The textile mills and products industry comprises establishments that produce yarn, thread, and fabric and also a wide variety of textile products for use by individuals and businesses, but not including apparel. Some of the items made in this industry include household items, such as carpets and rugs, towels, curtains, and sheets; cord and twine; furniture and automotive upholstery; and industrial belts and fire hoses. The process of converting raw fibers into finished nonapparel textile products is complex; thus, most textile mills specialize. In general, there is little overlap between knitting and weaving mills, or among mills that produce cotton and wool fabrics.
Textile mills take natural and synthetic fibers, such as cotton and polyester and transform them into yarn, thread, or webbing. Yarns are strands of fibers in a form ready for weaving, knitting, or otherwise intertwining to form a textile fabric. They form the basis for most textile production and commonly are made of cotton, wool, or synthetic fiber, such as polyester. Yarns also can be made of thin strips of plastic, paper, or metal. To produce spun yarn, natural fibers, such as cotton and wool, must first be processed to remove impurities and give products the desired texture and durability, as well as other characteristics. After this initial cleaning stage, the fibers are spun into yarn.
Fabric and textile products are mostly produced by means of weaving, knitting, and tufting. Workers in weaving mills use looms to transform yarns into cloth, a process that has been known for centuries. Looms weave or interlace two yarns, so they cross each other at right angles to form fabric. Although modern looms are complex, automated machinery, the principle remains the same as in ancient times.
Knitting is another method of transforming yarn into fabric. Knitting interlocks a series of loops of one or more yarns to form familiar goods, such as sweaters. However, unlike the knitting done with hand-held needles, knitting in the textile industry is performed on automated machines. Many consumer items, such as socks, panty hose, and underwear, are produced from knitted fabric.
Tufting, used by carpeting and rug mills, is a process by which a cluster of soft yarns is drawn through a backing fabric. These yarns project from the backing’s surface in the form of cut yarns or loops to form the familiar texture of many carpets and rugs.
At any time during the production process, a number of processes, called finishing, may be performed on the fabric. These processes, which include dyeing, bleaching, and stonewashing, among others, may be performed by the textile mill or at a separate finishing mill. Finishing encompasses chemical or mechanical treatments performed on fiber, yarn, or fabric to improve appearance, texture, or performance. Mechanical finishes can involve brushing, ironing, or other physical treatments used to increase the luster and feel of textiles. Application of chemical finishes to textiles can impart a variety of properties ranging from decreasing static cling to increasing flame resistance. The most common chemical finishes are those that ease fabric care, such as the permanent-press and stain-resistant finishes.
Dyeing operations are used at various stages of production to add color and intricacy to textiles and increase product value. Textiles are dyed using a wide range of dyestuffs, techniques, and equipment. Most fabric that is dyed, printed, or finished must first be prepared. In preparation, the mill removes natural impurities or processing chemicals that interfere with dyeing, printing, and finishing. Typical preparation treatments include desizing, scouring, and bleaching. Finally the finished cloth is fabricated into a variety of household and industrial products.
Regardless of the process used, mills in the textile industry are rapidly modernizing, as new investments in automation and information technology have been made necessary by growing domestic and international competition. Firms also have responded to competition by developing new products and services. For example, some manufacturers are producing textiles developed from fibers made from recycled materials. These innovations have had a wide effect across the industry. Advanced machinery is boosting productivity levels in textiles, costing some workers their jobs, while fundamentally changing the nature of work for others. New technology also has led to broad and increasingly technical training for workers throughout the industry.
The emphasis in the industry continues to shift from mass production to flexible manufacturing, as textile mills aim to supply customized markets. Firms are concentrating on systems that allow small quantities to be produced with minimum leadtime. This flexibility brings consumer goods to retailers significantly faster than before. Information technology allows the retail industry to rapidly assess its needs and communicate them back through the apparel manufacturer to textile firms.
