On-demand production a focal point of Industry 4.0 demonstrations at CISMA, Asia’s major garment and textile technology exhibition
Lectra unveiled its flagship Industry 4.0 solutions for Asia—Fashion On Demand by Lectra and Furniture On Demand by Lectra—as well as the new VectorAutomotive iP9 fabric-cutting solution for automotive seating and interiors this week, at the 2019 edition of the China International Sewing Machinery and Accessories (CISMA) exhibition in Shanghai.
Under the banner “Lectra 4.0: Digitalizing and Connecting Your Value Chain”, Lectra asserted its leadership as the trusted advisor to fashion, furniture and automotive companies undertaking digital transformation. Smart, connected supply chains are at the core of the fourth industrial revolution. In all industries using textiles, the intelligent factory requires a high degree of flexibility, maximum efficiency and optimal planning processes for a variety of production types, from mass production to on-demand production. These requirements are paramount to the future success of companies competing for business on Asian markets.
In 2017, China accounted for 46% of global furniture production and is currently the world’s premiere apparel exporter. With nearly 60% of the world’s millennials living in Asia, sustained demand for personalized, rapidly delivered products continues to drive the trend toward mass customization. Product personalization is rapidly becoming a top-of-mind concern for fashion and furniture industry decision-makers, as well as the optimization of small-batch runs.
Launched for the first time in Asia at CISMA 2019, pioneering end-to-end solutions Fashion On Demand by Lectra and Furniture On Demand by Lectra automate the complete process from order processing to fabric cutting. Suited to the respective needs of each industry, the two solutions comprise Lectra’s Digital Cutting Platform and single-ply fabric cutting solution Virga®. They allow users to manage their workflows seamlessly for both small series and customized order production. This enables manufacturers to readily switch from mass-production to small-batch runs, as well as optimize the product personalization process in the cutting room.
Because fabric can account for up to 60-70% of garment costs, Lectra has released additional versions of its cloud applications, to help fashion manufacturers in Asia make more informed development and bidding decisions. Quick Estimate generates fabric consumption simulations in seconds for accurate profitability projections throughout product development. During the RFQ process, Quick Nest marker-making software makes it possible to win new contracts by responding faster, with competitive pricing. Quick Nest furthermore brings speed and agility to production through parallel processing of marker lists.
CISMA 2019 also presented an opportune occasion for Lectra to reveal its new VectorAutomotive iP9 fabric-cutting solution. It is the first solution on the market to enable zero-buffer cutting on a wide variety of materials. For automotive suppliers, this amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars in material savings annually when compared to other solutions, an increasingly important pathway to operational excellence.
To enable CISMA participants to project themselves into Lectra’s vision of smart factory cutting operations, Lectra captivated audiences with demonstrations of its latest advanced-technology solutions.
“Despite the challenges currently faced by China, it remains the world’s fastest growing major economy,” observes Javier Garcia, President, Asia-Pacific, Lectra. “Lectra has long had a finger on the pulse of Asia’s markets. We are ready to support manufacturers operating here as they meet Industry 4.0 objectives as fast as technology allows.”
