Textile Fabrics and Finishes

Objectives:

 Identify most common fabric constructions  Describe main fabric finishing procedures  Recognize importance of quality and performance standards  Summarize aspects of the textile industry  Explain how fabrics are sold down the chain  Cite textile industry trade information  Tell about future predictions for textiles

Fabric Design and Construction



Two forms of design



Structural Design



“Building in” texture or interest during manufacturing process



Weaving and knitting most common



Applied Design



Adding color, pattern, or other features to the structural design



Printing on fabric

Fabric Construction Methods



Weaving



Knitting



Plain: crosshatch pattern



Twill: diagonal wale



Weft



Warp



Nonwoven



Fused



Satin: floating yarns



Felted



Films

Fabric Terms



Grain – direction yarns run in the fabric



Lengthwise - warp



Crosswise - weft



Diagonal - bias



Selvage



“Finished” weft edge of fabric CUT EDGE SELVAGE WEFT WARP BIAS SELVAGE

Variations of Weaves



Stripes



Checks



Plaids



Jacquard



Pile fabrics



Terry cloth



Corduroy



Velvet

Knitting



Looping yarn together



Made using one yarn



Built-in stretch



Wrinkle resistant



Does not ravel like woven material, but may run



Weft (filling) stretches in both directions



Warp stretches one direction; run-proof

Nonwoven Fabrics



Compact web of fibers (not yarns) constructed using



Moisture



Heat



Chemicals



Friction



Pressure



No grain

Other Construction Methods



Laces and Nets



Made by knotting



Decorative trim



Braids



Decorative trims



Bonded fabrics



Fusible web



Interfacing and hem tape



Quilted fabrics

Fabric Finishing



Converters



Mills that change greige goods into finished fabrics



Applying colors, designs, or surface treatments



Bleaching



Dyeing



Printing



Finishes

Dyeing



Fiber



Adding color to fibers before spinning into yarns



Yarn



Placing yarns in dye bath



before making into fabric Piece



Fabrics dyed after weaving or knitting



Garment



Dyed after construction

Printing



Adding color, pattern, or design to surface of fabric



Overall prints



Same across fabric



Directional prints



Specific direction to pattern



Plaids



Even - same in warp and weft



Uneven - different in warp or weft

Printing Methods



Roller



Applies color design by roller



Screen



Similar to stenciling



Heat Transfer



Design on printed paper transferred to fabric by heat and pressure



Rotary Screen



Applies color design by cylinder shaped nylon screens



Digital



Computer method uses ink-jet printing



Flocking



Fibers attached by patterned glue

Fabric Finishes



Mechanical finishes affect size and appearance



By heat, moisture, stretching, singeing



Example: preshrinking



Chemical finishes affect performance



Permanent press



Waterproof



Water repellent



Flame resistant



Antistatic



Stain and soil resistant

Standards



Quality



Rate textiles according to levels of defects



Performance



Rate textiles for specific end-use suitability

The Textile Industry



Specialized companies perform stages of the textile segment of the chain



Technology necessary



CAD/CAM



Fashion



Tracking designs, trends, forecasts



Marketing



Planning, pricing, promoting, distributing

Selling Finished Fabrics



Staple fabrics



Sold each year with little or no change in construction



Novelty fabrics



Fashion fabrics that change with style trends



Overruns



When a mill makes more fabric than was ordered by customers

Trade Information

  

American Textile Manufacturers Institute, Inc. (ATMI)



Industry-wide marketing, government relations, trade policies American Printed Fabrics Council, Inc. (APFC)



Printing achievements American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC)



Wet processing aspects

Future of Textiles



Continued U.S. innovation



Stay internationally competitive



Update plants



Continued automation



Flexibility and versatility for shorter production runs of different fabrics



Increased knit production



Textile firms need more sophisticated marketing techniques

Do You Know . . .



A finishing term that ends in “proof” means complete protection (as in waterproof).



Hand is the term used for textiles that refers to the way fabrics feel to the touch. Hand may apply to drape, softness, firmness, crispness, or elasticity.