Rethinking the U.S. Textile Industry

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Rethinking the U.S. Textile Industry

• Subhash K. Batra
• NCRC, NCSU, Raleigh, NC, USA
• HCTAR, Cambridge, MA, USA
• and
• David Brookstein
• Philadelphia University, Philadelphia, USA
• HCTAR, Cambridge, MA, USA

2
The Problem

• Public Image Textile industry is in demise.
• View supported by many economic studies.
• Kiekens (AUTEX I) discussed the impact on textile
  education offered European Strategy
• U.S. Response Continually Evolving
• TCTC (1979 NSF study, 1981, DoC, labor unions,
  industry)
• HCTAR (1990, Sloan Foundation)
• NCRC (1991, NSF, NC, Industry)
• NTC (1992, DoC)
• DoD initiatives, etc.

3
Some Basic Questions

• What is fiber? textile?
• Fiber (fibra, ca. 1540) a unit of
  matterflexibility, fineness, high
  length/thickness (e.g. T I broad agreement).
• Min. length for spinnability requirements (e.g.
  ASTM) wood pulp fiber, monofilaments, wires?
• Textile (textilis, ca. 1626) a woven or knit
  cloth fiber, filament, or yarn used in making
  cloth (MW)generally applied to (1) staple
  fibers and filamentsfor conversion to or use as
  yarns, or fornonwoven fabrics, (2) yarnsfrom
  natural or manufactured fibers, (3) fabrics and
  otherproducts made from fibers, and from yarns,
  and (4) garments and other articlesfrom one or
  more of the above, andwhen the products retain
  the flexibility and drape of the original
  fabrics. And, as an adjective the definition
  is of or pertaining to textiles. (ASTM)

4
Confusion

• even among the learned, no unanimity on
  definition nor clarity on what final products to
  include.
• Why? The burden of history
• Weaving (basketry)Neo. cultures of 5000 BC
• Cotton, silk, wool, and flax fibers woven in
  Egypt, cotton in India and silk in China by 3000
  BC EB
• Strings, ropes, nets, laces, knits followed.
• Cottage industry few tools much labor.
• I R (1760-1840, England) ushered in steam power,
  factory system, technological inventionsbirth of
  the textile industry.

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History

• Before WWII 1. Raw material from natural
  sources 2. All fiber and end products consumed
  largely in clothing and furnishings.
• Ergo fibers included in the definition of
  textilesnowhere else to go.
• Was the farming sector part of the textile
  industry? No.
• Post WWII chemical industry
  regenerated-modified-synthesized polymeric fiber
  industry.
• Output focus substitution market in textiles
  inclusion in the textile industry.
• Post WWII, consolidation and expansion of the
  industry emergence of large multi-divisional
  conglomerates, etc.
• Success of the manufactured fibersbroader range
  of products/marketsinclusion under the ever
  expanding textile umbrella. Ergo complexity.

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History Self-Perception (NAE 1983)

Agriculture
Chemical
Fiber Exports
Non Textile Uses
Fiber Imports
Yarn Production
Fabric Production
Yarn Exports
Textile Mills
Yarn Imports
Weaving Knitting Non-Woven
Dyeing and Finishing
Fabric Exports
Apparel
Industrial
Home
Furnishings (H. F.)
Fabric Imports
Domestic Distribution Wholesalers, Retailers
Exports
Exports
Imports
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History

• Acquisition of political clout (Rose 2000)
• Protection from international competition
• A. Import tariffs (1961) STA, LTA
• B. Bilateral quota control MFA, etc.
• And yet,
• deficit continues to grow.
• (ATMI 2002) 60.76B in 2000, 62.46B in 2001
  5-6 textile, the rest is clothing.
• Enormous socio-economic impact sad.
• So whats next?

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Bad News/Good News

• Bad News
• The imperative continuing improvement in global
  human well being more even distribution of the
  economic pie the international trade disputes
  will continue the U.S. textile industry, as we
  know it, will continue to face competitionsheer
  market size of U.S. a strong magnet.
• Good News
• Per capita fiber consumption continues to grow
  U.S. 88 lbs. (2000) World average about 19 lbs.
  (2000) PRC about 14 lbs. (2000)
• U.S. apparent fiber cons. 24.3B lbs. (2000)
  mill fiber cons. was about 16B lbs. (Feb.
  2000). 52, apparel and furnishings (not c r)
  48 in c r plus industrial, was 44 in 1995
• Data conservativeno glass, aramids, metal,
  fiber-optic, ceramic and
• other specialty fibers.

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More Good News

• Dr. Aneja has made a compelling case for the
  manufactured fiber industry.
• Fibers can be engineered to meet specs.
• Using them, products can be engineered to meet
  specs.
• Evolution of fibers as engineering materials.
• Looked at this way, the market for engineered
  fiber-based
• products in 2000 was Rigby 2002
• Americas 5.08MM tons (3.4 p.a. to 2010)
• Global 16.69MM tons (3.8 p.a. to 2010)

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To gain a healthier perspective for the future,
we need a paradigm shift.The new paradigm We
are in the business of producing/engineering/sourc
ing fibers and converting them into products
useful to society.
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In the New Paradigm(Product vs. Technology)
Fiber Industry
Textile Industry
Engineering with Fibers, or Fiber-Based
Products Industry
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Fiber Industry

• Agriculture
• Plants/Trees
• Seed (cotton, kapok, coconut)
• Stem/trunk (wood pulp, bast fibers, Manila hemp)
• Leaves (sisal, henequen, )
• Animal hair (wool, cashmere, mohair, )
• Manufactured (MF)
• Organic/Polymeric
• Regenerated cellulose derivatives (rayon,
  acetate, )
• Synthetic
• Aramids Nylons (N6, N66,)
• Acrylics/Modacrylics Polyesters
• Polyolefins Carbon/Graphite
• Elastomeric PLA, etc.
• Inorganic
• Glass (fiberglass, optical glass)
• Metals (steel, copper, alloys)
• Ceramics

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EwF Reinforced Rigid Composites As
defined by FEB in 66 b. EwF Ropes, Cordage,
Fishline, etc. As defined by FEB in 70 but
include all ropes including marine ropes. EwF
Floor Wall Coverings As defined by FEB in
51,52. EwF Pneumatic Tires As defined by FEB
in 63. EwF Flexible, Reinforced Rubber
Composites As defined by FEB in 64, 65.
EwF Paper Wetlaid wood pulp.
Textiles Fabrics made by weaving, knitting,
braiding, etc. (not nonwovens) for consumer
apparel accessories and residential
furnishings. EwF yarns/wovens/knits/braids
for engineered structural use, commercial
interiors apparel designed to meet strict,
objectively measurable (engineering or
performance) specifications. Flexible,
Reinforced Rubber Composites As defined by FEB
64, 65. Reinforced Rigid Composites
Relatively hard matrix reinforced by fibers,
and/or precursor EwF structures, and/or
Nonwovens.  
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Justification?

• Existence of independent trade unions, expressing
  divergent interests.
• INDA is trade association of the nonwovens
  industry.
• TAPPI is association for professionals working in
  the pulp and paper industry it also often serves
  as a trade association.
• IFAI is a broad umbrella organization with the
  following divisions
• American Casual Furniture Fabric Association
• Automotive Textiles, Plastics and Coatings
  Association
• Banner Flag Association
• Geo-synthetic Materials Association
• Marine Fabricators Association
• Narrow Fabrics Institute
• Professional Awning Manufacturers Association
• Safety Protective Products Division
• Tent Rental Division
• Truck Cover Tarp Association
• United States Industrial Fabrics Institute

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Justification? (continued)

• ATMIrepresents mill firms which operate
  machinery in the United States for the
  manufacture or processing of textile products
  (except those who produce man-made fibers and
  yarn by a chemical process).
• AFMA is the trade association for U.S. companies
  that manufacture synthetic and cellulosic
  fibers.
• Carpet and Rug Institute is the national trade
  association representing the carpet and rug
  industry.
• Dalton Floor Covering Market Association is an
  association whos goal is to market industry
  member services to the world.
• The National Cotton Council and Cotton
  Incorporated, semi-governmental organizations
  devoted to the promotion of cotton and protecting
  interests of the cotton farmers.

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• The schema recognizes fibers as engineering
  materials.
• Broadens the scope of the Fiber Industry.
• Restricted definition of Textiles, recognizes
  the economic importance of the other fiber-based
  products industries or Engineering with Fibers
  Industry and frees them from the instabilities
  and turmoil of the textile-apparel connection.
• Could facilitate better understanding of the
  supply chain relationships and strategic
  planning.
• Could provide educational institutions a better
  paradigm view for developing appropriate
  focused programs to meet the human resource needs
  of the selected segments of the industry.

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• Could facilitate development of the relevant
  design scienceto gain competitive advantage in
  the market place.
• Need a great deal more study and debate.
• Lead vs. follow.
• Join us.
• (subhash_batra_at_ncsu.edu brooksteind_at_philau.edu)

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• Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible
  objections must be first overcome. (Samuel
  Johnson)
• Truth is ever to be found in the simplicity, and
  not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.
  (Sir Isaac Newton)
• A man with a new idea is a crank until he
  succeeds. (Mark Twain)
• Thus, the task is, not so much to see what no
  one has yet seen but to think what nobody has
  yet thought, about that which everybody sees.
  (Erwin Schrodinger)
• There must be no barriers to freedom on inquiry.
  There is no place for dogma in science. The
  scientist is free, and must be free to ask any
  question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any
  evidence, to correct any errors. (J. Robert
  Oppenheimer)