SUPPLY –CHAIN AND LOGIC MODELS FOR THE TEXTILE AND CLOTHING COMPANIES

The textile and clothing industry is characterized by specific supply-chain models with companies situated in a complex cluster type structure. Depending on the size, the volume and the variety of production, companies can be classified as follows: large companies, griffes, medium size companies and subcontracting companies. The logic of companies is defined by the main feature of the textile and clothing field, namely the logic of collections, determined by the seasonality and classified into several types: planning, fast-fashion, fast fashion/ planning. The market share defined by stylistic content, product quality and price determine their typology: mass-market, bridge, diffusion, prêt-a-porter/haute-couture. The study conducted on a number of companies in the textile-clothing industry revealed the following: high share of SMEs (75%), dominant role of garments in the production (74.5%), fast-fashion logic of imitating companies is predominant (94%) and mass-market type products have the highest market share (71%). Success in national and international challenges that must be faced by the textile - clothing sector: complete liberalization of world trade, the implementation of quality standards, the adoption of the EU Customs Code and relocation can be provided only by changing the supply -chain models and business strategies with a focus on short series products with high customization and fictionalization, new models of e-commerce services, e-business, et

Smart textiles to promote multidisciplinary stem training

Smart textiles consist of multi-disciplinary knowledge. Disciplines such as physics, mathematics, material science or electrics is needed in order to be able to design and manufacture a smart textiles product. This is why knowledge in smart textiles may be used to showcase high school and university students in basic years of preparation some applications of technical disciplines they are learning. The Erasmus+ project “Smart textiles for STEM training – Skills4Smartex” is a strategic partnership project for Vocational Education and Training aiming to promote additional knowledge and skills for trainees in technical fields, for a broader understanding of interconnections and application of STEM, via smart textiles. Skills4Smartex is an ongoing project within the period Oct. 2018-Sept. 2020, with a partnership of six research providers in textiles www.skills4smartex.eu. The project has three intellectual outputs: the Guide for smart practices (O1), the Course in smart textiles (O2) and the Dedicated e-learning Instrument (O3). The Guide for smart practices consists in the analysis of a survey with 63 textile companies on partnership level and interviews with 18 companies. Main aim of O1 is to transfer from source site to target sites technical and smart textile best practices and the profile of workforce needed for the future textile industry. The needs analysis achieved within O1will serve to conceive the Course for smart textiles with 42 modules (O2), to be accessed via the Dedicated e-learning Instrument (O3). All outputs are available with free access on the e-learning platform: www.adva2tex.eu/portal

DEFORMATION BEHAVIOR OF CONDUCTIVE TEXTILE FABRICS

Conductive textiles play a key role in making highly specialized clothing. While clothing made of conductive fabrics can experience mechanical stress during wearing, this paper presents a comparative study of the deformation behaviour of two conductive fabrics (knitted and woven fabrics). Based on the physical and mechanical tests and analysis, we calculated the anisotropy and Young modulus for both fabrics and also we simulated their wearing behaviour of them using a pattern design software (PDS) from OPTITEX. Both values were compared with the bending behaviour simulation on a human avatar using PDS-3D. The map of the simulated bending stress reveals the high peaks at elbows, hips, knees, thoracic and armpit areas. All the highest values obtained by simulation are lower than the calculated ones, which means that at maximum stress the fabrics will not be damaged

Life Cycle Assessment of Flexible Electromagnetic Shields

Nowadays, fiber based flexible electromagnetic shields have widespread applications in ensuring Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC). Shielding is a solution of EMC, and the main methods to estimate shielding effectiveness are represented by the circuit method and the impedance method. Magnetron sputtering of metallic layers represents a novel technique to impart electric conductive properties to fabrics. Coating of fabrics represents a second main option to manufacture textile shields beside the insertion of conductive yarns in the fabric structure. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is often used to assess a comparatively modern with a classical manufacturing process in order to prove its eco-friendly character. This chapter comparatively assesses flexible EM shields manufactured of fabrics with inserted conductive yarns with and without magnetron plasma coating. The copper plasma coating of cotton fabrics with inserted silver yarns increases shielding effectiveness (EMSE) by 8–10 dB. In order to keep for the LCA study the same functional unit of 50 dB at 100 MHz for one sqm of fabric, the fabric structure is modeled with a reduced distance between the inserted conductive yarns. Results of the LCA study show a substantial impact on the environment for the plasma coated fabric upon using a laboratory scale deposition set-up

Modeling and Validating Analytic Relations for Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness of Fabrics with Conductive Yarns

Electromagnetic (EM) radiation may be harmful for human’s health and for functioning of electronic equipment. The field of Electromagnetic Compatibility approaches various solutions to tackle this problem, while shielding of the radiation is one of the main solutions. Since the development of spinning technology for producing conductive yarns for fabrics, textile electromagnetic shields have become a valuable alternative to metallic shields. Their main advantages are given by the flexibility, the low weight and the good mechanical resistance, as well as by the possibility to precisely design the shield. The scientific literature includes several analytic relations for estimating the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMSE), in case of woven fabrics with conductive yarns, which may be modeled as a grid of electric conductors. This book chapter tackles three different analytic models for estimating EMSE, which are useful to predict this functionality in the design phase of fabrics. The analytic relations are subsequently comparatively validated by EMSE measurements via TEM cell equipment of two woven fabrics with conductive yarns out of stainless steel and silver with a grid of 4 mm. Results of validated analytic relations are used for the approach of designing textile shields with regard to final application requirements

Technologies for the functionalization of textile mats with nanoparticles

Nanotechnology is the science of materials with extremely small dimensions (one nanometer is one billionth meter), but it is a major developing industry with an estimated annual market of about one trillion US dollars by 2017[1]. Nanoparticles are used or evaluated for use in many areas, which is currently demonstrated on the market for over 1,000 nano-products. The impact of nanotechnology extends from its medical, ethical, mental, legal and environmental applications to areas such as engineering, biology, chemistry, computer science, materials science and communications [2-3]. Potential risks include environmental, health and safety issues; transient effects, such as the reallocation of traditional industries as nanotechnology products, are becoming dominant and are a cause for concern for privacy lawyers [4-5]. Textile of 100% cotton, 55% polyester / 45% cotton and 100% polyester, white and dyed, were functionalized by spraying technology on a test device made at UT Dresden after oleofobization with Rucostar EEF6 or Nuva N 2114 and impregnation by applying oleophobic treatment simultaneously with the functionalization with Ag NP. Analysis of the size and form of Ag NP was achieved by using SEM electronic microscopy, TEM and dynamic light scattering (DLS) transmission microscopy. The uniformity, dispersion and migration of Ag NP from the surface of the textile materials for the initial samples compared with those tested for acid / alkaline perspiration, washing and wear (rubbing) revealed by AAS determinations that the acidic sweat test is the most aggressive leading to decreases in the amount of Ag NP of approx. 25% versus untreated sample. The amount of Ag NP deposited on the textile by the two technologies did not differ significantly. Compared to untreated knits with treated ones the size of the agglomerations does not change significantly; from the point of view of the uniform distribution of Ag NP on the surface of the knits after the acid / alkaline sweat tests, the best values (agglomeration distances) are highlighted in the case of 100% polyester knitted

The Influence of Motivational Factors on the Performance in the Research Activity

In the present study, the motivational factors refer to all those factors that are associated with the researchers’ motivation and which have an influence on increasing the RDI activity performance. Consequently, the context is defined by the RDI activity, by the way it is organized and by the conditions under which the activity is carried out. Two categories of motivation were analyzed: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Performance in RDI occupations refers to the performance of the research staff. The present research aimed to analyze the influence of the motivational factors on the performance of RDI research staff. The results show that motivation plays an important role in increasing performance in RDI occupations. The mean values for intrinsic motivation are higher than those obtained for extrinsic motivation (mean factor of 4.27 versus 3.81)

INFLUENCE OF ADDITIVES ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF NANOPARTICLES

Here the influence of additives on NPs in spray formulation used for textiles treatement is assessed. After oleofobization with Tubiguard textile materials from 100% cotton were spray-treated in a specialized chamber with Ag NP and CeO2 NP in 3 sizes ranges (<100nm, <200nm, 2-3μm) in a water – ethanol - based dispersions containing aditional additives. Electron microscopy analyzes by light field, high resolution and electron diffraction on selected area analyses highlighted the spherical and polyhedral form of the nanoparticle the homogeneitiy of the nanoparticles dispersion. Analysis of the uniformity, morphology and distribution of the nanoparticles on textile matrices were performed by using: the SEM (Scanning electron microscope) made on Quanta 200 FEY, the TEM (Transmission electron microscopy) and EDS (Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), IPC-MS Analyses (Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry). Analysis of the influence of the chemical auxiliaries on the shape and dimension of the nanoparticles were made for: solution of CeO2 and Tubiguard VCN-5g/l, Solution of nanoCeO2 and RucoDry(5 g/l) and RukoLink (1 g/l), solution of Ag NPs and Tubiguard VCN(5g/l), solution of nanoAg and RucoDry (5 g/l) and RukoLink (1 g/l).The TEM analysis reveals that dimensions and shape of the NPs did not change under the action of the chemical auxiliaries

ESD GARMENTS

Protective equipment represents an alternative for the sustainable development of companies and for human health protection. The insertion of "invisible functionalities" in textile structures, the use of functional elements as part of the whole garment are just a few tools which define "freedom" of creation in the field of textiles. The electrical, chemical and mechanical properties of conductive textiles are crucial for intelligent textiles. ESD garments are used to protect sensitive devices from electrostatic discharges that can occur from the normal clothing of the human operators. ESD garments on the market don’t solve all the problems raised by accidental electrostatic discharges. This is because the fabric, from which the garment is made, must fulfill at the same time two contradictory conditions: high resistivity, to limit the charging process and energy transfer in case of an eventual discharge, and high conductivity, to facilitate the dissipation process of charges, thus limiting the accumulation of charge on the fabric. To obtain an ESD garment with superior qualities, the present paper proposes the development of a bilayer structure using the integral knitting technique. The outer layer, which comes in contact with the working environment, is mainly dissipative (DL) which ensures the protection against short circuit and limitation of electrostatic energy transfer into the working environment, while the inner layer, which comes in contact with the human operator, is mainly conductive (CL), providing the controlled drainage of accumulated electrostatic charge