Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to revitalize the traditional embroidery industry of the
Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) by evaluating the possibility of using
advanced technology, such as three-dimensional printing (3DP), in its manufacturing
process. A mixed method methodology underpins this research in terms of collecting,
processing and testing the data. An initial literature review revealed that factors such as
an inability to meet current fashion trends, threats from global brands, lack of support
from government and insufficient consumer interest are key challenges facing the
traditional embroidery industry. Further qualitative evaluation pinpointed a lack of
development in the manufacturing techniques of traditional embroidered clothing in the
KSA as a key threat. An evaluation of existing technologies revealed that embroidery
sewing machines attached to computer-aided design (CAD) software is the technology
currently in use in the industry. However, due to inflexibility in adjusting to the demands
of customization, it has not been able to mark any significant change. To this end, the
current study proposed the use of the 3DP technique in the manufacturing process of
traditional embroidered clothing but found that although 3DP has been used in the fashion
industry, its use has been questioned because of wearability and quality concerns.
An evaluation of responses collected from 16 manufacturers attending the Souq Okaz
Festival in the city of Taif, along with 45 responses from customers of traditional
embroidered clothing in three different universities in the KSA, found that both sets of
stakeholders showed concerns regarding the wearability of 3DP garments. The
manufacturers also shared their concerns regarding the ease of use of the technology. As
a backdrop to these findings, two experiments were conducted: a washing test and a peel
tensile test.
The washing test revealed that 3DP embroidery designed and printed on silk, cotton and
organza showed no impact from washing upon their brightness, roughness, shape or edge.
However, the peel test revealed that, due to its irregular texture and shape, organza
showed inconsistent adhesion of 3DP material comparative to cotton and silk. This led to
the conclusion that 3DP embroidery objects present good long-term wearability, as long
as the printing parameters are set up to meet the fabric architecture. Suitability, acceptability and feasibility in relation to the financial, human resource (ease of use) and
supply chain aspects of 3DP embroidery clothing were also substantiated.