Industrial textile production includes a variety of automated methods for manufacturing yarn, fabric and cloth from various types of fibers, although some industries focus on hand techniques for yielding the same products. In general, industrial scale textile production involves complex machines that can produce the needed items for each level of production, including yarn, cables and cloth.
Weaving
Weaving consists of interlacing two sets of threads. One thread set, the warp, is composed of several taut thread lines positioned parallel to one another. The weft, the second thread set, is interlaced along an angle set 90 degrees from the warp, first one way and then turning 180 degrees and laced back in the opposite direction. In both traditional and industrial weaving, there are a number of patterns that can be achieved through different spacing and interlacing techniques. Industrial weaving processes can be much more complex than standard hand techniques due to the use of computer-generated interlacing and patterns.
Traditional weaving often involves a loom, which is a large machine that holds pieces of thread in place to allow easier interlacing, although hand techniques involving paddles are also used. Industrial weaving involves some type of power loom, which automates most or all aspects of weaving, from the threading procedure to the positioning of warp threads.
Knitting
Knitting is a similar process to weaving in that it involves perpendicular thread runs interlaced to create sheets of fabric. Knitting is composed of a series of loops, called stitches, that encircle other stitches higher in the design, which themselves encircle other stitches. Industrial knitting machines are meant to emulate the hand knitting process, and the various hand knitting styles can be duplicated with automated machines as well.
Industrial knitting machines can be supervised and operated by workers or automated electronics. Additionally, industrial machines are capable of knitting wire and other metal. These techniques produce metal fabrics for a use in cars, converters and other machines.
Braiding
Braiding is accomplished by intertwining three or more strands of material to make a larger rope or cable. The intertwining process can be extremely basic or much more complex, especially when done in the pursuit of aesthetic reasons or electronic connectivity needs. Braiding is used on cotton yarn or string, copper wiring, or steel cables, each for a variety of industrial needs. Copper wiring is often braided for electronic connections, and the whole braid is then housed in an insulating rubber shield. Steel cables are produced for construction, as in suspension bridges, where thin steel cables are braided together, and then these large steel braids are braided together, often many times.
One of the more common braiding uses is for clothing and other textiles. Computer-operated, electronic braiding machines can braid materials together quickly, often at the rate of 200 picks per minute, although some high-speed machines can produce upwards of 600 picks per minute. A “pick” is the number of crossovers in a braid.
Felting
Felting is a process of producing threading in fabric through the use of moisture and friction. When a fabric is exposed to moisture or friction, some of the threads in the fabric become “activated,” and the natural kinks and scales of the threads thread together naturally. Felting is generally performed upon natural wool fibers, although artificial This process usually makes the fabric much softer, although some forms of felting are specifically designed to make tough, durable felt materials.
Industrial felting usually involves a controlled process guided by barbed felting needles. The needles catch onto thread scales and work to interweave and mash the threads back into the fiber. This process is controlled by computers and can produce very complex felt designs in multiple dimensions. Felt is used in many industrial applications in addition to clothing, including construction, automobile design, musical instrumentation and puppetry.