[geeks] Software Bloat

[geeks at sunhelp.org]

Will.Enestvedt at jwu.edu writes:

>   And I've seen the giant machines that do the fancy embroidery work on
>hats, golf shirts, etc., and they use a paper tape.
>   Someone has to work out the thread colors and needled positions and such
>on a little unit which is a hybrid of a multi-head sewing machine, a
>tape-puncher, and something else, and then that tape is fed into the giant,
>chattering beast that embroiders a dozen garments at once in twenty colors
>of thread. Damn loud when they're running.
>   A'course I didn't do the work (I only clipped and folded finished stuff),
>and it was in the late 80's, but I bet it still works the same way.

RISD has a big CAD/CAM controlled loom in the building on South Main
across from the RISD store. Big. Ladders & catwalks big. Very cool.
My friend Phil runs it. He claims they had the last Jaquard loom in
the US in actual production. They were running it up untill just a few
years ago. It's in a museum now.

-------- David Fischer --------- dave at cca.org --------- www.cca.org --------
---------------------- "It's something to do." -Cerebus --------------------