If you follow us on social media or are signed up to our newsletter, you’ll have seen the name Sewbotics® pop up a few times. The mystery isn’t just to create intrigue – we sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with our customers to protect their businesses, so we are limited in what we can share. With that in mind, this blog post gives you a peek behind the curtain at what Sewbotics® is and what it means for the future of textile manufacturing.
Please note that this blog is only intended to provide a general overview of the Sewbotics® brand. For technical information or to discuss future projects, please contact our team directly via info@ae-sewingmachines.co.uk
The Name:
So, let’s start with the name: Sewbotics® - a portmanteau of sewing and robotics. It does (to coin the catchphrase of a famous wood stain brand) exactly what it says on the tin. Using collaborative robots (known as “cobots”) in unison with industrial textile equipment to create bespoke automated manufacturing cells. We registered the trademark in 2018, four years prior to launching our first project. The idea had long held potential, but didn’t have the opportunity to explore it until 2022, when the perfect project came along and Sewbotics® was finally brought to life!
The Mission:
Revolutionising the textile industry with cutting-edge robotic automation. Sewbotics® automation enables businesses to eliminate inefficiencies, work towards net-zero goals, and bridge the skills gap – driving the future of smarter, more sustainable manufacturing.
Why Automation is Necessary:
We supply industrial textile equipment across a wide range of industries, from fashion to aerospace, and our customers in the UK consistently face the same challenges:
- Managing logistical delays, import paperwork, net-zero targets, and rising shipping costs.
- Overcoming the shortage of skilled sewing machine operators in the UK (when the majority of British textile production was outsourced to other countries to cut costs, these skills were unfortunately largely lost).
- Fulfilling high-volume contracts with tight deadlines.
We Created Sewbotics® to Help Overcome These Challenges by:
- Enabling companies to reshore manufacturing with sustainable, automated production solutions.
- Developing cobot cells which can be operated by a person with no sewing machine experience.
- Implementing advanced equipment that meets high-volume demand with consistent quality.
Our First Sewbotics® Project:
Our first Sewbotics® project was for a customer in the North of England. While we can’t share their name or product details (pesky NDAs!), we can say we designed and built a fully enclosed cell featuring an industrial sewing machine, two Universal Robots cobot arms, a conveyor, and a heat transfer press. The system sews the product, prints a label onto it, and deposits it into a box for shipping.
Why Sewbotics®?
Automating their sewing process with robotics was the easiest way for them to overcome logistical challenges and fulfil their large contracts as efficiently as possible. Their main reason for pursuing automation, however, was that they were struggling to find skilled workers to keep up with demand. The company had one skilled operator with 20 years of sewing experience who could theoretically produce up to 1000 units per day, working at an average pace of 30 seconds per unit. They needed to at least double this output.
The Machine Cell:
The cell was designed to be as simple, safe, and efficient as possible, whilst requiring minimal operator input. It works like this:
- Human operator loads component parts.
- Robot 1 aligns them in the jig.
- Robot 1 transfers the jig to the sewing machine.
- The item is sewn as instructed by the robot.
- Robot 2 retrieves the item.
- Robot 2 moves the item to a conveyor belt.
- The belt conveys it to a heat transfer printer.
- A label is printed on and reindexed.
- The item is dropped into a shipping box.
All the moving parts of the cell, including both robots, are contained behind transparent screens to ensure operator safety. This diagram illustrates the basic concept with the details redacted in line with our NDA requirements.
Results:
Our Sewbotics® cell completed the entire production process in 8 seconds, equating to 3000 units per day. To make the pace of loading more attainable for the human operator, the cell now runs at 10–12 seconds per unit, producing 2,500 units daily — a 150% productivity increase.
Automating the repetitive sewing process allows a worker with no previous experience to produce the required products and means that the skilled sewing machinist can focus on more complex and dextrous sewing applications where their skills add value.
The Second Project:
Three months later, the same customer commissioned a second cobot cell to automate another product. We produced a second cobot cell to automate the sewing and packing of an additional product, this time with less operator input. As the design was simpler, they set a target output of 6000 units per day. The machine produces 7000 units per day, considerably exceeding the customer’s target!
Future Projects:
Following on from the success of the first two Sewbotics® cobot cells, we have since implemented an additional (even more top secret) system for a customer in Wales and already have a second project in the design stages for them. We are always open to discussing the potential for robotics in the textile industry, so please contact our team if you are interested in finding out more.
Conclusion:
Sewbotics® is more than just a buzzword – it represents a bold step toward a smarter, faster, and more sustainable future for textile manufacturing. We are just scratching the surface of the potential for this technology. By combining cutting-edge robotics with decades of industry expertise, we’re helping businesses overcome key challenges and unlock new levels of productivity. The future of manufacturing is changing – and with Sewbotics®, you can be one of the companies leading the way. Whether you're looking to reshore production, improve efficiency, or explore automation for the first time, our team is here to help. Contact us to find out more!
Worried about robots taking our jobs? Read our next blog!
