Textile Industry basic terms

  

Learn basic theory of Textile Industry

The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of yarn, cloth and clothing. The raw material may be natural or synthetic using products of the chemical industry.

The first step in creating fabric is yarn production. Here, the raw materials that have been harvested and processed are transformed from raw fibers into yarn and threads.

Textiles from different countries FUN QUIZ :

Textile quiz

The process of joining the yarn together is called weaving. Weaving is done on a machine known as a loom and requires two sets of yarn. The weaving done in traditional ways is called ―Handloom Industry and the ones produced with automated machines are called Power-loom Industry

Spinning Yarn Mahatma Gandhi

Spinning Meaning

The process of producing yarns from the extracted fibers is called spinning. 

Weaving Meaning

Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling.

Handloom meaning

A 'handloom' is a loom that is used to weave cloth without the use of any electricity. Hand weaving is done on pit looms or frame looms generally located in weavers' homes. The handloom weaving process can be complicated, as the weaver has to precisely dye the threads and then place them exactly in the right pattern on the loom so that it is woven correctly. The design process takes up to 5 hours to complete, while the dyeing and drying process can take another 1–3 days for 24 meters.

Powerloom meaning

A power loom is a mechanized loom, and was one of the key developments in the industrialization of weaving during the early Industrial Revolution. The first power loom was designed in 1784 by Edmund Cartwright and first built in 1785.

Hand spun yarn

The hand spun yarn uses Charkha or spinning when where cotton or wool fibers are twisted to make yarn. The KHADI fabrics are one example of fabric made with hand spun yarn and handloom weaving. Khadi can be in silk, cotton, wool or flax yarn where both yarn and fabrics are made with hand in traditional way which is eco-friendly and consumes very less of electrical or heat energy.

Knitted Fabrics

Loop form knitted fabric close-up

The yarn can be of cotton, polyester or wool. The making process of knitted fabric is on machines only and they are characterized by their ability to stretch on body of the wearer. The T shirts and jogging pants used in sportswear category are made of knitted fabric.

There are three types of fabric manufacturing process. They are weaving, knitting and non weaving. 

Knitted fabric is produced by loop forming. Such type of fabric have huge demand in present world. 

Knitted Garments

Advantages of Knitted Fabrics.

Knitted fabrics are comfortable, lightweight, wrinkle-resistant making them very easy to travel in. These fabrics are often used in athletic clothing due to the stretch and flexibility. Knitted fabrics have a simple and quick production process, therefore, making them cost-efficient.

Weaves .

One can knit  weave as DIY activity for students and kids. This will help them to learn what is weft, warp and loop. The Image shows using cardboard, two coloured threads is being weaved.

Measuring units:

1)Yarn count: The yarn count is a numerical expression which defines its fineness or coarseness. It also expresses weather the yarn is thick or thin. A definition is given by the textile institute – ―Count is a number which indicates the mass per unit length or the length per unit mass of yarn.

2) Fabric thickness is measure with GSM method – gram per square meters

3) Fabric, cloth typically produced by weaving, knitting or knotting textile fibers, yarns or threads, is measured in units such as the momme, thread count (a measure of the coarseness or fineness of fabric), ends per inch (e.p.i) and picks per inch (p.p.i).

4) Picks per inch/Inch (or p.p.i.) is the number of weft threads per inch of woven fabric. A pick is a single weft thread hence the term. In general, the higher the picks per inch, the finer the fabric is.

5) Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth- Warp (tana in hindi) is in the lengthwise direction, and Weft (Bana in Hindi) is in the cross wise or width direction. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting.

6) Fabric length – is measured in Inches and centimetres

7) Garment sizing – inches are used for US market and Centimetre is used for European market.

Different Kinds of weaves. 

Each country have their own distinctive style of design on their fabrics. Click on the image to know to which country these weaves and fabric belong to. This is in the form of quiz. 

Textiles from different countries :

Textile fabrics

The Handloom sector plays a very important role in the India's economy. It is one of the largest  economic activities providing direct employment to over 65 lack people engaged in weaving and allied activities.

Handlooms have been known to India right from the historic ages. The use of fabrics, techniques created to make designer art pieces and expressing ethnicity through them has been an integral part of India's base.

Handloom industry constitutes around 14 percent of total pre industrial production and 30 percent of the total export business. It is also the second largest industry in India with important segments, such as power looms, modern textile mills, handlooms and garments.

There are many workers who are engaged in the handloom sector, close to four-fifths of the workforce, is in the rural sector.

Conclusion: 

Textile industry provides employment from grassroots level till fashion industry / import -export of the product finished.  Many people are involved in this industry farmers who grow organic crops like cotton, jute. Transport industry who have to transfer raw materials to the factories and from there  to wholesale and retail markets. Tailors who have to stitch the garments, Universities which have textile and fashion as a course for the students. So the list endless.