Textiles are an important part of modern life. Manufacture of fabrics, knitted goods, braids using natural products such as cotton, linen, wool, silk or synthetic materials, polyesters, nylon, and rayon provide a variety of job opportunities in the textile industry. Textile industry has three major categories of workers those who work in research and development, manufacturing, and in merchandising. The textile technologists/ engineers work to constantly find new synthetic materials, fabrics, textures and experiment with dyes and weaves, test for durability, fabric strength, and work with and develop computerised equipments. The textile testing laboratory carries out tests on sample textiles, designers generate fabric designs, textile production workers are involved in the manufacturing process and merchandisers are involved in the business of selling the fabrics. The garment manufacturing industry is an offshoot of this sector .
Textile production goes through four main stages - Yarn preparation, yarn production, weaving or knitting, dyeing and finishing.
The critical challenges faced by this industry is stiff international competition. New technologies and processing methods are being developed for the manufacture of durable, cost efficient materials for clothing, home furnishings, carpeting, towelling, automobile belts, parachutes, fire resistant and bullet resistant uniforms, polyester products, camping materials, medical use materials, and even material for teabags and childrens diapers. With a developing textile market all over the world, India being one of the major producers of textiles has not lagged behind. With the GATT agreement our textiles industry has got a boost. Employment avenues in our country have increased both in public and private sector enterprises and foreign participation has accelerated growth. There is also a great potential for research and development in this field. Infrastructural facilities exist both in private and Government sectors for R&D.
Nature of Work
Manufacture of textiles in India follows two major production systems- the hand operated loom and the mechanised production line. The handloom sector uses natural fibres and produces fabrics and home furnishing materials. This is carried on in the small scale sector and has textile designers, and weavers mainly involved in the production process.
In the formal sector the textile industry offers a wide range of job opportunities for engineers, textile chemists for research, textile technologists, computer professionals, knitters, weavers, dyers, printers, fashion designers, manufacturing specialists, marketing and sales people.
The major components of textile technology are:
Processing - Processing of fibre (natural or mixed) by blending them, designing the pattern and manufacture of textiles in various shades, self designs and prints etc.
Texturisation - Textile chemistry covers the process of texturisation in which the techniques of dying, bleaching and chemical modification of both natural cotton or silk or man made synthetic Rayon, Orlon, Acrilan yarns and fabrics is studied.
Mechanisation - The Development of Textile machinery, both for yarn making, weaving and development of ancilliaries. Their operation and maintenance is the job of Textile Engineer. The aim is to give better finish to the cloth.
Engineers in the textile industry
Textile engineering concerns itself with the design and development of textile machinery, their manufacture, installation, operation and maintenance. Industrial engineers are responsible for setting the operating schedules of each type of textile machine. They determine the most efficient method of material handling, estimate production costs, and ensure production efficiency. They are required to coordinate with the plant manager and the management.
Plant engineers are responsible for plant efficiency. They are responsible for the smooth functioning of the heating, air conditioning and other internal systems of the plant.
Note : Details of these engineering disciplines and courses may be refered in the Chapter on Engineering and Technology
Textile technologist
Textile Technology is primarily concerned with textile fibres and their transformation into yarns and fabrics. The areas of work are in textile manufacturing, textile engineering and textile chemistry. Textile manufacturing deals largely with the various processes involved in the design and manufacture of textile structures. Textile technologists are trained to work in three major areas. They work in research, design and development, production and quality control and customer service and sales.
Research and development - R&D involves the study of natural , manufactured and synthetic fibres for improvement in processing methods. For this study is conducted about its nature origin and use. This is largely a scientific job and hence draws upon the knowledge of polymer science, fibre chemistry, yarn production, fabrication efficiency and flexibility, dyeing and finishing, development or modification of production machinery and application of new technology to solve problems. Textile research involves development of new textiles suitable for specified purposes and designing new uses for existing textiles.
Production and Quality control - Technologists involved in production and quality control handle manufacturing procedures for converting fibres into textiles and textile products. The electronic controls, dyeing and finishing processes requires expert technical handling. In production there is constant supervision for spinning, weaving, knitting, bonding, dyeing, and finishing. They test fibres and textiles for heat resistance, crease resilience and laundering durability.The process of manufacture includes production, marking, packaging , storing and shipping. Quality control job encompasses product inspection for ensuring compliance of specifications. Efficiency and cost effectiveness is also ascertained.
Textile chemists deals with the chemical processing of textiles such as dyeing, bleaching, finishing and chemical modification of fibres, yarns and fabrics.
Customer sales and service - Technologists in customer sales and service are fully aware of the production processes and quality testing measures. They translate customer needs to the research and development department and direct production technologists to meet customer requirements.
Textile Workers
Workers in textile industries prepare natural and synthetic fibres for spinning into yarn. Yarn is made into textile products which are then used for making clothing, household goods, and for many industrial purposes. The workers are trained for handling the cleaning, carding, combing, and spinning of fibres, weaving, knitting, bonding yarns and threads into textiles as well as dyeing and finishing the textiles.
Work Environment
The work of engineers and technologists involves handling a succession of highly technical problems in a wide variety of situations. The interaction between scientists, engineers and technologists requires office work. Most technologists spend time on a computer, work in the textile laboratory, or on the plant floor. The textile industry is comparatively safe today, heavy lifting is now handled by machines. The plant environment during production is noisy and the dyeing process is messy. It involves the use of chemicals which requires careful handling.
Personal Characteristics
The job requires problem solving, analytical thinking and team work.Textile technologists need to keep themselves well informed about market demands and trends. They need to be very alert at all times and capable of observing minor defects in the manufacturing process. Quality control requires careful observation of stipulated requirements. Sales and marketing requires, good communication skills and knowledge of fashion trends and a fair amount of coordination with different departments.
Employment Avenues
The industry has been changing its outlook. Groups like Reliance, Raymonds etc have earned a great name in both the domestic and international markets. Job openings have improved in production, sales or exports. One can find employment :
* In marketing of textile products or engineering ancillaries required by the industry for production of cloth, yarn or fibre.
* In operation, maintainance and repairs of machinery and other supporting operations in running of textile producing unit or installation of equipment.
* In industries involved in production of man made fabric, rayon, orlon or blended fibre or weaving.
* In Garment manufacture.
* In Export of any of these products.
With tremendous rise in our export potentials more so with GATT agreement and government policies the textile industry has grown. Employment is expected to rise more for trained, experienced personnels both in India and abroad, where training facilities are non existent.
