Computer Applications and CAD in Textiles
CAD in design
CAD systems support fabric design (weave, dobby, jacquard), garment pattern making, grading and marker making. Understand raster versus vector graphics, colour separation for printing, and repeat setting for textile design.
CAM and mill systems
CAM covers automated cutting, loom control and spinning machine monitoring. ERP, MRP and production planning software integrate orders, inventory and scheduling. Barcodes and RFID support traceability.
Data and quality
SPC software, Uster statistics and online monitoring allow real-time quality control. Understand the difference between CAD (design) and CAM (manufacture).
Traps
- Confusing CAD with CAM.
- Assuming raster images scale without loss; they pixelate.
- Forgetting colour separation is needed before screen printing.
Worked example
A design repeat of 10 cm on fabric 150 cm wide requires 15 repeats across the width. If the screen has 640 pixels across 10 cm, resolution is 64 pixels/cm, adequate for most textile printing but not for fine detail below 1 mm.