The apparel industry is going through a revolutionary change called the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Which is known as Apparel 4.0. It is capable of monitoring companies with the help of modern technologies such as IOT, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing and providing services in the production process with complete neutral delivery. Technology has a great impact in textile and apparel industry. Through this revolutionary change, a new horizon of potential has been opened in the apparel industry of Bangladesh.
Uses of Technology in Apparel Industry:
With a few experimental results, it is proven that the return on technology is much higher than the investment on industrial equipment. According to True, the industry 4.0 is pushing companies to integrate digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), radio-frequency identification (RFID), robotics, augmented reality, additive manufacturing and cloud technology. Despite investing in advanced and expensive technology, companies are failing to achieve the desired stability through it. Achieving sustainability is not possible without converting the huge data obtained through automation and digitization into necessary information.
A notable component of Industry 4.0 is the Cyber-Physical System (CPS), whose key role is to address the challenges of active and dynamic production. CPS in Industry 4.0 is based on modern and advanced technology to make the entire industrial system work. Industry 4.0 includes Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, Additive Manufacturing, Augmented Reality and Systems Learning, and many more.
Block chain has become a very popular topic among apparel traders. This is because they can easily collect information directly from fiber suppliers, manufacturers, transporters and even retailers in a matter of moments. Sustainable product tracking can also be done through information obtained from the raw materials used and the manufacturing process.
Digitization in Garment Industry
Introduction
With developing times, the need of consumers’ changes. With that, the manufacturing companies have to adopt the latest methods to fulfill their needs and keep them happy. The first industrial revolution transformed small-scale manufacturing into large-scale industries. The introduction of machinery allowed factories to mass-produce garments with ease. Since then, the advancements kept coming and the development doesn’t seem to stop. I have focused in this article on Industry 4.0 and way to digitization in garment industry.
After the industrial revolution, came four more major industry shifts that completely transformed the face of production and manufacturing. Currently, we’re in the “Industry 4.0” phase in which the production process is completely digitized to make it more efficient, transparent, mobilized and cost-effective. The four periods in which the industries have developed thus far are:
Industrial Revolution
After the invention of the steam engine, the textile industry started using power machinery to speed up the manufacturing process, producing bigger batches of garments.
Industry 2.0
Electricity was discovered and so was assembly line production. The production process became efficient, producing garments in mass quantities.
Industry 3.0
In the third industrial shift, computers and information technology were introduced in the process of manufacturing. Entire production processes were automated leaving less use of the man force.
Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 is an enhancement of 3.0 foundation, we use the same information technology but with much more improvements and efficiency. Focusing on creating digital connectivity, 4.0 has brought all the procedures and communications to a single network making factories smart and production more efficient than before.
Why Digitization in the Garment Industry is the Way Forward
As we have already discussed how beneficial digitization is for garment manufacturing industry let move on to talk about how it is upgrading the customization process. Printing technology has evolved tremendously over the years; started from using a printing plate to print on garments. The systems used now are fully digitalized.
There are now softwares available that help provide a mockup of your product, be it printing or embroidery. You can see beforehand the colors used, their size, and how the end product will look like. Below, we discuss a few points why it is necessary to ditch the old ways of customization and adopt digitization.
1. Quick Turnaround Time
Manual labor is time-consuming and makes the process slow when you have to produce goods in mass quantities. Digital Embroidery or printing makes the entire process fast. All you have to do is program the machine once and it will only stop when your target is achieved.
2. High Quality
Through manual printing or embroidery there is a higher chance of inaccuracy but when it comes to a machine; it is programmed to produce a standard quality. No matter how large the quantity is the quality will always be consistent and the products will always be accurate. Also, it is impossible to produce fully sublimated custom apparel manually so for them you will have to have machines.
3. Cost-Effective
As digital customization options do not require any additional equipment to fulfill the order requirement, it saves a lot of money as compared to the older, traditional ways. Especially for the shorter print runs, it saves equipment costs.
4. Versatility
Digital printers and embroiders can customize an extensive range of materials and fabrics with high efficiency. Manual methods have their constraints and so cannot be very versatile.
