earner.
• Sri Lanka employed 338,704 employees in 2021 of which 80% were female.
• Sri Lanka is highly supported by the multi-national companies introduced to it through globalisation.

Importance of Technology in the Apparel Industry

Nowadays, more and more technologies are being introduced in the world. From retailing to trendspotting, it is hard to overlook the influence of technology. The real-time information about the customer’s demand, factory equipment, operation time, etc now being monitored with the help of technology.

The apparel industry is all about time management. Manufacturers try to figure out reducing each operation time. Even a small amount of time saved can add up to a significant amount that can be utilised elsewhere. It can only happen when technology is introduced to this field. From spreading & cutting to packaging, everywhere new technologies are emerging which are trying to reduce each operation time. For example, a factory using manual spreading technology can opt for a semi-automatic or automatic spreading machine. It is more efficient, more work is done in less time, a single machine can operate in different modes as per requirement.

New technologies help the apparel industry to move from labour-intensive production to capital-intensive production. The objectives of the new technology include faster production, less waste and localisation of production nearer to market and lower carbon footprints. New manufacturing technology solutions include:

• A new form of sewing machines, such as laser-cutting machines, fusing machines, buttonhole machines, and seam bonding machines;
• Sewbots (robotic sewing machines)
• Clothing that is stitch-free
• Garments involving multilayers are being introduced to 3D printing technology
• digital textile printing

Technology is essential for the doing of business. In a situation where real-time information is required, it cannot be done without any application. Some IT tools used in garment industries are: –

• CAD/CAM systems for pattern making, plotting etc
• Computerized cutting machine
• Online FIT approval,
• ERP for inventory tracking, production management,
• Mailing solution,
• Preparation of MIS reports
• Voice chatting,
• Semi-automatic and fully automatic sewing machines and
• Real-time communication with buyer through online solutions like Skype.
• PLM software

Two types of technologies are used in this sector. One in which machines are used to reduce the time for the operations and another in which product management planning is done. This management is done by the software having real-time information about every operation, providing a calculated data about what and how a factory needs to manage to increase its total productivity. Examples of planning software are given below.

Material Requirements Planning (MRP): Manages manufacturing processes based on the information provided for production planning and inventory control system. It ensures the availability of production materials at the right time optimizing the level of inventory so that each operation is scheduled accordingly to prevent any production hindrance. It uses some form of database to store all the data required to analyse the store lead time and order quantity.

Firstly, it checks how many components of a product is required, secondly, it checks with the inventory that how many needs to be ordered and finally schedule the production activities according to the inventory time and component requirement.

Levels of Technologies Employed

What is Automation?

Automation means the mechanization and integration for the sensing of the environmental variables. These advancements have been made possible due to the rise and availability of computers, artificial intelligence, sensors etc which is helping the industries to rise further in terms of technological fulfilment.

Benefits of Automation

• Increased Capacity: Due to automation industries can improve their output speeds hugely by reducing the overall production time spent on manufacturing a piece of
• Improved Quality: The QC departments of the manufacturing industries have a vast opportunity for automation. With the use of different sensors, AI can give these industries a huge upper hand in maintaining the quality of their products in less time and less manual
• Reduced Cost: As automation reduces the overall production time spent on a good, this can lead to an overall reduction of resources spent on making a particular
• Skilled Trade Gap: As companies automate, they will require fewer employees to manufacture tools due to the efficiencies gained and the ability for the machines to run operator

Basic Level Technology

As the name suggests basic level technology implies that where maximum human intervention is required to operate a piece of machinery. These machines are pretty much manually driven and require a human hand to guide through the operation or key decision-making points so that it can function properly for the task it was devised for.

Example: A manual sewing machine having no automation needs to be operated completely manually in all the operations.

Advantage: These machines are easy to operate and the operators don’t require any kind of training to operate these machines. These machines are easily fixable in case of a breakdown due to their popularity and abundance in the whole industry.

Disadvantage: There are many disadvantages in the machines having this level of technology such as increased production time, huge manual labour required, more use of resources comparatively than its counterparts.

Intermediate Technology

Intermediate Technology implies that the machines which are intermediately fulfilled have some or a decent level of automation. These machines are partially able to function on their own in some stages of production however they can’t make a proper decision or no decision at all on their own in key decision-making points due to the limitation in the extent of automation as this type of automation is only present to play as a helping hand and to reduce the overall time spent on producing on a piece of article marginally to the operator operating these machines

Example: A semi-automatic sewing machine is fitted with a UBT, stitch setter and servo motor which provides some level of help to the operator so that the operator doesn’t need to do everything on their own which consumes more time.

Advantage: These machines are somewhat able to do some functions on their own which helps the producer to increase their output speeds, reduce total production time, reducing the overall cost adjoined with a good due to less usage of resources and labour.

Disadvantage: One of the major disadvantages is that in case of a breakdown these machines take much longer and are more complex to resolve than their basic counterparts, also the operator operating these machines needs to be aware of the functionalities which leads to a one-time huge cost overhead on the manufactures and which some manufactures may not be willing to do so.

Advanced Technology

These are the most technologically fulfilled machines that require minimal to no human intervention at any point of their functionality and are more than capable to make key decisions at the time of production, these can also adapt according to any adversaries which may arise during production and fix it and move on. These machines are self-sufficient and are hugely faster than their other two counterparts.

Example: A completely automatic fabric inspection machine doesn’t require any human intervention as these machines are fitted with state-of-the-art sensors and cameras which are sufficient to do this particular task nth time faster than a human eye or any other means while producing zero to negligible errors.

Advantage: The advantages of using a completely automatic machine is huge in number such as fastest output speeds, least time spent on producing an article, least usage of resources, labour etc.

Disadvantage: A huge disadvantage is that these machines are leading to unemployment because of no the minimal requirement of human labour. The cost of fixing these machines due to breakdown is expensive and in some areas, these services may not be available which further complicates the overall practicality and usage of completely automated machines.