THREAD LEVEL GREEN
modernized domestic textile industry. However, spurring change in an indus- try that is slow to change and limited in resources is likely beyond the scope of a single DOD program effort. Terefore, as this effort evolves, it will lean more heav- ily on both a widening circle of industry partners and other DOD investments in manufacturing technology that are currently ongoing to help develop new technologies and providers. Investments made by the OSD Manufacturing Tech- nology office in functional fibers at the Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Institute and robotics at the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute are developing
enabling technologies to enhance Soldier performance and add value to what were formerly commoditized products. Inclu- sion of these new technologies will require automation to make the technology afford- able and accessible.
CONCLUSION By investing in and working with indus- try, the Textile Automation to Enhance Domestic Military Production program will enable the commercial rollout of automated manufacturing solutions by building a public-private collaboration to strengthen the U.S. industrial base while also making production more economi- cally viable for all customers. Furthermore, these investments will serve to establish U.S. leadership in this critical area, thereby improving domestic competitiveness.
Tis will create a growing need for a high-tech workforce in burgeoning, lasting markets, serving both the govern- ment and commercial industries. Because the domestic textile industry operates on extremely low profit margins and, as a result, is collectively limited in its access to internal research and develop- ment funding, it is highly unlikely that manufacturers would make the required capital investments in automation for the limited DOD market alone. Given part- nership and investment through this OSD program and other federal investments, however, it may be possible to modernize the sector. By focusing on near term gains through automation of legacy textile and textile product production, the program may demonstrate the increased value prop- osition for technology insertion across a wider swath of the entire industry.
OUT OF THE BLUE
There are many potential uses for fabric containing advanced monofilament LED fibers, which are able to emit and receive data.
Of course, the initial reaction of many is that an increase in production automa- tion and robotic assembly would reduce existing jobs across the textile indus- try. However, a 2017 study by the U.S.
26 Army AL&T Magazine Fall 2020
Textiles form an integral component to many defense and commercial systems.
Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security titled “Textile and Apparel Assessment” paints a different picture. Of the 571 domestic manu- facturers surveyed, 61 percent reported difficulties hiring and retaining employees, specifically “production line workers such as operators and machine technicians.” Te reasons for this are many, but include facil- ity locations that lack a large labor pool from which to draw, as well as competi- tion for that same labor pool. Further, the study cites the lack of available workforce as the number one condition limiting their ability to increase manufacturing utiliza- tion rates to 100 percent in the event of a surge in demand. Tese factors seem to indicate that increased domestic manufac- turing is not hampered by lack of jobs, but rather by the lack of people to fill them. Increased automation and the implemen- tation of new technologies could help to fill these gaps.
Te impacts to defense-related procure- ment are significant, both in the ability to surge the industrial base in times of conflict and also to integrate advanced capabilities into uniforms and equipment that can increase Soldier effectiveness. Te defense textile industrial base has always surged to meet wartime requirements, but this default expectation may no longer be possible. Labor, fiscal and global market constraints limit future adaptability.
Te incorporation of increased automation and robotic assembly can help to offset
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196
