Microfactories – innovative use of past knowledge

In the past there were no returns and leftover fabrics – the tailor made the clothes the customer wanted – and if it wasn’t the tailor, it was the mother or grandmother! The working method, however, was the same: responding from the outset to the individual needs and wishes of the person who was going to wear the clothes.

Remembering this past knowledge and combining it with the latest cutting-edge technology is the basic idea behind the Microfactory – and several companies from the apparel industry have joined forces to develop it. Several impressive demonstrations at various events have proven that the production of individualized clothing is possible within just a few hours – and the most recent event was a Microfactory Knit show at Assyst’s Fashion Forum.

Microfactory – a real opportunity for the apparel industry

“The Microfactory for the apparel industry enables us to demonstrate – live – a fully networked, integrated production chain from design to the finished product. This seamless digital process is a particularly important milestone for the fashion industry on its route to Industry 4.0,” says Alexander Artschwager of the DITF Denkendorf, which coordinates the Microfactory concept. The Microfactory’s technological approach combines production with the 3D simulation of clothing using Vidya, showing the way into the future of clothing production. The Microfactory saves time because it brings the individual production steps together in one place and reduces material consumption. The quality of the design is also enhanced, especially with complex products and fabric designs – and it also opens the door to customer-oriented production.

The aim is to produce clothing cost effectively and efficiently – even for batch size 1. Interfaces now exist between the products of eleven companies.