Fabric Properties as Control Factors for Flexible Apparel Production Systems

Deals with the development of a control system for fabric pick‐and‐place operators based on the Clupicker device. Fabric mechanical properties are analysed for their influence on the motions performed in picking up fabric pieces from a stack. The performance of the picking device on various woven fabrics has been studied. A stepping motor drive to the crank of the Clupicker enabled us to control the normal force applied by the picking wheel on the fabric stack. By controlling the normal force we could make the Clupicker perform well for fabrics with very different properties. A linear regression was found between the minimum normal force required for effective performance of the picker and bending rigidity of the fabric.