Automated System for Transportation and Separation of Textile Cutting Surpluses: a Case Study

This work was conducted in an industrial context within a garment manufac- 1 turing company under the Innovation Pact for the Digital Transition of the Textile and 2 Clothing Sector in Portugal. While recent developments focus on recycling fabrics post-use, 3 this study addresses textile surpluses generated during manufacturing. Currently, the 4 transportation and separation of these surpluses rely on manual labor, leading to errors 5 and inefficiencies. The objective is to describe the implementation of an automated system 6 to enhance sustainability in this process. There is limited research on the design and im- 7 pact of such automation. This paper presents a case study detailing a viable solution for 8 managing textile surpluses (covering separation, transportation, sorting, and storage) to re- 9 duce inefficiencies. Key performance indicators assess the implementation, demonstrating 10 quantitative improvements over the initial process. The project enhances the company’s 11 intralogistics, reducing the time required to collect and process textile waste while allowing 12 workers to focus on value-added tasks. By automating transportation and separation, the 13 system optimizes resource use and minimizes waste. This study contributes to sustainable 14 textile waste management by showcasing the benefits of automation in handling cutting 15 surpluses, aligning with industry efforts toward digital transformation and environmental 16 responsibility.