FASHION-ABLE

"Development of new technologies for the flexible and eco-efficient production of customized healthy clothing, footwear and orthotics for consumers with highly individualised needs"

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'FASHION-ABLE project aims at providing the European innovative and customization-concerned SMEs with the technological means that will enable the agile and eco-efficient production of personalised products addressing the complex individualised needs of growing market niches out of the scope of mass-produced goods in terms of health and performance. FASHION-ABLE vision is to provide the innovative European SMEs concerned in customization with the technological means that will enable the conception, co-design and the sustainable manufacture of fully personalised products. The expected results of the project are: User framework defining and quantifying the relevant user attributes; new Collaborative Product Customization Services; New stretch-leather’s lean manufacturing processes and equipment; new 3D-spacer fabric’s flexible manufacturing process and machinery; new textile’s finishing operations and equipment; extended manufacturing order management structure and tools; Life-Cycle Analysis instruments; and inter-organisational Product Data Management tools. In particular, FASHION-ABLE action will implement and demonstrate in industrial contexts the new cross-sectoral technologies developed for three highly challenging target groups: fashionable footwear for diabetic feet, fashionable clothing for wheelchair users, high-performing textile compression bandages. The harmonized combination of these technologies will have a direct impact on health, comfort, safety and quality of life of the targeted populations: diabetics developing diabetic feet (30 million); physically disabled people requiring a wheelchair (5 million); and sufferers from acute periods of musculoskeletal disorders (40 million) which prevalence increases with age and weight. Furthermore, our cross-sectoral approach will allow extending and up-scaling functional customisation with little effort to future unexpected functionalities and to be transferred to other products and high demanding markets.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

To address the previously unmet clothing needs of heterogeneous groups, an EU-funded project analysed user needs and required functionalities and developed new technological solutions.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Currently, millions of European people with disabilities need specially made clothing, footwear and orthotics. However, these are often very difficult to obtain, except with lengthy delays and high costs.

The http://www.fashionable-project.eu/ (FASHION-ABLE) (Development of new technologies for the flexible and eco-efficient production of customized healthy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngm9_3SA4cc&list=PLqyfFyugoP_gMkitaX7tvpOJjgYya8UuV&index=1 (clothing), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UETW3l1xHFY&list=PLqyfFyugoP_gMkitaX7tvpOJjgYya8UuV&index=3 (footwear) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtAmw0_bJY4&list=PLqyfFyugoP_gMkitaX7tvpOJjgYya8UuV&index=2 (orthotics) for consumers with highly individualised needs) project has analysed user needs and required functionalities and developed new technological solutions.

Consisting of 14 members from 6 European countries, the EU-funded consortium aimed to help European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) flexibly manufacture customised, eco-efficient products.

First, the project focused on defining and quantifying a framework of user attributes, using end-user specifications to develop product customisation services. They were then able to connect configurators of product style to an automatic method for adapting product dimensions to atypical individual shapes and postures.

The creation of a new stretching textile, the combination of stretch leather and 3D fabrics, was another important project development. This fabric holds new mechanical properties and has an improved tactile feeling.

A new manufacturing machine was created together with a computer-aided manufacturing system. The machine has parameters based on past quality control checks that control main machine elements, allowing producers to continue and improve upon past results of verified quality.

A process was established that relates specific customer measurements to a reference size that is then adapted specifically to customers' slightly divergent measurements. Thus, the made-to-measure process can cluster certain customer groups and limit issues of cost and waste that can occur with customisation.

To ensure the continual reuse of environmental studies, a new process was developed, titled the 'Life-Cycle Analysis'. This will help to combat environmental issues that accompany the high variability of the product chain and the use of new materials and sector-specific components.

Three demonstration campaigns were conducted across Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland to test the actual product with real customers and key target groups: wheelchair users, people with diabetic foot and obese people.

FASHION-ABLE has contributed significant improvements to the customisation of products for people with disabilities. The cross-sectorial technologies developed by FASHION-ABLE will appease the cost and efficiency concerns associated with customised products. Overall, such products will be made more quickly and economically, while also improving comfort, lowering health complications and increasing profitability for participating SMEs.