CreateMe launches robotic platform and microadhesive for bonded apparel

Lead: CreateMe Unveils MeRA and Pixel Platform for On‑Demand Bonded Garment Production in the USA

The Newark, California‑based apparel technology company introduced MeRA — Modular‑engineering Robotic Assembly — and Pixel, a proprietary microadhesive system, as a scalable, end‑to‑end platform designed to replace traditional sewing with digitally bonded construction. The company, described as a category‑defining apparel automation firm, operates a 35,000‑square‑foot facility in Newark and currently has one machine up and running, with the second machine under construction and room for eight machines total. The announcement emphasizes on‑demand, local manufacturing as a path to shorter lead times, reduced waste and a more resilient U.S. supply chain.

Two pilot programs are planned, each intended to produce 50,000 units, to demonstrate the system’s ability to scale across product types and fabrics. The platform is positioned to support a broad range of apparel, beginning with women’s intimates built on MeRA as the industry’s first fully autonomous bonded intimates product, and then expanding to common apparel items such as T‑shirts.

System overview and core components

MeRA stands for Modular‑engineering Robotic Assembly, described as completely modular and flexible in design. It operates alongside Pixel, a digital, digitally applied adhesive technology that bonds materials with seams less than 1 mm wide. Together, these components form an end‑to‑end, software‑defined garment construction platform that relies on robotics, digitally applied adhesives, a modular architecture, and proprietary AI/ML software to support automated process control and optimization.

The combined system is described as scalable, resilient by design and intended to support a wide spectrum of garments, from performance wear to lifestyle basics. The workflow is designed to minimize handling of fabric and maintain flat processing for as long as possible, with 3‑D adjustments added toward the end of production to accommodate features like neck bands and shoulder construction.

Capabilities, throughput and footprint

Individual MeRA machines are positioned to deliver up to 250 garments per hour, with the capacity to produce as many as 1 million T‑shirts annually per machine according to the platform’s production claims. The footprint is described as compact, enabling high throughput within a small physical footprint and supporting local, small‑batch manufacturing without the cost penalties typically associated with outsourced production.

Tests have reportedly covered a broad fabric set — “about 100 fabrics” — illustrating the system’s potential to handle diversity in textiles and constructions. The platform’s design emphasizes speed‑to‑market, with reductions in lead times cited as up to 70%, taking products from concept to consumer in days rather than months. The system is also positioned to offer cost parity with offshore labor, a notable claim in the context of shifting nearshore and on‑shore sourcing paradigms.

Product roadmap and business model

The first commercial product built on MeRA is described as a fully autonomous bonded intimates product, launched within the intimates category, with plans to extend to everyday apparel, beginning with T‑shirts and expanding to additional styles in the near term. The company notes a licensing option for its technology, offering a potential business model path alongside direct manufacturing uses.

Minimums and turnaround times are positioned as favorable for nearshore and on‑shore demand, including quotas around 100 units or less for color quantities and one‑to‑three‑week turnaround possibilities. The workflow supports nearshoring, nearshore, and on‑shore demand for special sizes, small silhouette runs and items that are hard to forecast, with production located closer to end markets.

Sustainability, recyclability and industry impact

Public claims emphasize reduced CO2 emissions, less textile waste and less overproduction as outcomes of moving to bonded construction and distributed manufacturing. Pixel’s bonding approach enables material separation at end‑of‑life, which is presented as facilitating better recyclability compared with traditional stitching or permanent adhesives. The overall system is described as supporting responsible, on‑demand manufacturing with less risk of surplus inventory and waste.

Intellectual property and leadership

The company states it holds a large portfolio of apparel automation IP, described as around 95 patents (95+ patents in some excerpts), positioning the platform as a leading, defensible technology in the field. The leadership team includes a chief executive officer and a VP of R&D, with public materials highlighting the architects of the platform as positioned to redefine how clothes are made and to push toward a future where bonded apparel is a mainstream paradigm.

Status and next steps

With one machine operational and a second under construction at the Newark facility, the platform remains in the early deployment phase, supported by two pilot programs intended to validate performance at scale. The facility has room to expand to a total of eight machines, indicating a clear growth path should demand align with the announced pilots and product roadmap.

Key takeaways

At a high level, the platform combines robotic assembly with micro‑adhesive bonding to deliver fast, local, and sustainable garment production while enabling on‑demand manufacturing that could reshape lead times and inventory for certain brands. The approach emphasizes modularity, AI‑driven process control, and recyclable end‑of‑life workflows designed to support a distributed manufacturing network closer to consumer markets.

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