Gerber Technology was presented with a Gold level award for product innovation from the Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) Partnership, Inc., an affiliate of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The company was recognized for technology that integrates its computer-aided design software and manufacturing systems to accelerate apparel manufacturing, minimize human error and provide clear visibility to work in process.
Mike Elia, president and CEO of Gerber, said, "For the second consecutive year, Gerber has been recognized by CQIA not only for being on the forefront of technology but more importantly, for delivering true value-added solutions to its customers that directly improve their profitability.”
The winning technology enables Gerber’s computer-aided design (CAD), spreading and cutting systems to seamlessly share data. The manufacturer simply inputs order details [(garment sizes, quantities, colors and fabric types (or imports these details from their ERP system] into the AccuMark® CAD system and AccuMark creates all patterns and translates all production data into a simple bar code. At the automated material spreading system, the operator scans the barcode to locate the spread details so the correct material is stacked. The same thing occurs at the cutter so the correct file is always cut. To improve the process even further, Gerber’s new Paragon® cutter tracks how many individual parts were cut and how many complete garments were cut. With this information, the cutting room manager always has the most current picture of work in process by comparing garments cut to garments needed to fulfill the customer order.
Elia added, “Manufacturers are constantly searching for ways to trim a few cents from every garment. To achieve this, they look for material and labor savings, productivity enhancements and quality improvements. Gerber’s integration technology helps manufacturers squeeze out a few more pennies per garment by eliminating human error and therefore material waste. It also enables manufacturers to produce garments faster by eliminating manual data entry and gives managers critical visibility to work in process.”
Gerber serves diverse market segments from apparel to aerospace, and has been delivering design and manufacturing automation solutions to customers around the world for nearly five decades.
The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award Partnership, Inc., America's first state-level quality award, was founded in 1987 using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence criteria in an effort to advance innovative programs that improve quality, performance excellence and marketplace competitiveness. Applications are assessed based on rigid quality standards set by Baldrige-trained examiners.
