W. Duke Kimbrell Flex Factory: Prototype Lab
Lab Manager: Sam Koziarz
The W. Duke Kimbrell Flex Factory Prototype Lab provides services to entrepreneurs and established companies to fabricate textile products and prototype innovative ideas before bringing them to larger scale manufacturing, reducing the product development timeline and increasing speed to market with state of the art textile processing and cut and sew equipment.
Equipment and Capabilities
Industrial Machines
with Contour Vision System and Biting Cutting Function
An automated fabric cutting system equipped with a contour vision system for precise cutting of printed or patterned materials. Its biting cutting function allows the machine to efficiently cut through multiple layers of textile materials with accuracy and consistency.
Dual-Ink System Textile Printer
This dual-ink printer offers two printing options: pigment-based inks for printing directly onto rolls of cellulosic fabric yardage, and sublimation inks for printing onto transfer paper, which can then be heat transferred onto synthetic fabrics.
Non-Contact Body Scanning & Fit Analysis
Captures a detailed three-dimensional representation of the human body using non-contact scanning technology. The resulting digital body model can be used to collect accurate body measurements and support digital product development, fit analysis, and garment design.
Computerized Sock & Hosiery Knitting
An industrial knitting machine designed for the production of knitted socks and hosiery. It uses computerized knitting technology to create tubular garments with integrated shaping, allowing for efficient production of detailed and customized sock designs.
Compact WHOLEGARMENT® Flat Knitting Machine
A compact computerized flat knitting machine featuring WHOLEGARMENT® technology to produce complete, seam-free knitted garments directly from yarn. Designed for seamless apparel, accessories, 3D technical knit structures, and rapid prototyping, eliminating post-knit assembly and minimizing material waste.
Sewing Equipment
Lockstitch + Serger
1-Needle High-Speed Lockstitch Sewing Machine
An industrial single-needle lockstitch sewing machine equipped with an automatic thread trimmer and high-speed servo drive. Engineered for precise, reliable seam joining on light- to medium-weight fabrics, it serves as an essential workhorse for general apparel assembly, prototype construction, and garment manufacturing.
High-Speed Lockstitch Sewing Machine
An industrial single-needle lockstitch machine designed for high-speed, reliable sewing on light to medium-weight materials. It delivers clean, consistent stitching and durability for standard garment construction, seam joining, and prototyping.
High-Speed 3-Thread Industrial Serger
A high-speed 3-thread industrial serger designed for edging, trimming, and joining light to medium-weight fabrics. Utilizing the standard 504 overlock stitch, it delivers clean, professional edge finishes and durable seams for apparel construction and textile prototyping.
High-Speed 5-Thread Safety Stitch Serger
An industrial 5-thread serger engineered for simultaneous seam joining, trimming, and edge-finishing. Utilizing Stitch Type 516 (combining a 3-thread overlock with a 2-thread chainstitch), it delivers maximum seam strength and durability for woven and knit garment assembly.
Specialty Sewing Equipment
High-Speed Single-Needle Lockstitch Machine
A high-speed, single-needle lockstitch sewing machine designed for smooth, high-quality stitching across light to medium-weight fabrics. Equipped with an automatic thread trimmer and precise speed control, it provides consistent seam quality and reliable garment assembly.
4-Needle Feed-Off-The-Arm Flatseam Machine
An industrial 4-needle flatlock sewing machine engineered for producing flat, high-stretch, chafe-free seams on knit and elastic fabrics. Featuring a feed-off-the-arm cylinder design, it is ideal for high-performance activewear, sportswear, swimwear, intimate apparel, and technical compression garments.
High-Speed Industrial Bartacking Machine
An industrial high-speed lockstitch bartacking machine designed to apply dense, high-strength reinforcement stitches to high-stress areas of garments. Essential for securing belt loops, pocket corners, webbing, and hardware anchor points across woven apparel, outerwear, and technical textile products.
High-Speed Industrial Buttonholing Machine
An industrial 1-needle lockstitch buttonholing machine engineered for creating precise, durable straight buttonholes on woven fabrics. Features smooth knife-drop mechanisms and adjustable stitch density, making it essential for shirts, tailored garments, workwear, and general apparel assembly.
2-Needle High-Speed Lockstitch Sewing Machine
An industrial double-needle lockstitch sewing machine designed for precise, parallel seam joining and decorative topstitching across woven fabrics. Ideal for pocket attaching, waistband construction, denim, workwear, and technical textile applications requiring dual-line structural seams.
Bonding Equipment
Industrial Hot Air Seam Sealing Machine
An industrial hot air seam sealing machine engineered to apply waterproof seam tape over stitched or bonded seams using controlled heat, air pressure, and speed settings. Designed to produce durable, airtight, and waterproof seams on outdoor outerwear, technical sportswear, protective garments, tents, and coated technical textiles.
Ultrasonic Fabric Bonding & Seam Welding Machine
An advanced ultrasonic seam welder designed to bond synthetic fabrics without needles, thread, or adhesives using high-frequency vibrations. It creates clean, durable seams, decorative lace edges, and sealed hems, making it ideal for activewear, intimate apparel, medical textiles, decorative trims, and seamless garment manufacturing.
Embroidery
15-Needle Single-Head Automatic Embroidery Machine
A high-speed single-head industrial embroidery machine featuring 15 needles for automated color changes and an overhead drive system for expanded work clearance. Engineered for precision stitching on finished apparel, caps, tubular goods, and custom textile embellishments.
Industrial Multi-Needle Embroidery System
An industrial-grade embroidery machine engineered for high-speed, high-precision stitching on flat and tubular textiles. Features multi-needle automatic color changing, robust tension control, and flexible framing systems suitable for intricate decorative patterns and technical textile applications.
3D Printers
High-Speed Multi-Material FDM 3D Printer
An enclosed, high-speed FDM 3D printer equipped with an Automatic Material System (AMS) enabling multi-color and multi-material printing with up to 4 spools simultaneously. Ideal for rapid prototyping, functional apparel hardware, flexible structure testing, and composite 3D-printed textile applications.
Industrial Delta Kinematic FDM 3D Printer
An industrial Delta-kinematic FDM 3D printer engineered for fast, highly precise additive manufacturing with a static print bed and lightweight moving printhead. Featuring a cylindrical build area and advanced material compatibility—including flexible filaments—it is ideal for rapid prototyping, complex spatial geometries, and custom functional components in textile product development.
Heat Presses
Industrial Heat Transfer & Curing Press
An industrial heat press featuring a 16″ x 20″ platen, dual swing and draw motion, and smart touchscreen controls for precise temperature and pressure application. Ideal for heat transfer vinyl (HTV), direct-to-film (DTF), direct-to-garment (DTG) curing, dye-sublimation, and decorative heat-seal embellishments on textile products.
Large-Format Industrial Heat Transfer Press
A heavy-duty, large-format drawer-slide heat press featuring a generous 42″ x 32″ pressing platen. Designed for dye-sublimation printing, cut-panel transfers, and fabric fusing, its sliding drawer mechanism enables safe, precise garment layout and high-volume textile processing.
Software
Sock Design & Knitting Programming System
A dedicated CAD software used to create, program, and translate sock designs into technical knitting instructions for Lonati machines. It enables precise control over stitch structures, pattern placement, sizing, and colorways prior to production.
CAD Digitizing & Embroidery Punching Software
A high-end CAD digitizing and punching software designed for ZSK industrial embroidery machines. It enables precise pattern creation, vector drawing, and automatic stitch calculations for complex apparel finishing, decorative embroidery, and technical textile applications.
Embroidery Design & Digitizing Software
An industry-leading embroidery design and digitizing software tailored for Tajima machines. It offers advanced vector drawing tools, automatic stitch generation, precise lettering, and detailed editing capabilities to transform artwork into production-ready embroidery files.
Digital Textile RIP & Color Management Software
A dedicated Raster Image Processor (RIP) software designed to manage print layouts, color profiles, and file processing for Mimaki digital textile printers. It converts digital graphics into precise machine instructions, ensuring accurate color reproduction, optimal ink density, and efficient production workflows.
3D Body Measurement & Data Extraction Software
A dedicated 3D scanning software designed to process and analyze three-dimensional human body data. It automatically extracts precise anatomical measurements and generates digital body models to support fit analysis, pattern customization, and apparel product development.
3D Garment Design & Simulation Software
An intuitive 3D fashion design software that creates realistic virtual garment simulations from 2D flat patterns. It enables designers to evaluate fabric drape, refine fit in real time, and streamline the digital prototyping and apparel development process.
Automated Pattern Digitizing Software
An automated digitizing solution by Gerber Technology that rapidly converts hard paper patterns into precise 2D digital vector files. Utilizing high-resolution image processing, it streamlines pattern input, grading, and marker making for seamless integration into apparel CAD workflows.
2D/3D CAD Pattern Making & Nesting Software
An integrated 2D and 3D CAD platform designed for pattern drafting, grading, marker making, and virtual garment simulation. It optimizes fabric utilization through intelligent nesting algorithms and accelerates the apparel product development lifecycle from initial concept to final production.
About the Lab Manager
