Woven Fabrics - Fairchild Books

light-pattern changes to create a realistic three-dimensional
form. A printout can be produced for distribution
to customers, sales personnel, or management.
Technological advances have provided the opportunity
for full integration of design and production of
woven fabric. Technology has given the textile industry
the catalyst to enhance the designer’s creativity, to
suggest production alternatives when needed, and to
establish accurate information regarding quick delivery
of goods to a global marketplace.
Factors Affecting the Cost
of Woven Fabrics
The selling price of a fabric is based on the cost to produce
it as well as the demand for the cloth. Fabric is
bought and sold both in unfinished and finished states.
The following are some of the factors that affect the
cost of producing woven fabrics:
Fiber content: The cost of fibers is based on quality
as well as generic type. Pima cotton is more
expensive than upland cotton because it is a betterquality
fiber. Polyester is more expensive than acetate
because of the higher cost of manufacturing.
Antron ® nylon costs more than the regular type of
nylon for the same reason.
Yarn type: The cost of yarns is based on fiber
content and the type of yarn. Novelty yarns are
more expensive to produce than the regular type.
High-twist spun yarns cost more than low-twist
spun yarns of the same yarn size because the former
take longer to produce. Thinner spun yarns are
usually more expensive than thicker yarns for the
same reason. Worsted yarn is more expensive than
woolen yarn because additional production steps
are required. Lighter-weight filament polyester yarn
(lower denier) is more expensive than heavier polyester
yarn composed of the same number of filament
fibers because smaller spinnerette holes are used to
make the lighter fibers, causing lower production
rate. Ply yarn is more costly than an equivalent size
single yarn because both thinner yarns and a plying
process are required.
Construction: The weave used is an important fabric
cost factor. A jacquard design costs more than
a plain, twill, or satin weave because of additional
preliminary and loom set-up costs, the lower production
of the jacquard loom, and the relatively few
jacquard looms one operator can tend.
FABRIC SCIENCE
A 108 F
The fabric yarns per inch must also be considered.
A fabric with greater warp yarns or filling yarns per inch
costs more than one with fewer yarns because it has
greater yarn content. The more picks per inch in the
fabric, the fewer yards of fabric per hour are produced.
Increasing or decreasing the ends per inch usually has
no effect on the production rate of the loom.
The number of yarns per inch and the type of yarns
used in a fabric affect the weight of the fabric. Therefore,
fabric weight directly affects the cost of woven cloth.
In fact, some textiles are bought and sold primarily on
the basis of their weight. This is more fully discussed in
Chapter 15.
Other costs include those for dyeing or printing and
finishing. These areas are discussed in subsequent chapters.
Basic fabric types, such as broadcloth and print
cloth in their various constructions, are widely sold and
traded in the textile market.
New Developments
Three major concerns for the manufacturers of products
are: the cost of raw materials, capital costs, and the
costs of energy. Because of these concerns all industries
continues to evaluate and reshape their operations and
equipment. The following list presents opportunities in
the weaving industry:
u Enhanced mill flexibility
u Quicker response to demand shifts
u Development of niche (special) products
u Joint ventures
u Increased productivity
u Improved ability to use new fibers, yarns, and finishes
Classic Woven Fabrics
This section contains a brief description of many of
the classic woven fabrics (Figure 5.24). Identifying features
are emphasized and a general indication of their
use is also included to help the reader obtain a better
mental image of the cloth. It should be noted that the
following glossary of classic woven fabric names can
only give the reader an approximate mental picture of
the fabrics listed. As a reinforcement, it is strongly recommended
that, wherever possible, the actual fabric
be examined, many of which are in the Fabric Science
Swatch Kit.