Textile Production: Vertical, Horizontal Integration

• Companies participate in one or more of four basic components of textile production.
• Some large corporations within the textile industry engage in vertical or or horizontal integration

Vertical Integration

• This is when companies combine activities on two or more levels of the industry chain.
• It spans from fiber to fabric through the use of products.

Horizontal Integration

• This occurs when a firm expands into the production of new products that are competitive with older ones.
• It involves the integration of production at roughly the same manufacturing process level.

Four Textile Production Areas

• Fiber Processing

• Yarn Spinning

• Fabric Production

• Fabric Finishing

• Natural fibers all decay and return to the earth.

• The Global Textile Market share was $1.8T in 2023.

Service Concepts of Textiles

• Serviceability measures a textile product's ability to meet consumer needs.
• Understanding your target market and relating target market needs is crucial for product serviceability.
• Aesthetics refers to the appearance and attractiveness of a textile product.
• Consider whether it's pleasing or appropriate for its end use.
• Does it make the right statement for the target market?
• Durability is how well a product withstands use.
• Consider the length of time suitable for the intended use and its strength.
• Will the consumer be satisfied with the product?
• Comfort and Safety depend on the interaction between the textile, body, and environment.
• Comfort: Will it change with wear and use?
• Safety: Will it protect the body from harm, and is it safe to wear?
• Appearance Retention involves how well the product retains its appearance during wear and use.
• How long will it look new?
• It involves resistance to soiling, abrasion, pilling, snagging, etc.
• Care refers to the treatment needed to maintain its original appearance and cleanliness.
• What is the recommended care procedure?
• What is the cost and frequency of the care process?
• What is the target market preference regarding care?
• Environmental Impact is the effect on the environment from production, use, care, and disposal of the textile and product.
• Sustainability describes practices and policies that reduce environmental pollution and avoid exploiting people or natural resources.
• Consider the life cycle impact of products.
• Cost includes:
• Original cost to purchase.
• Maintenance cost to clean press, etc.
• Disposal cost.
• Hidden costs.
• Importance of cost to the consumer.

Fiber

• Fibers are the smallest component of a textile fabric and the base unit of textile structure.
• Fibers can be:
• Staple filament fibers
• Natural fibers.
• Textile fibers are at least 100 times longer than their diameter.
• Fiber differs from fabric
• Textile fibers need to be strong, flexible, elastic, and durable.
• Textile fibers can be classified as natural or manmade.
• Fibers are often spun into yarn, which is then woven or knitted into a fabric.

Fiber Properties

Length

• Fibers come in two lengths:
• Staple fibers are short, measured in inches and centimeters.
• Filament fibers are long, measured in yards, meters, and kilos.

Luster

• Luster refers to the light reflected from a surface.
• Increased light reflection is from a flatter cross-sectional shape.
• Matte has light and is used more frequently.
• Shiny fibers reflect lots of light.
• The luster of a manmade fiber can be varied during manufacturing.
• Yarn structure, finish, and fabric structure can enhance or decrease luster.

Hand

• Hand is how the fabric feels to the touch, involving tactile characteristics.

Physical Shape

• The shape of the fiber covers cross-section, surface contour, irregularities, and the average length of textile fibers.

Drape

• Drape is a fabric characteristic describing how a fabric falls over a 3D form, such as a body or table.

Pilling

• Pilling is the formation of balls of fiber on a fabric.
• It is aesthetically unpleasing

Abrasion Resistance

• Abrasion resistance is when a fiber is worn out or damaged when being rubbed against another surface.

Overview of textile production, including vertical and horizontal integration strategies. Key areas of production—fiber processing, yarn spinning, fabric production, and finishing—are explored. The global textile market's scale and the concept of serviceability are also discussed.