Section outline

  • Technical textiles are fiber-based products used in applications other than apparel and home furnishing. The main purpose of a technical textile is its functionality, not it's aesthetics.

    Familiar examples are home / automotive filters, airbags, seat belts, parachutes, bulletproof vests, firefighter turnout suits, face masks, etc. In addition, there are many notable examples of inconspicuous use of textile products in tires, civil construction and geotechnical engineering. 

    The course aims at

    • addressing the current status and ways forward of different technical textile segments
    • assisting experts and students in the field on how technical textiles are fabricated and how their performance is tested
    • product design principles
    • understanding of applications, materials, and technologies relevant to the vast array of technical textile materials and products

    The learning outcomes of this course are
    Knowledge

    • understanding of the different types of technical textiles
    • knowledge of the use cases
    • knowledge of production methods and their differences compared to apparel
    • knowledge on the design of technical textiles
    • knowledge of techniques to evaluate technical textiles

    Skills

    • know where new textile techniques might be used
    • to design some selected technical textiles (braid, textiles for composite, ...)
    • to develop a DOE through software
    • to analyse with software test data to test if standards are met.

    Responsibilities / autonomy

    • apply a textile solution within the non-apparel sectors
    • setup a DOE within a company
    • certify typical technical textile performance: breathability, permeability, filtration capacity, strength, ...