Industries turn to robotics, new tech to boost productivity

However, it is still a humble beginning for the world’s second-largest apparel export industry to embrace this technological revolution. Others are well ahead.

Bangladesh, though a bit late compared to major Asian apparel makers like China, Vietnam and India, is all set to enter the automation era in production facilities, investing in robotic technology to lower the cost of business and enhance factory efficiency.

Already the champion in greening factories, Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry, the world’s second by export value, now looks to be on par with global competitors in adopting high-end technologies to optimise output.

For instance, DBL Group and Envoy Textile poured millions into automation to remotely oversee the production process, predict maintenance needs and check quality.

However, it is still a humble beginning for the world’s second-largest apparel export industry to embrace this technological revolution. Others are well ahead.

China installed over 2.68 lakh units of robots in different industries only in 2021, followed by Japan, the USA, Korea, and Germany, according to the International Federation of Robotics’ 2022 report. Indeed, seven out of the 15 largest countries that adopted industrial robots were from Asia. India ranked 10th with 4,900 industrial robots in 2021.

Vietnam is also investing in automation and robotics to reduce labour costs and improve efficiency in manufacturing processes. Robots in these countries are being used for tasks such as assembling, welding, and material handling in various industries including electronics, automotive, and textiles.

Textile millers, in particular, are leveraging these advancements to collect real-time data on equipment performance, optimise operations, predict maintenance needs, and ultimately enhance overall efficiency.

One of the pioneers is DBL Group, a leading garment exporter that introduced a new wave of technologies to put yarns through a series of quality control checks to strictly ensure standards.

Envoy Textile Chairman Kutubuddin Ahmed said his company has been utilising robotic machinery for a long time to enhance output and ensure product quality.

He said robotic technology ensures higher productivity and superior yarn quality. However, the initial investment in such sophisticated technologies surpasses that of regular machinery. Kutubuddin Ahmed noted that due to increased productivity, this investment has proven to be successful.

He said Envoy has recently invested in an online monitoring system for indigo dyeing, known as IndiLine, which will be implemented for the first time in the country.

Currently, Envoy is pursuing the automation of its spinning units to bolster production and reduce costs, he noted. Kutubuddin said they have plans to gradually fully automate their spinning units, a process expected to require an additional investment of around $1 million.

SMEs need automation to survive

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) often face unique challenges compared to larger companies, making automation particularly essential for their survival and growth.

Sheikh HM Mustafiz, managing director of Cute Dress Industries Ltd, a knit garment exporter with an annual turnover of about $8 million, said, “We are also investing in new technologies to improve production efficiency but investing a larger amount is always challenging for us.

“We always focus on improving efficiency and minimising overhead production costs as SMEs and large factories are competing in the same field to get orders.”

Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, chief executive officer at Fatullah Apparels Ltd, a knitwear factory with an annual turnover of $4.8 million, said his factory recently introduced a production monitoring device (PMD) to monitor real-time production output.

He said they have invested $80,000 to install this device in 250 machines which will also help them to skill up their workers, identify their knowledge gap and reduce unfair practices on the production floor by the supervisors.

Ehsan hoped the return on this investment would come within the next three years.

He said the factory also invested $10,000 in AutoCAD software to reduce fabric wastage, which yielded investment returns within a year.

Mindset and technical know-how are the major challenges for the SMEs to Invest in technology adaptation, said Fazlee Shamim, also vice president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

On the other hand, access to the finance process is not easier, he said, adding the Bangladesh Bank has funds like the Green Transformation Fund but SMEs have no access to…