TMD 402I - Innovation in the Textile and Apparel Complex
Innovation in Textile Functionality
Dr. Andrew Dent, Director of Materials Library & Research, Material ConneXion
Summary by Allison Putnam
The globalization of the
textile industry has had a variety of effects within the complex.
One such effect is the race to produce textile and apparel merchandise at
the lowest cost possible. In order
to do this, manufacturers must either find new ways to produce the final product
or find new things to produce that fulfill the needs of consumers.
Innovations within the textile and apparel complex have been the answer
to succeeding within this volatile industry.
Dr. Andrew Dent, director of the
Materials Library and Research at Material ConneXion, addressed these issues in
his presentation: Innovation in
Textile Functionality.
Dr. Dent began his presentation by providing a background of information about his company, Material ConneXion. As a private company with offices in both New York City and Milan, Material ConneXion serves as a resource center for artists, architects, and designers among others. They house over 3,000 different materials and accept approximately forty new innovative materials a month. The materials are accepted into their collection via a jury process. Once accepted into the collection, the materials are stored in their library among a vast assortment of other materials. The library is broken up into eight categories based on their material composition; polymers, glasses, carbon-based materials, naturals, materials derived from nature, cement-based materials, metals, and ceramics. Materials within these categories are displayed on “materia tabula” with a label, description, and reference number for the database. The library itself allows customers to come in and view the materials that are each showcased on their tablets.
The next phase of Dr. Dent’s presentation concentrated on the actual innovations within textile designs. Some of the topics that he touched upon were innovations in biomimicry, phase change materials, shape memory polymers, structural textiles, and 3-dimensional textiles. Speedo has been using biomimicry to mimic the surface of sharkskin so that they may reduce friction in water. By creating a swimsuit with less drag in water, they are a cut above the other swimsuit manufacturers.
Not only is it important to develop innovations in textile design, but also to develop new materials. Dr. Dent provided information about the development of unconventional textile materials. Optical fibers, photo and electro-luminescents, aero gels, carbon fibers, and corn are among materials now being used to produce innovative materials. The use of aluminates and europium has allowed for advancements in photo and electro-luminescence, making them 10 times brighter and longer than previous examples. Of most interest was the concept of using corn to make plastics. Free from the use of petrochemicals, this new innovation could be quite beneficial to the environment.
The innovations in the textile and apparel complex have made the industry more competitive, therefore innovation is of vital importance for success. Innovations in textile design and material development, such as those discussed by Dr. Dent of Material ConneXion, are examples of how the textile and apparel complex continues to be a dynamic industry.