Computer Aided Design is used at various stages in the apparel
and textile industry. The fashion design CAD/CAM software can be
broadly classified into following categories, each relating to a
different design and manufacturing stage.
Categories and manufacturing stages are:
Designing/ Range Planning - before the start of any
fashion season, all apparel manufacturers plan the range of
garments which they are setting up to manufacture. Most of the
designing and range planning is still done by the buyer or the
owners of the brand because they are closest to their actual
clients; it is easier for them to understand the specific needs
of their target market. To some extent, this has now changed
with more and more manufacturers allowing vendors to dabble a
bit in designing, based on their specific inputs in terms of
colors, yarns, fabrics, prints, silhouettes etc.
Prototyping/ Sampling - once the designs have been
finalized, a prototype or sample has to be made, because the
scalability of the end product (garment) very much depends on
the fit of the garment.
In a study conducted by an independent research agency, which
monitored and observed the reasons of dissatisfaction or returns
of garments sold - fitting problems topped the dissatisfaction
list.
Considering the importance of a good fit, it becomes imperative
for a manufacturer or retailer to achieve the best fits
possible. Considering the complexity involved with different
fabrics and silhouettes, a CAD system takes away much of the
pain from prototyping thus decreasing the time to market.
Mass Production - comes with its own challenges. Unlike
most other products, apparel manufacturing, even today very much
depends on people - especially when it comes to tailoring or
assembling. A mistake anywhere down the line in the prototyping
or cutting process becomes very difficult and often impossible
to rectify. This is where a CAD system comes in, to deskill some
of the processes involved in mass manufacturing, namely the
pre-production processes so that perfectly cut parts are fed to
the operators. Additionally, the fabric saved in bulk cutting
while using a CAD system is enormous.
Retailing - A 3D solution allows 3D files to be uploaded
on to website for clients to choose from. 3D files can be opened
and viewed in any MS office application or Internet explorer.
About the author:
Mr. Saar Machtinger, Director Business Development,
OptiTex™ Fashion design
software, which specializes in the development of
innovative, easy-to-operate, 2-Dimensional and 3-Dimensional
CAD/CAM Fashion Design software.
http://www.optitex.com
