Abstract: Systems and methods facilitate automated manufacture of fabric articles. In an example operation, a first fabric portion is mounted in a first frame, and a second fabric portion is mounted in a second frame. The first and second frames with the corresponding fabric portions are transported to a sequence of stations at which one or more operations are performed on the first and/or second fabric portion. The operations include applying an adhesive to one of the fabric portions, and then joining the first and second fabric portions by bringing the first and second frames together. The operations include cutting the joined first and second fabric portions to create corresponding joined first and second components of a fabric article.

Abstract: Embodiments provide an apparel product. The apparel product includes a major component forming a base portion of the apparel product and is configured to be supported and worn at least partially over a portion of a wearer. The apparel product includes a minor component forming a secondary portion configured to be coupled to the major component. An adhesive is disposed at least partially between a portion of the major component and a portion of the minor component. The adhesive includes a shape memory material.

Abstract: A garment station including a first guide separated from a second guide by a repositionable gap. The garment station further includes a head carrier disposed between the first guide and the second guide. The garment station further includes a first tool head and a second tool head attached to the head carrier and configured to join webs of fabric disposed across the gap. The head carrier is configured to maintain the first tool head and the second tool head aligned in the gap as the gap is repositioned.

Abstract: Embodiments provide methods of disassembling an apparel product. The methods include exposing an adhesive of the apparel product to a composition having an acidic pH. The adhesive is disposed at least partially between a major component and a minor component of the apparel product. The adhesive includes a material having a boronate ester bond. The major component forms a base portion of the apparel product and is configured to be supported and worn at least partially over a portion of a wearer. The minor component forms a secondary portion configured to be coupled to the major component with the adhesive. The methods include separating the major component from the minor component adjoined by the adhesive.

Abstract: Embodiments provide methods for disassembling an apparel product. The methods include heating an adhesive of the apparel product. The adhesive is disposed at least partially between a major component and a minor component of the apparel product. The adhesive includes a material having a cycloalkene bond. The major component forms a base portion of the apparel product and is configured to be supported and worn at least partially over a portion of a wearer. The minor component forms a secondary portion configured to be coupled to the major component with the adhesive. The methods include separating the major component from the minor component adjoined by the adhesive, the major component including a synthetic polymer, cellulose, or natural fiber.

Abstract: Embodiments provide adhesives for apparel products. The apparel product includes a major component and a minor component. The major component forms a base portion of the apparel product and is configured to be supported and worn at least partially over a portion of a wearer. The minor component of the apparel product forms a secondary portion and is configured to be coupled to the major component. An adhesive is disposed at least partially between a portion of the major component and a portion of the minor component. The adhesive includes a material having a thioester bond.

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe mapping user drawn lines into an embroidery machine file. For example, a user can use a stylus or her finger to draw an embroidery design on a touch screen of a user device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc.). An embroidery application executing on the user device can convert the user movements into needle point paths. The application can then convert the needle point paths into the embroidery machine file.

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe techniques for editing a needle point path displayed on a touch screen. For example, a stylus can be used to select a portion of the needle point path which can then be moved, rotated, shrunk/enlarged, deleted, replaced, copied, etc. The embodiments herein may convert the selected portion of the needle point path into a graphics region which can then be manipulated. Once edited, the path can then be added back to the needle point path.

Abstract: Packaging is used to store articles to be customized by methods including embroidery, wherein the packaging includes at least two portions defining a window, and wherein the two portions of the packaging hold a portion of the article, for example a fabric panel, taut across the window so that the portion of the article may be embroidered by an embroidery machine while retained by portions of the packaging. The packaging may be in the form of a box during embroidery, or may be converted into the form of a box after embroidery.

Abstract: Embodiments provide apparel products having boronate adhesives. The apparel products include a major component forming a base portion of the apparel product. The major component is configured to be supported and worn at least partially over a portion of a wearer. The apparel product includes a minor component forming a secondary portion configured to be coupled to the major component. An adhesive is disposed at least partially between a portion of the major component and a portion of the minor component. The adhesive includes a boronate ester bond.

Abstract: Embodiments provide methods for disassembling an apparel product. The methods include exposing an adhesive of the apparel product to a composition having an acidic or basic pH. The adhesive is disposed at least partially between a major component and a minor component of the apparel product. The adhesive includes a material having a thioester bond. The major component forms a base portion of the apparel product and is configured to be supported and worn at least partially over a portion of a wearer. The minor component forms a secondary portion configured to be coupled to the major component with the adhesive. The methods include separating the major component from the minor component adjoined by the adhesive.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide an apparatus. The apparatus can include a robotic arm, a pair of jaws coupled to the robotic arm configured to grip a fabric piece at a pair of predetermined locations, a force sensor coupled to the jaws and configured to measure a tension force applied to the fabric piece by the jaws, and a control module configured to control movements of at least one jaw based on the measured tension force, thereby allowing the fabric piece to be stretched.

Abstract: Embodiments provide methods of disassembling an apparel product. The methods include exposing an adhesive of the apparel product to heat or electromagnetic energy. The adhesive is disposed at least partially disposed between a major component and a minor component of the apparel product. The adhesive includes a shape memory material. The major component forms a base portion of the apparel product and is configured to be supported and worn at least partially over a portion of a wearer. The minor component forms a secondary portion configured to be coupled to the major component with the adhesive. The methods include separating the major component from the minor component adjoined by the adhesive.

Abstract: A garment assembly system including a fixture including an opening, an abutment surface formed in either the fixture or a housing disposable on the fixture, and a carrier. The carrier is disposable in the opening. The carrier is moveable between a retracted position and an extended position. In the extended position, the carrier is configured to press an open first joint of a tubular component disposed on the carrier and an open second joint of a base component disposed on the fixture together against the abutment surface.

Abstract: One embodiment can provide an apparatus. The apparatus can include a robotic arm, a pair of jaws coupled to the robotic arm configured to grip a fabric piece at a pair of predetermined locations, a force sensor coupled to the jaws and configured to measure a tension force applied to the fabric piece by the jaws, and a control module configured to control movements of at least one jaw based on the measured tension force, thereby allowing the fabric piece to be stretched.

Abstract: A conveyor belt system having a belt in contact with an array of actuators that are functional to move the belt in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the belt. The belt actuators can be functional to move individually to form a desired topography of the belt. The conveyor belt system can, thereby, move a workpiece in three dimensions for improved manufacturing and/or warehousing.

Abstract: Methods and systems enabling tracking and managing apparel items are described. The apparel item (e.g. clothing item, shoes, accessories, jewelry and other type of wearables) is tagged and tracked using an inimitable identification tag that is at least partially invisible to the naked human eye, and generating a record of the apparel item in a distributed ledger using the tag data of the inimitable identification tag. The record is associated with a non-fungible token (NFT) on the ledger that allows for tracking the item throughout its life. For example, it is possible to locate and authenticate the apparel item by using the private key associated with the NFT of the token. The apparel item may be tracked starting from a manufacturing phase of the apparel and extending throughout the lifespan of the apparel item. The authenticity of the apparel item can be shown throughout the manufacturing, distribution and ownership stages.

Abstract: A method of generating garment images embellished with a personalization art image is disclosed. Creating a garment type, based on a business user input including receiving information related to garment parts available options in colors, fabrics, lighting conditions, camera viewpoints poses related to the garment, generating a garment part image for each distinct combination of garment part fabric, garment part color, lighting condition, camera viewpoint and pose, storing each garment image, receiving a selection of available customization windows corresponding to the garment, and displaying to an end-user, a user selected garment image, embellished with a selected personalization art located in a selected customization window.

Abstract: Embodiments provide methods for assembling an apparel product. The methods include applying a composition to a portion of a major component of the apparel product or a portion of a minor component of the apparel product. The methods include coupling the portion of the minor component with the portion of the major component via the composition. The major component forms a base portion of the apparel product and is configured to be supported and worn at least partially over a portion of a wearer. The minor component forms a secondary portion configured to be coupled to the major component with an adhesive. The major component and/or minor component includes a recyclable material. The methods include converting the composition to the adhesive. The adhesive includes a material having a cycloalkene bond.

Abstract: A dryer includes a pressure plate and a plurality of heating bulbs configured to emit short wave infrared radiation. A hood of the dryer is coupled to an exhaust vent and a fan. One or more sensors of the dryer measure a drying parameter corresponding to at least a portion of an article to be dried. One or more sensors in the exhaust vent monitor the air being drawn from under the hood and through the exhaust vent. A controller receives data from at least one of the sensors, and uses the data to regulate operation of each heating bulb independently of other heating bulbs of the dryer.