CAD IN GARMENT TECHNOLOGY

Computer-aided design (CAD) includes the use of computers to aid the

creation , modification and optimisation of a design for the better and
more production.
A computer-aided design (CAD) system gives opportunity for mass
customization in fashion. The system enables to create more styles,
random changes, make new design, dimension of collection, pattern
generation, graded size pattern, marker creation and fabric cutting.
Through software such as CAD, the pattern
can be made easily and correction can be done as many times
as required, fittings or virtual prototyping can be used to
drape garment on model on the screen.

It is one of the technologies being used in the fashion industry .for

mass customization; develop more design, frequent changing styles
and production, making work easier through efficient and better
quality of products.
Extensively use CAD tools, to create a standardize set of patterns
for each garment designs. Either - by using the
blocks provided and modifying them and creating free-form patterns
on screen .
 Advantages of CAD
 Reducing gap between Buyer/Designer and Pattern
 Maker .
 If manual patterns were made then we need time in sending the
pattern to the buyers and if the buyer rejects the pattern then
patterns were modified and sent again hence there was lot of
wastage of time.
 Now, software (CAD) is used for making
 patterns, creating different size set patterns and making
 makers can save time as so many repetitive tasks can be
 reduced. Pattern can directly send by email instead of courier
 or any other way and time can be saved. Approval can be
 done in short period of time or an hours instead of days or
 weeks. Also style can be simulated and virtual drape and fit of
 the garment can be seen and send to the designer or buyer for
 approval digitally. Again time can be saved in physically
 making of sample and sending it through courier.


 Costing –
 Fabric cost is the main cost in garmenting and there was lot
of wastage in making the pattern .with the cad virtual
patterns can be produced hence saving the money.

 Optimization Marker Making -
 Before the involvement of the CAD in to Pattern Making
and
 Marker Making, masters used to take hours to do the
marker
 planning. It was a critical job and was unable to use the
fabric
 optimally. With the involvement of software, marker
planning
 has become a few minutes job. Now as the time reduced so
 much, masters can work on many markers with less time
 and get the better efficiency than before.
Furthermore
 factories receive fabric in many widths. Fabric can be sorted
 out and different markers can be made for different group of
 fabric width and can increase their saving on fabrics, utilize the
time increase more profits.

 Cad Operated Cutting Machines-
 This method gives the most precise and accurate cutting at high
speed. A characteristic computerised cutting system has nylon
bristles at the top of the cutting table to support the fabric lay,
which is flexible enough to allow penetration and movement of
the blade through it. It also allows passage of air through the table
to produce a vacuum for decreasing the lay height. The
frame/carriage supporting the cutting head has two synchronised
servo-motors, which drive it on tracks on the edges of the table. A
third servo-motor keeps the cutting head at an accurate position
on a beam through the width of the carriage. The cutting head
includes a knife, sharpener and a servo-motor to rotate the knife to
position it at a tangent to the line of the cut on curves. An airtight
polyethylene sheet could be spread over the top of the lay to
facilitate vacuum creation in the lay to reduce the lay height. A
control cabinet houses the computer and the electrical components
required to drive the cutter, its carriage and the vacuum motor.
 Figure-3: Computer controlled knife
cutting and table

An operator spreads the fabric lay on a conventional cutting table or cutting table
equipped with air flotation or conveyorised cutting table. Perforated paper is
spread below the bottom fabric ply to support it during cutting as well to avoid
distortion during moving to the cutting table
 . After loading the disc having the marker plan into the
computer, the operator positions the cutting head’s
origin light over the corner of the spread (reference
point). A motorised drill at the back of the cutting head
provides drill holes as required and facilities are
available to cut the notches as well. The maximum
height is usually 7.5 cm when compressed, with the
height before compression, and hence the number of
plies, being based on the nature of the fabric.

As the computerised cutting system works on the

predetermined instructions from the computer/disc,
markers are not compulsory for this type of system.
However, to identify the cut garment panels for sorting
and bundling, labelling of garment components that
are to be cut is required.
 2. Fabric laser cutting machine:
 A laser produces a beam of light that could be focused
into a very small point (0.25 mm) to produce high
energy density and result in localised increase in
temperature. In this system, cutting takes place by way
of burning, melting and vaporisation. The limited
depth of fabric cutting (single or two plies) is the major
drawback of this system.
The cutting system comprises a stationary gas laser, a
cutting head carrying a system of mirrors to reflect the
laser beam to the cutting line, a computer which
operates the entire system and a system for removing
cut parts from the conveyor carrying the single ply of
fabric (Figure-4).
Figure-4: Fabric laser cutting machine

An automatic, single ply, laser cutting

system is speedy compared with automatic
multiple ply knife cutters, with speeds of
30–40 m/min being realised compared
with 5–12
 m/min for knife cutting. The main hindrances to utilising laser
cutters in the garment industry are the quality of the cut edge
(which may become charred and, with thermoplastics, may affect
the feel of the edge), the possibility of less than 100% efficient
cutting and the requirements to maintain the equipment.
3. Fabric plasma cutting machine:
 The plasma cutting process was developed to satisfy a demand for
high quality accurate cutting on stainless steel and aluminium;
however, it could also be utilised to cut textile materials. In this
system, cutting is accomplished through a high velocity jet of high
temperature ionised gas (argon). This method has the potential to
become the faster cutter of single plies, but the cutting method has
similar issues as in laser cutting related to quality of cutting.
4. Water jet fabric cutting machine:
 A high velocity, small diameter stream of water is generated by
applying high pressure water to a nozzle (Figure-5). The high
pressure water jet acts as a means to cut the fabric, tearing the
fibers on impact. As the water jet penetrates succeeding plies in a
spread, the energy decreases and cutting capability is also
reduced. The water jet spreads out and the cutting point becomes
wider at the bottom of the lay. There is a problem of water
spotting, wet edges and inconsistent cutting quality.
 Figure-5: Water jet fabric cutting machine

5. Ultrasonic fabric cutting:

In this cutting system, vibration frequencies in the 20 kHz range are used
to produce 1/20 mm movement in the blade, small enough to remove
the need for a bristle base to the cutting table. Disposable knife blades
save sharpening time and last for 10–14 days. Single ply and very low
lays can be cut and low vacuum only is needed.