Potential of IT, biotechnology in textiles

ABSTRACT

Todaythere is a paradigm shift in the textile industry. The consumer drives thisshift .A consumer today has access to the best of products at the mosteconomical price while he is sitting on his cozy couch and surfing the net.From all this we can come to a conclusion that competitiveness has increasedtremendously and if the Indian textile fish has to survive from being eaten bythe big shark "GLOBALIZATION, then it has to bow to technology which willhelp it in spreading its fin and helping it to swim with out any harm.

Inthe new millennium the industry must transform to entertain the consumer. Thiscan done by providing the consumer with 5 R's

Rightproduct

Rightquality

Rightquantity

Rightprice

Righttime

Theindustry must face a challenge of being profitable in a highly competitiveglobal market by rapidly delivering value to a diverse base of consumers. Tomeet these challenges successfully the industry must harness the two keyassets: Information & People.

A totally new set up to handle challenges of materialspurchase, receipt, store, issue, and process and dispatch functions in thesupply chain with computer applications is possible. Nevertheless, faster andaccurate data transmission need to be achieved for full potential of the newset ups. I way, Internet, Electronic data interchange (EDI) and barcodes arethe information technology enablers for doing business electronically. In thispaper, potential of InformationTechnology & Bio Technology industry isanalyzed.

Introduction

Globalcompetition has caused the textile industry to modernize and become costcompetitive because developing nations have discovered to explore the textileproducts in an attractive way to enhance their economic growth.

Theindustry has focused on reducing costs, improving quality and developing quickturnaround and response scenarios. These forces have impacted the number andquality of the technical work force. Graduates with a background in computersand information management are making up a larger portion of the entry-leveltechnical staff. Process engineers dedicated to improving quality andefficiency make up the rest.

Mostof the entry level work force has little or no exposure t o textile educationor training, they have to rely on experienced technologists to guide and trainthem. Unfortunately as the older technologists retire, they take with themvaluable technical knowledge and know-how leaving the skeletal remainstechnically unsupported.

Mostof the technical information is in the form of supplier technical bulletins orin the files of one or two key old-time technologists. Very little is inwritten form, and what does exist, is not easily accessible to others needingthe information.

"ITin TI"

(Information technologyin Textile industry)

What is ERP?

AnEnterprise is a group of people with a common goal, which has some keyfunctions and resources at its disposal to achieve that goal.

Resourcesincluded are man, money, material and all the other things that are required torun the enterprise.

Planningis done to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Planning is putting necessaryfunctions in place and more importantly, putting them together.

Spider Silk:

There are currently over 34,000 described species of spider, each with a specific tool-kit of silks with different mechanical properties serving specific purposes. Silk is found to be at least five times as strong as steel, twice as elastic as nylon, waterproof and stretchable. The silk could also be woven into strong textiles to make parachutes, body amour, ropes and fishing nets.

Biotechnologists are currently analyzing the properties of silk proteins and how they assemble into threads. Knowing exactly how silk fibers are formed and what mechanical properties result from different assembly processes could allow the manufacture of artificial spider silks with special characteristics such as great strength or biochemical activity. The future objective might not be to prepare identical copies of natural silk fibers, but rather to capture key structural and functional features in designs that could be useful for engineering applications.

In recent studies parts of the genes were successfully inserted into the bacterium E. coli, mammal and insect cells, which in turn produced silk proteins.

MU-silk treatment:

Researchers have developed a new treatment, called "MU-silk", that can give silkiness to a variety of different textiles.

The MU-silk treatment, uses calcium ions as a cross linking agent to chemically bond the silk fibroin to the textile. This means that the silk fibroin will not peel off regardless of the number of times laundered and that silk's unique hand, along with its water and moisture absorption properties, will be maintained. In addition, the calcium used as the cross linking agent serves an anti-static function and the plant extract contained in the NIC solution results in antibacterial properties.

With MU-silk, silk-like hand and properties can be produced-on natural fibers including cotton, rayon and wool and synthetic fibers including nylon, polyester and acryl.

The main component of MU-silk is silk protein, while secondary components include ionized calcium and a derivative of animal and vegetable oil. The result is a finishing agent that is kind to the skin.

Since the silk protein is chemically bonded to the textile using calcium ions as a cross linking agent, no binder is required. The result is a treatment resistant to laundering that maintains silk's unique hand and water and moisture absorption properties.

Conclusion:

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Definition:

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) comprises of a commercial software package that promises the seamless integration of all the information flowing through the company - financial, accounting, human resources, Supply Chain and customer information.

Accurate planning and scheduling of orders, better date predictions, quick response to query and online detailed information of orders is a must for doing business --- these are some additional features of ERP.

Effective application of Information Technology in textile mills has now become an integral part of their operations and a dire necessity for facing global challenges.

ERP is an information system that manages all resources available in a company.

Evolution of ERP

The business environment world has changed over the last 50 years. Since 30 years manufacturing enterprises involved in manufacturing, sales and distribution activities have been using computers to improve productivity, profitability and information flow across the enterprise. In 1960-70s Independent Software Vendors (ISV) were used by organizations for automation purposes. In the 1970s, the production oriented information systems were known by the name Material Requirement Planning (MRP). The MRP at its core is a time phased order release system that schedules and releases manufacturing work orders and purchase orders, In the 1980s an enlarged version of MRP known as Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) came into practice. MRP II has certain extensions like rough cut capacity planning and capacity requirements planning for production scheduling on shop floor as well as feedback from manufacturing shops on progress of fabrication. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is the latest enhancement of MRP II with the added functionality of finance, distribution and human resources development, integrated to handle global business needs of an integrated and networked enterprise. The scope of ERP offerings expanded in the mid-1990s to include other ``back-office'' functions such as order management, financial management, warehousing, distribution production, quality control, asset management and human resources management. The range of functionality of ERP systems has further expanded in recent years to include more ``front-office'' functions, such as sales force and marketing automation, electronic commerce and supply chain systems.

An ERP system

is a packaged client/server or web based database application

is generic or industry specific

is modular

integrates all departments in an enterprise into one system

influences the way business is done

can be configured

is not same for every company

Why ERP for Textiles?

The textile industry may be a very ancient and mature industry today. But that does not mean the industry can remain immune to the global changes that are taking place in the 21st century. Beginning 2005, the quota regime will be out and mills will have to play by the WTO rules. From the Agreement in Textile and Clothing of the WTO, the focus has clearly shifted to the future of the Indian textile and clothing exports. Geographical boundaries will no longer matter. Mills will face not only in the export market but also in their own back yards - the local market. Customers, be they industrial or retail, will take their business to whoever offers better quality at a lower price. In this global market place, only the mills, which are competitive in terms of cost and quality, can survive.

But mere survival in this era of intense competition is not a sufficient raison d'etre for the mills. The mills need to prosper and grow if they do not wish to become extinct. And mills, that want to prosper, must rapidly and flawlessly deliver high-quality products designed for specific markets and users, while maintaining profitability and industry leadership.

But to do this, mills must correctly anticipate, adapt to and manage the market dynamics. How? By seizing control of what has become the single most powerful resource in business - accurate information. Mills will have to proactively exploit information about their internal operations and balance and optimize their financial, manufacturing and distribution resources.

For maintaining higher efficiency and productivity along with the quality of end product, it would be necessary to think of a solution which will help the industry right from the purchase of raw material to the sell its final product. Any such solution is known as ERP solution.

E.R.P gives the following for the textile industry:

Functional integration

A common database is maintained and utilised for all of the various areas of the enterprise.

Process integration

from fibre to finished garments without interruption of continuity.

Modularity

The Company utilise only the modules it is interested in, and, in any case, it operates in real time in an absolutely integrated environment

Versatility

Each procedure can be personalised for fitting to the Companys business model

Where ERP in Textiles?

E.R.P can be applied in the following textile sectors,

• Fiber
• Yarn
• Fabric
• Apparel
• Denim
• Upholstery
• Home fashions
• Carpet & rug
• Woven fabrics
• Ties/ Scarves

E.R.P can be applied in the following manufacturing sectors of the textile industry

• Spinning
• Warping
• Weaving
• Knitting
• Tufting
• Non woven production
• Dyeing
• Printing
• Finishing
• Cut sew
• Apparel finishing
• Commission work

SOME OF THE AREAS OF "IT in TI" ARE AS FOLLOWS

SPINNING:

Information technology in the spinning mill includes primarily the machine panels, the system of regulating and a system of controlling these data system .Productivity quality, operational profit of the spinning mills and the competitiveness depends to a large extent on IT.

Today the panel, on a machine is not only a source of information to the operator of that machine but it is also a source of information to the maintenance personnel, supervisors, electricians etc. Details, which go into the finest details, like the count being spun, the spindle speed, the draft, the length of yarn on to the bobbin etc., can be directly monitored online.

WEAVING:

In the field of weaving too just like spinning all the details can be available at the desktop of the senior manager of a weaving unit.

Loom data system now days work so effectively that they have raised the standards of fabric production. Such a systems can give you data ranging from the efficiency of a particular loom, the stoppage time, the reason of stoppage , the efficiency of the unit for one as well as all shift , the minute to minute details of the number of weft inserted etc.

DYEING:

In the very department too although the risk have increased but the advent of machine which dye in high temperature and pressure conditions, yet IT has taken away the danger element from the process.

Now a days dyeing machine are controlled online the inlet of colour , chemicals , water etc, circulation, and all this takes place from a single computer . The whole process sequence does not start until the dyeing vessels are completely closed and sealed so ensuring safety. So basically the operator is only left with job of loading & unloading of material and addition of chemicals and dyes to side tanks from where it is injected into main tank through the computer signal.

TEXTILE DESIGN:

Much of the use of IT in this field grew from the idea that scanning existing designs and making modifications could new textiles.

Problems about colour matching and colour reduction have been appreciated. Textile designers use IT systems for three main areas of their work:

• Design
• Presentation
• Production

SAMPLING:

The most expensive process in clothing company is that of sampling. A company will frequently have to produce designs in a variety of colour combination and without IT there is often the same labour content in creating second version of the design as the first. It is difficult to store all the development samples produced by a company over a period of say 10 years but a well- commissioned system for recording this data helps in its retrieval during times of urgency.

INVENTORY CONTROL:

A conventional mill does have an inventory of about 1.5 to 2 lakh kg of yarn itself in the god owns. This yarn is generally of different quality, shade, and made for different end use. So also at any point of time the packaged goods are also kept in storehouse or in bins. In the old days it was a pain-stacking job to locate a particular quality of yarn or fabric, but in this jet age the required yarn can be traced from a godown in a matter of seconds without any hassles. This give a company a round about idea and ample allowance of time to plan their production strategy, Their requirements and their planning needs to cater to the customer effectively as "Customer is the KING".

Major benefits of ERP based system are:

• Prompt and paperless communication. ERP being an integrated system, user can check the status
• Better understanding of processes and business practices during implementation.
• Better utilization of manpower.
• Accurate lot tracking and adequate lot process information in process house.
• Dye recipe management and control over reprocessing.
• stock management
• ware house management
• Improves ability to commit delivery periods
• Reduced process cycle time resulting from using online purchase requisition.
• Effective working capital management through information visibility and effective receivables and payables management.

DISADVANTAGES OF AN ERP SYSTEM

• Time in Implementation
• Expense in Implementation
• Training
• Integration, Testing, and Maintenance
• Data Conversion
• Data Analysis
• Consultants
• Implementation Teams Can Never Stop
• Waiting for Return on Investment (ROI)
• Post-ERP Depression
• Risks in Using One Vendor
• Security Issues

Latest Trends- ERP II:

In the current scenario, Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) is of high demand. Integration of ERP with other systems such as Customer Relation Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and other Independent systems has led to the evolution of ERP-II package. The communication between the customers & vendors is through the Internet.

SUMMARY for "IT in TI"

The clock is ticking and the world is becoming a smaller place. IT application has become the need of the hour. The technology today and the industry is ripe for the picking. Those companies, which take advantage, and those , which follow the principle of creating experience, must bow to the new revolution.

The "REVOLUTION called IT"

IT can be a very competitive weapon in the armory of the textile mills. It gives the management a holistic view of their global operations, helps to reduce cost and improve quality, enables faster response to customer demands and market dynamics - in short a great enabler and differentiator if implemented well. But the key lies in choosing a package that addresses the mills current and future requirements and from a vendor who can provide long term support. Implementation of ERP facilitates enterprises to attain ``best business practices'', irrespective of their size.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology can simply be defined as the application of living organisms and their components to industrial products and components. What has given biotechnology new impetus in the last few years, has been the very rapid developments in genetic manipulation techniques (Genetic Engineering) which introduces the possibility of "tailoring" organisms in order to optimize the production of established or novel metabolites of commercial importance and of transparent genetic material (genes) from one organism to another. Biotechnology also offers the potential to new industrial processes that requires less energy and are based on renewable raw materials.

Textile industry is one of the profit making and flourishing industries. The textile industry is characterized by high consumption of:

• Energy
• Resources
• Time consuming production processes

Biotechnological processes can make a considerable contribution to:

• New fibers
• Improve processing
• Finer finishes
• High performance characteristics
• Cost effective effluent treatment
• Conserving energy and water
• Reducing emission of effluents
• Shortening processes

The environmental issues have never been in a sharper focus as it is today. Textile field is one such area of activity that is the center of attention of world. There is, as a result, a proliferation of a number of eco standards and quality requirements for textile materials. Here Biotechnology plays a major role to maintain eco standards and save the environments.

Various fields of textiles where biotechnology is finding applications are:

Wet processing in textiles

Developing new hybrid varieties

Various Biotechnological tools applied in different areas of textiles include use of

Various enzymes

Gene transfer mechanism

Fungi

Wet processing :

One of the fields of textiles processing where biotechnology finds great application is the wet processing. Historically various chemicals used such as sodium hydroxide and organics are used. But these apart from performing their specific functions also add sodium ions to the wastewater, which can have a negative effect on the environment. Enzymes are naturally occurring proteins. Not only do they more specifically target the biochemical reaction that's needed, but they also are biodegradable, so there is very little negative impact on the environment. The use of enzymes and microbes has recently been used to improve textiles and textile bioprocessing, with emphasis on cost, environmental improvement, and tailored properties of products.

Enzyme Biotechnology in textiles:

Through biotechnology, enzymes are used to treat and modify fibres during textile manufacturing, processing, and in caring for the product afterwards. Some applications include:

Desizing:

Protective sizing elements should be removed by a process called De- sizing. Amylase enzymes are widely used in desizing as they do not weaken or affect cotton fibers, nor do they harm the environment.

Scouring:

In the bio scouring only non-cellulosic impurities are removed under mild conditions without damaging the fibers. More recently, Pectinases have shown promising replacing the traditional alkaline scouring treatment. Novo Nordisk has introduced " Bio Prep", an enzymatic process to remove hydrophobic and other non-cellulosic compounds from cotton. The new process operates at mild pH condition over a broad range of temperature and can be applied using existing equipments such as "jet dyers"

Breakdown of hydrogen peroxide:

When cotton is bleached, a chemical called hydrogen peroxide, which can react with other dyes, remains on the fabric, many dye stuffs are sensitive to oxidation and therefore a residue of hydrogen peroxide in the dye bath or on the fabric may cause the problem of shade change. Catalase enzymes specifically break down hydrogen peroxide and may be used to remove this reactive chemical before further dyeing, saving the need for three rinses when using dyes that are attacked by peroxide.

Advantages

Reaction products are eco friendly, only oxygen and water, no salt.

Enzyme acts as a catalyst, destroys peroxide residue with much lower dosages

Does not react with dye textile material

Biostoning and Biopolishing-

Instead of using abrasive tools like pumice stones to create a stonewashed effect or to remove surface fuzz, cellulase enzymes may be used to effectively stonewash and polish fabrics without abrasively damaging the fibres. Practically it can be carried out at any time in wet processing but if this is done after dyeing there may be a risk of change in colour shade. Also the dye stuff reduces the reactivity of the enzyme, so we will have to use a high concentration of enzymes, and even some dyes are known to have a retarding effect on enzymes such as cellulases.

Biostoning of denim:

Jeans, manufactured from denim, are one of the world's most popular clothing items. The "stonewashed look" has been traditionally achieved by locally removing the indigo dye using a process in which pumice stone is added to the washing drum to abrade the garment. Enzymes can be used to facilitate the removal of the indigo from the yarn surface. In practice, three washing methods can be used:

Stone washing with pumice only;

Stone-free washing with enzymes only ("Biostoning")

Washing with a combination of pumice and enzymes.

Today, Biostoning is the main process used in the denim finishing industry, a shift promoted by process economics, fashion and, to a lesser extent, environmental impact.

Advantages:

• Increased resistance to pilling
• A clear and fuzz free surface
• Improved drapability
• Improved softness

Dyeing:

Dyeing involves the transfer of substance from solution to the fibre. This process requires the presence of surface-active agents, ionic force "balancers", buffers, stabilizers and others, and are characterized with high turbulence and mechanical agitation in the textile baths. Enzymes can be preferably used as it can interact with all chemical agents in solution due to the large variety of side chains of the outer-amino- acids in the large 3D structure of the protein.

Lac dye:

Lac is the secretion from the insect Kerria lacca. It contains a dye which can be obtained as a byproduct from the wash waters of lac processing industry. This dye has been known to dye wool and silk but has no affinity for the cotton. An attempt has been made to standardize a technique for dyeing cotton with this dye. Chitosan, a naturally occurring polymer has been used as a pre treatment.

Producing new fibres through biotechnology:

Biotechnology makes it possible to produce cotton with improved fiber features. Agricetus has produced a genetically engineered which contains a bacterial gene that produces a polyester-like substance that is reported to have the texture of cotton hut to be much warmer. Zeneca uses microbes to produce a naturally occurring polhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by bacterial fermentation. Monsanto is now investigating genetically engineered plants to be used to produce PHB. Weyerhaeuser has already commercialized bacterially derived cellulose which is finer, more uniform, and more resilient. Dupont has developed a microbe-based fermentation process for the manufacture of 1,3-propanediol, a key ingredient in polytrimethylene terephthalate, a polyester that is superior to the widely used polyethylene terephthalate (PET), but which was previously too expensive to make in large amounts.

Cellulases are also gaining widespread use in the production of the relatively new fiber, Lyocell, the generic name for solvent-spun cellulosic fibers. Lyocell is spun from wood pulp in a closed amine oxide solvent system. The solution is then filtered and extruded to form the filament. Compared to other man-made fibers (such as rayon), lyocell has greater strength and a more environmentally favorable manufacturing.

Be controlled by cellulase treatment to achieve a soft, luxurious fabric and laundering fastness. In one case, lyocell was treated with primafast(r) SGL cellulase from Genencor International, which is an engineered cellulase composition designed specifically to achieve the desired performance.

Courtaulds Chemicals has recently developed a new cellulosic fabric from lyocell fiber, called Tencel, which has better strength and handling properties but is subject to this defect. Coats Viyella Clothing Stevenson's, a UK company, in conjunction with Courtaulds, has shown that enzyme treatment prevents this problem. Once this process has been carried out, the fabric is stable for the rest of its life.

Novel Fibres :

Synthetic fibres made from renewable sources of biomass are environmentally sustainable, becoming increasingly economically sustainable. Biodegradable synthetic polymers include Novel fibres such as Polyglycolic acid and Polylactic acid, which are made from natural starting materials.

Not all novel fibres are synthetic; they may also be naturally derived. Some natural biological fibres come from basic materials found in nature, including:

Chitin - a type of sugar polymer found in crustaceans

Collagen - a type of protein found in animal connective tissue

Alginate - a type of sugar polymer

A prime example of a synthetic biomass fibre is Polylactic Acid (PLA), which ia made by fermenting cornstarch or glucose into lactic acid, and then chemically transforming it into a polymer fibre. With properties similar to other synthetic fibres, PLA based materials are durable with a silky feel, and may be blended with wool or cotton and fully biodegraded by microorganisms under appropriate conditions into carbon dioxide and water.

Application of bio technology in major textile fibres is as follows:

Cotton:

With increasing resistance of pests and insects against even the new and modern pesticides and insecticides, it is felt necessary to develop genetically engineered cotton plants which can be a major new tool in integrated pest management (IPM) and will also be eco-friendly. This approach necessitates gene transfer from other varieties, from more distant relatives or from unrelated organisms. Plant breeding and genetic engineering are strategies to achieve this goal

Genotypes having thin and a glabrous nature of leaves, okra character, high gossypol and open type plant types resist white fly infestation.

The white lint cottons have to be bleached and dyed unlike in naturally coloured cotton.

Concern for the environment has taken strong routes in minds of the people. Materials and products that are injurious to the eco system and human health are increasingly discouraged.

High tech recombinant DNA methods plus transformations are also likely to help in Topping the gene sources in microorganisms for developing coloured cotton.

The spectrum of colours in cotton comprise colours like brown, black, c red, red, khaki, pinkish, brown, blue, dirty, white, green, bright, green, and their various shades.

Experimental hybrids of coloured cotton which are products of cross between white linted and colour linted cotton were found to be high yielding with strong and long fibres.

Wool:

Environmentally friendly shrink-proofing treatment for wool with new keratin-degrading enzyme is discovered in mold.

Shrink-proofing treatments for wool commonly utilize chlorine-based chemicals or synthetic resins. Wastewater from these types of processing contains toxic substances that can be harmful to the environment. In addition, woolen textiles that have undergone treatment for shrink-proofing usually have an inferior hand and do not take advantage of wool's natural softness. Treatment to avoid felt shrinkage has involved treating wool with either chlorine-based chemical in order to remove the cuticle or synthetic resins to cover the surface of the fiber. In these methods, the. Waste water from the processing can contain AOX (absorbable organic halogens), which are harmful to the environment. Furthermore, wool that has been treated with resins usually has a poor hand and reduced water absorption and desorption abilities. Due to these factors, the dyeing industry has been calling for development of shrink-proofing technology free from chlorine-based chemicals.