Engineering design of textiles

Abstract

The engineering design of textiles continues to follow the traditional empirical methods and for technical as distinct from aesthetic design has not adopted computer-aided design as used in other industries. The reasons for this and the need for change have been discussed. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art in the structural mechanics of yarns and fabrics. The major challenge is to develop programs that industry will use and hence open up a creative interchange between academic researchers and industrial users. A description of key features of TexEng software, which includes an easy-to-use program aimed at meeting this challenge, is given.