#ЕУзаТебе

AOSS: Sewing Automation for the Global Market

Producing one million reusable cloth nappies in just six months is a major challenge, even for experienced manufacturers. Production on this scale demands speed, precision and consistent quality, while a shortage of skilled workers makes meeting tight deadlines even more difficult.

For the family-owned company Marjanović Sewing Systems (MSS), an order of this magnitude prompted the company to reconsider its existing production processes. Drawing on years of experience in the textile industry, the team decided to develop a machine capable of automating one of the more demanding sewing operations. With funding from the European Union provided through a programme of the Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia, the company developed AOSS (Autonomous Overlock Sewing System).

AOSS is designed to automate the sewing of circular, elliptical and other symmetrical shapes, which require considerable precision and operator expertise when produced using conventional methods. The machine improves production efficiency and ensures consistent product quality while reducing reliance on manual labour.

The technology has found applications in the mass production of reusable cloth nappies and nursing pads. Its potential has also been recognised by other manufacturers. According to the company, AOSS is now used by more than 14 manufacturers across Europe and over 40 worldwide. A solution originally developed to address specific production needs has since found applications in international markets.

Turning the initial idea into a fully functional machine involved complex engineering design, hardware development and significant investment in specialised tools.

“Developing hardware solutions requires substantial financial investment, which is why the support we received from the Innovation Fund was so important to us. This support enabled us to acquire specialised 3D modelling software, which was essential for designing and building our machine with the required level of precision,” explains Srđan Marjanović.

The next stage of AOSS development will focus on further developing the machine for commercial use and introducing an advanced AI-based quality control system. The planned system is expected to automatically inspect finished products in real time, further improving production reliability.

Marjanović Sewing Systems also intends to expand the application of AOSS technology to other types of textile products. The aim is to extend the machine's capabilities beyond the products for which it was originally developed, adapting the technology to different manufacturing needs and enabling the automation of additional sewing operations.