#Other suppliers

2018-02-08

Software Automation has launched a new fully automated workline for footwear

The US machine vision and robotics startup Software Automation, based in Atlanta, has announced the newest SEWBOT® workline is available for global pre-order. The Digital Footwear Upper Workline expands the patented SEWBOT® Pick-Place-Sew™ automation for fully-automated shoe uppers.

In 2017, the SoftWear Automation team went to Waalwijk, Netherlands to speak on the future of footwear. Waalwijk is a small Dutch town with more than 400 related footwear businesses including a tannery. It used to be the global epicenter for footwear given its proximity to the world's largest port, dense forests and endless cows.

"Today, retail is almost all that's left there", noted the company. "It's a familiar story in manufacturing where jobs go to the lowest wage providers. However, the story continues to evolve as supply side pressures mount; the industry doubles its efforts to focus on country sourcing strategies and places the customer experience on the back burner. With the launch of our Digital Footwear Workline we aim to put the "future of WOW" (put customer experience first) in a local supply chain on par with country sourcing. The "future of WOW" in apparel and footwear manufacturing is how we produce a sewn good on demand with great variety, speed, quality, and low cost; and delivered to the customer within 3 days."

To enable this future, SoftWear Automation is focusing on automation that can work without templates, without adhesives, and that is built with lean manufacturing at its core. The SEWBOT® workline for footwear uppers requires just one operator for four or more worklines, and is not subject to dye cutter imperfections, size, style or most material changes. Load in the vamps and overlays and sewn shoe uppers come out the other end.

"With 70% of labor in the sewing and construction of the upper and 18 months from forecast to delivery, our worklines automate the most labor intensive part of a shoe and provide the cost and flexibility to produce goods anywhere in the world on demand", the company says.

In October 2017, Pete Santora, Chief Commercial Officer at SoftWear Automation, told TexData in an exclusive interview the company has high demand for their worklines.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

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Microfactory for filter bags developed in Sweden

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Dornbirn GFC 2026 expands conference program with new thematic sessions

For 65 years, Dornbirn GFC has stood for innovation and is one of the world’s leading conferences in the fiber industry. From September 16 to 18, 2026, the international fiber community will meet in Dornbirn, Austria, to discuss current trends, technological developments, and forward-looking solutions. More than 600 experts from industry and academia from over 30 countries are expected to attend. With around 100 presentations by renowned speakers, a 2,5-day conference program, and three parallel presentation rooms with moderated sessions, Dornbirn GFC provides a first-class platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and international collaboration. Together, participants will generate ideas and impulses that will sustainably shape the future of the global fiber industry.

Europe is committed to recycling end-of-life wind turbine blades

Starting in 2026, Europe’s wind energy industry has committed itself to ensuring that wind turbine blades do not end up in landfills once they reach the end of their service life. The EU-funded research project REWIND is exploring ways to reuse this composite waste. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are one of 13 project partners from seven countries.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

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