[TC]² Bi-Weekly Technology Communicator
5th Annual SizeUSA User Group Meeting
August 18, 2009 - 12 to 2 p.m. EST
Free Webinar - Register Now!
The 2009 SizeUSA User’s Group Meeting will be presented via webinar format to allow for more attendee participation. The following presentation topics will be covered:
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Utilizing SizeUSA Data with Principal Component Analysis to Create Lifelike Human Models from Few Input Measurements – The [TC]² Avatar Engine, presented by [TC]² |
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Men’s Body Shapes and the Need for Standards, Su-Jeong Hwang Shin, Texas Tech University. |
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Testing Assumptions in the Grading of Men’s Shirts Using SizeUSA Data, Lynn M. Boorady, PhD, University of Missouri, Nancy Schofield, University of Wisconsin – Stout |
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Converting Scan Data to Alternate Poses Enabling Expanded Data Analysis Options, presented by [TC]² |
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SizeUSA in the Classroom: Teaching Students the Power of Population Data, Susan P. Ashdown, Cornell University |
The program time will also include a special demonstration of [TC]²’s new Virtual Fashion Technologies for Garment Visualization in Static Poses and Animated Sequences.
Register for this free event by contacting Debra Gill at 919-653-3501 or use our contact form.
Seminar Offerings at [TC]²
August and September Seminars
Calculating Time Standards without Time Studies - |
August 25-27 |
During this three day seminar, attendees will build piece-rates for several operations by analyzing video tapes and then applying time for the appropriate auxiliary factors. Continued application of this knowledge and the data in the reference book will allow the determination of accurate costing long before production is placed on the manufacturing floor.
Pattern Development - |
September 22-24 |
Pattern Development bridges the perceived chasm between design and manufacturing. Understanding core concepts and terms can greatly reduce sewing problems and ease the transition from the corporate fit image to garment sales. Attend this class to learn the driving forces even if automated systems are used to do the majority of the work.
Learn introductory principles of fit, pattern development, and marker making. Hands-on activities include flat pattern manipulations and drafting.
Introduction to Apparel Manufacturing - |
September 28-Oct. 2 |
[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.
The seminars will be presented at [TC]²’s facility - 5651 Dillard Drive, Cary, NC.
For additional information on these programs or to register, contact Debra Gill at 919.653.3501, or use our contact form.
To download or print a copy of [TC]²’s 2009 seminar offerings, click here (pdf).
Sustainable Product Development
By Kerry King, [TC]²
This article first appeared in the July 2009 issue of Apparel magazine.
Within the apparel industry the dialogue on sustainability has primarily been focused on the production of ‘green products’ and the use of textile processing methods and supply chain strategies that reduce the environmental footprint of our industry. As we begin to think of sustainability in broader terms, the product development stage provides another key point in the product lifecycle that is worthy of closer examination. What is the vision for sustainable product development and how is technology supporting this vision?
With these questions in mind, researchers in the product development area of [TC]² are directing their investigations toward emerging systems that support the notion, ‘lean is green’. Reducing development iterations and creating efficient transitions to manufacturing are of primary importance in this movement toward greater sustainability. Thus, 3D product simulation, electronic communication of design and fit intent, and digital methods for printing and coloration are key components of this research initiative and the following section provides a brief highlight of related systems.
Read the entire article at techexchange.com.
Selecting the Correct Sewing Thread
By Kim Anderson, [TC]²
Though it is often invisible and comprises a very small portion of the retail selling price of a product, sewing thread is an integral component of the garment. Typically, the cost of thread is less than 5% of the retail selling price. Since the vast majority of seams in a garment are held together by sewing thread, it is important to recognize that 50% of the responsibility of the garment’s performance is dependent on sewing thread.
Some sewing problems that result from improper thread selection include breakage, skipped or irregular stitches and seam pucker. The properties of the sewing thread determine how compatible it will be with the fabric. The various properties of thread which are discussed below are interrelated. Changing one property such as the fiber type can affect one or more of the other properties—adversely affecting garment quality, performance and/or manufacturability.
Read the entire article at techexchange.com.
[TC]² Activity
INTERMODA July 2009
By Arturo Rodriguez, [TC]² Latin America Industry Services
Continuing its Silver Anniversary year, INTERMODA celebrated its July edition. As always, the 4 day event (July 21 - 24) was held in Mexico’s second largest and most beautiful city, Guadalajara.
[TC]² / SPESA EXPO did not have a booth but rather were the initiators of a panel on the topic of the Mexican apparel industry, called “Made in Mexico.” But first, a quick look at the industry in Mexico:
• January 2004 – NAFTA was implemented
• December 2004 – Peso devaluation of over 50%
• 1995 to 2000 – Boom years in terms of Mexican apparel exports to the USA; overtook China as principal apparel supplier
• 2000 – Almost 1,000,000 direct sewing jobs in Mexico
• 2009 – After years of decline, estimates put direct sewing jobs in Mexico at 350,000
Having just read an article on the “Made in USA” trend and how (incredibly) the sewing trade was slowly but surely rising, I initiated contact with some key role players in the Mexican apparel industry to enlist participants for the Made in Mexico panel. The ten panel members represented a broad spectrum of the industry – 2 fashion editors, 2 directors/owners of sewing companies, 2 fashion experts, a government economics expert, the president of the Jalisco sewing chamber, who acted as the panel moderator, the INTERMODA president and myself as the consultant to the industry. During one and one-half hours, the panel fielded the initial question of what does the Mexican industry need to do to re-position itself. Some of the main conclusions were:
1) It is imperative that the industry be declared strategic in terms of national interest, both by the public as well as the private sector. After all, the sewing industry is known to be the Social Industry, because of being labor intensive and non-capital intensive. 2) A profound analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the industry must be developed and made public. 3) To be a strong apparel export country we must also have a strong domestic market (which now, at least 60% of it is from foreign suppliers). 4) To support the above, Technological Centers for the Mexican Apparel industry must be pursued, so that the small and medium-sized companies can strive to compete in the global apparel arena. |
Over the next few weeks, steps will be taken to start putting the above-mentioned initiatives into concrete action, with the help of INTERMODA, CANAIVE and the Government sector.
During the past 25 years, IM (Intermoda) has been held in an uninterrupted manner in Mexico’s premier fashion city, Guadalajara. The exhibition center (Expo Guadalajara) dressed up for the event by inaugurating its new wing, bringing the total exhibition area to some 50,000 square meters (500,000 square feet) and it is a world class venue.
With over 2,000 brands from 650 exhibitors and 20,000 visitors, INTERMODA is firmly positioned as Mexico’s premier fashion show and will be for the years to come.
Partner Profile - ErgoSoft
By Karen Davis, [TC]²
ErgoSoft AG is a leading developer of software solutions for the high-end digital printing community. It provides intuitive, high fidelity digital printing solutions to optimize image quality, color accuracy and production speed in demanding digital printing environments.
The company was founded in Switzerland over twenty years ago, and the U.S. business group was incorporated in 2001. ErgoSoft Asia/Pacific was formed in 2007 to handle customers in Australia, New Zealand, and the whole Pacific region.
ErgoSoft US has targeted digital photography and fine art printmaking as its focus. The U.S. company has won numerous awards including Digital Printing and Imaging Product of the Year Award for 2004, 2005 and 2006, and multiple DIMA (Digital Image Marketing Association) Shoot-out Awards.
Each ErgoSoft RIP is uniquely designed to meet the specific requirements of fine art, digital photography, large format display graphics, dye sublimation, and digital textile printing. Its RIP software for digital textile printing and large format graphics touts ease-of-use and impressive process speed with its two anchor products PosterPrint and TexPrint RIP.
ErgoSoft PosterPrint v.2008 contains an intuitive interface and efficiently designed workflow. By combining its feature-rich JobComposer layout interface, JobCenter production monitor, and PrintClient/Queue job control center, volume and quality control remain at the highest levels, elevating profit margins and customer satisfaction.
TexPrint v.2008 sets a new standard with its intuitive interface and intelligently designed workflow features. The software contains superior color management functions with extensive spot color and color separation capabilities.
StudioPrint v.2008 is a powerful, open-architecture color management system with custom linearization and ink-limiting capability, support for the industry’s most popular spectrophotometers, and an award winning integrated ICC profiler, ColorGPS. It drives today’s most dynamic inkjet printers.
[TC]² gratefully acknowledges ErgoSoft’s recent addition of its TexPrint software to the demonstration center to enhance the InkDrop Printing projects using nano-colorants on the Yuhan Kimberly MC3 digital print system.
Important Dates
August
18 |
SizeUSA User Group Webinar. To register, click here. |
25-27 |
Calculating Time Standards without Time Studies. Seminar at [TC]² . For details, click here. |
September
22-24 |
Pattern Development. Seminar at [TC]² . For details, click here. |
28-Oct. 2 |
Introduction to Apparel Manufacturing. Seminar at [TC]² . For details, click here. |
30-Oct. 2 |
Material World and Technology Solutions - Co-Locating with LA International Textile Show |
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
ColombiaModa
View previous editions of this newsletter
[TC]²
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Fax: 919-380-2181
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