Robotics Innovation is the Key to Re-Shoring the Trillion-Dollar Apparel Manufacturing

Traditional sewing machines were controlled via Robot Operating System (ROS) to achieve synchronized operation with the robot. (Image: ARM Institute)

A staggering 97% of the apparel sold and worn in the U.S. is made overseas according to the American Apparel & Footwear Association. Not only does this mean that the U.S. lost these jobs when apparel manufacturing moved overseas, but it poses a significant risk to our national security, as evidenced by the nation’s struggle to attain, and manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. PPE was rationed for medical professionals in 2020, but even that wasn’t enough. Images went viral of doctors and nurses fashioning their own masks or re-wearing dirty PPE.

Though the pandemic images of PPE scarcity may have faded from recent memory, the security risk remains. Our nation’s inability to produce PPE has implications for natural disasters. Additionally, the lack of onshore apparel manufacturing limits our ability to manufacture military uniforms, tents, parachutes, and other supplies needed to support the U.S. military.

Beyond national security, losing the apparel industry to offshore manufacturing also became a lost business opportunity. According to a Manufacturing Perception Report from the Thomas Network, 61% of Americans cite that they’re more likely to buy products if they are labeled as being made in America. That’s a significant opportunity, particularly when you’re looking at a trillion-dollar industry.

So, what now? How do we begin to re-shore such a massive industry that has now long since been lost to competing nations? The ARM Institute and its members believe that the key lies within robotics and automation.

Enter Robotics & Automation

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ARM Institute and its member organizations recognized that robotics and AI could be the key to reshoring this industry. Once the need was realized, the ARM Institute began rapidly funding robotics projects centered on automating the more manual and tedious aspects of apparel manufacturing.

However, this was no small feat. To start, when the industry has looked at automation in the past, it was unable to overcome the difficulties in getting robots to manipulate and handle pliable materials. The ARM Institute-funded Robotic Assembly of Garments Project led by Siemens Technology with Bluewater Defense, Sewbo, and the University of California at Berkeley took an important step in overcoming this barrier. This project developed a new robotic assembly process that stiffens garment pieces by laminating its fabric with water-soluble thermoplastic polymer, allowing the robot to handle the previously limp fabric. A flexible robotic system was then developed to assemble fabric pieces into garments. Traditional sewing machines were controlled via Robot Operating System (ROS) to achieve synchronized operation with the robot. The polymer used in the stiffening process is easily removed through washing and can be recycled for multiple process cycles.

Development didn’t stop there. While the Robotic Assembly of Garments Project took a huge step towards proving the viability of robotics in clothing manufacturing, it had a higher cycle time than current manual processes. The outputs of this project and others were built upon and used as a catalyst for further development. Subsequent projects took learnings from prior projects and improved processes, further demonstrating not only the viability for using robotics for apparel manufacturing, but the importance of doing so.

More ARM Institute projects centered on robotic sewing have included:

Additionally, the Rapid-Response Automated PPE Production in Shipping Containers project funded by the U.S Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) through an American Rescue Act Grant enabled the ARM Institute to work with our fellow Manufacturing USA Institute AFFOA and several ARM Institute members to scale ARM Institute projects and leverage in-house engineering expertise. Work on this project is underway and will result in the creation of shipping containers housing robotic PPE production that can easily be deployed where and when PPE is needed.

Continued Momentum

While these projects have catalyzed the foundational robotics advancements needed to make apparel manufacturing safer and more productive, continued collaboration between industry, government, and academia are needed to build on this momentum. The ARM Institute is dedicated to making this possible; the Manufacturing of Garments and Other Textile Goods will be included as a special topic area in the ARM Institute’s forthcoming Technology Project Call.

Beyond impact for consumer goods and national security, reshoring apparel manufacturing also represents opportunity for the U.S. workforce. While offshore operations today depend on manual, ergonomically unfriendly processes in cramped, often dirty settings, the use of robots will make roles in these factories safer, more engaging, and higher paying. While robots take on the dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks, human labor will be freed up to work on operating robots and planning robotics integration. Many of these roles will be available through flexible, low-cost training. These are roles that don’t currently exist in the U.S., representing increased employment opportunities for U.S. workers.

The ability to re-shore apparel manufacturing is well within reach, and the ARM Institute is dedicated to working with its members to lead this effort through robotics innovations.