Development of a flexible robotic cell for laser cutting of 3D foam and preformed fabric

Abstract

Laser technology is available nowadays for cutting of both textile and foam yielding high production levels and short setup times between cutting runs. However, the characteristics of the European Textiles and Clothing industry, that forces the design and manufacture of several Ready-to-wear collections each season, reduces the benefit of the laser technology due to the need of a continuous parameterization and reprogramming of the different clothing patterns. In this work, a flexible robotic laser cell for 3D cutting is presented, demonstrating that the production level and flexibility obtained can be advantageously used to improve the competitiveness of the European Textiles industry. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.