Smart Fiber: Technical VS. Conventional Textiles
Technical textiles are created for a particular technical application in mind, such as providing absorption, support of the body’s movements/functions, aiding in sports activities, resisting fire, repelling water, suitable medical applications per end user in mind, and moisture management. They are engineered to meet specific needs in real-world scenarios, providing enhanced value through additional features and advantages beyond a basic decorative fabric.
A technical fabric can be conventional (a performance fabric that is also aesthetically pleasing) but a conventional fabric, without any functional aspects, cannot be categorized as technical. When making a fabric, the process begins with spinning the fibers into yarns which are then utilized in knitting the fabric. After the material has been knitted, it is subjected to scouring & dyeing / finishing and, if required, printing and the production is completed after the fabric has gone through the finishing treatment. For a conventional textile, it is a standard procedure that uses the same production method and the same materials, thereby not needing a lot of thought to be put into the construction of the fabric. It is only used for aesthetic purposes and does not give the material any advantage in terms of performance which could improve the practicality of the product made from it.
In the case of technical textiles, it is essential to first select the fibers, understanding and recognizing the characteristics of the fibers. In fact, selection of the fibers is the most important and critical step, as textile engineers use the basic features of the fiber to make it perform smartly. This step is crucial as it helps to determine which fibers will work well together or not. Following this, we move on to developing the fabric. The next phase of the process involves assessing the extra characteristics that are necessary by adding value and smart features to the final product. Based on how the fabric is to perform smartly, the knit pattern is determined and which fibers/ yarns will go where in the knit structure and which fibers will touch which fibers to make them interact smartly. The next step of the dyeing / finishing of the fabric is where the magic happens. During finishing, features like “ready to absorb” or “antimicrobial qualities” are incorporated which help to enhance the functionality and durability of the final product and make it perform smartly. Our process is very precise due to Sid Sharma's (our sister company AKAS Textile’s President) knowledge of fabric production and the intended end use. AKAS Textile is the manufacturing arm of Wazoodle Fabrics.
Companies that specialize in textiles weigh what fabrics to manufacture, how to produce the highest quality materials given the resources they possess, and make sure that the cost is reasonable for both the businesses and the buyers. Organizations in the textile sector are motivated by their niche and many focus on the performance of the material rather than its appearance. What makes AKAS Textiles & Wazoodle fabrics stand out from the rest of the textile industry? We aim to manufacture multi-function technical textiles that can serve an array of markets and end-use products. In addition, we ensure that our fabrics are produced with no harmful solvents and chemicals, and that our eco-friendly quality controls are continuously met. Read more on this topic on our Sustainable Manufacturing page of the AKAS Tex website.
Zorb - Zorb is unique in the dimple construction. It has a dimpled structure; think of a wave with the hills and valleys. The hills and valley construction allows for water to flow very quickly without forming puddles across the entire fabric resulting in faster dispersion and comfort to the user.
Prosoft PUL - The silent waterproof nature of the fabric is due to the close-knit fiber construction and the close bond it forms with the waterproof polyurethane layer which allows the fabric to be soft & supple. The specific bonding technique uses no heat at all and the film and fabric are cured by using the moisture in the air to create a good washable bond.
ProCool - The One way wicking fabric features push and pull technology using hydrophobic and hydrophilic fibers, which allows for water to move in one-direction only, creating a cooling effect through evaporation on the outer surface of the fabric. The uniqueness of this fabric is that it allows the moisture to be transported by the fibers ONLY in 1 direction.
ProECO - Our absorbent bamboo and organic cotton fabrics go through a proprietary deep-extraction process that removes all the absorbency-inhibiting agents from the fabric, resulting in a fabric that can absorb right out of the box without the need to pre-wash the fabric. This process also removes 80-90% of the shrinkage.
Like any manufacturer, in addition to us being a zero waste company who specializes in aesthetic performance smart fabrics, sometimes the material is not produced the way, what we refer to as "first quality" is designed to be. This could happen on account of various factors such as machine setting errors, sample testing, or missing/broken needles; whichever the reason the fabric may be mass-produced with writing, seams, missed stitches, etc. Most often this occurs and is discovered once production is finished. Though this does not mean the material is unusable! Thus Wazoodle also offers non aesthetic performance fabrics, we’ve named these our 2nds and Devs Fabrics, which we offer at a discounted price for our customers, helping us adhere to our zero waste practice.
Fabrics are usually designed for either a specific function or designed simply for visual pleasantry. We create our fabrics for those who love to innovate and it does not matter if our customers are at-home creators or big business owners, as long as their product needs to perform and do wonders per their innovation whilst being physically appealing to their consumer.
Click here to view product ideas you can create using our fabrics.
You can check out photos of the products other customers have made using our fabrics on our Wall of Creations.
Now the only question remaining is - what are you going to create & share?