Abstract
Within the new concept of Industry 4.0, digitalization and sustainability are the latest trends in the knitting industry. Digitization, known as "the use of digital technologies to transform a business model and create new revenue and value opportunities," is emerging as a means to not only achieve sustainability in terms of planet, profit, and human engagement, but also to reduce inventory, increase supply chain visibility, and adapt production. Sustainable knitwear will be part of the knitting technology curriculum at the Faculty of Industrial Design and Business Management of ''Gheorghe Asachi'' Technical University of Iasi, Romania, taking into account not only fashion but also environmental aspects, especially resource consumption through waste-free manufacturing, reuse when possible, and recycling when necessary. The focus of this paper is to present the technological features of the complete garment production on the electronic weft flat knitting machines. The paper describes the design of a complete outerwear product, as a basis for the further programming phase. M1plus(R) Pattern Software from Stoll by Karl Mayer, Germany, is one of the most effective CAD systems for creating patterns for a highly optimized knitting process. The pattern software can be used for complete fashions as well as for knitting and wearing patterns. M1plus offers a rich Module Explorer Database, with numerous ready-made pattern elements. The learning module is supported by examples of knitting programs developed for finished products with different applications, such as: Caps, masks or shoes and is available at the web address: bibliodoc.ro/advancedknitting. The remarkable advantages of complete knitting refer to a shorter production process, lower finishing costs, no side seams, lower labor costs, fewer machines involved in production, lower energy consumption and time savings in production. |