Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Textile Management and Technology'

The body of this research seeks to create an Industry Technology Roadmap for one segment of the U.S. textile and apparel industry, specifically, the flushable pre-moistened wipes industry. Industry Technology Roadmapping is a new type of strategic planning method. Previous technology forecasting methods allowed planners to identify several alternate future states or scenarios and provided uncertainty in either product needs or technological developments. In contrast, Industry Technology Roadmapping allows a company or an industry to proactively plan and prepare for its future by offering future goals, critical requirements and, finally, solutions to achieve the future goals. In addition, Roadmapping works as an effective organizational learning and knowledge creation tool and induces collaboration and new partnerships among companies as well. Currently, flushable pre-moistened nonwoven wipes emerge as new textile products and attempt to expand their future markets. During this research, industry expert interviews and surveys, consumer surveys, heavy user surveys, creation of an Internet blog, and literature review including a patent analysis were conducted for data gathering. The resulting Roadmap provides the nonwoven wipes industry valuable information about the potential future markets, required properties, the current environment of flushable wipes, including challenges, strength, and opportunities, and the solutions. These can help the U.S. nonwoven wipes industry to do informed investment into research, development and manufacturing facilities.

In order to better understand the changes and trends in the increasingly competitive dynamics of global textile complex, this research focuses on analyzing the rate of change in country of production origin for fiber, yarn, fabric and end-use products in the past decade. By using the model of textile product complex as framework, the data presented in this research paper were firstly collected from various data sources, such as the Fiber Economics Bureau, ITMF, ICAC, Textiles Intelligence, CIRFS, and WTO as well. The data were then validated to ensure its integrity, which represented a significant stage in the process. Finally, the data were analyzed and conclusions were drawn based on the obvious trends in the data. This research offers a practical interpretation of the direction and magnitude of changes in worldwide textile and apparel production. Meanwhile, it provides an outline of the relationships between textile trade and production, as well as the relationships between production and employment. In addition, the findings from this study will show the direction for global sourcing of textile and apparel products.

It is known that not all polymers can be melted and extruded to form polymer fibers. Electrospinning process involves a direct method to produce fibers in nanometer range by dissolving the polymer in solvent(s) to form the spinning solution. In this work, the spinning solution was prepared by dissolving Poly (ethylene terephthalate) polymer in triflouroacetic acid and methylene chloride. Charging the solution to a very high potential initiated the process to produce electrospun fibers. With increasing voltage, a critical point is reached and a charged jet of the solution is ejected. As this charged jet moves in the air, the solvent evaporates, leaving behind a charged polymer fiber that collects on a targeted source (rotating drum). Equipment to form electrospun fiberwebs on a rotating drum was designed and successfully built. The equipment for this process is relatively simple and small since this process lend itself to the production of fibers/fiberwebs from small quantity of polymer solution. An experiment was designed to investigate the influence of polymer concentration in the spinning solution and the electric field level on fiber and fiberweb response of interest.
Electrospun fibers and fiberwebs were characterized for fiber diameter and its distribution, orientation distribution function, and pore size and its distribution. The results showed that an increase in the electric field resulted in a decrease of the average diameter of the electrospun fibers. It has also been observed that there was concentration/electric field interaction effect on fiber diameter. As the electric field increased keeping polymeric concentration constant, the fibers orientation in machine direction increased. It was observed that as the electric field was increased, the average pore diameter decreased. The decrease in average pore size with increase in electric field was explained in terms of fiber diameter as well as fiberweb structural parameters (orientation and basis weight).

The apparel design process involves gathering and analyzing information on fashion trends, markets, past line sales and editing ideas for successful combinations of fabric, style and price. These ideas are the result of creativity. Creativity is most often modeled as a problem solving process involving complex chaotic systems. In the fields of architecture and software design, pattern languages have been developed to help understand the various fundamental components and dynamics of complex systems by using a series of related generic problem-solving patterns empirically proven to be successful in a specified context of forces. Patterns record existing knowledge to make it rapidly and easily accessible and communicated between different users. The research objective of this dissertation was to develop a pattern language describing the initial creative phase of the apparel design process. First, an archetype of the initial creative process in apparel design was constructed based on the literature reviewed to integrate the intervening marketing and design components, and suggest a set of links between these components and the various stages of the process. Second, patterns describing these links and the archetype were developed to form a pattern language representing the dynamics of the archetypal model, i.e. the articulation and interdependencies of all its components and stages. Design professionals reviewed the pattern language. Students used it to develop product concepts and storyboards, which were evaluated by a panel of judges. Feedback from these participants indicates the pattern language offers a "design manual" that can be used by all team members to improve design efficiency and effectiveness, i.e. higher success rates of new products in a timely manner. Combining information technology and the pattern language could make an even greater contribution to apparel design, both at an operational level and a strategic planning level. This research provides a working example of a pattern language and shows the benefits to be attained. Also, the dissertation includes a guide on constructing pattern languages in the hope of reaching the ultimate goal of encouraging industry and academic apparel design experts to contribute to the necessary ongoing developments of the pattern language.

The purpose of this research has been to examine possible factors which effect yarn production and prices in the U.S.The research approach first involved gathering the data from different sources about yarn production and prices. Second, data was gathered about the different factors which could have an effect on these. These factors included enduse demand, cotton consumption, the effect of spinning systems, labor cost and demand, machinery hours and shipments, and the level of imports and exports. Third, the data was compared and conclusions were made based solely on the obvious trends in the data. Fourth, current situations in the textile market were examined in order to conclude if any have had an effect on yarn production and price. The main issues which are facing the textile industry and were included in this analysis were NAFTA, CBI, Asia and the WTO. The effect that these have had and will have on the spinning industry was examined in detail. Fifth, a statistical analysis was conducted. The analysis included the use of a correlation matrix for both yarn production levels and yarn prices in order to see which factors statistically had the strongest impact on these. Overall, this research offers a view into the inside of the U.S. spinning industry, including the dynamics which effect final yarn production levels and yarn prices, as well as situations which will have an impact on the future of the spinning industry.

LEE, EUN-KYUNG. Creation of Casual Index Based on Habit Stocks and General Social Behaviors. (Under the direction of Dr. Moon W. Suh and Dr. William Oxenham.)A fashion preference indicator called "Casual Index" was created to signify and measure the degree of casualness at any given time point by using various statistical and econometrics models. The indices were created based on two approaches; one for theoretically constructed and the other for practical application. The theory-based Casual Index is a composite index formulated from two sub-indices that were derived from the general social behaviors and apparel demand patterns of contemporary Americans. The consumption-based Casual Index is also a composite index aimed at practical application, derived from consumption data on certain apparel items. In addition, the Total Casual Index was created by combining the consumption-based Casual Indices of men and women based on unit volumes of apparel consumption. In deriving the various casual indices, the General Social Survey data from National Opinion Research Center (University of Chicago) and the Current Industrial Report MQ23A of U.S. Bureau of Census from 1972 through 1998 were applied. For the first time, the behavioral patterns of the society and the habit formation by consumers were combined in creating and successfully validating theoretically formulated Casual Index. The statistical methods applied were proven to be highly effective. The consumption-based Casual Index was shown to be most useful for practical applications as well as for forecasting for the future casual trends. Although somewhat subjective in the formulation, the newly created Total Casual Index is expected to enhance its utility in the absence of complex data and mathematical models. The casual indices derived for both men and women suggest that the casual trends have shifted dynamically during the last three decades. Based on the Total Casual Index, the 1998 figure (75.7) is shown to be higher than that of 1972 (63.7).

Running continues to be one of the more popular sports enjoyed by all ages. Regardless of the popularity of the sport, limited research currently exists to quantify the apparel purchase behavior of runners. This research studied variables that influenced purchase intentions of runners at different levels of involvement. The runners were categorized by the dualistic theory of passion, and their purchase intentions toward apparel brands for running were investigated from the self-congruity perspective. Runners completed an online survey that provided comprehensive information on their running behavior and their past and future apparel purchases. Exploratory factor analysis was used to investigate the dualistic theory of passion and self-congruity theory on the running population. Four variables were found to be important predictors of purchase intentions for all runners: Self-Image Congruence, Function, Aesthetic, and Technology Appeal. Further, logistic regression was used to determine which variables significantly influenced purchase intentions of runners in each category. Based on the findings, a theoretical framework was proposed. This study concluded that functional attributes of running apparel influence runnersâ purchase intentions.

The purpose of this research is to understand, define and map the weave-room performance decision-making process, and to develop an Information Engineering methodology for studying and analyzing decision-making processes in textile manufacturing departments. A preliminary Decision Cycle Model was developed using knowledge management principles, resulting in a definition of Information Engineering, which was ?a technique for extracting the meaning contained in the information so as to allow the understanding needed by the user to make an informed decision?. A case study approach, in conjunction with a process-modeling tool called IDEF0, belonging to the IDEF (Integrated Definition language) family of modeling techniques, has been used. Case studies were conducted at three weaving plants, resulting in the development of the three AS-IS models. These case studies provided the framework to compare with, and become the underlying basis for, the proposed Best Practices TO-BE model of the weave-room performance decision-making process. Additionally, both the AS-IS and TO-BE models lead to the development of ten key performance-improving tasks that could potentially assist in enhancing the decision process as well as providing the background for analyzing the usability of IDEF0 as an effective process-mapping tool, by means of a SWOT analysis. Finally, a generic Information Engineering methodology was developed that could be used for mapping manufacturing-related decisions. The research deliverables resulting from the Information Engineering methodology would eventually lead to the development and creation of a kind of Digital Decision Dashboard (D3), which could potentially prove to be a valuable tool for decision-making in textiles, thus addressing a critical need presently facing the textile industry.

Dimensional stability of tufted carpets has been a continuing problem in the industry for years. When a tufted carpet is installed by the stretch method, it experiences stress relaxation over time which can cause the carpet to buckle, wrinkle and become loose with the only option being a costly re-stretching of the carpet. Since woven carpets seldom require re-stretching, the carpet buckling problem seems to be linked primarily to the tufted construction. This research seeks to analyze the various components of the tufted carpet composite structure and identify the role each component plays in the phenomenon of stress relaxation. Since a carpet is always stretched in both dimensions simultaneously during installation, understanding its biaxial stress decay is important. To this end, a biaxial loading system has been used to test various samples of the primary backing alone (before tufting), primary backing after tufting (with tufts), the secondary backing alone, and the finished carpet after attaching the backings with various binder weights per area. The four variables under consideration include: primary and secondary backing constructions, tufting density, and latex weight, with the secondary backing and latex weight expected to have the greatest effects on stress decay. In order to collect the most information, the biaxial test system was connected to a computer-based data acquisition system to continuously monitor stress levels and generate stress relaxation curves over a 20-hour testing period. A viscoelastic model that included representations of each component in the carpet structure was used to analyze and understand the influence of the components on the stress relaxation of carpets.

Idag förbränns tonvis med textil i Sverige som aldrig har blivit använd. Detta som en effekt av att dagens textilindustri är uppbyggd som en linjär modell där nya råvaror ständigt går in i systemet och avfall lämnar det. Krav ställs nu på nationell nivå i Sverige att textilindustrin måste ställa om och bli cirkulär som en del i att klara klimatmålen. Detta ställer stora krav på svenska företag att hantera det textila restmaterial som uppstår i deras processer på helt nya sätt. För att textilt restmaterial ska kunna bli råvara till en annan produkt behövs nya system och ibland branschöverskridande samarbeten där den enas avfall blir den andres råvara. Denna studie bidrar med insikter om de utmaningar som svenska företag står inför när textila restmaterial ska bli råvara samt hur möjligheter kan tas tillvara genom nätverkande och kunskapsutbyte. Med observationer, en enkät och intervjuer undersöktes textila produktutvecklings- och produktionsföretags behov och hinder för användning av textila restmaterial som råvara. I studien har också de behov av resurser och nätverk företagen har för att kunna öka användandet av textila restströmmar utforskats. Studien visar på att attityden till att samla in textila restströmmar bland producerande företag är positiv och att det finns goda möjligheter för ökad insamling av industriella textila restmaterial med en hög grad av spårbarhet. Den visar också att det för företag som vill använda restmaterial efterlyses möjligheter för effektiv insamling samt bearbetning eller förädling av materialen. Alla delar i värdekedjan behöver ses över och för att möta utmaningen och det finns ett behov av att tänka annorlunda och våga prova nya vägar och samarbeten. Resultatet av denna studie visar på att en plattform för enbart handel av textila restmaterial inte är tillräckligt, företagen behöver också kunna knyta nya kontakter, få se på goda exempel och samverka kring logistiken kring insamling för att uppnå effektivitet.
In today’s textile industry, tons of textiles are incinerated every year without being used once. This because the textile industry today is built like a linear system, in which raw materials enter the system and then leave it in the form of waste. Requirements are now set on a national level in Sweden that requires the textile industry to change its direction and become circular as a part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This poses massive requirements on Swedish textile companies to handle their textile waste material in their processes in new ways. For textile waste material to become the raw material in a new product, new systems are necessary and sometimes cross-industry collaborations are needed. This study aims to contribute with knowledge about the challenges that Swedish textile companies face when textile waste materials are becoming the raw material in new products, and the opportunities to take advantage of through networking and knowledge sharing. With observations, a survey, and semi structured interviews the challenges and opportunities of Swedish textile product developing companies and textile production companies for collecting and using textile waste material was studied. The study also investigates the need for resources and expanded networks that the companies have, to increase the use of textile waste as a raw material. The study shows that the attitude among the production companies to sort and collect their textile waste is positive and that there are great opportunities for an increased collection of textile industrial waste material with a high level of traceability. The study also shows that for the companies that want to use textile waste material as a raw material in their products, new systems for effective collection and processes for refining the materials are asked for. To meet these requirements all parts of the value chain need to be reconsidered and new ways of thinking needs to be applied to try new collaborations and find new paths. The result of the study shows that a platform for just trading materials is not good enough, the companies are also in need of new contacts, inspiration, and solutions for efficient logistics in sorting, collecting, and distributing materials.

Micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) comprise a range of technologies that enable the fabrication of micron-sized, solid state devices such as sensors and actuators. MEMS manufacturing technologies enable the development of many exciting micro-scale or micro miniaturized products. This paper presents a decision model for evaluating the potential cost/benefit of different applications of MEMS for textiles. The objective is to determine the feasibility of replacing current warp tension measurement methods with MEMS. In order to accomplish this goal, a literature survey was conducted to document the current economic models and cost justification issues as well as the fundamentals of MEMS. From this survey, decision methodologies were identified and a decision model was established. To establish this model, Microsoft Excel (version Excel 2000) spreadsheet was used as a tool. The results from this model have been used to analyze the feasibility of using MEMS technology in measuring warp tension for textile applications.Finally, conclusions and recommendations for future applications have been covered.

MicroElectroMechanical Systems, or MEMS, is an emerging high technology that has proven to be very successful in several industries such as medical, automotive and ink jet industries. The technology philosophy is to integrate sensors, actuators and electronics onto a silicon substrate (polysilicon batch) to form as small as a square millimeter micromachine at low manufacturing cost. Such advantages prompted investigating the potential applications of MEMS in textiles.Initially, we identified possible applications of MEMS technology in spinning, weaving, knitting, fiber formation, nonwovens, testing and evaluation, and dyeing and finishing. Based on a perceived real need and large potential market for a successful device, it was decided to concentrate efforts into the development of a MEMS based detection device to monitor warp tension and end breaks in weaving. Thus replacing the abrasive and passive traditional drop wire with gentle and active device that has the potential to expand the markets for weavers. A macro prototype device (sensors, software and hardware) to monitor warp tension and break was designed and built. Descriptions of the device components along with weaving specifics are given. To demonstrate the benefits of the device, several experiments were conducted. The experiments along with their results are reported. The experiments include: Simultaneously monitor tension of eight individual warp ends in real time  Identify complex weave patterns through matching tension fingerprint with weave floats and intersections Detect yarn tension trends while weaving Quantify variations of warp tension across beam width Identify variations of warp tension at the warp sheet edges Monitor the behavior of the warp let-off mechanism Detect broken warp yarns Assess warp yarn damage caused by using drop wiresBased on the results of these experiments, it can be concluded that monitoring individual warp yarn tension could provide a useful mean for woven fabric producers as well as weaving machine manufacturers. From these findings, the micromachine, an array of piezoresistive sensors, was designed and built.

Jones, Jeremy. Abrasion Characteristics of Ring-Spun and Open-End Yarns. (Under the direction of Dr. Pam Banks-Lee and Dr. William Oxenham.) In the early 1980s, widespread claims in the knitting industry suggesting that the use of open-end yarns significantly increased the wear of mechanical components, especially knitting needles. Since then, many studies have attempted to explain this phenomenon and have yielded widely varying results. A study was conducted to compare the yarn properties of open-end yarn to ring-spun yarn. Identical yarns of varying parameters including yarn type, yarn count, and twist multiple were produced from the same raw cotton stock to eliminate variability in raw material. These yarns were tested for abrasiveness on a Lawson-Hemphill CTT (Continuous Tension Transport) tester. The device passes the yarn over a wire and records the length of yarn required to sever the wire. For this study the CTT was encoded to abrade a fixed length of yarn over the wire. The wire was then observed with both a Hitcahi ESEM (Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope) and a digital imaging microscope. The resultant images were examined for attrition and the abrasion values were evaluated using statistical analysis. It was confirmed that an increase in yarn count corresponded to a decrease in abrasion. Twist multiple had a noticeable effect on abrasion although the trends between yarn types, and yarn counts were inconsistent. Open-end yarn abrasion values were only slightly greater than their ring-spun counterparts, contradicting the claims of the knitting industry.

This project searches for synergism between two binder technologies, specifically 1) low levels ofhydroentanglement energy which avoid excessive fiber loss but do not give adequate fabric strength, abrasionresistance or strain recovery, and 2) low levels of binder which do not degrade fabric aesthetics. The mainsteps were to 1) determine the fiber loss while hydroentangling, by testing three fabric weights and severalspecific energy levels for a 50% wood pulp and 50% polyester, and then 2) combine both technologies, fortwo fiber blends, at three levels of specific energy and four levels of binder add on. We found that: 1. Thecarrier screen mesh size, during hydroentanglement, was a critical factor for making the desired fabrics. 2.The fiber loss during hydroentanglement increases linearly with increasing specific energy, in the rangestudied. 3. The fabric basis weight has a very weak influence on the fiber loss during hydroentanglement. 4.Fabrics hydroentangled from one side only or on both sides lose the same amount of fibers. 5. The physicalproperties -strength, load at 5% strain, abrasion resistance- are greatly improved with an add-on of binder,while different levels of hydroentanglement energy input were found to be less significant. 6. Thehydroentangled and foam bonded fabrics are softer than those which were foam bonded only. 7. Theaddition of foam bonding up to 5% did not affect the softness of the hydroentangled fabrics. 8. The hydrogenbonding effect is shown to be significant at these levels of hydroentanglement and binder add-on. 9. Thefabric bending rigidity can be correlated with the Young's modulus of the bonded fabric for a 60% woodpulp fabric. 10. The abrasion resistance behavior is very different depending on the side tested: foam free orfoamed.

KUEHNEN, STEFAN ALEXANDER. Model Based Conceptual Communication Design in Coordination Systems (under the Direction of Dr. Padmini Srinivasan-Hands and Dr. Samuel C. Winchester)The purpose of this research has been to investigate the feasibility of developing a model-based method for conceptual communication design in coordination systems. Business process modeling methodologies are surveyed and the methodology of choice, Actionworkflow?, is presented. As the basis for method development Language/Action and Speech Act theories, underlying the Actionworkflow? methodology, are examined for potential concepts aiding the development of the method. Their history and surrounding philosophies are presented. Critique of the Actionworkflow? methodology is presented and discussed.The major focus of the research is the development of the model-based method to conceptually design communications in coordination systems. Its development, structure and components are presented and explained. The method is illustrated with a simple, everyday-life, application example. Applications of the method to examine web-based e-commerce sites are presented. It has been determined that the application for these environments is insightful. The examples discussed are ebay, an auction provider, e-trade, an on-line broker, and priceline.com, a purchasing service applying a unique process for the purchase of services and goods. Consequently the application of the method to establish the feasibility of designing coordination support systems for textile new product development is provided. Coordination model development and design of communications are discussed in parallel. Application results show that the method can successfully be used for conceptually designing coordination support systems, although practical issues have to be further investigated.Finally underlying assumptions are displayed and discussed, model validation provided, performance evaluation, as to the goals set forth for the research undertaken, and recommendations for future research provided.

AbstractKonopka, Amy Elizabeth. The Effect of Anisotropy on In-Plane liquid Distribution in Nonwoven Fabrics. (Under the direction of Behnam Pourdeyhimi)Anisotropy has been shown to be an influencing factor of many nonwoven structural properties such as the bending rigidity and the tensile strength. The effect on liquid distribution (a very important property in many nonwoven applications), however, has not been determined. In this study the effect on anisotropy on a material's in-plane liquid distribution is examined. By using the new NCRC GATS device, which enables the in-plane liquid distribution and the recording of the spread to occur simultaneously, it was determined that the liquid distribution was indeed influenced by the structural anisotropy. Also determined was the effect of the testing method on the wicking rate of the material. A comparison between conventional test methods and a newly developed test method, which utilizes the NCRC GATS and a hollowed plate, were made. It was determined from the results that the new method is the only method that measures the intrinsic wicking of the material.

The purpose of this research has been to investigate the weaving properties of cotton yarns treated with three newly developed reactive sizing agents. N-methlyocarbamoylethyl starch, N-methlyocarbamoylethyl starch + poly vinyl alcohol (PVA), and N-methlyocarbamoylethyl starch + PVA + melamine formaldehyde have been studied as durable, non-removable sizing agents. Extensive work has been conducted to accomplish the objectives of the current research. The experimental activities have included: developing new reactive sizes; spinning a range of cotton yarns with three levels of twist multiple; preparing and applying size solution; testing mechanical and physical characteristics of sized yarns to evaluate their weavability; evaluating the stability of the sizing agents in woven structures; and performing statistical analyses to investigate the effect of size type, twist level, and solid concentration in the size bath on several yarn properties.

This research involves the application of hydroentangling technology as a means of significantly improving knitted fabric properties. In the past, various efforts have been made, directed at improving the dimensional stability and physical properties of woven and knitted fabrics through the finishing technique of hydroentanglement. In such applications, warp and filling fibers in fabrics are hydroentangled at crossover points to effect enhancement in fabric cover. The process parameters of hydroentangling are investigated and optimized to achieve desired results. Potential benefits include enhanced fabric durability, stability, and appearance.

Sensors and actuators featuring biomimetic properties, with linear and angular resolution, good compliance and long term biostability are in growing demand for applications such as synthetic muscles, sensor equipped limps and other bio-engineering designs. Recent research papers have demonstrated that insulator materials coated with polypyrrole or polyaniline and combined with various dopants can achieve piezoresistive and dielectric properties, enabling the detection and displacement of local strains in polymer sheets, textile fibers and fabrics. It is known that composite films made from layers of carbon black (CB) filled polyvinylindene fluoride (PVDF) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) films provide stable piezoelectric behavior in the temperature range from 20 to 140 oC and low tensile loss on exposure to moisture and hydrolytic conditions. However, to date the literature contains no references to the use of this particular polymer system in fiber or textile form. Moreover, since the resistivity of such composites can be quantitatively specified by selectively localizing CB in one polymer phase or at the interface of an immiscible polymer blend, it was hypothesized that bicomponent fiber spinning might lead to similar piezoelectric properties within individual fibers. This research study was therefore aimed first at determining whether a blend of PVDF and HDPE polymers filled with CB could be melt spun and drawn into a series of composite or bicomponent fibers using a laboratory extruder and drawing machine. This was accomplished successfully with loadings of CB varying from zero to 27.7% by weight. The second goal was to determine the weight fraction of CB that should be added to PVDF / HDPE composite fibers in order to optimize their electrical functionality and piezoelectric performance. Analysis of the deformation of the as-spun and drawn fibers in their longitudinal direction during charging and discharging was conducted in a novel piezoresponse force microscope (PFM). It demonstrated that increasing the CB content also increased the ferroelectric hysteresis and piezoelectric constant of the composite fiber up to the percolation threshold of 20.7% of CB by weight. The CB was selectively located in the HDPE phase, resulting in a significant loss of crystallinity in the HDPE phase. At the same time, the PVDF phase was transformed from a non-polar to a polar form. The optimum spun and drawn composite piezoelectric fiber measuring 120 microns in diameter contained 56/32/12 PVDF/HDPE/CB by weight. Under the electric stimulation of a few volts it was predicted to be capable of producing a tensile force of about 2 x 10^-2 N for a 350 mm long fiber with 1 mm 2 cross-sectional area. It is anticipated that a bundle of such piezoelectric fibers measuring 26 mm² in cross-section could generate the force of 0.5 N required to complete flexion of a human distal interphalangeal (finger) joint. The incorporation of CB filled HDPE produces a conductive matrix phase within these bicomponent fibers, which acts as an electrode around the PVDF regions, facilitating a more uniform distribution of the piezoelectric charge within the PVDF phase. These encouraging results bode well for future piezoelectric fibers, which have both rapid electromechanical response and good biostability. Additional larger scale tests are recommended to evaluate the efficiency of these novel biomaterials for use in biomedical and electrotextile end-uses.

Over-end unwinding has been proved to be the most optimal process to transfer yarn from one package to another in order to improve the quality and the characteristics of subsequent processes like warping and weaving. It is the highly non-linear behavior of this unwinding process that the variation in the quality of the final product is found and if this behavior is not controlled, the variation becomes more pronounced. This non-linear behavior should be well understood to select the optimum process parameters for a given operation and subsequent processing. This research study is done to analyze the effects of various process parameters on the tension distribution and balloon profile and to experimentally validate the mathematical model set forth for predicting the behavior of over-end unwinding. The materials used for the experiments are Polyester multifilament yarns of different linear densities (70, 270 and 500 denier). The variables used for the study purpose are Unwinding Speed, Mass Linear Densities, Package Diameters, and Guide-eye Distances. Balloon images are captured using a high-speed camera and the images are synchronized with the tension readings. Since three levels of each variable are used, 81 numbers of tests are conducted. Accordingly, the influence of changes in variables as well as the direction of unwinding (front-to-back or back-to-front) is seen for the tension distribution and balloon profile. The results of the experiments are compared with the theoretical predictions. In agreement with the theory, increase in the balloon height causes increase in tension. Also, the reduction in balloon count is accompanied by the increase in tension. Highest possible tension is seen with single balloon formations. With the same balloon count, an increase in unwinding speed gives rise to increased tension.

This study identifies how an electronic journal can be established and implemented in the textile and apparel field. The study considers, Journal of Textile & Apparel Technology & Management as an innovation in the textile and apparel field, and analyzes electronic media as a way of disseminating information to scholarly and industrial communities in a better way. This study documented the process of establishing the electronic journal, and also provides the importance of a feedback loop to provide inputs for future journals. The readership behavior of the journal, including unique visits, repetitive visits, hits (page impressions), geographic location of the readers/visitors, entry page, was examined with the help of log files collected from College of Textiles and Sitestats, a UK based company. Issue analysis (volume 1, issues 1-4, volume 2, issue 1) was compared with previous issues and the results were related to Rogers? Model of the Innovation-Decision process (1995) and proved that JTATM is an innovation in the textile and apparel field.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010.
The company studied is a privately owned textile company, which is part of the CAP Germany Group of companies. It is one of the leading textile knitting mills in Southern Africa and has won several awards in this regard, whilst it has also been subject to quite a few changes over the last few years. The company recently appointed a new Chief Executive Officer to lead the textile mill into the technical market, and extend the range of the fashion apparel, which it focuses on as its main product. With the aim of keeping the company in the forefront of new development, it has become important to keep its management team well informed and for them to make strategic decisions with much focus on analysis of the information that is available to them. The textile mill has a SAP ERP system, which was implemented as to provide a source of information, hence management can analyse this information that is available to aid them in their decision-making.

Growing concerns over the environmental and social impacts related to the production of clothing and textiles have created a need for more discussion about supply chain practices. Currently, there are no guidelines or strategies for addressing sustainable supply chains in the apparel industry that minimize environmental impacts and uphold socially responsible practices. This exploratory case study traces an apparel supply chain, with a focus on cotton, in South Africa that is under a development strategy to create a sustainable supply chain from farm to retail. In-depth interviews were conducted across the supply chain, including cotton farmers, cotton gins, a cotton yarn manufacturer, a textile mill, an apparel manufacturer, and a retailer. The purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of the business decisions at each node of the supply chain that influence the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability by applying the triple top line model (McDonough & Braungart, 2002). This study identifies strengths and weaknesses in sustainable practices that adhere to the triple top line model within each node of the supply chain. Results found economic factors were drivers for good social and environmental practices, with the latter being the smallest segment of the three. The study makes recommendations for improving practices at each node of the supply chain and recommendations for strategies for developing sustainable apparel supply chains.

The purpose of the research has been to investigate how merger and outsourcing activities impact the way productivity is measured on five categories of company resources: human, physical, knowledge, capital, and infrastructure resources. This research involves: an assessment of productivity measures with the goal of determining which resource category are key areas to monitor after merger activity, an evaluation of profitable textile mergers with the goal of delineating the execution of the merger strategies, an analysis of the effect of increased outsourcing on productivity growth with respect to the textile industry, and an evaluation of the adequacy of productivity measures in representing the economic competitiveness of the US Textile Industry. For the sample of textile companies, merger activity impacts the productivity of capital and knowledge resources the most. The most common strategies employed during successful textile mergers targeted the improvement of: corporate structure, product differentiation and speed to market. The influence of outsourcing on productivity growth in the textile industry was found to be negligible when comparing productivity measures that include and exclude outsourcing. In order to get a better understanding of competitiveness, companies are not looking solely at productivity, but are pairing productivity with other measures mainly profitability measures. Of all the resource categories, the productivity of knowledge resources is the leading contributor to competitiveness. However, one difficulty is that knowledge resources are also the category for which there were not concrete measures productivity that denote how well this resource was being used.

Purpose - The purpose of this study was to explore what strategic decisions an Italian apparel company has made to establish a sustainable and local supply chain. Furthermore, the obstacles that have emerged during the process were examined, and what strategies that have been used to face these. The study also explored the key success factors of the case company. The information was then compiled to create an overview on how companies can create a local supply chain and what can be avoided during this process. Design/methodology - The method used for the study was a deductive and qualitative study. Data was collected through semi structured e-mail interviews with an Italian apparel company. The data was then analyzed and compared to previous studies and results in order to create an understanding of the success factors and difficulties connected to establishing local supply chains. However, the study is not generalizable since it is conducted on a single case, it only provides an example, not the full picture of the industry. Therefore, the reliability regarding generalizability is low. Findings - The result of the study was that strategic decisions were carried out with the goal to create sustainable denim created through a local and ethical supply chain. Another strategic decision was to share knowledge about sustainable production to other sustainable entrepreneurs, which enables common growth towards sustainable development in the textile industry. The most important element to succeed and overcome obstacles was the passion and perseverance of the co-founders as well as previous experience and knowledge within the denim industry. An additional strategic decision and success factor was the chosen area in which the case company is located and operates in. The case company managed to avoid the challenges connected to lack of know-how within the European textile industry caused by globalization, due to the chosen region’s knowledge, tradition and infrastructure. Practical implications - The findings from the paper can be beneficial for sustainable entrepreneurs and companies relocating or starting up a local supply chain. The findings of the paper can be used to establish a local supply chain that focuses on sustainable production and contributes to responsible consumption and production within the textile industry. Originality/value - This study is original in finding key factors to establish a local supply chain and how to overcome obstacles faced during the process. It creates value for sustainable entrepreneurs and companies searching for alternative ways of production that focuses on sustainability.
Syfte - Syftet med studien var att utforska vilka strategiska beslut ett italienskt klädföretag har tagit för att skapa en hållbar och lokal värdekedja. Hinder och svårigheter som har uppstått under processen har undersökts samt vilka strategier som har använts för att möta svårigheterna. Studien har även undersökt de viktigaste framgångsfaktorerna hos det valda företaget. Informationen har sammanställts för att skapa en översikt över hur företag kan skapa en lokal värdekedja och vad som kan undvikas under processen. Design/metodik - Metoden som användes för studien var en deduktiv och kvalitativ studie. Data samlades in genom semistrukturerade e-postintervjuer med ett italienskt klädföretag. Uppgifterna analyserades sedan och jämfördes med tidigare studier och resultat för att skapa en förståelse för framgångsfaktorer och svårigheter kopplade till att etablera lokala värdekedjor. Studien är däremot inte generaliserbar då den genomförs på ett enda fall, den ger bara ett exempel, inte hela bilden av branschen. Därför är tillförlitligheten avseende generaliserbarhet låg. Resultat - Resultatet av studien var att strategiska beslut genomfördes med målet att skapa hållbar denim genom en lokal och etisk värdekedja. Ett annat strategiskt beslut var att dela kunskap om hållbar produktion till andra hållbara entreprenörer och företagare som möjliggör gemensam tillväxt mot en hållbar utveckling inom textilindustrin. Det viktigaste elementet för att lyckas och övervinna hinder var medgrundarnas passion och i härdighet samt tidigare erfarenhet och kunskap inom denimindustrin. Ett ytterligare strategiskt beslut och en framgångsfaktor var det valda området där företaget finns och verkar i. Företaget lyckades att undvika de utmaningar som är kopplade till brist på kunskap inom den europeiska textilindustrin till följd av globaliseringen, på grund av det valda områdets kunskap, tradition och infrastruktur. Praktiska konsekvenser - Resultaten från uppsatsen kan vara till nytta för företagare och företag som flyttar tillbaka sin produktion eller startar upp en lokal värdekedja. Genom att använda studiens resultat kan de framgångsrikt etablera lokala värdekedjor med fokus på hållbar produktion och bidra till ansvarsfull konsumtion och produktion inom textilindustrin. Originalitet/värde - Studien är originell när det gäller att hitta nyckelfaktorer för att lyckas med att skapa en lokal värdekedja samt hur företagare kan hantera de hinder som uppstår under processen. Rapporten skapar värde för hållbara företagare och företag som letar efter alternativa produktionsmetoder som fokuserar på hållbarhet.

ZAVERI, MITUL DILIP. " Absorbency Characteristics of Kenaf Core Particles " (Under the direction of Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi). Chopped Kenaf Core (2 " to 4" in length), obtained from Greene Natural Fibers ? a company located in Snow Hill, North Carolina, was ground into very fine particles (below 1 mm) and categorized into various size ranges. The ground particles were tested for water absorbency and the optimum particle size, giving maximum absorbency, was determined. Experiments revealed that Kenaf Core of size range 106 ? 425 microns gave the highest water absorbency at saturation, up to 12 times its weight. The 425 ? 840 micron range was the next highest and it absorbed water up to 10 times its weight. Factors leading to this optimum particle size range were determined, the absorption mechanisms taking place were studied and experimental analysis was done to prove the results obtained. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images were also taken to understand the shape and profile of the granular particles in fine detail. Various chemical treatment and refining experiments were carried out on the highly absorbent particle sizes (106 ? 840 microns) to enhance their bonding properties and to make handsheets from them. The highly absorbent Core particles were treated with NaOH in water bath at 90 º C, Cooked with NaOH and Na2S at 170 º C in a bomb reactor and treated with water in a water bath at 90 º C, all for 3 hours. Handsheets were made from the chemically treated particles to determine if there was sufficient bonding between them. To enhance the bonding further, the particles were refined in a blender for one hour. The effect of chemical treatment and refining on the absorbency properties of the Core was determined. SEM analysis of the particles was done to visualize the fibrillation caused due to refining. Handsheets were made with a blend of hardwood and highly absorbent (untreated and water treated 106 ? 840 micron) refined Core particles with 50 ? 70% of Kenaf Core in them. The absorption properties of these handsheets were determined and compared with the absorption of a handsheet made from fluff pulp (same basis weight). As the final step, the handsheets made from a blend of kenaf core and hardwood pulp were sandwiched between a pair of 17gsm lightly calendared polypropylene spun bond fabrics.

The purpose of this research has been to explore the role of agent certification in the process of global sourcing. While some research has been done in the area of exporter-intermediary relationship, little has been done to study the importance of buyer-agent relationship and how the process of agent certification could strengthen that relationship. Global sourcing has played a vital role in the existence of textile and apparel industries across the world. With the increased advancement of developing countries and the numerous advantages that these countries possess, developed countries, such as the United States and countries in the European sub-continent, rely heavily on global sourcing to remain competitive in the global marketplace. Due to numerous barriers to global sourcing such as language barriers and inability to check sources, companies have found it useful to source through agents. These agents act as the facilitators between the sources and the buyers. With the advent of Internet and e-commerce, online sourcing has come into picture. Although the transparency in terms of sources and buyers on the web and their processes has increased and organizations are thinking of certifying sources, the role of agents' sill exists. A total of 30 agents and apparel-manufacturing buyers were interviewed to assess the feasibility and role of agent certification in the global sourcing process. While the specific items to be certified were not confirmed, both types of subjects agreed that agent certification would assist in the transactions in the buyer-agent relationship. It was found that small and medium-sized buyers would find agent certification more useful than large-sized buyers because of small-size buyers' limited resources and potential to find trusted agents.

Complete garment knitting technology is a method of producing knitted products, generally fashion garments, ready-made directly in the knitting machine without additional operations such as cutting and sewing. This makes it possible to manufacture a knitted fashion garment with fewer processes then with conventional production methods. In the fashion business customer demand is always changing due to fashion trends, so to be able to manufacture and deliver products rapidly is important. Mass customisation is a customer co-design process of products and services that tries to meets the needs of an individual customer’s demand for certain product features. In the fashion business this means that the customer can order a garment with a customised style, colour, size, and other personal preferences. The principal objective of this dissertation was to examine if and how complete garment technology can be applied to the customisation of knitted fashion products. It was pursued through several independent studies in knitting technology, mass customisation, and fashion logistics against a theoretical frame of reference in these areas. The papers in this thesis present various examples of how knitted fashion garments can be customised and integrated into fashion retailing concepts. The starting point of the research was the Knit-on-Demand research project conducted at the Swedish School of Textiles in collaboration with a knitting manufacturing and retailing company. The aim was to develop a shop concept built on the complete garment technology where a garment could be customised, produced, and delivered as quickly as possible. This initial idea failed due to the expense of investing in complete garment knitting technology, and so other avenues of research had to be found. The Knit-on-Demand project continued, using a business model similar to the complete garment concept but with the retail store and the production unit situated in different locations. The overall research question addressed in this thesis is: How can complete garment knitting technology be applied in a retail concept for customised garments? This question is then divided in two problems: What are the fashion logistics effects of combining complete garment technology and mass customisation? How does the co-design process function in the customisation of knitted fashion garments?The following is a qualitative study based on five research articles applying different research methodologies: case studies, simulations, and interviews. The empirical context is the area of mass customisation of fashion products and knitting technology, more specifically called complete garment knitting production technology. No prior studies describing mass customisation of complete garment knitting technology in combination with fashion logistics were found in the literature. The main contribution of this study is the demonstration that complete garment knitting technology can be applied in the customisation of fashion products. It also illustrates the importance of the co-design process between the company and the customer through which a knitted garment can be customised, produced, and delivered to the customer in three to five hours. The process of co-design and manufacture of a customised complete fashion product is examined, and the advantages and disadvantages associated with customisation of knitted garments are identified and described.

“To develop a process-based management system at a textile company” is the title of this thesis.The thesis is a compulsory part of the master programme: Quality and environmental management at Högskolan i Borås, the master programme is worth 60 ECTS credits. It has been carried out as an interdisciplinary project between students of the School of Engineering as well as the Textile School in Borås.Almedahls is a textile company located in Kinna, Sweden. They are in a need of process-based management system for their four different strategic business areas and three companies.The purpose of the thesis is not only to develop a process-based management system for Almedahl-Kinna, which is one of the three companies, but also to create the new management system in order for it to work for all three parts of the company in the future.The theory used in this project focuses on the definition of business process mapping as well as its application in use. The theory also includes process-based management systems, business process management and measurements.The theory and interviews with the employees at Almedahl-Kinna can be considered as the foundation of the result of this thesis. Result of the thesis is a shared process-based management system for Almedahl-Kinna developed in a business process map.The result also consists of sub-processes linked to the core process of the BPM. The sub-process is based on the inputs and outputs found in the core process.A common vision between Almedahls and the study group was essential to achieve an acceptable result in the end, hence the project was driven by an initial BPM provided by Almedahls and in fact it became one of the main aims of this project: how to change the management’s point of view towards thinking in processes?Based on the nature of process-based management systems, the idea to choose this system was correctly selected for Almedahls to gather all four strategy business areas and three companies together.

Knowledge has become one of the most important assets for companies nowadays. Knowledge Management (KM) uses organizational knowledge as a resource to make companies more competitive. Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) are gaining popularity, however, the failure rate remains high, with many projects not achieving their goals or being shut down early. KMS are often underestimated and treated as normal systems. IS practices do not cover certain aspects specific to KMS, aspects that do not show in other IS (e.g. socio-cultural issues). There are many studies concerning the KMS failures but they just focus on the symptoms and do not provide a solution to the problem. The goal of this master’s dissertation is to generate a preventive tool that will help the KM field. With The experience gained by working in a real KMS project within a textile agency in Sweden and relevant literature, an Information Systems Design Theory (ISDT) for KMS was developed. As some authors suggest, KM needs an ISDT of it’s own. An ISDT will guide practitioners through the process by restricting practices and features of the system to a more effective set. It will also encourage the academia to work on this theory for its improvement, completion, and validation

A contaminação ambiental causada pelo setor têxtil apresenta um especial destaque, devido aos grandes volumes de efluentes gerados. Os tratamentos biológicos mais utilizados pelas indústrias têxteis são o lodo ativado e biofiltros, ambos com elevado custo financeiro para as indústrias, com produtos químicos e necessidade de destinação de lodo. O presente trabalho estudou a viabilidade de tratamento de efluente de indústria têxtil por MBBR “Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor” (Reator Biológico com Leito Móvel). Este processo concilia os benefícios de tratamentos antes mencionados e ao mesmo tempo reduz as características indesejáveis de elevada geração de lodo, tempo de detenção hidráulica e perda de sólidos. O efluente foi caracterizado quanto à DQO, DBO5, área espectral, sólidos suspensos totais, sólidos suspensos voláteis e toxicidade antes e após o tratamento. O tratamento do efluente ocorreu em diferentes cargas orgânicas volumétricas, de 0,3gDQO/L.d até 9,0g DQO/L.d com 4 estágios: adaptação (0,3gDQO/L.d) e outros 3 estágios (1,2gDQO/L.d, 3,0gDQO/L.d e 9,0gDQO/L.d). Este reator foi operado por 107 dias, alcançando remoções de 65% de DQO, 94% de DBO5, 58% de área espectral, 82% de SST e 87% de toxicidade. Resultados que foram avaliados pela ANOVA, com teste Tukey com 0,05 de significância. A cinética calculada do processo apresentou consumo especifico máximo de substrato de 0,027d-1, compatível a tratamentos biológicos de efluente com conteúdo recalcitrante. Através dessas análises foi verificado que os melhores resultados de remoção foram atingidos quando o reator foi operado em COVs menores.
The environment contamination caused by the textile sector has a special meaning due to volumes of wastewater. The biological treatments most commonly used by textile industries are biofilters and activated sludge, both with a high financial cost for industries with chemicals products and the need for sludge disposal. This work studied the viability of treatment of textile effluent´s by MBBR "Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor". This process combines the benefits of treatments mentioned above and at the same time reduces undesirable characteristics of high sludge generation, hydraulic retention time and solids loss. The effluent was characterized as COD, BOD5, spectral area, total suspended solids, volatile suspended solids and toxicity before and after treatment. The treatment of the effluent occurred in different organic loading rates from 0.3 gCOD/L.d up to 9.0 g COD/L.d with 4 stages: adaptation 0.3gCOD/L.d and others 3 stages 1.2gCOD/L, 3.0 gCOD/L and 9.0gCOD/L.d. This reactor was operated for 107 days, reaching 65% removal of COD, 94% of BOD5, 58% of spectral area, 82% of TSS and 87% of toxicity. The results were evaluated by ANOVA with Tukey's test at 0.05 significance level. The calculated kinetics of the process presented consumption specific maximum of substrate of 0,027d-1, compatible with biological treatment effluent with recalcitrant content. Through these analyzes it was verified that the best removing results were achieved when the reactor was operated at lower OLRs.

Upcycling of textiles is a well-known method to remake worn textiles and decrease the environmental impact coming from the textile industry. Many fast fashion companies have tried to implement upcycling in their own textile value chains to become more circular. Although the effort is good in theory, there is more to be done to get better efficiency when it comes to upcycling textile fashion products. The purpose of this report was to study the obstacles in the textile upcycling chain for small-scaled actors that are engaged in design driven upcycling. This report partly investigates a specific textile value chain that is based on redesigning home textiles that comes from textile consumer waste. The report investigates the collaboration between supplier, designer and manufacturer in this specific value chain. This was by outlining their current communication and process steps. The report intends to form a ground for creation of communication tools for actors working similarly. Re:textile at Science Park Borås is a project that is working towards developing new design principles, business models and production systems in the textile industry for a better circular flow system. The cooperation with Anna Lidström, Artistic Director at Re:textile, made it possible to investigate the upcycling industry and identify the obstacles in the pre-production and production process. For collecting information for this report, data research and interviews with Swedish companies have been done. The companies that attended the interviews were from different companies in the textile upcycling industry, that were provided with as much information as possible for the analysis. The companies that attended the interviews were from different companies in the textile upcycling industry. The companies were Rave Review, XV Production, Björkåfrihet and SIPTex. The information from the interviews contributed a ground for the analysis. The semi-structured interviews varied from telephone interviews and visits. The compilations from the interviews have been carefully used to answer the reports research questions. Conclusions are presented as obstacles for the textile upcycling chain at design driven small-scaled actors. One obstacle is to cater bigger quantities of textile consumer waste that keeps the same quality. Another obstacle is the way of ensuring the quality of the product through the value chain to consumers. The third obstacle is that the communication tools are not written according to any principles which contribute to mistakes in the manufacturing process.
Återbruk av textilier är en väl omtalad metod för att ta vara på använda textilier för att minska på miljöpåverkan som kommer från textilindustrin. Många snabbt modeväxlande företag har försökt implementera återbruk i deras egna värdekedjor för att bli mer cirkulära. Även om tanken är god, så är det mer som behöver göras för att få en bättre effektivitet när det kommer till att återbruka textila modeprodukter. Syftet med rapporten var att undersöka hinder i den textila återbrukskedjan hos småskaliga aktörer som ägnar sig åt designdriven återbruk. Rapporten utreder dels en specifik textil värdekedja som grundar sig på att omdesigna hemtextilier som kommer ifrån textilt konsumentavfall. Rapporten utreder samarbetet mellan leverantör, designer och tillverkare i denna specifika värdekedja. Detta genom att redogöra för deras nuvarande kommunikation och processteg. Studien avser att ligga till grund för skapandet av kommunikationsverktyg för aktörer som arbetar liknande. Re:textile på Science Park Borås är en verksamhet som jobbar med att utveckla nya designmetoder, företagsmodeller samt produktionssystem i textilindustrin för ett bättre cirkulärt flödessystem. Samarbetet med Anna Lidström, Konstnärlig Ledare på Re:textile gjorde det möjligt för författarna att undersöka återbruksindustrin och identifiera bristerna i förproduktion och produktionsprocessen. För insamling av information till denna rapport har datainsamling och intervjuer med svenska företag gjorts. Företagen som ställde upp på intervju var ifrån olika verksamheter i den textila återbruksindustrin. Företagen var Rave Review, XV Production, Björkåfrihet och SIPTex. Information från intervjuerna bidrog till underlag för en analys. De semi-konstruerade intervjuerna varierade med både telefonintervju samt platsbesök. Sammanställningarna från intervjuerna har med aktsamhet använts för få svar på rapportens frågeställningar. Slutsatser redogörs som hinder för den textila återbrukskedjan hos designdrivna småskaliga aktörer. Ett hinder är bland annat att tillgodose större kvantiteter av textilt konsumentavfall som håller samma kvalitet. Ett annat hinder är att säkerställa kvalitén av produkten genom värdekedjan till kund. Ett tredje hinder är att kommunikationsverktygen inte är skrivna enligt några principer vilket bidrar till misstag i tillverkningsprocessen.

Det ligger i tiden att vara miljömedveten. För ett flertal företag är det idag viktigt att ha ettfungerande miljöarbete. Som blivande textilingenjörer har vi lärt oss vikten av att arbeta medmiljö och miljöfrågor i alla delar av den textila värdekedjan. Detta arbete fokuserar på miljö ioch med miljöledningssystem, textila produkter och textil produktion med syfte att skapa enmer ekologiskt hållbar framtid.För att kunna implementera ett väl fungerande miljöledningssystem har vi insett vikten av attett företag inför struktur i sitt arbetssätt. Detta genom att fördela ansvar, befogenheter ochresurser. Struktur medför att arbete effektiviseras då alla medarbetare har samma visioner ochjobbar mot samma mål.I arbetet presenteras en kartläggning av ett företags miljöpåverkan, där deras betydandemiljöaspekter framhävs. Miljömål och andra förbättrande åtgärder har tagits fram som förslagpå hur företaget kan arbeta för att minska sin miljöpåverkan i framtiden.Examensarbetet är skrivet som en del av en kandidatexamen i textilteknologi på uppdrag avföretaget Vinga of Sweden AB. Företag är beläget i Borås med produktion runt om i världen.Deras sortiment består av presentartiklar i form av funktionella produkter för hemmet. Vingaof Sweden handlar med profilföretag, vilka är en mellanhandel för dem ut till slutkund.Vinga of Sweden ska certifiera sig enligt ISO-standard för kvalitets- och miljöledning underår 2010. En del av syftet med detta examensarbete är att förbereda företaget för ISOcertifieringför miljöledning enligt standard 14001:2004.

It is time to be environmentally conscious. For many companies today, it is important to have effective environmental work. As future textile engineers, we have learned the importance of working with the environment and environmental issues in all parts of the textile value chain. This work focuses on the environment in terms of environmental management, textile products and production to create a more ecologically sustainable future.To implement a proper management system, we realized the importance of a company to structure their approach. This is done by allocating responsibility, authority and resources. Structure leads to more efficient work by which all employees have the same vision andworking towards the same goals.The work presents the identification of a company's environmental impact which their significant environmental aspects is emphasized. Environmental and other improvement measures have been developed with suggestions on how the company can work to reducetheir environmental impact in the future.The thesis is written as part of a bachelor degree in textile technology on behalf of the company Vinga of Sweden AB. The company is located in Borås, with production all around the world. Their product range consists of gifts in the form of functional products for thehome. Vinga of Swedens costumers are profile companies, which is the trade for them out to retail.Vinga of Sweden is going to be certified for the ISO standard for quality and environmental management during 2010. Part of the purpose of this study is to prepare the company for ISO certification for environmental management according to the standard 14001:2004.

Program: Textilingenjörsutbildningen

This paper describes textile production in Istanbul, Turkey. From its historical background to the challenges of today. The respondents have told about how they work, talked about competition, communication, achievements, investments and much more. The purpose was basically to find out how important the textile industry, with focus on apparel, is in the economy of Turkey today. Also how this industry can develop, and what it will take to reach such development. The empirical material comes from experienced people in the field and is analyzed with the SWOT model besides other marketing and logistics related theory. Used method is a qualitative approach with semi structural interviews. Companies and associations in Istanbul have responded. These contributors are a mix of senior managers, specialists, officials, employees and entrepreneurs. An interview guide was developed after a pre-study in Sweden. Findings of the study shows that these companies are competing for international customers, but also working together for their industry and country. Some important factors to become successful is experience, research, innovation and customer care. To take a step of further development, more strategy, competence and investments might be needed. There are many other countries which can also challenge about the customers in this business. China and Bangladesh do have similarities with the early development of Turkey in the case of textile garment industry, but are now considered different as competitors. Turkey do have some national advantages, and not least its beneficial geographical position.

In recent years, due to the combination of technological advances in the fields ofmeasurement instrumentation, communications, home-health care and textile-technology thedevelopment of medical devices has shifted towards applications of personal healthcare.There are well known the available solutions for heart rate monitoring successfully providedby Polar and Numetrex. Furthermore new monitoring applications are also investigated. Amongthese non-invasive monitoring applications, it is possible to find several ones enable bymeasurements of Electrical Bioimpedance.Analog Devices has developed the AD5933 Impedance Network Analyzer which facilitatesto a large extent the design and implementation of Electrical Bioimpedance Spectrometers in amuch reduced space. Such small size allows the development of a fully wearable bioimpedancemeasurement.With the development of a Electrical Bioimpedance-enable wearable medical device in focusfor personal healthcare monitoring, in this project, the issue of power management has beentargeted and a battery-driven Electrical Bioimpedance Spectrometer based in the AD5933 hasbeen implemented. The resulting system has the possibility to operate with a Li-Po battery with apower autonomy over 17 hours.

“It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today.”Isaac AsimovThe development in technology and the adaptation to strategies and production techniques has led the textile industry to a completely different path, to the one on which it was for decades. The current scenario shows the world at the verge of total transition. But this much advancement is not consistent. The countries across the globe can be divided into two distinct groups, developed and the developing countries. So is also the case with the development and the advancement within these countries and the one country Pakistan which is the focus in this paper.The countries which were at the forefront in expansion and development during the industrial revolution are now leading the textile industry in all aspects and the developing countries which realized the importance of textile industry quite late, are now following the footsteps of these countries. Still there is a huge gap between their approaches and strategies, and that concerns not only the technology but other constituents of society such as education, policies and infrastructure etc.The basic thinking and objective behind the study was to identify the strategies of the Pakistani textile and clothing industry with the consequences and results as a response of these adopted strategies. The textile and clothing industry of Pakistan has always been the backbone of the country’s economy. It contributes 54% of total exports and 46% of total manufacturing income which shows the importance of this industry in the overall economy of the country. So, in order to sustain and also to increase the current contribution level, it is necessary to sustain a certain level of competency and to increase this level either by improving the system, strategies, infrastructure or policies with or without the help of government.The technology up-gradation has not only simplified the processes but also has helped different industries to extract favorable results and to shape the things according to the desires and needs. But still there are regions where the main focus of the textile industry is not on further development in the textile field but to sustain a specific level of production which they are doing by containing a certain level of technology and equipment to run their industry such as in Pakistan, while on the other hand the developing countries are involved in much more intensive development in textile field exemplified by smart and intelligent textiles, nano technology, bio mimics and tissue engineering.In order to achieve the results, an extensive and detailed search was done which was then analyzed and finally interpreted to find the desired outcome. The study showed wide differences between the general approach and strategies of people and the industry of Pakistani textile and clothing industry from its main competitors in the same region of Asia and with the other countries.
Program: Magisterutbildning i Applied Textile Management

What is the driving strategy? creative business management, state of the art technology or smart textiles, focussing on the T&C industry of Pakistanthesis is about finding out the strategy which is driving the Pakistani textile industry and the problems this industry is facing and the problems in terms of creative business management, state of the art technology or the smart textiles that are keeping the industry for making further progress
Program: Master programme in Applied Textile Management

Kommunikationen mellan en produktutvecklande modeleverantör och deras producenter är en pågående process. Kommunikation i allmänhet binder samman människor genom tal och skrift, men kan också vara en bidragande faktor till oenighet. Kommunikation i alla dess former används dagligen och är ett viktigt verktyg som måste fungera korrekt. Om brister i kommunikationen uppstår kan diskussioner väckas till liv och inom modeindustrin kan samarbeten ställas in och kontrakt annulleras. Kommunikationen mellan den produktutvecklande modeleverantören och deras producenter kan bli missförstådd och inte tolkad utifrån det uppsåt företagen planerat. Det kan leda till problem med ledtider, försäljningssiffror och försenade leveranser. Syftet med studien är att analysera varför eventuella problem sker i kommunikationen mellan svenska produktutvecklande modeleverantörer och deras producenter i utlandet. Följande kandidatuppsats är uppdelad i kapitel 1 – 6 och kommer besvara syftet genom att granska kommunikationen mellan de två parterna, vilka kommunikationssvårigheter som finns samt vilka parametrar som är viktiga för att kommunikationen ska fungera. Den primära teorin utgörs av det empiriska resultatet som består av intervjuer med nio svenska produktutvecklande modeleverantörer. Personliga intervjuer valdes för att tillgå så stor andel information som möjligt rörande ämnet. Dessutom har observationer av den Textila Värdekedjan, Supply Chain Management, Sustainable Supply Chain Management, Total Quality Management, Quick Response, Fast Fashion samt Organisationskultur genomförts. Även andra viktiga strategier och aspekter som handlar om kommunikation har analyserats. Studien visar att brister i kommunikationen uppstår dagligen för svenska produktutvecklande modeleverantörer. Kommunikationssvårigheter uppkommer av bland annat språkbarriärer och kulturella skillnader. Konsekvenser av misstag i kommunikationen kan vara förödande och ha stor påverkan på relationen mellan de svenska produktutvecklande modeleverantörerna och deras producenter. Följaktligen presenteras studiens slutsats samt förslag på vidare forskning. Slutligen redovisas använda källor och bilagor.

The medical field has been a part of the smart textile area for quite some time. With time come technological advancement and the two fields converge on more and more areas. One such area is that of using textile electrodes, textrodes, for measuring bioelectrical activity, such as heart rate for ECG analysis. There are many components that make for a successful textile electrode and though many studies have been made in the subject there are several aspects that still are difficult. By using textile electrodes the problem with skin irritation from electrolyte gels, commonly used for conventional electrodes, is avoided, however dry textrodes create disturbances in the output signal (heart rate) while subjected to movement and internal dimensional changes. The addition of moisture to a textrode has shown to decrease these intermittent disturbances but the knowledge about fundamental textile structural influence in the matter has not been fully investigated. This study investigates a flat, a 2-thread fleece and an open structure, and their relation to moisture both as textile structures and as textrodes. This way the possibilities of utilising moisture to increase performance in a textrode purpose can be examined and to what extent the textile structure plays a part in that exploitation. The material composition of textile structures also affects their properties The introduction of assistive materials, polyester and viscose, into the Shieldex (conductive yarn) structures is done to test core moisture management properties such as surface tension, absorption and moisture content, and correlate them to electrical properties necessary for textrode function. In the end the gap between textile structure and end product in form of a textrode is closed as the impedance and microclimate of the textrodes are studied. This is mainly to tie together the fundamental textile structures with a complex textile construction. In conclusion the complexity is also confirmed as structural, materialistic and external influences has an impact on the results. The influence of moisture on lowered resistance and impedance in the structures is confirmed but the impact of textile structure can also be seen. The 2-thread fleece and open structures often has a more positive impact on results and therefore has the possibility of enhancing performance of a textrode for bioelectrical signal monitoring. With these results a more effective way of producing long-lasting, patient-friendly, textrodes can be derived and in the future lead to better care in the medical areas.

It is the possibilities to create dynamic textile patterns in Smart Textiles that isin focus in this report. The result will be presented in form of different materialand pattern samples. The samples show both different technical solutions andinteractions needed to develop a dynamic textile pattern.My intention with this work is to enlarge the use of a decoration, as somethingmore than a static extra value. We do have a need for beautiful things in oursurrounding and I want to explore how dynamic patterns could give decorationan extended use. Where new kinds of values can be included, interaction and theinformation. The result can be applied in further research concerning bothwearables, fashion, soft furnishing as well as for public environment forcommunications.

Program: Designteknikerutbildningen

Uppsatsnivå: D

Thesis (MTech (Chemical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.
Similar to the energy crisis, the critical state of the water supply in South Africa (SA) is a combination of (i) resource exhaustion and pollution; (ii) increasing demand; and (iii) poor infrastructure. Despite its importance, water is the most poorly managed resource in the world. The disposal of industrial effluents contributes greatly to the poor quality of water. The textile industry consumes great quantities of water and produces enormous volumes of wastewater which requires appropriate treatment before being released into the environment. In an attempt to address the water issues, research globally has focused on advanced technologies such as desalination to increase limited pure water resources. The need for alternative desalination methods for the production of clean water from alternative water resources, such as seawater and brackish water, has gained worldwide attention. Reverse osmosis (RO) and Nanofiltration (NF) have been used as unswerving approaches to yield freshwater. Forward osmosis (FO) is a developing membrane technology that has increased substantial attention as a possible lower-energy desalination technology. However, challenges such as suitable FO membranes, membrane fouling, concentration polarisation, and the availability of effective draw solutions (DS), limit FO technology. FO is seeking more importance in novel areas where separation and recovery of the DS is not required. The aims of this study was to: i) identify alternative water resources and evaluate their potential as suitable feed solution (FS); ii) Identify dyes and evaluate their potential as suitable draw solutions (DS) at different concentrations; iii) assess the use of aquaporin biomimetic membrane and iv) assess a FO system for the production of dye solutions. Osmotic pressure (OP) is the pressure exerted by the flow of water through semi-permeable membrane, separating two solutions with different concentrations of solute. The DS should always have OP higher than the FS in order to achieve high water flux. Three basic dyes (i.e. Maxilon Turquoise, Red and Blue) and three reactive dyes (i.e. Carmine, Olive Green and Black) were selected, based on their common use in the SA textile industry. The respective dye samples were prepared at different concentrations and dye-to-salt mass ratios ranging from 1:10 to 1:60 and assessed for OP using a freezing point osmometer. A lab-scale FO unit was used for all the studies. Feed and draw channels were circulated in a counter-current flow at a volumetric flow rate of 600 mL/min. Feed solutions(FS) included deionised water (DI) as a control, brackish water (BW), synthetic seawater (SSW) and textile wastewater (TWW) collected from two textile factories. OP of the FS (DI, BW5, SSW and SW, Factory 1 and Factory 2) was 0, 414, 2761, 2579, 1505 and 3308 kPa, respectively. Basic Blue and Reactive Black generated a higher OP compared to other selected dyes in the study and were therefore selected to be used as DS at a 1:10 dye-to-salt ratio and 0.02 M concentration. An aquaporin biomimetic FO membrane (Aquaporin, Denmark) was used for all the experiments conducted in the FO mode.

Supply chain management is found to be highly related to collaborations among stakeholders to create successful strategies for the supply chain. To leverage circularity in the textile and clothing industry, successful circular strategies that support the businesses in an economic and environmental manner are key. Through this research, the interconnection and communication between the relationships within the supply chain are found to be the most significant factor. In this qualitative study, the purpose of the research was to investigate how relationships and partnerships in the textile supply chain can affect and enable commercial scale for recycling of textiles-to-textiles. In-depth semi-structured interviews with six key stakeholders in the European textile industry. This study found that relationship characteristics such as trust, communication and strategic values through long-term relationships and key suppliers play an important role in realizing textile-to-textile recycling. Furthermore, findings confirm that the financial aspects are the most prominent condition for textile recycling to improve win-win partnership models to promote key operational conditions. With Europe having a leading position in the textile industry, the research study has geographically limited the empirical scope to solid focus on textile supply chain and business relationships in Italy to provide the study with accurate cluster accusation.

The subject dealt with in this thesis is to develop design management models for a translation from a traditional cultural product into a modern product to meet a relevant target market. This thesis provides a review of the basic disciplines of culture, cultural product and design management. Attention is focused on the concept of cultural reinvention as an effective design management tool for producing a successful cultural product, which can fit into a contemporary market. The focus of this research describes how to translate Korean traditional bojagi textile products into modern fashion products for young generation consumers. A cultural reinvention model is proposed for Korean traditional bojagi textiles, which includes the design and target marketing strategies and internet marketing for effective communication with target consumers. To understand the target consumer preferences, a colour experiment was conducted among the target consumers for the Korean traditional five colours (“obangsaek”), which are mainly used for bojagi. For using internet marketing, a Korean bojagi website was developed including an interactive bojagi design tool, which is designed through six categories; history, style, patterns, colours, fabrics of the traditional Korean bojagi and the ‘design your own bojagi’ component. It can be utilised for consumer preference, product development and the early promotion of Korean fashion bojagi fabrics. It also opens up an opportunity to be a research tool as an educational web based interface. Five focus group interviews were conducted among the young generation consumers to evaluate the usability and entertainment (enjoyable) values of the Korean bojagi website. Furthermore, to evaluate the commercial value of the fashion bojagi applications, a Korean bojagi sample book was produced and used for interviewing four fashion companies in the UK. The findings and results of the experiment and the interviews are described and the development of each part of the website and applications is explained and illustrated.

Medical applications of technical textiles are an expanding field of research. One of the added values of these new materials would be that they were suitable to contain and release active compounds in a controlled and sustained manner. Drug incorporation and release from synthetic fibers is related to the interaction of the drug with the polymer and probably greatly depends on the surface chemistry of the fiber. Plasma technology is a tool that enables to modify physical and chemical properties of the first nanometers of the fibers without affecting the bulk of the material. Applied to the medical textile field, plasma treatment of polymer fibres can lead to the design of new textile-based drug delivery systems. The novelty of this PhD. Thesis rests upon the modification of the drug/fiber interactions by plasma treatment to allow the modulation of the loading and the release of active principles (pharmaceutics and cosmetics) from the textile-based drug delivery systems, without requiring the use of any further chemicals. This Thesis aims at the development of two families of textile-based drug delivery systems, based on a novel surface functionalization by plasma treatment, with suitable characteristics for topical use as medical devices, or for clinical application in soft tissue repair. It is therefore organized in two distinct parts. In both parts of this thesis a general scheme has been followed: we have investigated the surface modification of textile materials with different types of plasmas (atmospheric and low pressure plasma), characterizing the surface modifications achieved by different complementary techniques. The effects of the plasma treatment have been evaluated on the subsequent incorporation of active pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. In the last step, the drug release to a standard medium has been studied by "in-vitro" dissolution assays. The first part is focused on medical textiles for topical application. Therein, the surface modification of polyamide 66 elastic-compressive knitted fabrics has been studied by corona plasma and low pressure plasma. The work has studied in parallel laboratory prepared fabrics and industrially finished fabrics, with views on the potential implementation of the proposed process in the textile industrial chain. Plasma treatment improved the release kinetics of anti-inflammatory pharmaceutic (ketoprofen) and of lipolitic cosmetic (caffeine) active principles, loaded in the polyamide 66 fabrics. A fundamental study comparing three different molecules of the same chemical family (caffeine, theobromine, pentoxifylline) has been performed regarding loading and release of the drugs. The second part focuses on textiles used as implants for soft tissue repair (e.g. hernia). The fiber surface of a polypropylene mesh has been modified by corona plasma and low-pressure plasma. The treatments evaluated had a major effect on the loading of antibiotic (ampicillin) by increasing it three times. As in vitro release kinetics of the drug was very fast, coating of the ampillicin-loaded polypropylene meshes with a biocompatible polymer was investigated by plasma polymerization.
Las aplicaciones médicas de los textiles técnicos son un campo de investigación en expansión. Uno de los valores añadidos de estos nuevos materiales puede ser su capacidad para contener y liberar principios activos farmacéuticos y cosméticos de una forma controlada y sostenida. La incorporación de fármacos y su liberación a partir de fibras sintéticas está relacionada con la interacción del fármaco con el polímero y puede depender en gran medida de la química de superficie de la fibra. La tecnología de plasma es una herramienta que permite modificar las propiedades físicas y químicas de los primero nanómetros de la superficie de las fibras sin afectar el interior del material. Aplicado al campo de los textiles médicos, el tratamiento con plasma de fibras poliméricas podría conducir al diseño de nuevos sistemas de liberación de fármacos basados en soportes textiles. La novedad de esta Tesis Doctoral se basa en la modificación de las interacciones fármaco / fibra por tratamiento de plasma para permitir la modulación de la incorporación y la liberación de los principios activos (farmacéuticos y cosméticos) a partir de sistemas de administración de fármacos basados en material textil, sin requerir el uso de productos químicos adicionales. Esta Tesis tiene como objetivo el desarrollo de dos familias de sistemas de liberación de fármacos basados en soportes textiles, por funcionalización de la superficie mediante tratamiento de plasma, con características adecuadas bien para uso tópico como dispositivos médicos, bien para aplicación clínica en la reparación de tejidos blandos. Por tanto, esta Tesis se organiza en dos partes bien diferenciadas. En ambas partes de esta Tesis se ha seguido el siguiente esquema general: en primer lugar se ha investigado primero la modificación superficial de los materiales textiles con diferentes tipos de plasmas (plasma corona y plasma de presión atmosférica), caracterizando las modificaciones de la superficie obtenidas mediante diferentes técnicas instrumentales. Los efectos del tratamiento con plasma se han evaluado entonces sobre la incorporación de principios activos farmacéuticos o cosméticos. En el último paso, se ha estudiado la liberación del fármaco mediante ensayos de disolución "in vitro". La primera parte de la Tesis Doctoral se centra en los textiles médicos para aplicación tópica. Para ello, se ha estudiado la modificación de la superficie de tejidos de punto elástico-compresivos de poliamida 66 con plasma corona y plasma de baja presión. En este trabajo experimental se han estudiado en paralelo tejidos preparados en laboratorio y tejidos industrialmente acabados, con vistas a la posible implementación del proceso propuesto en la cadena de producción industrial textil. Se ha observado que el tratamiento con plasma mejora la cinética de liberación de un fármaco anti-inflamatorio (ketoprofeno) y de un principio activo cosmético lipolítico (cafeína), incorporados en los tejidos de poliamida 66 tratados con plasma. Se ha desarrollado un estudio fundamental comparando tres moléculas diferentes de la misma familia química (cafeína, teobromina y pentoxifilina) con respecto a la incorporación al material textil y a la liberación del principio activo. La segunda parte se centra en los textiles utilizados como implantes para la reparación de tejidos blandos (por ejemplo, hernias abdominales). La superficie de la fibra de una malla de polipropileno approvada para su uso clínico ha sido modificada por el plasma corona y plasma de baja presión. Los tratamientos estudiados tuvieron un efecto importante sobre la carga de un antibiótico (ampicilina) mostrando un importante incremento del porcentaje de impregnación. La cinética de liberación in vitro del antibiótico de la malla de polipropileno a un medio líquido isotonico fue rápida. También se investigó la posibilidad de realizar un recubrimiento de la malla de polipropileno cargada con ampicilina mediante polimerización por plasma.