The development plan for Prada’s cutting systems set out to incorporate all aspects of cutting into the manufacturing process. The aim was to maintain an exceptionally high level of quality whilst at the same time improving efficiency and reducing levels of consumption.
During 2015 the cutting system in Valvigna more than doubled in capacity, expanding from nine to 20 automatic machines and from nine to 23 members of staff.
In June 2015, following Prada Scandicci’s move to its new premises (see Pradasphere no. 2), a second cutting system was built, with a significant increase both in the number of machines (from two to nine) and operators (from three to sixteen).
The innovative machinery used in these systems, produced by leading Italian companies, meets a range of needs, from cutting samples (small machines with an immobile surface) to cutting soft and prized hides (larger machines, also with a stationary cutting surface).
For medium- and large-scale production, meanwhile, our cutting systems have automatic nesting tables which, when choosing the hides and identifying the cutting criteria, allow us to combine the expertise of our experienced operators with the speed of our younger workers; the latter use the machines to cut the material, following the files prepared by their colleagues. This process also promotes training, professional development and a more skilful workforce.
Bags, shoes and items of clothing are designed on computers using computer-aided design (CAD), and some computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) machines are being introduced to automate certain operations traditionally carried out by hand, such as cutting and stitching.