Integrated Factory Play: Automation & Robotics in the Modern Mfg. Facility
Automation is coming to apparel and textile manufacturing, but knowing it’s coming and knowing where to start are two very different things. In this panel conversation, three leaders working at the cutting edge of robotics, advanced fabrics, and manufacturing R&D pull back the curtain on what an integrated factory actually looks like, and what printers, supply-chain partners, and brands should be thinking about today.
Rather than a technical deep-dive, this is a guided conversation designed to educate and inspire. You’ll come away understanding not just what’s possible, but how to begin evaluating it for your own operation.
What we’ll cover:
- The two flavors of automation, spot automation versus the fully integrated factory, and how to decide which path fits your organization’s priorities
- Why a digital backbone (connecting design, production data, and security from brand to manufacturer) is the foundation that makes integrated automation possible
- How advanced functional fabrics are changing what a garment can do, from distributed sensing to wearable delivery, and why this matters
- Where “physical AI” and humanoid robotics may fit into the real near-term picture
- Practical ways to engage: consortia participation, collaborative R&D, government funding, and partnering with the right organizations to test and scale new ideas
Who should attend:
Print and apparel manufacturers looking to understand their automation roadmap, and the supply-chain partners and brands who need to know what to expect from their manufacturing vendors.
Speakers
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David RosendahlFounder and CEO, MindFire Inc
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Dr. Demitri BalabanovCEO & CTO, Apparel Robotics Corporation
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Michael ReinDirector of Engineering, Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA)
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Cara CranstonDirector of Technology Programs, ARM Institute