New Software Boosts Marker Technology

In the current economy, most apparel manufacturers are looking for ways to trim expenses. High on the list of expenditures is fabric, which accounts for about 45 percent of the production costs for the average company.

Marker-making software, which usually accompanies CAD and pattern-making software, has helped manufacturers eliminate a lot of the waste associated with production. More recently, optimization software has helped improve the nesting process involved in marker making, and more companies are taking advantage.

Markers are the blueprints used by the cutting room to cut garment patterns. Aligning each pattern onto fabric is a science, with the fabric measured by algorithms and other data-measurement tools. Saving even a percentage of one point can result in thousands of dollars of savings. The new generation of optimization software has proven to save up to 5 percent off traditional systems.

Several suppliers have rolled out new marker products, borrowing technology from other industries such as shipping and logistics, automotive, and aerospace.

PAD System Technologies International recently debuted its Opticut Plus marker-making software, which is powered by technology produced by Shapeshifter Technology Ltd. of New Zealand. Shapeshifter has been tested to save up to 3 percent off traditional systems, according to the company.

The technology was born in the shipping industry, where it helped position boxes and cargo containers to maximize use of space. More recently, it has been used with CAD for apparel production.

PAD has integrated it into its Opticut Plus marker system, and the results have been impressive, said Kristine Gloviak, vice president of PAD’s North American distributor, GCL, based in Los Angeles. “Everybody’s talking about saving money right now. This is one way to do it,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine anyone not planning to use it. It saves so much fabric and can bring jobs back to the U.S.”

The system manipulates markers to decrease their length and then makes automated adjustments on widths and fabric savings on length while respecting pattern constraints. It can be set on automatic mode and used 24 hours a day. Some clients have reported nester-time improvements from 45 minutes to five minutes. PAD is also running a promotion, offering free online markers through Marker-Online (www.marker-online.com). The service is free to PAD System users.

Tukatech’s SmartMark system is also based on an advanced algorithm. Company Chief Executive Officer Ram Sareen claims that for automotive applications, the system has been able to eliminate waste down to a single spark plug.

When applied to apparel production, users have been able to trim time and costs dramatically, Sareen said.

Some of the company’s users, such as New York–based Gerson & Gerson, have saved $500,000 of fabric consumption in a year.

The system can work fully automated around the clock, producing markers in long queues, with each taking one to three minutes. Users can also create fuse blocks, employ width variations and finish off markers made manually.

In addition, pieces can be edited without having to revert back to the style file. This is very helpful when the user only has access to the marker file and needs to make an edit to a piece and plot, said Tukatech executives.

Lectra has also advanced its marker system, launching a new version of its Diamino marker maker this year. The company updated Diamino with a reinforced algorithm and two operating options: an interactive mode, which requires some human intervention, and an automatic mode. Diamino is also available in four categories: fashion, footwear, furniture and textile.

“The ability to combine these two modes of marker-making—applied to the specific business constraints of fashion, furniture, automotive and industrial fabrics companies—is a considerable competitive advantage for our customers, and it is one of the key points which allows them to make significant savings—in terms of both fabric and time,” said company Chief Executive Officer Daniel Harari.

The improvements have pushed the efficiency rate up significantly. French apparel maker JC Confection has realized up to 4 percent material savings over the previous version. Chinese company SuZhou Qunhong Fashion Co. Ltd., which produces men’s jackets and coats, realized average savings of 0.92 percent, with maximums reaching 1.22 percent over the previous version.

In general, Lectra officials said a $10 million company should be able to save $100,000 per year in fabric savings using the new Diamino.