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Maxwell Industries Making the Leap to Automation with Lectra
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
- Functional Applications - Product Lifecycle Management Systems (PLM)
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Applicable Industries
- Apparel
- Consumer Goods
Applicable Functions
- Discrete Manufacturing
- Quality Assurance
- Warehouse & Inventory Management
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Manufacturing System Automation
- Predictive Maintenance
- Process Control & Optimization
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
- Training
The Challenge
Maxwell Industries, based in Mumbai, India, designs, manufactures, and retails affordable, quality undergarments for men, women, and children. The company produces over 37 million pieces a year for brands such as VIP Innerwear, Frenchie, Frenchie X, and VIP Feeling. Approximately 70% of its product is destined for more than 110,000 points of sale in the local market, including the company’s own-name stores, while the remaining 30% is exported to other countries. Maxwell Industries wanted to expand its presence in India and its two other main markets: Africa and the Middle East. To do this, it needed to replace its partially-outsourced, manual process with an automated lean pre-production process that would streamline operations and reduce costs, without sacrificing the quality on which the company had built its reputation.
About The Customer
Maxwell Industries is a vertically-integrated fashion company based in Mumbai, India, specializing in the design, manufacture, and retail of affordable, quality undergarments for men, women, and children. The company produces over 37 million pieces annually for brands such as VIP Innerwear, Frenchie, Frenchie X, and VIP Feeling. Approximately 70% of its products are sold in the local market through more than 110,000 points of sale, including its own-name stores, while the remaining 30% are exported to other countries. Maxwell Industries is a household name in the local undergarment industry and aims to expand its presence in India, Africa, and the Middle East. The company is committed to maintaining high-quality standards and has a strong focus on sustainability and efficiency in its operations.
The Solution
Maxwell Industries partnered with Lectra to improve their development process and boost productivity in their cutting room at their main plant in Thingalur. Lectra conducted an in-depth analysis and worked with Maxwell to create a customized action plan that would allow them to move all their cutting in-house and automate certain aspects of development and production. With Lectra’s support, Maxwell was able to automate its pattern making, marker making, spreading, cut planning, and cutting. Lectra’s integrated solutions also streamlined communication across the company’s different departments. The changes allowed Maxwell to speed up its development process, reduce fabric consumption by 5%, and produce a better quality product with fewer errors. This gave Maxwell the agility needed to pursue its expansion goals. The company was so impressed with the results that it decided to roll out a similar project in its Umbergoan, Gujarat facility.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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