Leading computerized knitting machine manufacturer SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Korean subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI KOREA INC., will participate in the Preview in SEOUL exhibition in Seoul, Korea this month.

Recent consumer trends such as increased online shopping activity have changed supply chain requirements, with growing demand for mass customization and short turnaround. The combination of SHIMA SEIKI's pioneering WHOLEGARMENT knitting technology that allows a garment to be produced in its entirety without the need for linking or sewing afterward, along with the SDS-ONE APEX series 3D design system yields revolutionary game-changing flexibility in the knit supply chain to support such trends.

At the core of SHIMA SEIKI's "Total Fashion System" concept, ultra-realistic simulation capability on the APEX series allows virtual sampling to streamline the sample-making process, reducing time and cost. With this new manufacturing model, the production cycle can be shortened significantly, realizing on-demand production and allowing the product planning stage to be extended for accurate analysis of consumer demand. Moreover, virtual samples can be used at the retail level to gauge consumer acceptance of upcoming products, data for which can be used for forecasting demand. Such feedback can be used to adjust production and optimize inventory, preventing leftover stock that would otherwise go to waste. If stock runs out mid-season, on-demand production capability of WHOLEGARMENT knitting can replenish inventory to prevent lost opportunity. In such a way, the Total Fashion System maximizes profit while achieving zero leftover stock, zero lost sales opportunity and most importantly zero waste through smart, speedy and sustainable production.

At Preview in SEOUL, the latest version of the SDS-ONE APEX series 3D design system, SDS-ONE APEX4, will make its debut in Korea. APEX4 boasts simulation processing speeds up to 6 times faster as compared with APEX3. In addition, APEX4 features AI functions for optimized searching among its vast archive of patterns and designs.