Gerber Technology, a world leader in automated CAD/CAM and PLM solutions for the apparel and flexible materials industry, recently welcomed 35 students from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology to its world headquarters in Connecticut, USA. The visit exposed the students to the company’s latest automation solutions and culminated in demonstrations of Gerber’s computer-aided design systems and spreading and cutting technology.
“For the past 15 years, Gerber has welcomed hundreds of FIT students to our facility, sharing with them our knowledge and insight into the inner workings of the apparel manufacturing environment,” said Bud Staples, vice president of North American Sales for Gerber. “We are proud to have such a strong relationship with the faculty at FIT, providing them with the most advanced technology to prepare their students for a competitive entrance into the workforce.”
FIT’s Production Management program is a comprehensive study that focuses on the concept through delivery process – including supply chain management, sourcing, purchasing, production management and logistics. Graduates of the program go on to work at many major brands including Ralph Lauren, Li & Fung and Jones New York, while some start their own companies.
Mario Federici, assistant professor and chairperson at FIT, said, “Gerber’s generosity affords our students the opportunity to learn about the most current design and manufacturing solutions as they progress through our Production Management program. By the time they graduate, they are very familiar with the technology. With this knowledge, they are able to recommend automation solutions to their future employers based on an understanding of the importance of controlling costs and ensuring quality.”
FIT student Adam Thomison was particularly impressed by the level of integration between the design room and the cutting room. “I might own my own business one day, so it’s important to have knowledge of the automation technology that exists and how it can improve the overall production process.”
The visit offered the students a glimpse into the various aspects of the apparel manufacturing operation, starting with a pattern digitizing demonstration on Gerber’s Silhouette drafting table, followed by a demo of the AccuMark pattern design system and GERBERplotter XLp. The students were then shown the GERBERcutter DCS 2500, ideal for cutting samples or prototypes, as well as the GERBERspreader and GERBERcutter GTxL used in thousands of mass-production environments around the world.
For 40 years, Gerber Technology has worked with more than 1,200 educational institutions in 82 countries to help them provide students with hands-on experience working with the latest software and hardware technology on the market.
About the Fashion Institute of Technology
FIT,a leader in career-oriented education, is a selective college of art and design, business and technology of the State University of New York (SUNY), with 44 majors leading to the AAS, BFA, BS, MA, and MPS degrees. The college serves more than 10,000 students annually and offers courses in a wide range of fields, among them fashion design, toy design, packaging design, interior design, fine arts, advertising and marketing communications, home products development, fashion merchandising management, and international trade and marketing.
About Gerber Technology
For more than four decades, Gerber Technology has been the world leader in providing sophisticated hardware and software systems to automate and more effectively manage the product design and manufacturing process. The company serves 25,000 customers, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies, in the aerospace, apparel, retail, composites, packaging, furniture, technical textiles and transportation interiors industries in 130 countries. Gerber’s products help users move faster, at less cost and with the highest quality.
