ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with advances in industrial sewing machines that are not only considered the cornerstone of the fashion industry’s manufacturing sector, but they are also the essential building blocks from which semi-automated, automated, and advanced sewing systems are developed and built from. This chapter will outline recent advances in sewing machine technology and how these developments are being driven by a variety of key disruptors, including rising labour costs, consumer demand for personalised apparel, the digitalisation of the fashion industry, sustainable manufacturing, as well as social compliance and worker welfare. The chapter will close by considering how sewing machine advancements will assist in shaping the future of apparel manufacturing. To provide the most current insights regarding recent and emerging advancements in this area, key machine makers such as PFAFF, Vi BE Mac, Juki, Strobel, Durkopp Adler, Efatech (Turkey), and Vetron were interviewed during the 2022 International Texprocess sewing machinery exhibition in Frankfurt.
