Smartex
An AI inspection system mounted on the knitting machine — stops the moment a defect appears
Smartex mounts cameras directly on knitting machines and uses computer vision to watch the fabric surface in real time. In the past, a hole might not be discovered until the whole roll came off the machine, scrapping the entire batch; now the system automatically stops the moment it detects one, and the loss is just a few centimeters.
Features and application scenarios
The operation is straightforward: a camera above the machine shoots the fabric surface at high frequency, the model compares normal knit texture with abnormal patterns, and once it judges a defect, it signals the machine to stop while recording the position and type to the cloud. Over time this becomes a quality report of "which machine, which shift, which defect type is most common," which the factory uses to trace knitting-needle replacement cycles or operator-training gaps. The system uses a subscription model with hardware and software adopted together, and its main customers are medium-to-large knitting mills.
Suited to quality-control and production managers at knitting and fabric contract factories. Taiwan's textile industry still holds an international position in functional and sports fabrics, but the fabric-inspection stage has long relied on veteran masters' eyes, and the labor gap is very real. The value of Smartex's "on-machine real-time inspection" isn't just saving inspection labor but intercepting defects before knitting is even finished — before adopting, calculating how many scrapped yards you currently have per month is advised, as that's the denominator of the ROI.
Main features
- Cameras mounted on the machine, real-time fabric-defect detection during weaving
- Automatic machine stop on detecting a defect, avoiding whole-roll scrapping
- Defect type, position, and time automatically recorded into cloud reports
- Cross-machine, cross-shift quality-comparison analysis
- Hardware-and-software integrated adoption, no need to build your own vision system
Common uses
- Knitting-mill real-time inspection and stop control
- Fabric-quality datafication and monthly reports
- Machine-maintenance cycle and anomaly tracking
- Tracing the source of customer-complaint defects
Key Features
- Cameras mounted on the machine, real-time fabric-defect detection during weaving
- Automatic machine stop on detecting a defect, avoiding whole-roll scrapping
- Defect type, position, and time automatically recorded into cloud reports
- Cross-machine, cross-shift quality-comparison analysis
- Hardware-and-software integrated adoption, no need to build your own vision system
Pros
- Intercepts defects during the process, saving material cost more directly than after-the-fact inspection
- Consistent inspection standards, unaffected by inspectors' condition
- Accumulated defect data can be used to optimize maintenance and scheduling
Cons
- Requires adding hardware to the machine, with downtime and retrofit costs for adoption
- Little public info on the official site; pricing and details require contacting sales
- Mainly targets knitted fabrics; applicability to other weaves needs case-by-case confirmation
Use Cases
- Knitting-mill real-time inspection and stop control
- Fabric-quality datafication and monthly reports
- Machine-maintenance cycle and anomaly tracking
- Tracing the source of customer-complaint defects
Editor's Note
Talk of AI in textiles often ends up as a slogan, but Smartex rarely puts AI where it actually hurts — the scrap cost of a roll of fabric. This kind of topic isn't sexy, but what it saves is real money.
FAQ
Can it inspect all fabric types?
Smartex's core scenario is real-time inspection of knitted-fabric surfaces; for other weaves or fabrics with special surface treatments, doing sample testing first to confirm the recognition rate is advised in practice. Before adopting, ask the vendor to validate with your own fabric — don't just watch the official demo.
How does it differ from a traditional fabric-inspection machine?
A traditional fabric-inspection machine checks after the fabric is woven, so by the time a problem is found the material is already wasted; Smartex mounts on the knitting machine and stops during weaving. The former finds defective products; the latter avoids producing them — completely different cost structures.
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