Development of a dedicated process simulator for the digital twin in apparel manufacturing: a case study

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to introduce a dedicated simulator to automatically generate and simulate a balanced apparel assembly line, which is critical to the digital twin concept in apparel manufacturing. Given the low automation level in apparel manufacturing, this is a first step toward the implementation of a smart factory based on cyber-physical systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The mixed task assignment algorithm was implemented to automatically generate a module-based apparel assembly line in the developed simulator. To validate the developed simulator, a case study was conducted using process analysis data of technical jackets obtained from an apparel manufacturer. The case study included three scenarios: calculating the number of workers, selecting orders based on factory capacity and managing unexpected worker absences.

Findings

The developed simulator is approximately 97.2% accurate in assigning appropriate tasks to workstations using the mixed task assignment algorithm. The simulator was also found to be effective in supporting decision-making for production planning, order selection and apparel assembly line management. In addition, the module-based line generation algorithm made it easy to modify the assembly line.

Originality/value

This study contributes a novel approach to address the challenge of low automation levels in apparel manufacturing by introducing a dedicated simulator. This dedicated simulator improves the efficiency of virtual apparel assembly line generation and simulation, which distinguishes it from existing commercial simulation software.

Citation

Kim, M. and Kim, S. (2024), "Development of a dedicated process simulator for the digital twin in apparel manufacturing: a case study", International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCST-01-2024-0017