AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS IN LIGHT INDUSTRY PRODUCTION LINES

Аннотация

The rapid advancement of automation and robotics has significantly transformed the light industry, particularly the textile and garment sectors. With the growing demand for efficiency, accuracy, and sustainability, companies are increasingly adopting automated production lines and robotic systems to replace labor-intensive processes. This article explores the theoretical foundations, current applications, challenges, and future prospects of automation and robotics in light industry. Emphasis is placed on smart factories, digital integration, and Industry 4.0 principles. Furthermore, the study highlights the socio-economic impacts of automation, such as workforce transformation, skill development, and productivity growth. Graphs and tables are provided to illustrate comparative efficiency gains, energy savings, and defect reduction in automated versus traditional production systems. The results suggest that a gradual but consistent integration of robotics leads to significant improvements in product quality, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. Keywords: automation, Robotics, Light Industry, Textile Production, Garment Manufacturing, Industry 4.0,Smart Factory, Efficiency, Sustainability, Technological Innovation. Light industry, which includes textile, garment, leather, and footwear manufacturing, plays a critical role in global economic development. Traditionally, the sector has relied heavily on manual labor, with workers performing repetitive, time-consuming, and physically demanding tasks. However, in the last three decades, globalization, rising consumer demand, and advances in digital technologies have pushed light industry towards modernization. Automation and robotics, once considered the domain of heavy industries like automotive and aerospace, are nowrapidly penetrating thetextileand apparel supplychain. The textile and garment industry is particularly sensitive to global competition due to its labor- intensive nature. Developing countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Cambodia have historically relied on low-cost labor to remain competitive. However, rising wages, growing quality expectations, and sustainability challenges have made traditional production methods increasingly inefficient. Automation and robotics offer an attractive solution, enabling firms to achieve higher productivity while maintaining consistent quality standards and reducing environmental impacts. The theoretical basis of automation lies in its ability to mechanize tasks that require precision, repeatability, and endurance beyond human capacity. In light industry, robotics is applied in processes such as fabric cutting, sewing, dyeing, packaging, and quality control. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs), robotic sewing machines, and computer vision– based inspection systems are now widely implemented in advanced production lines. These innovations not only reduce defects and waste but also allow manufacturers to respond quickly tochanging fashion trends through flexibleproduction models. 299 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ISSN:2692-5206,ImpactFactor:12,23 AmericanAcademicpublishers,volume05,issue08,2025 Journal: https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai Another key driver of robotics adoption in light industry is Industry 4.0. This concept integrates cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and big data analytics to create intelligent manufacturing ecosystems. In the context of textile and garment production, Industry 4.0 promotes “smart factories” where machines communicate autonomously, predictive maintenance is applied, and decision-making is optimized through real-time data. The synergy of robotics with digital technologies accelerates the transition from traditional factories toagile, adaptive, andsustainableproduction environments. Despite these advantages, challenges remain. The high initial cost of automation equipment, lack of skilled personnel, and resistance to technological change slow down adoption in many countries. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of light industry, often struggle to finance advanced robotics due to limited capital and uncertain return on investment. Moreover, the introduction of robotics raises social concerns regarding job displacement, requiring careful strategies for workforceretraining andskill upgrading. Nevertheless, the overall benefits outweigh the challenges. Studies indicate that automated textile factories achieve up to 30–50% higher efficiency compared to conventional ones. Energy consumption can be reduced by nearly 20%, and product defect rates drop by more than 40% when robotics-based quality control is applied. Moreover, by reducing reliance on cheap labor, automation encourages fairer working conditions, safety improvements, and the creation of high-skilled technical jobs. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of automation and robotics in light indu