Final Report Summary - MYWEAR (Customized Green, Safe, Healthy and Smart Work and Sports Wear)
Executive Summary:
Nowadays, the full adoption of customer-driven production methodologies and technologies is recognized as of definitive importance for the European Manufacturing Industry (SMEs in particular): it is a key strategy to compete in terms of value-added, as cost-based competition is hardly suitable to face the threats posed by emerging countries. Specifically, the Proposal targets two sectors, Sportswear and Work-wear, where best opportunities are left only for value added products.
In addition to this consideration, social phenomena like ageing (19% of EU population is between 50 and 64 years old, and 17% over 65 years old), increase of obese people (35% overweight and 15% obese over the total population), increase of diabetics (8% of the adult population) and major sensitivity towards disabled people (15% over population, ranging from light to severe disabilities) and eco-friendly products, result into challenging specifications for personalized solutions for Sport and Work, where European manufacturers need methodologies and technologies to get the chance to fully exploit their excellence.
Thus, the project has addressed the production of next generation health, safe and eco-friendly customized work-wear and sports-wear goods for specific target groups, such as elderly, disables, diabetics and obese people, which are of wide and increasing impact in terms of market share for the European industry.
MyWear project aimed at responding to such needs by conceiving an Engineering Framework - i.e. methods, tools and technologies have been developed, necessary to consumer centred product/services and process innovation - addressing footwear and garments, for specific market segments as work, spare time, and sport.
Pilot implementations in industrial settings, demonstrating feasibility of new concepts and solutions as for shoes and garments, have been developed with reference to two specific market segments: safety/professional for workers and sport.
Project Context and Objectives:
MYWEAR mission was to sustain the development of a new generation health, safe and ecofriendly customized work-wear and sportswear goods for elderly, disables, diabetics and obese people.
The following objectives have mainly been addressed:
New Customization Process:
Starting from recognizing of the user’s biometric and morphologic properties, and that completing with the mass-customized products; customized yet respecting costs and delivery times typical to industrial processes. This implies to conceive a shop designed to collect user preferences and wishes concerning morphology, functional properties and product use as well as an Infrastructure that integrates data collected in the shop with parameters fundamental to driving the mass-customized production processes as well as integrates production and customization data in CAD / CAM to be more effective and efficient in support the design of customizable products.
Adaptive Production System for shoes:
To develop production machines able to dynamically modify the parameters as a function of the form used (e.g.: change of the injection path of the robot), the implementation and application of different lasts and tools for the same shoe model and the selection of the best insole to use to serve the customer with the BEST FITTING shoes.
Environmental conscious:
To implement and apply new high performing materials, such as green polymeric materials that have high performance both functionally and environmentally, which will be implemented in sport- and work-wear.
To develop tools that assist in minimize environmental impact already at the design phase with the purpose of reducing environmental impact of new products by 20% through a improved selection of material and components.
Smart textile and value added services:
To develop a “Textile Intrinsic communication layer” using textile-based circuits, and specifically designed connection points that can be manufactured as standard in work-wear, sports-wear and shoes, to facilitate the connection of a range of sensors to support individual monitoring. The communication can be for example a full integration in the garment’s fabric, or welded textile conductors combined with non-intrusive cabling. To instantiate specific services for the single customer considering customer’s health conditions, real-time monitored parameters and historical acquired data and to develop value added services tailored to meet the single customer’s needs
The project started on December 1st 2011 and ended at November 30th 2014. It aimed at developing innovative process technologies for a new generation of customized, eco-friendly, safe, healthy and smart work wear and sportswear products for elderly, obese, diabetics and disabled people.
In 3 years of activities different personalized and value added products have then been conceived and developed, capable to meet customers demand, with a specific focus on health, innovation and reduced environmental impact. Main categories of the products developed are:
• work-shoes: safety shoes with a high level of customization, achieved through the flexible combination of the main components like last, sole and insole;
• work- and sports-wear: clothing with customized fitting and specific sensors for monitoring comfort and performance parameters as well as safety and health conditions.
The most important investigation areas for R&D activities have been:
• design customized products using “light” biodegradable materials, and through integrated LCA methodologies.
• adaptive production systems and processes for the production of customized goods;
• technologies for constant remote monitoring of customer biometric parameters;
• an integrated data management platform, to collect and analyze user data;
To achieve the MY Wear project objectives a lean, skilled and complementary partnership has been built, involving 10 partners of 6 different member states. MY Wear is strongly industry driven, with 7 industrial partners out of 10, 6 of which being SMEs with leading roles in the project consortium.
- BASE PROTECTION SRL, Italy
- Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto di Tecnologie Industriali e Automazione, Italy
- KLOECKNER DESMA Schuhmaschinen GmbH, Germany
- Ohmatex ApS, Denmark
- Centro Tecnologico das Industrias Textil e do Vestuario de Portugal, Portugal
- Synesis scarl, Italy
- P&R Texteis SA, Portugal
- Ropardo srl, Romania
-Longhi SA, Switzerland
The results of the MY Wear project have been validated by the setup of integrated industrial demonstration, involving all industrial partners of the project and the addressed target consumers groups.
An overview of the project structure concerning the technical activities is provided in the following paragraphs:
Work package 1 - “My-Wear reference framework” has mainly defined the guidelines for the other work packages to set the reference framework for the project. The work done in this WP is the basic foundation for all the research activities of the project carried out in parallel in five WPs (2-6). WP1 outcomes (especially the validation scenarios) then have also been the innovation and market oriented principles inspiring all the research activities aiming at the full characterization of important product and service properties in relation to some specific consumer categories. The chosen scenarios have been defined considering the chance to be effective in terms of production process improvements and market requirements.
Work package 2 - “Data Integration Platform” addressed the designing and the implementation of the Platform providing the MY-Wear system with the following functionalities:
• Integration with a set of health and biometric scanning devices for initial customer data gathering, to drive the production process of personalized goods;
• Efficient management of sensors feedback information, as provided by WP3 development, towards real-time monitoring of specific health parameters;
• Providing remote status monitoring for personalized services (WP6);
• Providing a health status history over time for each person being monitored.
Work package 3 - “Textile Intrinsic communication layer” addressed the design of textile circuitry which has been adapted and integrated in a variety of garment types using standard textile manufacturing and confectioning techniques. Four sensor modules using commercially available micro-electronics components (Heart Rate, Respiratory Rate, Falling and Plantar Pressure sensors) have been integrated in different garments in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept and to facilitate verification of both, the textile platform and connectors, and demonstrating potential encapsulation technologies. As a further demonstration activity, the integration of biometric data collected from the sensors with the Data Platform was successfully tested.
Work package 4 - “Adaptive production systems and processes” concentrated on the development of a new pilot of automated production line for the manufacturing of customized shoes based on:
• new robotized cells for flexible upper roughing and cementing. A new software modules has been developed in order to generate consumer specific design customization options. An innovative CAM modules has also been realized, aiming at a rapid computing of adequate robot/machine set up and configuration parameters. New mechanisms for “on-the-fly” automatic piece detection and geometric trajectory recognition have been implemented on a multifunctional robotized roughing/cementing cell, based on vision system and on self-learning algorithms for PLC-PC based control and digital cameras.
• innovative solutions for flexible sole injection. A new self-cleaning mixed head, able to handle up to 8 component/additive valves, has been developed. This technology gives the manufacturer the most degrees of freedom, in fact is able to change the complete mixing ratio between Polyol and Isocyanate as well as the article parameters (hardness, density, …) and the Polyurethane components from shot to shot, without interrupting the production cycle. The basic idea is to modify the existing polyurethane chemistry in order to vary the sole properties. By varying the sole properties, the achieved sole can be harder, softer, more or less flexible, better slip resistance etc. This injection solution as well as the robotized cells have been implemented within the industrial plant of Base Protection for their final validation.
• new cell for the automated production of customized insole/footbed in shoe models. A new process for integrating customized footbed in shoe model, reducing overall foot bed costs and engineering times by means of fast production techniques, has been designed and developed at prototype level.
Work package 5 - “Light biodegradable materials and new integrated LCA methodologies” mainly investigated on how the use of new eco-friendly materials integrated with specific LCA methodologies could improve the performances and the overall value of the products. In this Workpackage the following results have been obtained:
• New protection and reinforcement component in order to be integrated in work wear and sport adapted to specific use, such as heavy workwear and sportswear reinforcement like knee pad inserts in pantsuits.
• New biodegradable Polyurethane for footwear soles.
• New customized high-performing ether-based Polyurethane for particular workplaces (agriculture, food industry, hospital, …).
• New innovative green stain resistance nano technological treatment for fabric.
• Innovative modular LCA and eco-design solutions for green products development and assessment in order to limit environmental impact of new work-wear and sportswear.
Work package 6 - “Customer-centric sensors-enabled value-adding services” mainly designed and developed a set of application services aimed at exploiting the benefit deriving from MY-Wear integrated solutions. To this scope, an in-depth analysis of three dimensions has been addressed:
• targeted stakeholders characteristics and requirements;
• contexts of use;
• identified, developed and adopted sensors performances and functionalities;
to design and develop value adding services for targeted stakeholders aimed at exploiting the benefit deriving from MY-Wear integrated solutions. The development proceeded in the following directions:
• gathering and description of services functional requirements to present a graphical overview of the detailed functionalities provided by each of the identified product-service solution;
• non-functional requirements gathered and represented consistently with services functional requirements;
Work package 7 - “Industrial pilots and validation scenarios” main objectives have been the validation of the MY-Wear tools, technologies and services as a whole and the promotion of demonstration scenarios where to test MY-Wear concept and products with reference to the addressed target groups.
This work-package anticipated, on one hand, the validation of the MY-Wear tools, technologies and services as a whole and, on the other hand, promoted the development of demonstration scenarios. Within this Workpackage all the most relevant results developed have been implemented and validated. In particular two main categories of results have been deployed:
• Industrial pilot within a real manufacturing plant (Base Protection);
• Sample of products addressing the needs of end users belonging to the target groups
Work package 8 - “Dissemination, exploitation and new business model” main goals have been to promote MY-Wear results implementation to other sectors to promote the project and to ensure proper dissemination also addressing future potential customers of the developed solutions (esp. ones from the target groups), to support the exploitation of the MY-Wear research results and of the technologies provided. This is strictly related with the development of a proper and consistent business model.
Work package 9 - was dedicated to all the “Project Management” activities.
Project Results:
1 INNOVATIVE SPORTSWEAR AND WORKWEAR
1.1 The Data Integration Platform
A new integration data platform, has been conceived to integrate a wide range of health and biometric devices, capable to gather client data as a base for customer driven production. Once the goods are produced and supplied, the platform guarantees efficient management of sensors feedback information, providing remote physiologic life status monitoring in order to enable customized services deployment.
To summarize, a user can have devices and sensors assigned to him. In order for a sensor to send data (which is stored in the database) it needs to be registered in DIP and associated to a user.
Principal system components
Sensors. The possibility to integrate sensors directly with the Data Integration Platform has been excluded in the architecture. The main reasons for rejecting the direct link between sensor and DIP are:
• Aim to use the same HW platform in all sensor cases;
• The GSM-module requires a lot more extra energy;
• Implementation of a GSM-module or the like in each sensor solution will require more physical space (and will add extra weight).
The sensors controller has to foresee a data buffering mechanism in order to avoid data loss in case of no connection between sensor and master unit. The size and format of the buffer depends hardly on the final use case at each scenario (ex. if the shirt is intended to be used for two hours the buffer size could be designed to hold data equal to 12 minutes (10%)!).
Communication Protocol. A protocol has been designed meant to regulate communication between the smartphone application and sensors through the Bluetooth channel. The communication protocol foresees a set of commands that allow the Smartphone Application to access some information about the actual sensor configuration.
Services interaction: These services represent the presentation layer of the architecture (the topmost level of the MyWear system). The presentation layer displays information related to such services as real time monitoring, analysis functionalities, etc. It communicates with the application layer by outputting data to the user side application (smartphone applications, desktop application or web site).
Smartphone application: The Smartphone has been designed according to the plug-in infrastructure in order to guarantee the scalability of the application: the application has been designed to be extensible with new and different sensors. A sensor plug-in is in charge to manage connection and/or to retrieve raw data coming from sensors via wireless connection. The architecture will define the specifications and the interfaces that allow each sensors system to couple with the internal logics of the smartphone application. The sensor plug-in has to implements a reference interface that foreseen a set of methods able to manage sensor connection and sensor data interacting via a well-defined communication protocol. The sensor plug-in has to be able to interpret data and to translate them into a common data model.
Desktop Application: It represents a high service application that allows users to interact with the data integration platform. Desktop Application is connected with the data integration platform through the dedicated common services.
Web Site. It represents a high service application that allows users to interact with the data integration platform. It will provide a set of services customized according to the user is going to use it. Web Site is connected with the data integration platform through the dedicated common services. DIP is online at http://myhealth.host4u.ro
The Data Integration Platform exposes a set of functionalities that allow external applications such as Biometric Scanning Devices and Production Planning System to be integrated.
Data coming from scanning devices can be provided to the DIP too that will act both as a repository and broker of information. Eventually the Adaptive CAD/CAM tools will get those data, elaborate them and drive production of the customized goods. The embedded sensors will also provide data to the DIP. Those information, together with user data coming from the initial scans, will empower the customer-centric sensors-enabled value-adding services. For these reasons, data coming from biometric scanning devices has to be adapted to the foreseen human data model in order to make them available to the Data Integration Platform, which uses these data for different purposes (to drive the production planning system and to empower the customer-centric sensors-enabled value-adding services).
1.2 Textile intrinsic communication layer
A “Textile Intrinsic communication layer” using textile-based circuitry and especially designed connection points and which facilitates connection of a range of sensors and communications technologies for individual customer specific monitoring solutions, has been designed and developed. This technology is able to collect, manage and transfer to a database a large amount of biometric data managed by the integration data platform (DIP, objective Nr.1) in order to enable customized services deployment.
The textile platform is effectively a small independent electronic device with a number of features that enable simple implementation of a variety of wearable sensor solutions in garments and shoes.
This task focuses on goods manufacturing processes and methods and technologies used in integrating sensors with the aid of the developed textile integration platform.
The platform comprises a universal interconnection device (UID) which mechanically attaches sensor electronics to a textile surface and which houses microelectronics that enable signal collection and transmission from one or more sensors connected to the device via textile cables. Sensors are positioned and fixed into place using well-known mechanical textile attachment technologies (Velcro / hook & eye attachment, press-fasteners etc.) and are attached and removed from the textile surface of a garment or shoes together with the UID. Varying the length of the textile cables enables optimal positioning of sensors (for best possible signal reception) and electronics (allowing for ergonomic considerations) using the same platform and universal components. Universality is further assured, by varying the number of electrical conductors in the textile ribbon to match a variety of sensor scenarios.
The conductive textile ribbons that interface to a variety of different sensors are considered an integral part of the textile platform. Feedback is provided to end-users via a smart phone. Transfer of sensor data to a mobile device is facilitated by the textile integration platform.
1.3 Customer-centric sensors-enabled value-adding platform services
Implementation of “New innovative Services” related to My-Wear representative Target Groups.
Data acquired from the user are managed by the sensor unit and transmitted wirelessly to a master unit (smart phone) forwarding data to the Data Integration Platform. Customer data are stored in DIP’s database and made reusable for external applications.
Starting from the collection of outcomes of other tasks, the activities of the task required an integrated in-depth analysis and evaluation of each target group’s needs and requirements according to the context of the product used (e.g. t-shirt, shoes, etc.), data to be monitored and identified sensors, taking into account different scenarios.
The outcome of this analysis is summarized with the identification and description of particular smart service application as practical benefits for the selected representative target groups.
Selected test cases:
a. OBESE and DIABETICS
Shoes with Plantar pressure sensors for continuous monitoring of body weight evolution and overall weight distribution (to avoid irreversible changes on the user’s musculoskeletal structure)
b. ELDERLY
T-shirt with flexible Dielectric Electro-Active Polymers (DEAP) for monitoring of respiratory rate related to progressive degenerative condition of the respiratory system (emphysema) in older people due to aging, characterized by shortness of breath and an inability to tolerate physical exertion.
c. ELDERLY
T-shirt with fall detection and heart rate sensors for continuous monitoring of fall events with possibility to control vital activities through heart rate and geographic localization (GPS tracking).
2 ADAPTIVE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES
New adaptive production systems and processes for the realization of customized goods, which require both fast adaptation to customer requirements and synchronization of different manufacturing operations for the fully automated manufacturing of customized products through innovative operating machines and robotic applications, have been developed. The production phase can now benefit of specific innovations in order to conjugate personalization and fast production with cost aspects.
2.1 Robot cell for roughing and cementing
This development provided a new robot cell for flexible upper roughing/cementing as well as a sole treatment cell, increasing product quality and reducing processing time avoiding manual intervention. The system is composed of the following main elements
1. Main operator
2. Shelfs for raw materials
3. Manual feeding station
4. Upper treatment robot
5. Bottom grinding station
6. Side roughing station
7. Cleaning dust station
8. Spraying cement
9. Sole cell
10. Manualy drying system
11. Activation station
12. Pressing station
13. Delasting station
14. Shelf for ready shoes
15. Operation panel
16. Cabinet for robot
17. Main cabinet
18. Exhaust station
19. Glue reservoir
20. Safety fences
2.1.1 Interface CAD/CAM
Traditionally the programmer / operator need approx. 20 to 60 min to create new robot programs for one style, as described before. One of the requirements is that an individual efficient sample production should be possible. The production of 30 pairs per hour is also required. It is not possible to teach or program all different upper material at the production machinery. Therefore one of the most important points in this WP 4 is the interfacing between the CAD and CAM systems with the gained data from the adaptive tool coming from T 4.1.
2.1.2 Prototypes developed
The main working stations of the cell are a Robotized upper treatments cell and a Sole spraying cell
The core technology of this cell is able to compensate the given tolerances in the unit soles. The programming of the robot paths is given automatically by the integrated scanner system with adapted software.
Furthermore, the following additional functions have been developed:
• Article navigation for elementary setups
• Further calibration methods to synchronize digitizing and spraying pattern
• Definition of limitations for treatment
The integrated version of delivered prototypes have been installed as demonstration pilot plant in Base Protection.
2.2. New solution supporting flexible sole injection
This is a new injection process technology for the flexible sole injection customized to the particular needs of a foot, to conjugate savings in customization costs and reduction of setup times, thus enabling a more efficient accommodation of changes in the batch composition and reduced processing time for soling machine.
As the chemical composition of the Polyurethane in the state of the art systems is static, since it is given by the system setup and no flexible changes are possible. Due to the fact that according to main MyWear requirements for footwear a variable sole injection is essential, there is a need for a new controlling approach for a flexible set up able to provide different formulations by adjusting the additive’s independently.
For this reason, a new additive cart has been developed and built.
The Additive carts carries a selected additive, like a blowing agent, crosslinker or UV stabilizer. The cart is equipped with a double jacket material tank, which is able to be temperature controlled and pressurized. Furthermore, there is the high accurate dosing gear pump with a very low pulsation, responsible for the precise metering of the additive.
An additive valve has been especially designed for low viscosity fluids with a standard diameter of the valve of 0.1 mm.
The additive valve can be opened or closed pneumatically. Since the injection of the additive is a key factor for the correct mixing, the control must observe the introduction of the additive. Therefore, the opening stroke as well as the injection pressure is measured and logged into a file.
The prototype of this system was developed and installed as demonstration pilot for the validation session performed in Base Protection.
2.2.1 Software application
The existing machine software has been adapted in order to fulfil the overall control require by the new process technology. The article will be separated into three main sections maximum, where each section properties can be adjusted individually to the beforehand determined injection parameters
There will an overlapping of the three different liquid PU formulations at the injection process, but it is estimated that this circumstance creates a more comfort situation for the human foot, since there will be no choppy edges.
The following injection parameters have to be adjustable within each of the three sections independently from each other:
• Throughput of the components
• Throughput of the additives
• Mixing ratio of the components Polyol and Isocyanate
• Percentage of the additive related to Polyol within each section
2.3 Machine for integration of customized footbed in shoe models
Starting point for this objective was the European Norm Constraints and performance over the final work shoe product are posed by EN standards (EN ISO 20345). The final foot bed customization will have to be compliant with:
• dimensional constraints
• type of shoe construction
• technical features
• delivery times and costs.
The aim of this development has been to elaborate, design and prototype a new process/machine for providing customized foot bed, reducing overall foot-bed costs and engineering times by means of fast production techniques.
At the end of the project a prototype of machine for production of customized footbeds has been developed having the following principal features:
Machine features:
• Process typology: 1 shot milling using multi tool approach
• Milling tools: 10mm diam. spherical tool
• Process quality: max step over (45°) 4mm à max distance between 2 milling tools for a global 1 mm surface roughness
• Material type: ethyl vinil acetate (EVA) with variable density
• Raw block dimensions (LxWxH): 250x300x30mm
• Working time: 5/7 min./pz.
Technical features
• Mechanical
o No cooling system
o No lubrication system
• Open LINUX RTAI control
• Rhinoceros CAM plugin
The prototype is installed within the ITIA-CNR R&D laboratory of Vigevano.
3 LIGHT BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS AND NEW INTEGRATED LCA METHODOLOGIES
3.1 High performing biodegradable components for work wear and sport wear
A new protective knee pad insert has been developed in order to be integrated in work wear, especially in pantsuits and jackets. Such element is based on innovative plastic materials integrating traditional properties, such as resistance to torsion, and resistance to shock. Moreover, innovative properties such as lightness, elasticity and biodegradation are integrated in new materials.
The basic concept then was to develop an advanced design for multifunctional products for promoting safety and comfort. Different examples available in the Nature of articulated protective segments (bony or cartilaginous) have been considered.
Beside the preliminary conceptual modeling phase the engineering of the most promising models has been carried out until the realization of fully personalized prototypes, that has been approached through an innovative manufacturing procedure: 3D printing.
The process solutions identified and tested together with new materials, being lighter and adaptable to different shape, can potentially be used in clothing sector thus promoting safety and comfort.
3.2 Innovative modular LCA and eco-design solutions for green products development and assessment
State of the art.
42 Eco-design Examples in the Footwear sector has been tracked in the last two years (2012-2013) Most Design actions are based on material design rather than on life Cycle tracking. Standard approaches in eco-design and environmental footprint tracking still miss to be applied.
102 Eco-labels which are applicable to the textile and footwear companies has been tracked. Most of them are not referred to the whole life cycle but on specific improvements. Most of them falls in type I and II ISO category which means they do not report environmental quantities to customer.
General aim of the task is not just the assessment of the final environmental footprint but also a support during the design phase.
Moreover, the LCA has had a real assessment of the environmental impact due to complex footwear and an effective outcome for the SMEs and Research community.
The proposed methodology
This specific methodologies aims at supporting the analysis of the environmental profiles of different materials and components in order to limit environmental impact of new work-wear and sportswear. Such methodologies could be integrated in design and PLM tools for shoe and clothing products.
The link with the production CAD can enable a comparison of eco-efficient solution directly within the initial design of the footwear.
Last Implementation
Introduction of functions for Environmental impact assessment within CAD-PDM tools by
- Separate LCA studies on specific components
- Adaptation algorithms of Environmental profiles to physical features
- Link with update Eco labelling framework
4 INDUSTRIAL PILOTS AND VALIDATION SCENARIOS
4.1 Industrial pilot for the automatic production of customized, healthy and green safety shoes
4.1.1 An automatic pilot production line has been installed at Base Protection facilities, for the manufacturing of customised, green, safe, healthy and smart work shoes for the addressed target groups.
The Industrial Pilot for the automatic production of customized safety shoes consists not only of the hardware in form of productions machines, but it is also the algorithm to find the needs of the single person and to transfer them to a machine known code and customized process.
In fact there are three possible basic processes which can take care about the special need of a customer. The first one is the total custom made shoe, second the customized sole and third the best fit- the amount of customization decreases by number. The central task of the pilot is to find the right process for the current customer and to decide if it is case one, two or three.
Such an industrial pilot is based on:
- An adaptive CAD/CAM solution to manage body morphologies and health customer information and to set up robot/machine parameters.
- An automatic Conveyer for a complete integration of machines and robots
- New robot cells for flexible upper roughing/cementing sole
4.1.2 Another prototype was developed for a different manufacturing process providing a high level of flexibility for the production of shoes by injecting the sole:
- New prototype supporting flexible sole injection is basically based on the following features:
Equipment:
- Advanced additive dosing unit
- Special broad usage pump
- Section dosing control
Flexible sole injection
- 3 sections per sole
- different positioning
- different properties by single section recipes
- usage of several additives
- reformulation in every section possable
Both these manufacturing systems have been demonstrated within a sectorial exhibition an then deployed at the manufacturing plant of Base Protection in Barletta (IT)
4.1.3 A third prototype concerning an innovative machine for integration of customized footbeds in shoe models has been implemented in the ITIA-CNR R&D laboratory of Vigevano (IT).
4.2 Industrial pilot for the production of smart textiles
An innovative pilot production process has been developed for the manufacturing of smart textiles for work wear and sport for the addressed target groups.
Such an industrial pilot implemented across the facilities of different partners: Ohmatex, for the electronic devices, Suspi and Ropardo, for the software modules and P&R-Citeve for the final assembly and quality control of the final garment embedding the monitoring system. This pilot is based on the results of RTD packages and particularly on the results of WP3, and thus implement and demonstrate high tech solutions with reference to specific textile manufacturing processes, like mounting and connection processes which support the integration of textile circuitry in a variety of garment and shoes types.
The main steps of the whole process are:
• Purchasing of component parts.
• Manufacturing of electronics sensor solutions mounted with textile cables.
• Mounting of textile cables to UID Core.
• Silicone encapsulation of UID
• Manufacturing of 3D printed UID housing
• Bonding and encapsulation of sensor solutions
• Manufacturing of special and innovative garments (prototype developed for T-shirts and socks)
• Coordination of software and smart phone application configuration
• Configuration of PCBs and assembly in UID housing
• Assembly and testing of finished sensor solutions
• Mounting of UID and sensors to garments
• System testing and quality control
Potential Impact:
POTENTIAL IMPACTS, MAIN DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES AND EXPLOITATION OF RESULTS
Social phenomena like ageing, increase of obese people and major sensitivity towards disabled and diabetics people and eco-friendly products, result into challenging specifications for personalized solutions for Sport and Work wear, where European manufacturers need new approaches to get the chance to fully exploit their excellence. The full adoption of customer-driven production methodologies and technologies is a key strategy to compete in terms of value-added, in the current market situation.
Looking at such strategic goals, four main areas have been mainly investigated:
• Developing new adaptive production systems & processes towards the production of customized goods
• Technologies for constant monitoring, over long distances, of customer bio-metric parameters.
• Integrated Data Platform, for customer data gathering and distribution;
• Efficient and monitored use of “light” biodegradable materials and integrated LCA methodologies
The transformation of theoretical objectives into concrete results has been achieved by selecting the specific target groups and their real needs through a statistical approach, using the official data of international health organizations. Furthermore a selection of existing technologies and process, close to the project scope, has been done to guarantee the right project addressing.
MYWEAR mission then has been to sustain the development of a new generation health, safe and ecofriendly customized work-wear and sportswear goods for elderly, disables, diabetics and obese people.
DISSEMINATION
The dissemination of the foreground has been mainly focused on informing the scientific, industrial and public users in the most progressive and advanced approaches and technologies of customization possibilities and benefits from their utilization.
The dissemination plan has mainly been conceived as:
• Definition of an effective strategy and the identification of a compliant plan;
• Investigation and selection of the most suitable dissemination channels according to the defined strategy;
• Collection of fairs and conferences of interest for the project partners;
• Creation of a dedicated web-portal (http://www.mywearproject.info/) provided by BASE;
• Participation in a multi-project portal (http://www.mckn.eu/projects/mywear/) managed by SUPSI, focused on mass customization and on customer co-creation. The portal gathers other European projects such as Kumac, MC-500, S-MC-S, Dorothy, Remplanet, Servive and integrates the web-pages of Frank Piller’s blog and of the MIT Smart Customization Group. The average audience of this websites is of 20 visitors/day, of which 32% are new visitors.
• Delivery of promotional material:
o Flyer & Brochures;
o Monthly Newsletters.
• Event participation
EXPLOITATION
With the support of the exploitation and dissemination managers all the project partners have investigated on the business opportunities for a commercial development products and services resulting from the project.
Starting from the early rough ideas discussed during the Exploitation Strategy Seminar, offered by the Commission and held the 28th June 2013, at the end of the project 8 major results have been identified and described in terms of marketing potentialities and appropriate business models finalised to get major chance of success. For each of them a set of key points characterizing an appropriate New Business Model have been defined. This new market perspective in particular, starting from a Value Proposition characterization that highlights the innovative features developed in MyWear, clarifies what will be necessary to implement and probably change with respect to current business approaches used for similar products and technologies.
Finally, for each result have also been identified IPR issues and risk analysis, needs for agreements and collaboration with the project partners as well as time horizons and the strategies needed for getting to marketable products or services.
The following paragraphs provide the list of the project results with major exploitation potentialities:
Monitoring system platform: Sensors, connectors and transmitters designed for long term wear, integrated into a special monitoring T-shirt, into safety shoes or socks, as a monitoring platform for respiration and, heart rate, plantar sensing and oxygenation measurement. This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by OHMATEX.
LCA methodology and tool: Modular LCA database of footwear components to rapidly assess environmental performances of new product. This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by ITIA-CNR with the contribution of SYNESIS.
Smart integrated services: An integrated solution made of a Data Integration Platform (DIP) that serves as common data/logics layer and of distributed services aimed at supporting different users (patient, physician, etc.) providing a framework of applications available on mobile platforms. This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by ROPARDOwith the contribution of SUPSI.
New robot cells for flexible upper roughing: Innovative robotized cell for customized shoe production provided with a fully automatic generated CAD CAM modules.This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by DESMA with the contribution of SYNESIS.
Innovative system for a modular injection of polyurethane soles: Individual and automized injection of different Polyurethane systems as an extension of the already existing technology, “shot by shot” to “during the shot”; This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by DESMA.
Customized safety shoes: Safety shoes designed for very special needs in terms of best fit and arranged for sensors integration on demand. This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by BASE.
Sensor-based sportswear: Customized comfortable sportswear garments with biometric sensors integrated into textile materials (trousers and/or sweat shirt or T-Shirt) made with functional and technical knits and fabrics.This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by P&R with a major contribution by CITEVE.
New milling Machine for footbed customised manufacturing: This technology supports a new process for integrating customized footbed in shoe model, reducing overall foot bed costs and engineering times by means of fast production techniques – 3D morphing and deformation; This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by ITIA-CNR with the contribution of SYNESIS.
List of Websites:
http://www.mywearproject.info/
Mr. Cataldo De Luca
BASE PROTECTION - R&D Manager
email: rd@basepro.it
Tel: +39 0883.334811
Nicola Magaletti
SYNESIS scarl - Area Manager
email: nicola.magaletti@synesis-consortium.eu
Tel: +39 333.8114315
Nowadays, the full adoption of customer-driven production methodologies and technologies is recognized as of definitive importance for the European Manufacturing Industry (SMEs in particular): it is a key strategy to compete in terms of value-added, as cost-based competition is hardly suitable to face the threats posed by emerging countries. Specifically, the Proposal targets two sectors, Sportswear and Work-wear, where best opportunities are left only for value added products.
In addition to this consideration, social phenomena like ageing (19% of EU population is between 50 and 64 years old, and 17% over 65 years old), increase of obese people (35% overweight and 15% obese over the total population), increase of diabetics (8% of the adult population) and major sensitivity towards disabled people (15% over population, ranging from light to severe disabilities) and eco-friendly products, result into challenging specifications for personalized solutions for Sport and Work, where European manufacturers need methodologies and technologies to get the chance to fully exploit their excellence.
Thus, the project has addressed the production of next generation health, safe and eco-friendly customized work-wear and sports-wear goods for specific target groups, such as elderly, disables, diabetics and obese people, which are of wide and increasing impact in terms of market share for the European industry.
MyWear project aimed at responding to such needs by conceiving an Engineering Framework - i.e. methods, tools and technologies have been developed, necessary to consumer centred product/services and process innovation - addressing footwear and garments, for specific market segments as work, spare time, and sport.
Pilot implementations in industrial settings, demonstrating feasibility of new concepts and solutions as for shoes and garments, have been developed with reference to two specific market segments: safety/professional for workers and sport.
Project Context and Objectives:
MYWEAR mission was to sustain the development of a new generation health, safe and ecofriendly customized work-wear and sportswear goods for elderly, disables, diabetics and obese people.
The following objectives have mainly been addressed:
New Customization Process:
Starting from recognizing of the user’s biometric and morphologic properties, and that completing with the mass-customized products; customized yet respecting costs and delivery times typical to industrial processes. This implies to conceive a shop designed to collect user preferences and wishes concerning morphology, functional properties and product use as well as an Infrastructure that integrates data collected in the shop with parameters fundamental to driving the mass-customized production processes as well as integrates production and customization data in CAD / CAM to be more effective and efficient in support the design of customizable products.
Adaptive Production System for shoes:
To develop production machines able to dynamically modify the parameters as a function of the form used (e.g.: change of the injection path of the robot), the implementation and application of different lasts and tools for the same shoe model and the selection of the best insole to use to serve the customer with the BEST FITTING shoes.
Environmental conscious:
To implement and apply new high performing materials, such as green polymeric materials that have high performance both functionally and environmentally, which will be implemented in sport- and work-wear.
To develop tools that assist in minimize environmental impact already at the design phase with the purpose of reducing environmental impact of new products by 20% through a improved selection of material and components.
Smart textile and value added services:
To develop a “Textile Intrinsic communication layer” using textile-based circuits, and specifically designed connection points that can be manufactured as standard in work-wear, sports-wear and shoes, to facilitate the connection of a range of sensors to support individual monitoring. The communication can be for example a full integration in the garment’s fabric, or welded textile conductors combined with non-intrusive cabling. To instantiate specific services for the single customer considering customer’s health conditions, real-time monitored parameters and historical acquired data and to develop value added services tailored to meet the single customer’s needs
The project started on December 1st 2011 and ended at November 30th 2014. It aimed at developing innovative process technologies for a new generation of customized, eco-friendly, safe, healthy and smart work wear and sportswear products for elderly, obese, diabetics and disabled people.
In 3 years of activities different personalized and value added products have then been conceived and developed, capable to meet customers demand, with a specific focus on health, innovation and reduced environmental impact. Main categories of the products developed are:
• work-shoes: safety shoes with a high level of customization, achieved through the flexible combination of the main components like last, sole and insole;
• work- and sports-wear: clothing with customized fitting and specific sensors for monitoring comfort and performance parameters as well as safety and health conditions.
The most important investigation areas for R&D activities have been:
• design customized products using “light” biodegradable materials, and through integrated LCA methodologies.
• adaptive production systems and processes for the production of customized goods;
• technologies for constant remote monitoring of customer biometric parameters;
• an integrated data management platform, to collect and analyze user data;
To achieve the MY Wear project objectives a lean, skilled and complementary partnership has been built, involving 10 partners of 6 different member states. MY Wear is strongly industry driven, with 7 industrial partners out of 10, 6 of which being SMEs with leading roles in the project consortium.
- BASE PROTECTION SRL, Italy
- Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – Istituto di Tecnologie Industriali e Automazione, Italy
- KLOECKNER DESMA Schuhmaschinen GmbH, Germany
- Ohmatex ApS, Denmark
- Centro Tecnologico das Industrias Textil e do Vestuario de Portugal, Portugal
- Synesis scarl, Italy
- P&R Texteis SA, Portugal
- Ropardo srl, Romania
-Longhi SA, Switzerland
The results of the MY Wear project have been validated by the setup of integrated industrial demonstration, involving all industrial partners of the project and the addressed target consumers groups.
An overview of the project structure concerning the technical activities is provided in the following paragraphs:
Work package 1 - “My-Wear reference framework” has mainly defined the guidelines for the other work packages to set the reference framework for the project. The work done in this WP is the basic foundation for all the research activities of the project carried out in parallel in five WPs (2-6). WP1 outcomes (especially the validation scenarios) then have also been the innovation and market oriented principles inspiring all the research activities aiming at the full characterization of important product and service properties in relation to some specific consumer categories. The chosen scenarios have been defined considering the chance to be effective in terms of production process improvements and market requirements.
Work package 2 - “Data Integration Platform” addressed the designing and the implementation of the Platform providing the MY-Wear system with the following functionalities:
• Integration with a set of health and biometric scanning devices for initial customer data gathering, to drive the production process of personalized goods;
• Efficient management of sensors feedback information, as provided by WP3 development, towards real-time monitoring of specific health parameters;
• Providing remote status monitoring for personalized services (WP6);
• Providing a health status history over time for each person being monitored.
Work package 3 - “Textile Intrinsic communication layer” addressed the design of textile circuitry which has been adapted and integrated in a variety of garment types using standard textile manufacturing and confectioning techniques. Four sensor modules using commercially available micro-electronics components (Heart Rate, Respiratory Rate, Falling and Plantar Pressure sensors) have been integrated in different garments in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept and to facilitate verification of both, the textile platform and connectors, and demonstrating potential encapsulation technologies. As a further demonstration activity, the integration of biometric data collected from the sensors with the Data Platform was successfully tested.
Work package 4 - “Adaptive production systems and processes” concentrated on the development of a new pilot of automated production line for the manufacturing of customized shoes based on:
• new robotized cells for flexible upper roughing and cementing. A new software modules has been developed in order to generate consumer specific design customization options. An innovative CAM modules has also been realized, aiming at a rapid computing of adequate robot/machine set up and configuration parameters. New mechanisms for “on-the-fly” automatic piece detection and geometric trajectory recognition have been implemented on a multifunctional robotized roughing/cementing cell, based on vision system and on self-learning algorithms for PLC-PC based control and digital cameras.
• innovative solutions for flexible sole injection. A new self-cleaning mixed head, able to handle up to 8 component/additive valves, has been developed. This technology gives the manufacturer the most degrees of freedom, in fact is able to change the complete mixing ratio between Polyol and Isocyanate as well as the article parameters (hardness, density, …) and the Polyurethane components from shot to shot, without interrupting the production cycle. The basic idea is to modify the existing polyurethane chemistry in order to vary the sole properties. By varying the sole properties, the achieved sole can be harder, softer, more or less flexible, better slip resistance etc. This injection solution as well as the robotized cells have been implemented within the industrial plant of Base Protection for their final validation.
• new cell for the automated production of customized insole/footbed in shoe models. A new process for integrating customized footbed in shoe model, reducing overall foot bed costs and engineering times by means of fast production techniques, has been designed and developed at prototype level.
Work package 5 - “Light biodegradable materials and new integrated LCA methodologies” mainly investigated on how the use of new eco-friendly materials integrated with specific LCA methodologies could improve the performances and the overall value of the products. In this Workpackage the following results have been obtained:
• New protection and reinforcement component in order to be integrated in work wear and sport adapted to specific use, such as heavy workwear and sportswear reinforcement like knee pad inserts in pantsuits.
• New biodegradable Polyurethane for footwear soles.
• New customized high-performing ether-based Polyurethane for particular workplaces (agriculture, food industry, hospital, …).
• New innovative green stain resistance nano technological treatment for fabric.
• Innovative modular LCA and eco-design solutions for green products development and assessment in order to limit environmental impact of new work-wear and sportswear.
Work package 6 - “Customer-centric sensors-enabled value-adding services” mainly designed and developed a set of application services aimed at exploiting the benefit deriving from MY-Wear integrated solutions. To this scope, an in-depth analysis of three dimensions has been addressed:
• targeted stakeholders characteristics and requirements;
• contexts of use;
• identified, developed and adopted sensors performances and functionalities;
to design and develop value adding services for targeted stakeholders aimed at exploiting the benefit deriving from MY-Wear integrated solutions. The development proceeded in the following directions:
• gathering and description of services functional requirements to present a graphical overview of the detailed functionalities provided by each of the identified product-service solution;
• non-functional requirements gathered and represented consistently with services functional requirements;
Work package 7 - “Industrial pilots and validation scenarios” main objectives have been the validation of the MY-Wear tools, technologies and services as a whole and the promotion of demonstration scenarios where to test MY-Wear concept and products with reference to the addressed target groups.
This work-package anticipated, on one hand, the validation of the MY-Wear tools, technologies and services as a whole and, on the other hand, promoted the development of demonstration scenarios. Within this Workpackage all the most relevant results developed have been implemented and validated. In particular two main categories of results have been deployed:
• Industrial pilot within a real manufacturing plant (Base Protection);
• Sample of products addressing the needs of end users belonging to the target groups
Work package 8 - “Dissemination, exploitation and new business model” main goals have been to promote MY-Wear results implementation to other sectors to promote the project and to ensure proper dissemination also addressing future potential customers of the developed solutions (esp. ones from the target groups), to support the exploitation of the MY-Wear research results and of the technologies provided. This is strictly related with the development of a proper and consistent business model.
Work package 9 - was dedicated to all the “Project Management” activities.
Project Results:
1 INNOVATIVE SPORTSWEAR AND WORKWEAR
1.1 The Data Integration Platform
A new integration data platform, has been conceived to integrate a wide range of health and biometric devices, capable to gather client data as a base for customer driven production. Once the goods are produced and supplied, the platform guarantees efficient management of sensors feedback information, providing remote physiologic life status monitoring in order to enable customized services deployment.
To summarize, a user can have devices and sensors assigned to him. In order for a sensor to send data (which is stored in the database) it needs to be registered in DIP and associated to a user.
Principal system components
Sensors. The possibility to integrate sensors directly with the Data Integration Platform has been excluded in the architecture. The main reasons for rejecting the direct link between sensor and DIP are:
• Aim to use the same HW platform in all sensor cases;
• The GSM-module requires a lot more extra energy;
• Implementation of a GSM-module or the like in each sensor solution will require more physical space (and will add extra weight).
The sensors controller has to foresee a data buffering mechanism in order to avoid data loss in case of no connection between sensor and master unit. The size and format of the buffer depends hardly on the final use case at each scenario (ex. if the shirt is intended to be used for two hours the buffer size could be designed to hold data equal to 12 minutes (10%)!).
Communication Protocol. A protocol has been designed meant to regulate communication between the smartphone application and sensors through the Bluetooth channel. The communication protocol foresees a set of commands that allow the Smartphone Application to access some information about the actual sensor configuration.
Services interaction: These services represent the presentation layer of the architecture (the topmost level of the MyWear system). The presentation layer displays information related to such services as real time monitoring, analysis functionalities, etc. It communicates with the application layer by outputting data to the user side application (smartphone applications, desktop application or web site).
Smartphone application: The Smartphone has been designed according to the plug-in infrastructure in order to guarantee the scalability of the application: the application has been designed to be extensible with new and different sensors. A sensor plug-in is in charge to manage connection and/or to retrieve raw data coming from sensors via wireless connection. The architecture will define the specifications and the interfaces that allow each sensors system to couple with the internal logics of the smartphone application. The sensor plug-in has to implements a reference interface that foreseen a set of methods able to manage sensor connection and sensor data interacting via a well-defined communication protocol. The sensor plug-in has to be able to interpret data and to translate them into a common data model.
Desktop Application: It represents a high service application that allows users to interact with the data integration platform. Desktop Application is connected with the data integration platform through the dedicated common services.
Web Site. It represents a high service application that allows users to interact with the data integration platform. It will provide a set of services customized according to the user is going to use it. Web Site is connected with the data integration platform through the dedicated common services. DIP is online at http://myhealth.host4u.ro
The Data Integration Platform exposes a set of functionalities that allow external applications such as Biometric Scanning Devices and Production Planning System to be integrated.
Data coming from scanning devices can be provided to the DIP too that will act both as a repository and broker of information. Eventually the Adaptive CAD/CAM tools will get those data, elaborate them and drive production of the customized goods. The embedded sensors will also provide data to the DIP. Those information, together with user data coming from the initial scans, will empower the customer-centric sensors-enabled value-adding services. For these reasons, data coming from biometric scanning devices has to be adapted to the foreseen human data model in order to make them available to the Data Integration Platform, which uses these data for different purposes (to drive the production planning system and to empower the customer-centric sensors-enabled value-adding services).
1.2 Textile intrinsic communication layer
A “Textile Intrinsic communication layer” using textile-based circuitry and especially designed connection points and which facilitates connection of a range of sensors and communications technologies for individual customer specific monitoring solutions, has been designed and developed. This technology is able to collect, manage and transfer to a database a large amount of biometric data managed by the integration data platform (DIP, objective Nr.1) in order to enable customized services deployment.
The textile platform is effectively a small independent electronic device with a number of features that enable simple implementation of a variety of wearable sensor solutions in garments and shoes.
This task focuses on goods manufacturing processes and methods and technologies used in integrating sensors with the aid of the developed textile integration platform.
The platform comprises a universal interconnection device (UID) which mechanically attaches sensor electronics to a textile surface and which houses microelectronics that enable signal collection and transmission from one or more sensors connected to the device via textile cables. Sensors are positioned and fixed into place using well-known mechanical textile attachment technologies (Velcro / hook & eye attachment, press-fasteners etc.) and are attached and removed from the textile surface of a garment or shoes together with the UID. Varying the length of the textile cables enables optimal positioning of sensors (for best possible signal reception) and electronics (allowing for ergonomic considerations) using the same platform and universal components. Universality is further assured, by varying the number of electrical conductors in the textile ribbon to match a variety of sensor scenarios.
The conductive textile ribbons that interface to a variety of different sensors are considered an integral part of the textile platform. Feedback is provided to end-users via a smart phone. Transfer of sensor data to a mobile device is facilitated by the textile integration platform.
1.3 Customer-centric sensors-enabled value-adding platform services
Implementation of “New innovative Services” related to My-Wear representative Target Groups.
Data acquired from the user are managed by the sensor unit and transmitted wirelessly to a master unit (smart phone) forwarding data to the Data Integration Platform. Customer data are stored in DIP’s database and made reusable for external applications.
Starting from the collection of outcomes of other tasks, the activities of the task required an integrated in-depth analysis and evaluation of each target group’s needs and requirements according to the context of the product used (e.g. t-shirt, shoes, etc.), data to be monitored and identified sensors, taking into account different scenarios.
The outcome of this analysis is summarized with the identification and description of particular smart service application as practical benefits for the selected representative target groups.
Selected test cases:
a. OBESE and DIABETICS
Shoes with Plantar pressure sensors for continuous monitoring of body weight evolution and overall weight distribution (to avoid irreversible changes on the user’s musculoskeletal structure)
b. ELDERLY
T-shirt with flexible Dielectric Electro-Active Polymers (DEAP) for monitoring of respiratory rate related to progressive degenerative condition of the respiratory system (emphysema) in older people due to aging, characterized by shortness of breath and an inability to tolerate physical exertion.
c. ELDERLY
T-shirt with fall detection and heart rate sensors for continuous monitoring of fall events with possibility to control vital activities through heart rate and geographic localization (GPS tracking).
2 ADAPTIVE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES
New adaptive production systems and processes for the realization of customized goods, which require both fast adaptation to customer requirements and synchronization of different manufacturing operations for the fully automated manufacturing of customized products through innovative operating machines and robotic applications, have been developed. The production phase can now benefit of specific innovations in order to conjugate personalization and fast production with cost aspects.
2.1 Robot cell for roughing and cementing
This development provided a new robot cell for flexible upper roughing/cementing as well as a sole treatment cell, increasing product quality and reducing processing time avoiding manual intervention. The system is composed of the following main elements
1. Main operator
2. Shelfs for raw materials
3. Manual feeding station
4. Upper treatment robot
5. Bottom grinding station
6. Side roughing station
7. Cleaning dust station
8. Spraying cement
9. Sole cell
10. Manualy drying system
11. Activation station
12. Pressing station
13. Delasting station
14. Shelf for ready shoes
15. Operation panel
16. Cabinet for robot
17. Main cabinet
18. Exhaust station
19. Glue reservoir
20. Safety fences
2.1.1 Interface CAD/CAM
Traditionally the programmer / operator need approx. 20 to 60 min to create new robot programs for one style, as described before. One of the requirements is that an individual efficient sample production should be possible. The production of 30 pairs per hour is also required. It is not possible to teach or program all different upper material at the production machinery. Therefore one of the most important points in this WP 4 is the interfacing between the CAD and CAM systems with the gained data from the adaptive tool coming from T 4.1.
2.1.2 Prototypes developed
The main working stations of the cell are a Robotized upper treatments cell and a Sole spraying cell
The core technology of this cell is able to compensate the given tolerances in the unit soles. The programming of the robot paths is given automatically by the integrated scanner system with adapted software.
Furthermore, the following additional functions have been developed:
• Article navigation for elementary setups
• Further calibration methods to synchronize digitizing and spraying pattern
• Definition of limitations for treatment
The integrated version of delivered prototypes have been installed as demonstration pilot plant in Base Protection.
2.2. New solution supporting flexible sole injection
This is a new injection process technology for the flexible sole injection customized to the particular needs of a foot, to conjugate savings in customization costs and reduction of setup times, thus enabling a more efficient accommodation of changes in the batch composition and reduced processing time for soling machine.
As the chemical composition of the Polyurethane in the state of the art systems is static, since it is given by the system setup and no flexible changes are possible. Due to the fact that according to main MyWear requirements for footwear a variable sole injection is essential, there is a need for a new controlling approach for a flexible set up able to provide different formulations by adjusting the additive’s independently.
For this reason, a new additive cart has been developed and built.
The Additive carts carries a selected additive, like a blowing agent, crosslinker or UV stabilizer. The cart is equipped with a double jacket material tank, which is able to be temperature controlled and pressurized. Furthermore, there is the high accurate dosing gear pump with a very low pulsation, responsible for the precise metering of the additive.
An additive valve has been especially designed for low viscosity fluids with a standard diameter of the valve of 0.1 mm.
The additive valve can be opened or closed pneumatically. Since the injection of the additive is a key factor for the correct mixing, the control must observe the introduction of the additive. Therefore, the opening stroke as well as the injection pressure is measured and logged into a file.
The prototype of this system was developed and installed as demonstration pilot for the validation session performed in Base Protection.
2.2.1 Software application
The existing machine software has been adapted in order to fulfil the overall control require by the new process technology. The article will be separated into three main sections maximum, where each section properties can be adjusted individually to the beforehand determined injection parameters
There will an overlapping of the three different liquid PU formulations at the injection process, but it is estimated that this circumstance creates a more comfort situation for the human foot, since there will be no choppy edges.
The following injection parameters have to be adjustable within each of the three sections independently from each other:
• Throughput of the components
• Throughput of the additives
• Mixing ratio of the components Polyol and Isocyanate
• Percentage of the additive related to Polyol within each section
2.3 Machine for integration of customized footbed in shoe models
Starting point for this objective was the European Norm Constraints and performance over the final work shoe product are posed by EN standards (EN ISO 20345). The final foot bed customization will have to be compliant with:
• dimensional constraints
• type of shoe construction
• technical features
• delivery times and costs.
The aim of this development has been to elaborate, design and prototype a new process/machine for providing customized foot bed, reducing overall foot-bed costs and engineering times by means of fast production techniques.
At the end of the project a prototype of machine for production of customized footbeds has been developed having the following principal features:
Machine features:
• Process typology: 1 shot milling using multi tool approach
• Milling tools: 10mm diam. spherical tool
• Process quality: max step over (45°) 4mm à max distance between 2 milling tools for a global 1 mm surface roughness
• Material type: ethyl vinil acetate (EVA) with variable density
• Raw block dimensions (LxWxH): 250x300x30mm
• Working time: 5/7 min./pz.
Technical features
• Mechanical
o No cooling system
o No lubrication system
• Open LINUX RTAI control
• Rhinoceros CAM plugin
The prototype is installed within the ITIA-CNR R&D laboratory of Vigevano.
3 LIGHT BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS AND NEW INTEGRATED LCA METHODOLOGIES
3.1 High performing biodegradable components for work wear and sport wear
A new protective knee pad insert has been developed in order to be integrated in work wear, especially in pantsuits and jackets. Such element is based on innovative plastic materials integrating traditional properties, such as resistance to torsion, and resistance to shock. Moreover, innovative properties such as lightness, elasticity and biodegradation are integrated in new materials.
The basic concept then was to develop an advanced design for multifunctional products for promoting safety and comfort. Different examples available in the Nature of articulated protective segments (bony or cartilaginous) have been considered.
Beside the preliminary conceptual modeling phase the engineering of the most promising models has been carried out until the realization of fully personalized prototypes, that has been approached through an innovative manufacturing procedure: 3D printing.
The process solutions identified and tested together with new materials, being lighter and adaptable to different shape, can potentially be used in clothing sector thus promoting safety and comfort.
3.2 Innovative modular LCA and eco-design solutions for green products development and assessment
State of the art.
42 Eco-design Examples in the Footwear sector has been tracked in the last two years (2012-2013) Most Design actions are based on material design rather than on life Cycle tracking. Standard approaches in eco-design and environmental footprint tracking still miss to be applied.
102 Eco-labels which are applicable to the textile and footwear companies has been tracked. Most of them are not referred to the whole life cycle but on specific improvements. Most of them falls in type I and II ISO category which means they do not report environmental quantities to customer.
General aim of the task is not just the assessment of the final environmental footprint but also a support during the design phase.
Moreover, the LCA has had a real assessment of the environmental impact due to complex footwear and an effective outcome for the SMEs and Research community.
The proposed methodology
This specific methodologies aims at supporting the analysis of the environmental profiles of different materials and components in order to limit environmental impact of new work-wear and sportswear. Such methodologies could be integrated in design and PLM tools for shoe and clothing products.
The link with the production CAD can enable a comparison of eco-efficient solution directly within the initial design of the footwear.
Last Implementation
Introduction of functions for Environmental impact assessment within CAD-PDM tools by
- Separate LCA studies on specific components
- Adaptation algorithms of Environmental profiles to physical features
- Link with update Eco labelling framework
4 INDUSTRIAL PILOTS AND VALIDATION SCENARIOS
4.1 Industrial pilot for the automatic production of customized, healthy and green safety shoes
4.1.1 An automatic pilot production line has been installed at Base Protection facilities, for the manufacturing of customised, green, safe, healthy and smart work shoes for the addressed target groups.
The Industrial Pilot for the automatic production of customized safety shoes consists not only of the hardware in form of productions machines, but it is also the algorithm to find the needs of the single person and to transfer them to a machine known code and customized process.
In fact there are three possible basic processes which can take care about the special need of a customer. The first one is the total custom made shoe, second the customized sole and third the best fit- the amount of customization decreases by number. The central task of the pilot is to find the right process for the current customer and to decide if it is case one, two or three.
Such an industrial pilot is based on:
- An adaptive CAD/CAM solution to manage body morphologies and health customer information and to set up robot/machine parameters.
- An automatic Conveyer for a complete integration of machines and robots
- New robot cells for flexible upper roughing/cementing sole
4.1.2 Another prototype was developed for a different manufacturing process providing a high level of flexibility for the production of shoes by injecting the sole:
- New prototype supporting flexible sole injection is basically based on the following features:
Equipment:
- Advanced additive dosing unit
- Special broad usage pump
- Section dosing control
Flexible sole injection
- 3 sections per sole
- different positioning
- different properties by single section recipes
- usage of several additives
- reformulation in every section possable
Both these manufacturing systems have been demonstrated within a sectorial exhibition an then deployed at the manufacturing plant of Base Protection in Barletta (IT)
4.1.3 A third prototype concerning an innovative machine for integration of customized footbeds in shoe models has been implemented in the ITIA-CNR R&D laboratory of Vigevano (IT).
4.2 Industrial pilot for the production of smart textiles
An innovative pilot production process has been developed for the manufacturing of smart textiles for work wear and sport for the addressed target groups.
Such an industrial pilot implemented across the facilities of different partners: Ohmatex, for the electronic devices, Suspi and Ropardo, for the software modules and P&R-Citeve for the final assembly and quality control of the final garment embedding the monitoring system. This pilot is based on the results of RTD packages and particularly on the results of WP3, and thus implement and demonstrate high tech solutions with reference to specific textile manufacturing processes, like mounting and connection processes which support the integration of textile circuitry in a variety of garment and shoes types.
The main steps of the whole process are:
• Purchasing of component parts.
• Manufacturing of electronics sensor solutions mounted with textile cables.
• Mounting of textile cables to UID Core.
• Silicone encapsulation of UID
• Manufacturing of 3D printed UID housing
• Bonding and encapsulation of sensor solutions
• Manufacturing of special and innovative garments (prototype developed for T-shirts and socks)
• Coordination of software and smart phone application configuration
• Configuration of PCBs and assembly in UID housing
• Assembly and testing of finished sensor solutions
• Mounting of UID and sensors to garments
• System testing and quality control
Potential Impact:
POTENTIAL IMPACTS, MAIN DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES AND EXPLOITATION OF RESULTS
Social phenomena like ageing, increase of obese people and major sensitivity towards disabled and diabetics people and eco-friendly products, result into challenging specifications for personalized solutions for Sport and Work wear, where European manufacturers need new approaches to get the chance to fully exploit their excellence. The full adoption of customer-driven production methodologies and technologies is a key strategy to compete in terms of value-added, in the current market situation.
Looking at such strategic goals, four main areas have been mainly investigated:
• Developing new adaptive production systems & processes towards the production of customized goods
• Technologies for constant monitoring, over long distances, of customer bio-metric parameters.
• Integrated Data Platform, for customer data gathering and distribution;
• Efficient and monitored use of “light” biodegradable materials and integrated LCA methodologies
The transformation of theoretical objectives into concrete results has been achieved by selecting the specific target groups and their real needs through a statistical approach, using the official data of international health organizations. Furthermore a selection of existing technologies and process, close to the project scope, has been done to guarantee the right project addressing.
MYWEAR mission then has been to sustain the development of a new generation health, safe and ecofriendly customized work-wear and sportswear goods for elderly, disables, diabetics and obese people.
DISSEMINATION
The dissemination of the foreground has been mainly focused on informing the scientific, industrial and public users in the most progressive and advanced approaches and technologies of customization possibilities and benefits from their utilization.
The dissemination plan has mainly been conceived as:
• Definition of an effective strategy and the identification of a compliant plan;
• Investigation and selection of the most suitable dissemination channels according to the defined strategy;
• Collection of fairs and conferences of interest for the project partners;
• Creation of a dedicated web-portal (http://www.mywearproject.info/) provided by BASE;
• Participation in a multi-project portal (http://www.mckn.eu/projects/mywear/) managed by SUPSI, focused on mass customization and on customer co-creation. The portal gathers other European projects such as Kumac, MC-500, S-MC-S, Dorothy, Remplanet, Servive and integrates the web-pages of Frank Piller’s blog and of the MIT Smart Customization Group. The average audience of this websites is of 20 visitors/day, of which 32% are new visitors.
• Delivery of promotional material:
o Flyer & Brochures;
o Monthly Newsletters.
• Event participation
EXPLOITATION
With the support of the exploitation and dissemination managers all the project partners have investigated on the business opportunities for a commercial development products and services resulting from the project.
Starting from the early rough ideas discussed during the Exploitation Strategy Seminar, offered by the Commission and held the 28th June 2013, at the end of the project 8 major results have been identified and described in terms of marketing potentialities and appropriate business models finalised to get major chance of success. For each of them a set of key points characterizing an appropriate New Business Model have been defined. This new market perspective in particular, starting from a Value Proposition characterization that highlights the innovative features developed in MyWear, clarifies what will be necessary to implement and probably change with respect to current business approaches used for similar products and technologies.
Finally, for each result have also been identified IPR issues and risk analysis, needs for agreements and collaboration with the project partners as well as time horizons and the strategies needed for getting to marketable products or services.
The following paragraphs provide the list of the project results with major exploitation potentialities:
Monitoring system platform: Sensors, connectors and transmitters designed for long term wear, integrated into a special monitoring T-shirt, into safety shoes or socks, as a monitoring platform for respiration and, heart rate, plantar sensing and oxygenation measurement. This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by OHMATEX.
LCA methodology and tool: Modular LCA database of footwear components to rapidly assess environmental performances of new product. This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by ITIA-CNR with the contribution of SYNESIS.
Smart integrated services: An integrated solution made of a Data Integration Platform (DIP) that serves as common data/logics layer and of distributed services aimed at supporting different users (patient, physician, etc.) providing a framework of applications available on mobile platforms. This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by ROPARDOwith the contribution of SUPSI.
New robot cells for flexible upper roughing: Innovative robotized cell for customized shoe production provided with a fully automatic generated CAD CAM modules.This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by DESMA with the contribution of SYNESIS.
Innovative system for a modular injection of polyurethane soles: Individual and automized injection of different Polyurethane systems as an extension of the already existing technology, “shot by shot” to “during the shot”; This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by DESMA.
Customized safety shoes: Safety shoes designed for very special needs in terms of best fit and arranged for sensors integration on demand. This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by BASE.
Sensor-based sportswear: Customized comfortable sportswear garments with biometric sensors integrated into textile materials (trousers and/or sweat shirt or T-Shirt) made with functional and technical knits and fabrics.This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by P&R with a major contribution by CITEVE.
New milling Machine for footbed customised manufacturing: This technology supports a new process for integrating customized footbed in shoe model, reducing overall foot bed costs and engineering times by means of fast production techniques – 3D morphing and deformation; This result has mainly been coordinated and developed by ITIA-CNR with the contribution of SYNESIS.
List of Websites:
http://www.mywearproject.info/
Mr. Cataldo De Luca
BASE PROTECTION - R&D Manager
email: rd@basepro.it
Tel: +39 0883.334811
Nicola Magaletti
SYNESIS scarl - Area Manager
email: nicola.magaletti@synesis-consortium.eu
Tel: +39 333.8114315
