KTN helps Creative Apparel plan for its new greener and leaner digital factory
KTN’s Manufacturing Team help Creative Apparel up-scale production.
Stockport based Creative Apparel, a UK leading producer of retail, workwear and promotional clothing, were faced with the challenge of how to up-scale production to 200,000 items per week from the current 100,000 per week, whilst simultaneously improving productivity and efficiency.
After attending a Manufacturing, AI and Robotics event organised by KTN in March 2018, Creative Apparel identified that there was a wide array of UK Government funding assistance available to help them realise their plans.
Through help from the KTN’s Manufacturing Team and input from the wider Innovate UK ‘family’ to establish and check the best knowledge and advice sources, a new factory concept emerged.
Creative Apparel plans to move in to the new factory space in Autumn 2019.  Some of the machinery will utilise the latest technology advancements, featuring capabilities which have in part been developed with help from the UK’s innovation players like MTC. Alongside complimentary digital manufacturing technologies, this will enable Creative Apparel to make efficient use of their floor space and expand production capacity to nearly 200% of that available currently.  It will ultimately create the right image to attract customers and feature solar energy and full recycling of all the water used in the factory.
“Despite being a highly competitive industry, I have experienced 100% growth each year over the last 2 years Рand the urgent need for a more efficient factory space has become very apparent.  But with all the options open to me, it felt like I was swimming in the sea Рand making funding and technical choices was becoming very tricky.  KTN has really helped me solidify the many ideas I had into a coherent approach, resulting in an ultra-efficient new factory design”.  Phil Millar, Managing Director, Creative Apparel
Find out more about KTN’s manufacturing team and how they can help you here.