[TC]² Bi-Weekly Technology Communicator
Intro to Apparel Manufacturing
[TC]² - April 21-25
Register Now!
[TC]²’s best attended in-house seminar, Intro to Apparel Manufacturing, offers an overview of the entire manufacturing process with numerous hands-on exercises. Topics covered include: textile fundamentals, fiber formation and fabric design, fabric characteristics, material utilization, spreading and cutting theories, and much more. Key apparel terms and concepts are featured, along with standard terminology for seam and stitch formations.
Don’t miss this opportunity to establish common ground for all members of the supply chain. Attending this seminar will allow fabric and trim suppliers to better understand their customer needs and brands and retailers will recognize not only the manufacturing constraints but also the cost drivers within the design-manufacture-delivery process. Newcomers to manufacturing can grasp a firm understanding of the entire undertaking in less than a week.
The seminar will be presented at [TC]²’s new facility at 5651 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC.
For additional information or to register, contact Elizabeth Salisbury at 919.653.3507, or use this contact form.
To download or print a copy of [TC]²’s seminar offerings for 2008, click here (pdf).
Lean is Green
By Kim Anderson, [TC]²
Although apparel manufacturing might sound simple—it is one of the most challenging manufacturing processes. It is a labor intensive and skill based process with the potential to generate tremendous waste. With the growing need to deliver high quality garments at low costs in shorter lead times, apparel manufacturers are increasingly taxed. Many apparel manufacturers have turned to lean manufacturing as a way to reduce waste and become more efficient. But lean has an added obscure benefit—it has a sustainable slant.
It would be hard to find a successful manufacturer anywhere in the world that is not using some type of lean manufacturing strategy to streamline its operation. Lean manufacturing is a business model and a collection of manufacturing methods that emphasize continuous improvement to speed up production times, deliver high quality products at lower cost, and eliminate waste. Lean processes produce an operational and cultural environment that is highly conducive to waste minimization and pollution prevention. Lean methods help the environment without intentionally intending to.
Although lean manufacturing has been around for decades, the U.S. economy is massively inefficient—only 6% of materials end up in products. Total waste in the U.S., excluding waste water, now exceeds 50 trillion pounds a year. In many business environments short-term financial returns take priority over longer term issues such as caring for the environment and social well-being. One of the main reasons this way of thinking persists is that decision makers assume that sustainability has low financial return. In reality, sustainability can return its investment within 6-12 months.
Manufacturing an apparel item involves numerous processes including order inquiries, sampling stages, order confirmation, purchasing raw material, inspection and storing of raw material, creation of cut plans and markers, cutting, sewing and packing. In a lean manufacturing model less material resources are used per unit produced and materials and energy are used or reused more efficiently. Lean strategies are about eliminating waste which fits right into sustainability initiatives.
To maintain a competitive edge it is paramount that textile and apparel companies implement lean strategies. An added incentive is that lean reduces waste which has a positive impact on the bottom line and promotes a positive company reputation.
[TC]² offers a variety of educational seminars on lean practices. Programs are designed for Executives, Engineering Managers, Quality Control Managers, Plant Managers, Manufacturing Managers, Line Supervisors, Sewing Operators, and Human Resource Personnel. To find out about [TC]²’s upcoming seminars go to http://www.tc2.com/what/seminars.html
References
Association for Manufacturing Excellence. Green Manufacturing Case Studies in Lean and Sustainability. 2008.
Lean Manufacturing for the Apparel Industry. http://www.leanmanufacturingconcepts.com November, 2007.
Member Profile
Fechheimer Brothers Company
By Karen Davis, [TC]²
Fechheimer, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, has been manufacturing quality uniforms to serve working men and women since 1842. The company is based in Cincinnati, OH with global resources including manufacturing partners in Central and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia to complement three Union plants in the United States.
Along with the largest in-stock offering available, Fechheimer offers custom programs made to detailed specifications to meet an agency's particular needs. Garments are sold through authorized dealers with uniforms for police, fire/EMS, transportation, corrections, military, umpires, postal and corporate wear.
Its goal is to provide garments for protection in all climates and conditions, including its famed Flying Cross brand which is synonymous with quality.
Technology Solutions Conference
April 8-10, 2008
Technology Solutions, the premier conference and exposition for information technology enabling the sewn products industry, returns to the Miami Beach Convention Center, April 8-10, 2008. In addition to showcasing a wide range of solutions and service providers on the show floor, the event will feature an expanded educational conference addressing today’s key IT issues, with special emphasis on supplier relationship management (SRM).
Running concurrently with Material World, the global fabric and sourcing exhibition, the Technology Solutions educational conference will also feature a panel discussion on product lifecycle management (PLM) as well as an unrivaled schedule of vendor sponsored presentations, case studies and other programs providing the latest in-depth information on today's most important industry issues and opportunities.
AAFA will present the Technology Solutions headliner event, Supplier Relationship Management: Profiting through Improved Supplier Collaboration on Wednesday, April 9 from 9:45 - 10:45 am. This program will feature a panel of leading fashion companies using the various SRM technologies to improve supplier management and collaboration to accelerate speed to market, improve efficiency and quality, gain supplier transparency and visibility, increase productivity, insure compliance and better respond to change and opportunity.
[TC]² will be located in Technology Solutions at Booth 222, and will be demonstrating the creation of personal avatars from 3D scans in a matter of seconds, with its measurement extraction software that is used with the NX-16 3D body scanner.
To register, or for more details on Material World and Technology Solutions, visit www.material-world.com.
[TC]² is Moving!
In Early April, [TC]² will be relocating to its new facility at 5651 Dillard Drive, in Cary. In preparation for the move, printers that will not be utilized at the new office are offered below.
Colorspan Fabrijet Wide Format Printer
PRICE - $250 or best offer! Colorspan wide format fabric printer available for sale as is. Contact us to learn more about this machine.
Colorspan Displaymaker Wide Format Printer - $500
PRICE - $500 or best offer! Colorspan Displaymaker wide format printer available for purchase as is. Contact us for more information about this machine.
Important Dates
March
5-7 |
AAFA Annual Executive Summit. For details, visit www.apparelandfootwear.org. |
18 |
[TC]² Annual Meeting of Members and the Board of Directors, Cary, NC |
April
3-5 |
AAFA Supply Chain Leadership Committee , Lake Tahoe, visit www.apparelandfootwear.org |
8-10 |
Material World, Miami Beach Convention Center. For details or to register, click here. Visit [TC]² in Technology Solutions at Booth 222. |
21-25 |
Introduction to Apparel Manufacturing, seminar at [TC]². For details, click here. |
25-27 |
SPESA & SEAMS Annual Meeting and Networking Conference. Marriott Grand Dunes Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC. For information or to register, visit www.spesa.org or www.seams.org. |
For detailed information about industry events, visit www.techexchange.com
Thanks to the techexchange site sponsors
Apparel Magazine, Gerber Technology, Lawson, Lectra, Methods Workshop and Reach Technologies.
A Look Ahead in the Newsletter
[TC]² Annual Meeting Summary
FESPA 2008 Digital Printing Conference
Review of Material World/Technology Solutions Conference
View previous editions of this newsletter
[TC]²
211 Gregson Drive
Cary , NC 27511
www.tc2.com
Phone: 919-380-2156
Fax: 919-380-2181
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