Automated 3D joining and handling of furniture hide and textiles (3D sewing/joining)
Scope (N/R/Trans):
National
Description /Main activities:
The project objective is to find solutions for automated joining of textiles and furniture hide (leather) into 3D products and modules – with a high degree of flexibility. Joining of furniture hide and textiles is one of the last remaining mostly manual processes in the textile and furniture industry.
Core R&D challenges
• Automated material handling of soft/limp materials
• Joining of materials into 3D-shaped products and modules
• Integrated adaptive real-time control of joining processes through sensor systems, actuators and control models
• Commercial viability
• Flexible and reconfigurable automation
• Automated and integrated 1-piece production from design to joining
The project is divided into the following sub-projects, each consisting of a set of work packages
• Evaluation and technological review
• Material handling
• Sewing/joining system process control
• Product and process modelling
• Towards effective industrial solutions
Expected results and impact:
Industrial demonstrators and factory prototypes have been developed in this project. The first fully flexible solution for joining of furniture hide and fibre (operations totalling 15-30% of total sewing time (model dependent) at project partner Ekornes), has been completed as a demonstrator, and is being industrialised as a prototype in the last phase of the project.
Time window:
Start: April 2008 / Duration: 3 years and 9 months (ends December 2011)
Budget/Funding:
Budget: appr. 6,4 MEUR (50 MNOK) / Funding: appr.2,3 MEUR (18 MNOK)
Participants:
Ekornes, Helly Hansen Pro (Hansen Protection), Amatec, SINTEF Bedriftsutvikling, SINTEF Raufoss Manufacturing, SINTEF ICT
Relations/connections with the EU initiatives:
The project has had frequent, although unformalized, contact with the IP/CA LEAPFROG, and the ETP Textile. (Project participants Ekornes and SINTEF also were part of the CP proposal LEAP2TECH). The project is fully aligned with the European research agenda MANUFUTURE.
More info:
At Norwegian Research Council webpages (Norwegian only):
www.forskningsradet.no/servlet/Satellite?c=Nyhet&pagename=bia%2FHovedsidemal&cid=1253968902592&p=1226993636080 and www.forskningsradet.no/servlet/Satellite?c=Prosjekt&cid=1211259681558&pagename=bia/Hovedsidemal&p=1226993636093
