DigiPix > CASE STUDY: COLOUR CLUSTERING (Luen Thai)
The Company – Luen Thai
Luen Thai is a global leader in providing end-to-end apparel services supporting their our customers' speed-to-market goals and by remaining focused on customers' needs, they constantly find ways to serve them better through quality products and value-added services.
Luen Thai has a wide reaching global presence; from their corporate headquarters in Hong Kong and other sales and design offices and logistics stations located in key cities around the world including Shanghai, Tokyo, New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles and Beijing to production facilities in areas such as: China, Philippines, Macau, India, Bangladesh and Indonesia
Today, they continue to be in the forefront of the apparel industry and remain dedicated to helping them bring their products to market faster and at a lower total cost. As a company committed to exploring the opportunities of new innovations therefore not surprising that Luen Thai use the DigiEye system for the quality control of their products and the communication of garment images and colour files to their customers and suppliers.
Measuring the Unmeasurable!
THE APPLICATION: - Enhanced Quality Control of Heather samples
The DigiEye system, manufactured in the UK by VeriVide, is used for the imaging and colour measurement of samples, which would be impossible to assess using a standard spectrophotometer. DigiEye provides a non-contact measurement for all types of materials with different appearance characteristics. Marl and Heather fabrics can now be imaged and accurately measured.
As the image is captured in controlled and consistent lighting, developed by VeriVide, the global leaders in lighting, the DigiEye software can extract colour information from the image, which cannot be achieved with a conventional photograph. This colour information can be communicated to the manufacturing unit for improved quality control and the image can also be recoloured on screen and assessed for suitability.
ISSUE 1: - Heather samples cannot be measured.
Traditionally Marl and Heather fabrics are non-measurable as a spectrophotometer would measure the average of the area of colour presented to it, this would vary according to the quality of the spinning or knitting so that in some areas the coloured yarn would be more prominent than in others.
The colour of Heather fabrics is notoriously difficult to control as a result of this and variation is sometimes present in the final product.
Luen Thai now use the DigiEye Clustering function to control the colour of their Heather production at the yarn stage by measuring the wraps of yarn and calculating the composition of the grey yarn and the coloured yarn to give qualitative data.
Qualitative data can be produced from the images of yarn wraps above.
ISSUE 2: - Small areas of colour cannot be measured.
Colour Measurement has traditionally relied on spectrophotometers, however they were designed to measure flat areas of 2D solid colour, which are at least 4mm in size. Any sample smaller than this could not be measured and in reality larger samples were required for better accuracy of result.
Quality control of small areas of colour such as the dot prints illustrated on the vests below, has therefore relied upon visual matching techniques and communication of results has traditionally required shipping of physical samples. This issue is further complicated when sewing threads and trims are required to match the coloured area.
Luen Thai can now use DigiEye to measure and control this production.
ISSUE 3: - Communication of garments relies on shipping.
Designers and buyers at the retailers usually require new garment styles or colourways to be shipped to them for approval in order to visualise exactly what it is that they are purchasing prior to confirming an order.
DigiEye can solve this problem with its high definition imaging, capturing clear images displayed at 300dpi. It is also possible to view the fabric construction structure or garment detailing in close-up to enhance the communication. The 3D images can be communicated around the globe in a standard electronic format.
The garments above illustrate the range of samples which Luen Thai image and communicate using the DigiEye system.
Using the DigiPix colour replacement feature this concept can be developed further and different colour variations of the images can be produced and communicated in the same way as the original images.
Shipping of samples is now not required.
THE TECHNICAL BIT
The calibrated camera captures data in RAW format for very high-resolution images; since the image is captured in controlled and consistent lighting the software can transform the RGB data from the camera into CIE colour space thereby enabling accurate non-contact Colour Measurement of any type of fabric.
Consistency is the key, as the environment is controlled, measurements are repeatable. The image can be retained with its associated data for visual assessment and correlation. The whole of a garment or design repeat can be imaged with the new Large Area Imaging and since an item as small as a single pixel can be selected and measured using the DigiPix software it is ideal for the measurement of Heather fabrics or small flower and dot designs.
The software also contains a choice of Colour difference equations so that components can be imaged with and compared to an agreed standard component.
The DigiPix Colour Replacement software also enables an object to be recoloured using colour information from a variety of sources including Pantone colours, or company colour library information in several data formats. The appearance of the fabric is retained during the recolouration, enabling an accurate visualisation of the final colour even on Heather fabrics.
THE BENEFITS
With DigiEye and the DigiPix Clustering function, manufacturers and suppliers can now image Heather fabrics and extract accurate colour measurements against any standard. Luen Thai now control all the Heather production using the clustering function to calculate the composition of the grey yarn and the coloured yarn to provide quantitative data of the percentage of each component. The colour of the coloured part can also be measured.
Using the DigiPix Colour Measurement function Luen Thai can now measure small coloured areas of an image and export this data to a .qtx file which is supplied to the producers of the trims such sewing thread, tape etc.
These functions both provide enhanced quality control by enabling tighter colour tolerances to be applied, the images captured and the colorimetric data can be electronically communicated around the globe, leading to savings in time and shipping costs.
WISH TO KNOW MORE?
Further details of the DigiEye System - including the Large Area Imaging (LAI), are available via the Datasheet below (click on the relevant links to download or open).
Alternatively please contact Pete Laban - Sales Manager to arrange a demonstration.
| DIGIEYE DATASHEET | LAI - DATASHEET | CONTACT PETE LABAN |
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| DOWNLOAD PDF | DOWNLOAD PDF | p.laban@verivide.com |