4T

A common problem in the garment industry are the extra threads left over after sewing a seam, called thread tails. Someone has to trim those threads but that can be difficult for people with disabilities.

This team’s tool enables disabled members of the workforce to trim threads from garments, a key step in the apparel production process. This trimming tool has three key parts that function together; hair clippers, a portable vacuum, and a 3D printed shell. The vacuum sucks the thread away from the garment removing the need for the workers to hold the thread. The hair clippers then cut the thread with minimal worker effort. The shell holds the device together in a consistent way.  We have found our design to be tolerant of placement errors compared to more traditional methods such as the use of scissors which can have a low tolerance for misplacement. The expected cost for manufacturing this tool is approximately $257 with an expected life similar to that of portable vacuums (e.g., 2-3 years). Overall, this thread trimmer offers workers a solution for removing threads that is quick and effective.