Objective
The flexible automated garment assembly (FAGA) system is an automated modular production system which has been designed and evaluated for the flexible, reliable and economical partial assembly of a variety of garments. It is applicable to seaming operations only when fabric components can be kept flat. An integrated compact cell structure was chosen for the prototype system to obviate the need for additional transport devices.
The main work surface, into which readily interchangeable equipment modules can be placed to very tight tolerances ensuring smooth fabric movement over all joint lines, has been successfully proven. Sewing and manipulation modules can be installed in different positions in the work surface to provide a variety of sequential assembly configurations.
A specification has been developed for a 4-axis cartesian robot, with a special end effector interface, high rigidity and of modular construction, which controls and moves fabric components. The robot controllers include features for local cell coordination, error correction and interfaces to sewing equipment, manipulation equipment, a vision sensing system and a central coordinating control. The vision system has been integrated with the cut part ply separation and feeding system and the robots in order to measure cut parts within the operating cell cycle time and to modify robot movement so that all assembly processes can be carried out within the required tolerances.
The system controller provides: a central control and monitoring interface; a central node on the communications network and overall control to prevent collision between robots and other devices.
An offline programming system has been developed which uses an interactive graphic display. The resulting programs can be run in simulation before downloading to robots, sewing machines, the vision system and the system controller.
It is anticipated that some aspects of the system (eg the gantry robot, robot controller, vision sensing system, offline programming techniques, collision avoidance techniques) will be exploited in applications other than the garment industry.
A prototype was made available on 30/04/92
THE RESEARCH WILL INTEGRATE TWO YEARS ONGOING WORK UNDER BRITE PHASE 1, IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF A PROTOTYPE, AUTOMATED, MODULAR EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR THE 2-DIMENSIONAL PARTIAL ASSEMBLY OF GARMENTS. THE SYSTEM WILL CONSIST OF A GROUP OF ROBOT CELLS, WHICH CAN ACCOMODATE INTERCHANGEABLE PLY SEPARATOR FEEDERS, SEWING MODULES OR MANIPULATORS. INDIVIDUAL CELL CONTROLLERS WILL BE CO-ORDINATED BY AN OVERALL SYSTEM CONTROLLER, USING CONTROL PROGRAMS GENERATED BY AN OFF-LINE SYSTEM.
THE MAJOR OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A FLEXIBLE, COST EFFECTIVE SYSTEM, CAPABLE OF MANUFACTURING A RANGE OF GARMENT STYLES AND SIZES, WITH A NET REDUCTION IN UNIT MANUFACTURING COSTS. THE SYSTEM WILL BE EVALUATED TO PROVE ITS RELIABILITY OVER EXTENDED RUNS, ITS FLEXIBILITY WITH CHANGING PRODUCTS, AND TO ESTABLISH THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS. FURTHER BENEFITS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH IMPROVED CONSISTENCY OF PRODUCT QUALITY AND FASTER RESPONSE TO CUSTOMER DEMANDS. IT ALSO HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING COMPATIBLE WITH EXISTING SEWING TECHNOLOGY, SO THAT IT COULD BE INCORPORATED INTO CURRENT INDUSTRY STRUCTURE.
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Programme(s)
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Coordinator
NG Nottingham
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.