BLOCK 1 -FIBER TO FABRIC

BLOCK 1 FIBER TO FABRIC UNIT1 3 BASICS OF TEXTILES UNIT 2 12 FIBER STUDY UNIT 3 41 YARN CONSTRUCTION UNIT4 52 WOVEN FABRICS UNIT5 67 KNITTED FABRICS 1 BLOCK 1- FIBER TO FABRIC This block consists of five ...

BLOCK 1 FIBER TO FABRIC UNIT1 3 BASICS OF TEXTILES UNIT 2 12 FIBER STUDY UNIT 3 41 YARN CONSTRUCTION UNIT4 52 WOVEN FABRICS UNIT5 67 KNITTED FABRICS 1 BLOCK 1- FIBER TO FABRIC This block consists of five units: The first unit, entitles “Basics of Textiles”, gives insight about the origin of clothing, history of Indian textiles, background, significance and relevance of textiles industry, supply chain of textile industry, and strength and weakness’ of Indian textile industry and the steps for betterment and uphold the textile industry. The second unit, entitles, “Fiber Study”, introduces you with the textile fiber, its categorization on the basic of source of origin and length, primary and secondary properties, identification of different fibers, natural plant, animal fibers, regenerated and synthetic fibers in terms of their characteristics, manufacturing process, end uses and their advantages. The third unit, entitles, “Yarn Construction”, deals with definition of yarn, yarn twist, yarn direction. It also discusses about the classification of yarns a simple, complex and Texturised. It also describes ring spinning and chemical spinning methods. The fourth unit entitles, “Woven Fabrics”, gives the understanding about the weaving process, warp and weft, parts and operation of loom, types of selvedges, basic weave i.e. plain, twill and satin and decorative weaves i.e. dobby, jacquard, pile, leno, double cloth and also discuss about defects in weaving. The fifth unit entitles, “Knitted Fabrics”, discuss the process of knitted fabrics, its advantages over woven fabrics. It describes the types of knitting machines, warp and weft knitted fabrics and major knitting defects. 2 UNIT 1 BASIC OF TEXTILES Structure: 1.1 Introduction Objectives 1.2 History of Textiles 1.2.1 Origin of Clothing 1.2.2 Reasons for Origin of Clothing 1.2.3 History of Textiles in India 1.3 Background, Significance and Relevance of Textile Industry 1.3.1 Trade of Textile and Apparel in the World 1.3.2 Present Status of Indian Textile Industry 1.3.3 Various Segments Indian Textile Industry 1.3.4 Strengths of Indian Textile Industry 1.3.5 Weaknesses of Indian Textile Industry 1.4 Basic functioning of textile industry 1.4.1 Supply Chain 1.4.2 Textile Production 1.4.3 Working Towards Improvement 1.4.4 How to sustain Textile Industry 1.5 Fabric Assets 1.5.1 Mill 1.5.2 Converter 1.5.3 Importer 1.5.4 Jobber 1.5.5 Retail Store 1.5.6 Marketing of Man-Made Fibers 1.6 SAQ’s 1.7 Summary 1.8 Keywords 3 1.9 Further Readings 1.10 Answers to SAQ’s 1.1 INTRODUCTION The three primary needs of Man are food, clothing and shelter. The fact that clothing precedes shelter goes to prove that it is indeed man’s second skin. Clothing is used today across the world, is made of a piece of fabric or textile. Manhood has come a long way from the primitive to modern day world of textiles. Today, the textile industry enjoys a special place in the world. Objectives After reading this unit you should be able to:  discuss the history of textiles  describe the Indian textile industry  identify strength and weakness of Indian textile industry  explain the supply chain of textile and apparel industry  analyse the steps for betterment and uphold the textile industry  describe different fabric resources 1.2 HISTORY OF TEXTILES 1.2.1 Origin of Clothing Mankind has come a long way from the days of the fig leaf aprons. By and large, the origins of cloth are comparatively unclear since the early materials used were of natural origin and hence biodegradable. Beals and Hoijer (1965) have summarized the direct and indirect evidence of emergence of clothing as follows: 1) Body paints were used to adorn the self. 2) Animals’ skins and furs were draped around the body. 3) Garments of animal skins and furs were tailored, to provide warmth and physical mobility 4) Emergence of spinning and weaving produced textile fabrics which were draped around the body. 5) Tailored textile garment are produced. The term 'Textile' is a Latin word originating from the word 'texere' which means ‘to weave’. The history of textile is almost as old as that of human civilization and as time moves on the history of textile has further enriched itself. Recent archeological discoveries of the imprint of woven material on clay pots dating from some 27,000 years ago indicate that people knew how to weave even before they domesticated plants and animals. The oldest actual fragment of piece of white fabric, probably linen, has been dated at about 7000 B.C. at a site in southern Turkey. Those People used fibers found in nature and hand processes to make fibers into cloth. 1.2.2 Reasons for Origin of ClothingPrimitive man must have been spurred by an instinct for creative expression. Traditionally, clothes have served the following purposes:  Adornment which serve to exalt the ego and arouse emotions in others  Communication by means of symbols  Modesty or feeling of shame  Physical protection against extreme climatic conditions; wild animals and insects 4  Psychological protection against evil forces and black magic These are referred to as theories of clothing. A brief reflection will indicate that even a mix of these factors is responsible for clothing. The relative importance of these factors varies from culture to culture. 1.2.3 History of Textiles in India India has a rich and varied textile heritage. The first literary reference to textiles is seen in Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas. The fact that a host of affluent textiles were used is further supported by two renowned epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. In India the culture of silk was introduced in 400AD, while spinning of cotton traces back to 3000BC. In China, the discovery and consequent development of sericulture and spin silk methods got initiated at 2640 BC. In Egypt the art of spinning linen and weaving developed in 3400 BC. The discovery of machines and their widespread application in processing natural fibers was a direct outcome of the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries. The discoveries of various synthetic fibers like nylon formed a wider market for textile products and gradually led to the invention of new and improved sources of natural fiber. The development of transportation and communication assisted the path of operation of localized skills and textile art among various countries. For e.g.- During the fifteenth century, Trade Fairs in southern France provided a place for the active exchange of wools from England and silks from the Middle East. 1.3 BACKGROUND, SIGNIFICANCE AND RELEVANCE OF TEXTILES INDUSTRY - The textile industry holds significant status in the India. Textile industry provides one of the most fundamental necessities of the people. Though was predominantly unorganized industry even a few years back, but the scenario started changing after the economic liberalization of Indian economy in 1991. The textile and apparel industry is one of the largest segments of India’s economy. The Indian textile industry is the second largest in the world--second only to China. Today textile sector accounts for nearly 14% of the total industrial output. It is accounting for 20 percent of total industrial production and slightly more than 30 percent of total export earnings. It is also the largest employer in the manufacturing sector with a workforce of some 38 million people. Textile Industry in India is the second largest employment generator after agriculture. As per a recent survey the textile industry is going to contribute 12 million new jobs in India by 2015 itself. It is expected that India's share of exports to the world would also increase from the current 4 per cent to around 7 per cent during this period. The Indian textile industry is estimated to be around US$ 52 billion and is likely to reach US$ 115 billion by 2012. The domestic market is likely to increase from US$ 34.6 billion to US$ 60 billion by 2012. It is expected that India's share of exports to the world would also increase from the current 4 per cent to around 7 per cent during this period. India has a large fiber base, and ranks as the world’s third-leading producer of cotton, accounting for 15 percent of the world’s cotton crop. India produces a wide variety of cotton, providing operational flexibility for domestic textile producers. In the manmade fiber sector, India is the world’s fifth-largest producer of polyester fibers and filament yarns. 1.3.1 Trade of Textile and Apparel in the World – In order to attain this target Indian textile industry has already started improving their design skills, including a combination of various fibers. Indian textiles, handlooms and handicrafts are exported to more than 100 countries, with the US being the largest buyer. 5 Readymade garments (RMG) are the largest export segment, accounting for almost 41 per cent of total textile exports. Apparel is the second largest retail category in India representing 10 percent of the $37 billion retail market. It is expected to grow 12-15 percent per year. In the organized retail segment Apparels is the largest category. The domestic apparel retailing industry is estimated to be round US$ 2.7 billion and in spite of recession is likely to grow at 5-7 per cent in 2009-10. India has emerged the third most attractive market destination for apparel retailers, according to a new study by global management consulting firm. India is the world’s 2nd largest producers of textiles and garments after China. India is the world’s 3rd largest producer of cotton after China and U.S.A. and the 2nd largest cotton consumer after China. India covers 61 percent of the international textile market. 1.3.2 Present Status of Indian Textile IndustryGeneral impressions to the Indian textile industry leaders in the past few days make them understand that the industry is in a pinch. These are the reasons:  Global recession  Less export orders due to reductions in inventories by global retail giants like Wal-Mart  Price of raw materials like cottons and  Infrastructure bottlenecks such as power 1.3.3 Various Segments Indian Textile Industry:  Woolen Textile  Cotton Textiles  Silk Textiles  Readymade Garments  Jute And Coir  Hand-Crafted Textile Like Carpets  Man Made Textiles 1.3.4 Strengths of Indian Textile Industry are as Follows –  Huge textile production capacity  Availability of highly trained manpower in both, management and technical  Large pool of skilled and cheap work force  Huge export potential  Large domestic market  Flexible textile manufacturing systems  High availability of raw materials.  Availability of all kinds of fibers like silk, cotton, wool and even high quality synthetic fibers  Flexibility of the readymade garment industry in terms of sizes, fabric variety, quantity, quality and cost  The apparel industry is largest foreign exchange earning sector, contributing 12% of the country's total exports. 1.3.5 Weaknesses of Indian Textile Industry are as Follows –  The high cost of components.  The high cost of finance.  Competition from foreign countries as a result of the lowering of import duties on textile machinery.  The high quality of imported textile equipment.