FIRST WORLD CONFERENCE ON SOFTWARE FOR THE TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRIES

As in all other activities, the information revolution is changing the operations of the textile and clothing industries. The exponential growth of computer power since the first programmable computer was built in Manchester 60 years ago has made it possible to deal with the complexities of textile machines, processes, and materials, leading on to the subjective demands of fashion and the objective needs of technical applications. But software is as important as hardware. In some areas, IT techniques are well established. Process scheduling and stock control have come from general commercial developments. Machine control carries on the ingenuity of inventive specialists. In CAD, the reluctance of designers 30 years ago has given way to its almost universal use in the design of fabrics and clothes. In other areas, advances remain in the more academic forms of RD in drape and feel of clothes, in engineering composites and in many other applications of textiles. The other challenge is to provide software that those working in industry find useful and easy to use. This will lead them to move from the centuries old use of experience, intuition and practical trials to a 21st century way of working. The aim of this conference is to bring together all those who have an interest in the applications of software in the textile and clothing industries.