Tredcycle Advanced Machine

Abstract

Tredcycle, is an advanced micro recycling machine with a digital recycling insights scanner that uses an automated built-in laser to scan discarded or used textiles to investigate its technical charac

Description

This invention is about providing textile recycling as a service-lead recycling system that operates through micro scale infrastructure in a retail environment, closing the gap between the end and design stages in Product Lifecycle Management. We describe this as Recycling-as-a-Service Technology. Description The Fashion Industry is evolving, forced to disrupt itself as the business environment and consumer expectations drive change. Ongoing trends that are impacting the fashion retail business model include (but not limited to): • Environmental Social Governance • Supply Chain &Infrastructure • Regulation • Advanced Technology • Materials Innovation • Diversity &Wellbeing What was once a fragmented industry dominated by global brands steeped in heritage, is now more aware, connected, and open to the exploration of new business models, processes and systems leading to new ideas, innovative products, and services, as well as unique collaborations and partnerships with smaller players. Despite the positive changes made, there is an urgent focus on environmental issues, specifically the movement of textile waste and their journey into landfills which has been a long-standing problem for the industry. Fuelled by the explosion of fast fashion and stock incineration, poor practices are negatively impacting global communities. It has prompted the industry to search for solutions notably the rise of resale platforms for secondhand goods, the repurpose and upcycling of deadstock materials, and the increased use of repair services on a smaller scale to extend the life of textiles. New materials innovation companies are creating textiles from bio, agriculture, and industrial textile waste. These new materials are being marketed as environmentally friendly and biodegradable. Regulation of the industry is also being introduced around environmental impact, sustainability commitments and reporting, prompting fashion companies to reorganise and refresh their business strategy. Current collaborations and initiatives are exploring automated recycling of textiles for industrial scale with notable success in the EU, UK, and US. There is a focus on using Al and Robotics in the identification, sorting, and processing of textiles at speed over manual intervention. However, a key barrier to entry is the continued investment into viable pipeline solutions that have long term potential for commercial scale to make a real impact across global communities. At Umbasse, we believe there is an opportunity to make progress in the fashion supply chain through digital and machine innovation to demonstrate full circularity and create social impact. Particularly regionally in the UK, where we believe innovation can revive British Manufacturing and in a novel way, to experiment and transform abandoned retail spaces. Exploration and validation of advanced micro recycling systems can better support sustainable supply chains through actionable data insights for fashion brands and stakeholders, as well as producing an end product that is reusable. The simplicity, benefits and added value are the reasons why we think our innovation could successfully work, shaped by purpose, sustainability, and rethinking the recycling approach to provide clear transparency. Our innovation is named Tredcycle, an advanced micro recycling machine with a digital recycling insights scanner that uses an automated built-in laser to scan discarded or used textiles to investigate its technical characteristics before moving through the recycling process (stages) where the textile is transformed into new reusable thread. For flexibility at the scanning stage, there is the option to manually enter additional information where the textile has been manually examined. Common characteristics that would be obtained from the automated scanner are: ■ Discolouration ■ Fibre corrosion from chemical use ■ Visible rips from wear and tear ■ Fibre composition Other characteristics that would be obtained from manual examination are: ■ Texture analysis ■ Scents and odour The machine produces visual data in a dashboard style report for actionable technical insights, feedback into the design and production stages to enhance the technical performance, extend the durability, and improve longevity in a new product. Supporting design for circularity. Once scanned, the discarded or used textile is then manually de-trimmed and recycled through the machine processes (stages) to create new reuseable thread. These stages are: 1. Scanning 2. Detrimming 3. Cleansing 4. Colour Stripping 5. Disintegration 6. Combining 7. Spinning The micro scale recycling machine will be designed to operate within a retail store environment rather than an industrial environment. The machine is efficient that where water is needed, this is recycled in machine to ensure there is no waste and pollution. Current textile scanners (as part of wider inventions) are about assessing material composition for sorting at industrial scale and speed. Our machine focuses on textile design root causes in the technical performance of used textiles. Providing a deeper technical analysis and understanding of used textiles to enhance future product design for greater technical performance, closing the gap between the end and design stages in fashion’s product lifecycle management (PLM) to demonstrate full circularity. The Tredcycle machine workflow comprises of seven process stages: Stage 1 - Scanning The automated scanner uses a built-in laser to investigate the discarded or used textile capturing examples of the common characteristics: ■ Discolouration ■ Fibre corrosion from chemical use ■ Visible rips from wear and tear ■ Fibre composition Manual examination captures further characteristics that are entered into the machine: ■ Texture analysis ■ Scents and odour Once data has been captured and entered, the main output will be a dashboard style report. Stage 2 - Detrimming Once the textile has been scanned, it will then be manually detrimmed, which is the removal of all trims such as (but not limited to), embroidery, sequins, buttons, zips, fasteners etc. This stage is a key control checkpoint for health and safety, as a textile is checked for all removable objects that can become trapped in the machine and potentially cause the machine’s malfunction. Stage 3 - Cleansing In order to prepare the textile for recycling so that it can be reused, the textile must be cleansed (sanitised) to ensure any odours and stains are removed. This is another key control checkpoint for health and safety to ensure that the textile is prepared to industry standards and the machine wash is non-polluting including any water used. Water used during this stage is recycled, cleaned, and refiltered back into the process for no pollution or environmental impact. Stage 4 - Colour Stripping Colour is removed from the textile, and the textile is dried. Stage 5 - Disintegration The textile is broken down into fibres. Stage 6 - Combing The fibres are combed to be arranged in Length. Stage 7 - Spinning The final stage is where the fibres are spun on cones into new reusable thread ready for weaving. Tredcycle, as an advanced micro recycling machine that can provide us with the following benefits: • Improved understanding of the characteristics in a discarded or used textile. • Root causes in poor product design and technical performance. • Opportunities to enhance technical performance and extend longevity in a new product. • A recycling solution that is accessible to local communities for social impact and education. • Validation of micro scale infrastructure that supports manufacturing innovation and sustainable supply chains. • Actionable insights for data-driven traceability. The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 - A used T-Shirt has been salvaged from Landfill. Figure 2 - T-Shirt is scanned through Tredcycle automated scanner. Figure 3 - Visual Data shows significant discolouration and fibre corrosion from excessive chemicals use. Figure 4 - A further manual examination identified a rough 'paper-like' texture to the cotton fibres, and this analysis was entered into the machine. Figure 5 - The machine then generates a dashboard report to summarise the examination, and the report was shared with a product design team who reviewed the analysis. They used the key learnings from the report to improve the design of their next T-Shirt. Figure 6 - The T-shirt is then checked for any trims (e.g. zips, buttons, embroidery etc) and none were identified. The T-shirt is prepared for recycling. Figure 7 - The T-shirt is sanitised to remove stains and odours. Figure 8 - The T-shirt colour is stripped. Figure 9 - The T-shirt is broken down into fibres. Figure 10 - The fibres are combed to Length. Figure 11 - The recycled fibres are then spun on cones, ready for weaving.

Claims

21 10 241. The advanced micro recycling machine with a digital recycling insights scanner that uses an automated built-in Laser to scan discarded or used textiles to investigate its technical characteristics before moving through the recycling process (stages), where the textile is transformed into new reusable thread,The common characteristics captured from the automated scan are: DiscolourationFibre corrosion from chemical useVisible rips from wear and tearFibre compositionOther technical characteristics of the discarded or used textile can also be manually captured,Manual examination captures further characteristics that are entered into the machine: Texture analysis Scents and odourThe scanned and manually entered technical characteristics are turned into actionable data insights in a dashboard report, and feedback to the product design team to improve, enhance and extend the life of a new product, supporting design for circularity.

2. The advanced micro scale recycling machine according to any of the preceding claims, will be designed to operate within a retail store environment rather than an industrial environment.

3. The advanced micro recycling machine according to any of the preceding claims, is efficient that where water is needed, this is recycled in machine to ensure there is no waste and pollution.

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