Author: Nandani
Published on-
12 October 2024
The textile industry focuses on the design, manufacture, and distribution of textiles like yarn, fabric, and apparel. Cotton is the most significant natural fibre, with global production reaching 25 million tonnes in 2007. Textile machines play a vital role in textile engineering, handling processes from raw material cultivation to spinning, weaving, and finishing for both natural and synthetic fibres.
The design, manufacture, and distribution of textile goods through processes including raw material cultivation, harvesting, spinning, weaving, and finishing—which includes both natural and synthetic fibers—are the domain of textile engineering in the textile business.
Extruding a polymer through a spinneret (polymers) into a medium where it hardens is one way to create artificial fibers. A coagulating media is used in wet spinning (rayon). The solvent that surrounds the polymer during dry spinning (acetate and triacetate) evaporates in the heated exit chamber. Melt spinning (nylons and polyesters) involves cooling the extruded polymer in air or gas before it solidifies. Microfibers, rayon, polyester, and acrylic fibers are a few types of synthetic materials. These fibers will all be extremely long—often measured in kilometers. In comparison to most natural fibers, synthetic fibers are more resilient and easily absorb various colors. Artificial fibers can be treated like natural fibers by being processed as long fibers or by being batched and clipped.
Natural fibers (cotton, flax, sisal) come from sheep, goats, rabbits, silkworms, and other animals as well as minerals like asbestos. These vegetable fibers can be derived from leaves (sisal), stems (flax, hemp, jute), or seeds (cotton). Before a clean, even staple is produced, all of these sources require a series of procedures, each with its own name. Except for silk, all of these fibers are quite short, measuring only a few centimeters in length, and they have a rough surface that helps them stick to other similar staple fibers.
Historically, the textile industry in India has been the primary employer of both skilled and unskilled labor, second only to agriculture. The second-largest sector in India that creates jobs is still the textile industry. It provides about 35 million people throughout the nation with direct work. The Ministry of Textiles reports that 11.04% of all exports between April and July 2010 consisted of textiles. In all of India, there were 4,135 textile finishing facilities and 2,500 textile weaving enterprises in 2010. India was listed as the fourth most promising market for garment retailers in 2009 by AT Kearney's "Retail Apparel Index." India leads the world in jute production and holds a 63% market share in textile and apparel worldwide. India ranks second in the world for producing silk and cotton, as well as for making textiles. In the textile industry, 100% FDI is permitted via automatic channels. Among the international textile businesses with investments or operations in India are Rieter, Trutzschler, Saurer, Soktas, Zambiati, Bilsar, Monti, CMT, E-land, Nisshinbo, Marks & Spencer, Zara, Promod, Benetton, and Levi's.
The manufacture of textiles using wool from the vast sheep-farming regions that were established as a result of land clearance and enclosure in the Midlands and throughout the nation was the main British industry at the start of the eighteenth century.
The West Country, Norwich and its surroundings, and the West Riding of Yorkshire were the main hubs for this labor-intensive industry, which employed people throughout Britain. Throughout the majority of the 18th century, the export of woolen items made up over 25% of all British exports; between 1701 and 1770, this percentage doubled. The Industrial Revolution was spearheaded by the British textile industry, which also fueled technological developments, the growth of the coal and iron industries, increased imports of raw materials, and enhanced transportation, positioning Britain as the world leader in trade, industrialization, and scientific discovery.
Even though the Lancashire-based cotton industry's exports had increased tenfold over this period, they still made up only 10% of the wool trade's total worth.
Prior to the 17th century, individual laborers produced things on a small scale, typically in their own homes (such as weavers' cottages). Clothiers came to the village with their packs of pack horses to convey goods around the nation. A significant quantity of the fabric was exported, while some was used to make clothing for local residents. Canals that followed the contours and river navigations were built. Early in the eighteenth century, artisans were coming up with new strategies to increase productivity. Cotton was overtaking other textiles including silk, wool, fustian, and linen to become the most significant material. This laid the groundwork for the modifications.
Seventy percent of Pakistan's exports are in the textile industry. 8.5% of the GDP is contributed by the sector to the country's exports. In 2017–18, the value of textile exports was $4.4 billion. A significant portion of the labor force in the nation is employed in this business.
With the third-largest spinning capacity in Asia, Pakistan ranks fourth in the world for cotton production. It adds 5% to the total spinning capacity of the world. Currently, there are 442 spinning units, 124 big spinning units, 1,221 ginning units, and 425 small units that manufacture textiles. The third-biggest cotton consumer is Pakistan. In 2017–18, $3.5 billion in exports were recorded, representing 6.5% of the world's total cotton export.
Catalonia's cotton industry was the first in Spain to industrialize, and by the middle of the 19th century, it had emerged as the country's principal industrial region—a status it held throughout the majority of the 20th century. The tendency of early industrialization to be centered in northern Europe is broken only by Catalonia, the only outlier in the Mediterranean.
The printed fabric known as "chintzes," or indians in Catalan, was first manufactured in Barcelona in the early 1700s as a substitute for imports. Due to the easy access to dyes and (later) raw cotton supplies, the market soon spread to the American colonies.
At the turn of the 19th century, English spinning technology was introduced, and spinning, a latecomer to the business, took off. Following the factory system's introduction and Britain's lifting of prohibitions on the emigration of skilled laborers (1825) and machinery (1842), the industry began to industrialize in the 1830s. After the introduction of steam power, the high expense of imported coal and steam engines resulted in the widespread usage of hydraulic power beginning in the late 1860s.
From 1974 to 2004, the Multi Fibre Arrangement (MFA) controlled global textile and apparel commerce by putting limits on the quantity of goods that poor nations may export to industrialized nations. It ran out on January 1st, 2005.
In order to give industrialized nations time to adapt to imports from emerging nations, the MFA was implemented in 1974. Because textile production is labor-intensive and labor costs are low in developing countries, these nations have an inherent edge in this sector. A World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) analysis claims that the system has cost developing nations $40 billion in lost export revenue annually in addition to 27 million jobs.
The Agreement did not, however, have a detrimental impact on all emerging nations. For instance, the European Union (EU) placed no tariffs or limitations on imports from extremely underdeveloped nations, such Bangladesh, which caused the industry to grow significantly in those nations.It was resolved to place the textile trade under the World Trade Organization's (WTO) purview during the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The MFA quotas were to be gradually dismantled in accordance with the WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC). This procedure was finished on January 1st, 2005. Large tariffs are still imposed on a variety of textile products, nevertheless.
Bangladesh was predicted to be the most negatively impacted by the MFA's termination since it would be up against more competition, especially from China. But that wasn't the case. It turns out that labor in Bangladesh is "cheaper than anywhere else in the world," even when compared to other global economic behemoths.Even while there are records of wage reductions and layoffs at some smaller factories, the majority of downsizing was simply hypothetical because orders for the commodities continued to come in after the MFA expired. In actuality, the value of Bangladesh's exports rose by almost $500 million in 2006.
To ensure quality, safety, and sustainability, textiles, like many other items, must adhere to a number of national and international standards and laws.
The Textile Regulation on textile fiber names and related labeling and marking of fiber composition of textile products is in effect in the European Union.
effects on the environment
One of the biggest polluters in the worldwide world with primarily free market socioeconomic systems is the textile sector.
Soil and water quality are deteriorated by chemically contaminated textile wastewater. The majority of market-driven businesses utilize chemical treatments in pretreatment, dyeing, printing, and finishing processes, for example, even when there are "eco-friendly alternatives." This form of treatment is the source of the pollution. Sewage from the textile industry is one of the main sources of pollution for soil and water ecosystems, posing "carcinogenic, mutagenic, genotoxic, cytotoxic, and allergenic threats to living organisms". According to one analysis, the textile industry is the one generating the most pollution in the industry, using over 8000 chemicals in its supply chain and heavily damaging the environment with microplastics.
Large apparel companies like Nike, Adidas, and Puma seem to have abandoned their voluntary reform of their manufacturing supply chains in an effort to meet the worldwide target of zero emissions of hazardous chemicals by 2020.
Additionally, the textile industry produces a lot of pollution, which has the potential to have major negative externalities on the economy. When ownership rights are not divided, the issue typically arises. This indicates that a major contributing factor to the pollution problem is a lack of knowledge regarding the companies that pollute and the extent of the pollution's effect.
Effects on Worker Health
More than 8000 distinct chemicals, many of which are hazardous or nonbiodegradable, may be utilized in the textile industry's manufacturing process. When protective precautions are not used, the daily handling of hazardous chemicals by certain textile mill workers increases their chance of developing dermatitis, hearing abnormalities, and ophthalmological symptoms. Furthermore, exposure to both natural and synthetic fibers by pregnant textile workers increases the risk of miscarriages. Frequently coming into contact with dangerous chemicals can lead to other ailments.
Occupational cancer risk increases with increased exposure to harmful substances. It is believed that the use of dyes in textile products increases the incidence of bladder, urine, and nasal malignancies, according to studies conducted on textile workers.
Workers in the textile industry perform a lot of repetitive physical actions. Problems and discomfort may result from this, especially for those who operate textile sewing machines. Many of these operators reported having neck and lower back pain. The upper back, shoulders, and hips and thighs were among the other frequently mentioned discomfort locations. Furthermore, 69% of the workers reported having hard knuckles in the previous 12 months, which is a result of calluses caused by scissor rays.
Worldwide textile sectors have been found to have significant rates of occupational hearing loss in addition to high noise exposure.
Regular exposure to dust without the use of protective gear can have a variety of negative health impacts. Common respiratory symptoms associated with dust exposure include cough, phlegm, wheezing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Compared to their colleagues who utilized PPE and other safety precautions, textile workers who did not wear PPE had a 1,130-fold higher risk of respiratory illness symptoms. The study also discovered that workers were more likely to have signs of respiratory disorders when there was more dust in the air than what was considered to be of a high grade. Exposure to fiber dust has also been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer and other cancers.
CONCLUSION:
The textile industry has been a cornerstone of economies worldwide for centuries, providing employment, trade, and cultural expression. However, its landscape has evolved significantly in recent decades, grappling with challenges such as globalization, technological advancements, environmental concerns, and ethical considerations.
While the industry faces these hurdles, it also presents a wealth of opportunities. The integration of technology, from automation to sustainable materials, offers potential for increased efficiency and reduced environmental impact. Moreover, the growing demand for ethical and sustainable fashion, coupled with the rise of conscious consumers, creates a market for innovative and responsible textile products. Textile machinery suppliers play a crucial role in this transformation, providing advanced equipment that enhances production efficiency and sustainability.
In conclusion, the textile industry is at a pivotal moment. By addressing its challenges and seizing its opportunities, it can continue to be a vital contributor to global economies while fostering a more sustainable and equitable future.
