Q+A CENTER

CAD/CAM IN FASHION

In an article on the OptiTex web site, Saar Machtinger, Director Business Development, wrote that prototyping/sampling is required because the sale of the end product really depends upon fit. A study that monitored the reasons for dissatisfaction or returns of garments showed that fit problems were at the top of the list. 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.

When it’s production time, Machtinger wrote, there are new challenges. Apparel manufacturing, especially when it comes to tailoring or assembling, relies on people. 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 simplify 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.