Technology and Engineering Atlas

How Things Are Built
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Field

Textile Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Textile engineering applies mechanical, chemical and materials engineering to the manufacture of fiber, yarn and fabric, spanning the machinery of spinning and weaving, the chemistry of dyeing and finishing, and the nonwoven and technical-textile processes used well beyond clothing, in composites, medical materials and industrial filtration. Cotton remains the most widely used natural fiber, accounting for about ninety percent of all natural fiber used in the textile industry, and the field's shift from household craft to mechanized industry took place chiefly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Origin Year
1884 1
Core Concern
Turning fiber into fabric at industrial scale, and the machinery, chemistry and process control that make weaving, knitting, dyeing and finishing repeatable and precise. 1
Core Principle
Turn fiber into yarn and fabric through spinning, weaving or knitting, then finish it through dyeing and chemical treatment, applying mechanical and chemical process control at every stage from raw fiber to finished cloth. 1
Textile Engineering
Filter Results3 entries
Connections

Associated With

Cotton Gin, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Flying Shuttle, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Jacquard Machine, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Invented the Jacquard loom, a landmark of programmable textile machinery.

Knitting Machine, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Nylon, Materials

Nylon's introduction as a fiber for hosiery and apparel from 1940 reshaped the textile industry's materials base.

Source Nylon (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Power Loom, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Ring Spinning, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Sewing Machine, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Spinning Jenny, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Spinning Mule, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Water Frame, Inventions

Field end of a technology member entity grouped under this field

Includes

Source Air-jet spinning, Wikipedia
Beetling, Inventions
Source Beetling, Wikipedia
Source John Heathcoat, Wikipedia
Source Calender, Wikipedia
Calico, Inventions
Source Calico (Wikipedia)
Source Carding, Wikipedia
Cotton Gin, Inventions
Source Cotton Gin (Wikipedia)
Dobby Loom, Inventions
Source Dobby loom, Wikipedia
Drawloom, Inventions
Source Loom (Wikipedia)
Source Machine embroidery (Wikipedia)
Source Flying Shuttle (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Fulling, Wikipedia
Source Jacquard Machine (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source A History of TechnologyCharles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors
Source William Lee (inventor), Wikipedia
Loom, Inventions
Source Loom (Wikipedia)
Source Mercerisation (Wikipedia)
Source Open-end spinning, Wikipedia
Power Loom, Inventions
Source Power Loom (Wikipedia)
Source Rapier loom - Wikipedia
Source Richard Arkwright (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Ring spinning, Wikipedia
Source Calico (Wikipedia)
Source Lewis Paul (Wikipedia)
Source Yarn, Wikipedia
Source Samuel Slater (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Sewing Machine (Wikipedia)
Source Spinning Jenny (Wikipedia)
Source Spinning mule, Wikipedia
Source Spinning Wheel (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Stocking frame, Wikipedia
Source Tenterhook, Wikipedia
Source Textile bleaching (Wikipedia)
Source Throstle frame, Wikipedia
Source Warp knitting, Wikipedia
Source Water frame, Wikipedia
Source Wikipedia: Wool combing machine
Sources
1. Textile Engineering (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
  • History section
    The Philadelphia Textile School, one of the first dedicated US textile engineering programs, was founded in 1884.
  • Lead section
    Textile manufacturing or textile engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric.
  • Processing of cotton paragraph, cotton-share sentence
    Cotton remains the most widely used and common natural fiber making up 90% of all-natural fibers used in the textile industry.
View the Source
A History of Technology
Charles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors, Oxford University Press, 1954Includes: Joseph Marie JacquardView the Source
Nylon (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: NylonView the Source
Samuel Slater (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Samuel SlaterView the Source
Richard Arkwright (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Richard ArkwrightView the Source
Spinning Jenny (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Spinning Jenny, Categories
Quote, Includes: Spinning Jenny, Categories
Spinning
View the Source
Power Loom (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Power Loom, Categories
Quote, Includes: Power Loom, Categories
Textile machinery
View the Source
Sewing Machine (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Sewing Machine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Sewing Machine, Categories
Textile machinery
View the Source
Cotton Gin (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Cotton Gin, Categories
Quote, Includes: Cotton Gin, Categories
Textile machinery
View the Source
Flying Shuttle (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Flying Shuttle, Categories
Quote, Includes: Flying Shuttle, Categories
Textile machinery
View the Source
Water frame, Wikipedia
Includes: Water Frame, Categories
Quote, Includes: Water Frame, Categories
Spinning
View the Source
Spinning mule, Wikipedia
Includes: Spinning Mule, Categories
Quote, Includes: Spinning Mule, Categories
Spinning
View the Source
Carding, Wikipedia
Includes: Carding Machine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Carding Machine, Categories
Spinning
View the Source
Ring spinning, Wikipedia
Includes: Ring Spinning, Categories
Quote, Includes: Ring Spinning, Categories
Spinning
View the Source
Rapier loom - Wikipedia
Includes: Rapier Loom, Categories
Quote, Includes: Rapier Loom, Categories
Textile machinery
View the Source
Stocking frame, Wikipedia
Includes: Stocking Frame, Categories
Quote, Includes: Stocking Frame, Categories
Textile machinery
View the Source
Loom (Wikipedia)
  • Includes: Drawloom, Categories
    Textile engineering
  • Includes: Loom, Categories
    Textile engineering
View the Source
Dobby loom, Wikipedia
Includes: Dobby Loom, Categories
Quote, Includes: Dobby Loom, Categories
Weaving equipment
View the Source
Wikipedia: Wool combing machine
Includes: Wool Combing Machine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Wool Combing Machine, Categories
Textile machinery
View the Source
Throstle frame, Wikipedia
Includes: Throstle Frame, Categories
Quote, Includes: Throstle Frame, Categories
Spinning
View the Source
Lewis Paul (Wikipedia)
Includes: Roller Spinning, Categories
Quote, Includes: Roller Spinning, Categories
Spinning
View the Source
Air-jet spinning, Wikipedia
Includes: Air-Jet Spinning, Categories
Quote, Includes: Air-Jet Spinning, Categories
Spinning
View the Source
Open-end spinning, Wikipedia
Includes: Open-End Spinning, Categories
Quote, Includes: Open-End Spinning, Categories
Spinning
View the Source
Jacquard Machine (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Jacquard Machine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Jacquard Machine, Categories
Textile machinery
View the Source
Spinning Wheel (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Spinning Wheel, Categories
Quote, Includes: Spinning Wheel, Categories
Hand spinning tools
View the Source
William Lee (inventor), Wikipedia
Includes: Knitting Machine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Knitting Machine, Categories
Textile workers
View the Source
Mercerisation (Wikipedia)
Includes: Mercerization, Categories
Quote, Includes: Mercerization, Categories
Textile treatments
View the Source
Warp knitting, Wikipedia
Includes: Warp Knitting Machine, Categories
Quote, Includes: Warp Knitting Machine, Categories
Knitting
View the Source
Fulling, Wikipedia
Includes: Fulling Mill, Categories
Quote, Includes: Fulling Mill, Categories
Textile treatments
View the Source
Tenterhook, Wikipedia
Includes: Tenter Frame, Categories
Quote, Includes: Tenter Frame, Categories
Textile arts
View the Source
Yarn, Wikipedia
Includes: Roving Frame, Categories
Quote, Includes: Roving Frame, Categories
Knitting tools and materials
View the Source
Calico (Wikipedia)
  • Includes: Roller Printing Machine, Categories
    Woven fabrics
  • Includes: Calico, Categories
    Woven fabrics
View the Source
Beetling, Wikipedia
Includes: Beetling, Categories
Quote, Includes: Beetling, Categories
Textile arts of Ireland
View the Source
John Heathcoat, Wikipedia
Includes: Bobbinet Machine, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Bobbinet Machine, Lead section
During his apprenticeship he made an improvement to the warp-weighted loom, so as to produce mitts of a lace-like appearance.
View the Source
Calender, Wikipedia
Includes: Calendering Machine, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Calendering Machine, Lead section
A calender is a series of hard pressure rollers used to finish a sheet of material such as paper, textiles, rubber, or plastics.
View the Source
Machine embroidery (Wikipedia)
Includes: Embroidery Machine, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Embroidery Machine, Lead section
Machine embroidery is the process of using a sewing or embroidery machine to create decorative stitching on fabric.
View the Source
Textile bleaching (Wikipedia)
Includes: Textile Bleaching, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Textile Bleaching, Lead section
The textile bleaching (or bleaching of textiles) is one of the steps in the textile manufacturing process.
View the Source
Frequently Asked Questions

Is textile engineering the same as fashion design?

No. Fashion design is concerned with the aesthetic design of garments and collections. Textile engineering is concerned with turning fiber into fabric at industrial scale, the machinery, chemistry and process control behind spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing and finishing. A textile engineer might never design a garment at all, working instead on the mills and chemical processes that produce the cloth a fashion designer later uses.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.

View At A Past Year

Choose a year to see this entry's facts and connections as the atlas records them at that moment: what it held then, what it held instead, and what it had not yet adopted. Choose Present for the current record.