RECLÈM is a project grounded in academic research. Lead by Dr. Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, an undergraduate research group at Oklahoma State University met bi-weekly for months to pursue their passion for finding a way to shift the wasteful, environmental damaging paradigm that results from current fashion industry practices. Evolving from the seventeen students who were initially interested into a core group of three dedicated students, we developed the RECLEM Textile repurposing and sustainable garment design patented process.  This unique method shifts the paradigm for both design and production, requiring zero waste and enabling both surface design and garment details to be engineered into the garment without additional sewing, dyeing, or other treatment.

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Because we are going where no one has gone before, bringing RECLÈM to an industrial level requires innovation to create machines that will automate processes for speed and efficiency. 

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Student groups in the Washington University in St. Louis MEMS 411 Mechanical Engineering Design Project course work on an open-ended mechanical design problem and finish the semester by presenting a physical prototype and a formal report to an external review board. Groups are guided through the engineering design process by completing a set of project deliverables. The quality of these deliverables provides a basis for evaluation of individual and team performance. This course emphasizes the importance of user-centric design, communication and presentation skill, consideration of real-world constraints, sketching and creativity, prototyping, and data-driven decision making using engineering models and analyses.

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Fall 2018 students created the T-Shirt Square Cutter

 

https://sites.wustl.edu/mems411/home-page/past-projects/2018-l/

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Fall 2019 students created the T-Shirt Strip Dispenser

 

https://sites.wustl.edu/mems411/home-page/past-projects/2019-w/