High Tech Pattern Experience?

[kodydog]

An interesting PBS show last November just before the election returns started. The premise was something like this. The largest segment of the population retiring are Caucasian baby boomers. But the biggest segment of the population getting into the taxable workforce are minorities. In particular Hispanics. The question arises  how are minorities going to feel when they become the majority and see half their paycheck going to taxes to support those who created the mess. If it were me I would be enraged. But of course I'm one of the baby boomers.

I see a large political shift coming in the next 20 years.

[baileyuph]

Demographic shift?  Yes, the landscape is certainly changing and one thing constant about change is; it is always changing.

Doyle

[Rich]

An interesting PBS show last November just before the election returns started. The premise was something like this. The largest segment of the population retiring are Caucasian baby boomers. But the biggest segment of the population getting into the taxable workforce are minorities. In particular Hispanics. The question arises  how are minorities going to feel when they become the majority and see half their paycheck going to taxes to support those who created the mess. If it were me I would be enraged. But of course I'm one of the baby boomers.

I see a large political shift coming in the next 20 years.

Take heart young caucasion business owners, maybe you'll be able to apply for minority status one day!
Rich

[baileyuph]

Well, back to patterning, anyone making analog patterns, if so what is the medium?

What products do you have patterns of?  That isn't exactly high tech but they have worked for years. 

What is used to cut the registration marks, on your patterns or actual mediums?  I am referencing the V- Cuts we align during sewing.  There is probably something faster than scissors?  Analog capabilities have been around quite a while, there might be something to cut the V's.

Analogs work,
Doyle

[bobslost]

After 20 years of upholstering I took a job as a pattern maker , your furniture experience does come in handy. How it works your given drawing or blue prints make your foam patterns and usually start with clear plastic to make your patterns . There's a lot of trial and error along with a lot of changes as the parts start to take shape. When you achieve the look and fit you want its digitized and loaded on an electric cutter for production. The hardest part is remembering most production workers are not skilled upholsters so you have to keep that in mind when your making a pattern , the sewers and upholsters have to be able to duplicate this piece . I have found this challenging and usual quite rewarding and I believe its help me in my cutting and sewing skills.

[baileyuph]

Bobslost, where did you work, in a furniture factory or for an activity making furniture patterns that a factory would use?

You could be interesting, but we need to get you talking with considerable detail.

First question to clarify, are you saying, from the drawings; a model product was made in foam and your patterning job started fitting clear plastic to it? I didn't catch on what the clear was attached to as it was marked to become a pattern piece.

To pattern means something already exist and a pattern is made from that something.

Step us through in such a way that we can understand how you took a drawing and producted a pattern, for example a pattern for a small part of the furniture.


Thanks, by the way, welcome to you as a new comer,


Doyle

[Rich]

I think it's ironic that the young people who voted for Obama will be the ones who will be hurt by his policies in the years to come.
Rich

[bobslost]

I worked with designers for years building custom furnishing ,so I was some what familiar with new pieces. I took a job with Four Winns developing cockpits and cabins for boats. Working with a graphic designer who comes up with the designs and the drawing. first  you help develop the substrate or the frame. From there you create the foam in the shape and style you want . after that is achieved we use patterning plastic ( just a clear plastic you can pin on pieces ) to start marking out patterns . We use 3/8 seams on every thing and you have to take extra care to walk the pieces together and but notches in as you do for the sewers . When the parts are done we digitize and load them in program to be cut and checked for errors . (we use gerber cutter ) the foam patterns are either sent to production or to a foam supplier depending on the complicity.
Like I said before one of the hardest parts is creating apart that can be reproduced in a production setting. It has been quite Interesting always something different.

[baileyuph]

Sounds interesting Bobslost, there is some technical stuff there to get your teeth in for sure.

Those foam carvers must have some special skills.  Sounds like it would be quite an art.

Then, now I understand how your sewing background plays into the patten making.  You have appreciation for good patterns with your background.

Thanks,
Unusual to get input from a persn with your total experience.

Doyle

[stitcher]

http://www.lectra.com/en/industries/automotive/index.html

[baileyuph]

Bobslot your background is more pragmatic, does the link and all its superlatives add theoretical, analytical exist, or add practical understanding to pattern making at your level?
The adjectives and adverbs represented quite an effort however.  

Lear seating, one of the more understood companies involved in seating in a high performance way, might be a worth while study.  They are pretty big, an international company.

Doyle  

[bobslost]

Lectra technology is quite advance I have seen video before ,we use gerber software  for are cutters, and our designers use pro- e . However they are limited to what can produce ,we do not have any 3d software or flatting software . Mostly what our designer do is use the software to make computer models to give you an idea of placement fit and function. We do have graphic designers that actually come up with the designs seat heights ,depth pitch firms are still all decided .by the pattern maker or the designer . And the complexity of the foam determine if we can cut in house or have a foam supplier cut it and sometimes it requires a molded piece.

The Automotive Industries use lectra tech. which is a more precise science. But they are billion dollar industry . Most of there soft goods are designed on a computer . They do employ pattern maker but they do require a college degree.

[baileyuph]

Good insights and understanding you have Bobslost, you are right about the cost of some of the systems used today.  The software alone must be a fortune.  

By the way, do you have a link that would give insight to some of the gerber drawing and cutting equipment.  I would enjoy some understanding of any of it, most basic level and to the level that is driven by higher tech software would be interesting for me.

Yes, I can understand what you say about the more technical capabilites and how the work requires college.  There is higher mathmatics and even statistical analysis involved in taking a 3-dimensional model and transforming the coordinates into a 2 dimensional system.  That type of work is best done on computer software, lots of number crunching which is suitable to do on computers.  Statistical analysis comes into play becauses it gives an understanding (a value) for the amount of error in the transformation process.  As long as the transformation process is within an acceptable error envelope, the pattern output will support the process of cutting and sewing in 2-D.  Wow!  Such automation and efficiency, the work would pump out!

The statistical analysis is very valuable because it minimizes going through the drawing, cutting, and sewing to realize the output doesn't fit the model intended.

There is so much to get your teeth into,  small shops like mine could save a lot of time given the capability, but (there is always a condition),  One just needs the work volume to justify the expense of getting into that level of sophistication.  

I would definitely get into some of what you are describing, be nice if one could do it in little steps because I have to make a living each day, can't do it all by myself and perform the research, developing, and debuging.  If one had the money, for example., they could automate the process of making  boat covers a lot easier than after market does it today.  But, due to the cost of getting set up and time to set up is mind boggling.  Higher tech, would involve 3-dimensional imaginery to support the measurement process and transform those coordinates to a pattern and have the materials cut ready for sewing in an air conditioned office.  

The statistical control analysis would insure every product would fit within an acceptable error range or not.

Again, justifying all that capability would require working a staff of a large number around the clock just about all the time.  Production levels this high would require a marketing staff to sell the products.  To say the least, the business would not look little any longer.

Personally, I think when the market is there to support such developments, it will happen.  The feasibility of going much higher tech in any of our work could be worked out easier if more higher volume products could be generated through the initial investments.  Amortise the investment is all I am saying.

Big companies like you mentioned, including Lear, that produce in sufficient volumes are already on that path.  You mentioned college and to my above comments, really how much is a key to that point.  They have Phd's at every desk, to get into the field of mensuration, extraction, and transforming all the measurements in 3 D to 2 D is started  at the best technical colleges, the degrees are not something accomplished in a general liberal arts degree.  Just make note of what GPS does, the foundation for that capability is the prime support of what is used in pattern making, just to name one application.  In a word with that type of background, opportunities are without boundary.

If I keep talking, might talk myself in looking them up for a job.  LOL.

Doyle

[Eric]

Bobslost, your people should look into it deeper, as my understanding is pro E will flatten geometry. It is of course a full blown 3d design software, depending on module you pay for. So will-and-are others.

[baileyuph]

Just a comment, since this thread was initiated and due to the feedback, I seem to automatically analyze manufacturers  products more and try to understand how the pattern making effort was executed.  I do this in auto and furniture work primarily.

It really reminds an upholsterer of the technology mass production really does