Companies Develop Robots to Make Clothes
2022-12-16
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Large clothing and technology companies, including Siemens AG and Levi Strauss & Co., are developing robots to make clothes.
2The process of using robots or computers for human work, known as automation, has raised concerns about jobs for many people around the world.
3Eugen Solowjow heads an automated clothes manufacturing project at a Siemens lab in San Francisco.
4"Clothing is the last trillion-dollar industry that hasn't been automated," he said.
5The worldwide clothing market is estimated to be worth $1.52 trillion, the independent research group Statista says.
6The idea of using robots to increase manufacturing in the United States grew more popular during the pandemic.
7COVID-19 interfered with supply chains around the world, highlighting the risk of using distant factories.
8But moving clothing manufacturing back to Western markets, including the United States, is a sensitive issue.
9Many clothing companies are unsure about publicly discussing automation.
10Such reports would cause public concern that automation will take jobs from workers in poor countries.
11One industry inventor, Jonathan Zornow, said he has received online criticism, and a death threat, in connection with his work.
12Sewing - the act of using a needle and thread to make clothes - is especially difficult to automate.
13Robots do not have the fine touch skill that human hands do.
14Robots are getting better, but it will take years to fully develop their ability to handle fabric, said five researchers questioned by Reuters.
15But current research efforts are also looking at doing just enough work by machine to close the cost difference between U.S. and foreign factories.
16Work at Siemens grew out of efforts to create software to guide robots that could handle all types of materials, such as thin wire cables, said Solowjow.
17He added that researchers soon realized one of the best targets for automation was clothing.
18Siemens worked with the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute in Pittsburgh.
19They identified a San Francisco company with a promising way to deal with the fabric problem.
20The startup, Sewbo Inc., hardens, or stiffens, fabric with chemicals.
21The hardened fabric is then similar to other material robots can handle, like metal for example.
22Once the robots finish sewing the piece, the clothing is washed to remove the chemical.
23"Pretty much every piece of denim is washed after it's made anyway, so this fits into the existing production system," said Zornow, Sewbo's inventor.
24This research effort widened to include several clothing companies, including Levi's and Bluewater Defense LLC, a small U.S.-based maker of military clothes.
25They received $1.5 million in financing from the ARM Institute to experiment with the technique.
26There are other efforts to automate sewing factories.
27Software Automation Inc, a startup in Georgia, has developed a machine that can sew clothing by pulling the cloth over a special table, for example.
28Sanjeev Bahl, who opened a small jeans factory called Saitex in downtown Los Angeles two years ago , has studied the Sewbo machines.
29He is preparing to set up his first experimental machine.
30At his factory in September, he said that many sewing jobs are ready for a new process.
31"If it works," he said, "I think there's no reason not to have large-scale (jeans) manufacturing here in the U.S. again."
32I'm John Russell.
1Large clothing and technology companies, including Siemens AG and Levi Strauss & Co., are developing robots to make clothes. The process of using robots or computers for human work, known as automation, has raised concerns about jobs for many people around the world. 2Eugen Solowjow heads an automated clothes manufacturing project at a Siemens lab in San Francisco. 3"Clothing is the last trillion-dollar industry that hasn't been automated," he said. 4The worldwide clothing market is estimated to be worth $1.52 trillion, the independent research group Statista says. 5Supply chain issues 6The idea of using robots to increase manufacturing in the United States grew more popular during the pandemic. COVID-19 interfered with supply chains around the world, highlighting the risk of using distant factories. 7But moving clothing manufacturing back to Western markets, including the United States, is a sensitive issue. 8Many clothing companies are unsure about publicly discussing automation. Such reports would cause public concern that automation will take jobs from workers in poor countries. 9One industry inventor, Jonathan Zornow, said he has received online criticism, and a death threat, in connection with his work. 10Fabric problem 11Sewing - the act of using a needle and thread to make clothes - is especially difficult to automate. 12Robots do not have the fine touch skill that human hands do. Robots are getting better, but it will take years to fully develop their ability to handle fabric, said five researchers questioned by Reuters. 13But current research efforts are also looking at doing just enough work by machine to close the cost difference between U.S. and foreign factories. 14Work at Siemens grew out of efforts to create software to guide robots that could handle all types of materials, such as thin wire cables, said Solowjow. He added that researchers soon realized one of the best targets for automation was clothing. 15Siemens worked with the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute in Pittsburgh. They identified a San Francisco company with a promising way to deal with the fabric problem. The startup, Sewbo Inc., hardens, or stiffens, fabric with chemicals. The hardened fabric is then similar to other material robots can handle, like metal for example. Once the robots finish sewing the piece, the clothing is washed to remove the chemical. 16"Pretty much every piece of denim is washed after it's made anyway, so this fits into the existing production system," said Zornow, Sewbo's inventor. 17This research effort widened to include several clothing companies, including Levi's and Bluewater Defense LLC, a small U.S.-based maker of military clothes. They received $1.5 million in financing from the ARM Institute to experiment with the technique. 18Other efforts 19There are other efforts to automate sewing factories. Software Automation Inc, a startup in Georgia, has developed a machine that can sew clothing by pulling the cloth over a special table, for example. 20Sanjeev Bahl, who opened a small jeans factory called Saitex in downtown Los Angeles two years ago , has studied the Sewbo machines. He is preparing to set up his first experimental machine. 21At his factory in September, he said that many sewing jobs are ready for a new process. 22"If it works," he said, "I think there's no reason not to have large-scale (jeans) manufacturing here in the U.S. again." 23I'm John Russell. 24Timothy Aeppel reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. 25______________________________________________________________ 26Words in This Story 27texture - n. the way that something feels when you touch it 28supply chain -- n. the companies, materials, and systems involved in producing and delivering goods 29thread -- n. a long, thin piece of cotton, silk, etc., used for sewing 30handle -- v. to manage or control (something) with your hands 31stiffen - v. to make (something, such as cloth) difficult to bend or move 32fabric - n. woven or knitted material 33denim - n. a strong usually blue cotton cloth that is used especially to make jeans 34scale -- n. the size or level of something especially in comparison to something else