Textile & Apparel Technology & Management

Textiles cover almost all that you know about comfort, performance, fashion, protection, and function. From casual blue jeans to the deceleration system of NASA's Path Finder mission to Mars, textiles encompass all aspects of our life and society in this world and beyond. In a broader sense, anything made of fibers is a textile product. In a world rapidly changing, the virtues of fibrous materials, i.e. textiles, are being understood, appreciated, and utilized as never before.
Textile technology is one of the oldest disciplines of engineering and technology, in fact, it is multi-disciplinary. It brings together the studies of basic sciences, engineering and management as well as the fine arts of design. The invention of the power loom ignited the industrial revolution and it is a little known fact that the seeds of today's information revolution were sown with the invention of the information archival system developed in 1801 for an automatic loom by a Frenchman Joseph-Marie Jacquard. The tradition continues today through the developments of "smart" sportswear and fibers many times stronger than steel.

The teaching and research activities in the Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology & Management encompass manufacturing technology of textile and apparel materials as well as the management of people, information, and materials from fibers to fashion in a quick response environment. What better way to understand our discipline than examining some of the textile products we encounter in our everyday life? Please explore the montage of textile applications presented above. We hope that these will inspire fresh curiosity and convey the essence of what we do in the department.

(Photograph Courtesy of
Highland Industries, Inc.)

In the automotive world, safety is one of the factors uppermost in the minds of consumers. Active and passive restraint systems primarily made of textile materials are a high priority. The passive restraint systems, i.e., the driver and passenger side airbags, as well as recently introduced Side Impact Protection Systems (SIPS) are made mainly of nylon 66 fabrics.

These fabrics, made to meet stringent specifications, are sometimes coated. The driver side airbag is fitted inside the steering wheel boss and the glove compartment contains the passenger side airbag. In an accident, an electronic sensor evaluates the severity of the impact and an on-board computer decides whether or not to activate the airbags. Should the computer decide to activate the system, the propellant units in each bag inflate them with nitrogen. The decision and deployment time is between 20-50 milliseconds. The SIPS offers protection to the head in the window area where there is no structural support.

Accident research indicates that airbags are needed from speeds upwards of 35 km/ hour because the three point safety belts alone cannot prevent injury. The seat belts, introduced in the early 60s, are made of high strength polyester webbings. These restraint systems are doing what they are designed to do, saving lives. Airbags and seatbelts working together can save lives or significantly reduce injury severity in 60-80% of cases.

(Photograph Courtesy of C. W. Fentress, J. H. Bradburn and Assoc.)

Tension fabric structures are elegant and economical solution for long-span applications: minimal use of materials and stimulating forms to provide shelter. In tension structures, the fabric membranes are stabilized by pretensions. The resultant saddle or anticlastic shapes produce inimitable, flawless curves. It is a perfect marriage of engineering and architecture.

The Denver International Airport's roof exemplifies this technology. Designed by C. W. Fentress J. H. Bradburn and Associates, its shape alludes to Native American Tepees and the nearby Rocky mountains. The DIA's roof is comprised of two layers of fabric, resistant to dirt and pollution while translucent to light. About 10% of the visible light passes through the fabrics for daylighting. The balance of diffused and direct sunlight result in a wonderfully balanced environment. The outer layer of the roof is created from Teflon-coated, woven, fiberglass fabric and the inner layer is made of uncoated fiberglass fabric. The fabric meets all fire code standards and remains unchanged in temperatures ranging from -100 F to +450 F. At 2 million square feet, DIA's terminal building is the largest structurally integrated tensile membrane structure in the world with about 660,000 sq. ft. of fabric.

(Photograph Courtesy of CHEMFAB Corp.)

Textile materials made under exacting specifications have been used extensively in crucial space applications ranging from anti-gravity space suits to linings for space vehicles. Shown here is the static free liner of Space Shuttle's cargo bay. It is made of densely woven glass fiber fabric with a coating of Teflon, to give a static free thermal control surface.

CHEMFAB Corporation developed the fabric in close cooperation with NASA and Rockwell International. The liner was in service on Discovery's Hubble Space Telescope mission.

(Photograph Courtesy of
Levi Strauss & Co.)

Denim, the quintessential American contribution to the world of fashion, has its origin in Nimes, the textile town of France. Levi Strauss, a Bavarian immigrant, introduced it to America around 1850, and since then it has been worn by prospectors, cowboys, presidents, movie idols, hippies, and socialites. Traditional blue denim is a warp-faced cotton fabric in a 3x1 twill construction of indigo dyed warp and gray weft.

Today's denim is more of a social statement. It ranges from cut-off shorts to formal wear.

Think of it, and it has been done to the denim in the name of fashion. It has been washed in many ways, bleached, torn, and even shot at for a rugged look. Today, world denim production stands near 2.5 billion yards. The U.S. denim market alone turns out about 1 billion yards annually. It has become an indelible part of American culture and is likely to thrive and grow.

(Photograph Courtesy of DKNY)

From function to fashion, textile materials have met the demands of social changes all throughout the history as tastes and times have changed. Fashion is a statement of imagination expressed in color, texture, and shape. Fashion is being contemporary, sometimes unconventional, and always creative. Fashion designers experiment continuously with innovative fabrics and ideas. "Everything I do is a matter of heart, body and soul," says Donna Karan, the exponent of American fashion, designer and CEO of the international fashion empire, DKNY, that bears her name.

DKNY exemplifies multi-cultural New York fashion on the edge. Shown here from DKNY's Fall'95 collection: black/silver striped jacquard robe-coat and striped button-front vest, black/charcoal striped wool cuffed slim pant, black/silver multi-stripe silk draped evening skirt.

(Photograph Courtesy of North Sails)

Sailing has been one of mankind's earliest adventures. Today, it is a sport with numerous variations, from racing yachts to wind surfing. The sail is one of the most important part of a sailboat, be it for racing or cruising. Polyester is used in upwind sails and Nylon in spinnakers and asymmetrical spinnakers. High performance fibers, i.e, aramids (Kevlar, etc.) and others are used in racing sails.

Shown here, Mainsail & Jib, made of Kevlar Gatorback II fabric manufactured by North Sails. On large racing yachts where the hull displacement, stiffness and rig size generate high loads on the sail inventory, low stretch, and high flex strength are two critical components in designing fast sails. The panel layout utilized on these sails, take advantage of the stronger warp yarns, aligning sail loads to thread loads.