Textile fabrics can be produced directly from webs of fibres by bonding, fusing or interlocking to make non-woven fabrics and felts, but their physical properties tend to restrict their potential end-usage.The mechanical manipulation of yarn into fabric is the most versatile method of manufacturing textile fabrics for a wide range of end-uses.
There are three principal methods of mechanically manipulating yarn into textile fabrics: interweaving, intertwining and interlooping. All three methods have evolved from hand-manipulated techniques through their application on primitive frames into sophisticated manufacturing operations on automated machinery.
1 Interweaving (Fig. 1.1) is the intersection of two sets of straight threads, warp and weft, which cross and interweave at right angles to each other. Weaving is by far the oldest and most common method of producing continuous lengths of straight-edged fabric.
Fig. 1.2 Intertwining and twisting.
tons of knitted goods are produced annually throughout the world. Although the unique capability of knitting to manufacture shaped and form-fitting articles has been utilised for centuries, modern technology has enabled knitted constructions in shaped and unshaped fabric form to expand into a wide range of apparel, domestic and industrial end-uses.