Technical Knitting | Applications of Technical Fabric Structures

Md. Emdad Sarker
Assistant Professor
Department of Fabric Engineering, BUTEX 

Technical knitting is an advanced capability which allows textile components to be used in the technical field rather than traditional textiles. Technical knitting is an exciting capability, making it possible to create ground-breaking textile structures, constructions and textures as fully fashioned textile components which just can’t be achieved in flat-weaving [1]. In this article, some technical knitted fabrics along with their applications have been described.

Applications of Technical Knitted Fabrics

1. Bandages 

Bandages are designed to perform a whole variety of specific functions depending upon the final medical requirement. The most common application for bandages is to hold dressings in place over wounds. Such bandages include lightweight knitted or simple open weave fabrics made from cotton or viscose that are cut into strips then scoured, bleached, and sterilised. Elasticated yarns are incorporated into the fabric structure to impart support and conforming characteristics. Knitted bandages can be produced in tubular form in varying diameters on either warp or weft knitting machines. Compression bandages are used for the treatment and prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), leg ulceration, and varicose veins and are designed to exert a required amount of compression on the leg when applied at a constant tension [2].

Figure-1 Tubular bandage

How to protect the Textile and RMG Business in Bangladesh?

Industry-University Collaboration

The readymade garment (RMG) and the Textile industry of Bangladesh are playing an important role in the national economy and this sector is directly employing about 4 million people. Moreover, when considered indirectly, the country's various types of business, including bank-insurance, have developed based on this industry. That is why this sector is the country's focal point and the most important as well. Various initiatives should be taken for its development and expansion. Currently, Bangladesh's readymade garments and textile sector is mainly doing the business with traditional items like t-shirt, polo shirt, tank top, trouser and other low valued basic items. These items are cheaper and of course less profitable considering the value of time and our resources whereas time is considered money in today's world. Unfortunately, because of the large quantity order, we are forgetting about other possibilities.

Medical-functional clothing

Functional clothing is defined as that specifically designed and engineered to ensure predefined performance requirements and/or functionality for the user. Functional clothing can be broadly classified into following 4 groups- 

a. Protective clothing (Protech),

b. Sports-functional clothing (Sporttech),

c. Medical-functional clothing (Medtech),

d. Clothing for special needs.

Medical-functional clothing

The functional clothing that is used for healthcare is termed as medical-functional clothing. The typical characteristics of medical functional clothing includes absorbency (wound-dressing), air permeability (surgeons’ gowns, staff uniforms) and durability (pressure clothing). These types of functional clothing may be categorised into four separate and specialised areas of application, as follows:

a. Healthcare/hygiene clothing,

b. Surgical clothing,

c. Therapeutic clothing,

d. Intelligent functional clothing.

Classification of medical-functional clothing?

Areas of application	Kind of clothing
Healthcare/hygiene	Healthcare uniform Clothing for nursing staff, nurse's uniform Clothing for patients, scrubs, patient wear Medical coats, tabards Medical protective clothing (in isolation wards and intensive care units) Protective gown for dentist Protective gown for veterinary
Surgery	Surgical clothing Surgeon's gowns, caps Surgical cover cloths Surgical hosiery Surgical hosiery with graduated compression characteristics
Therapeutic clothing	Pressure clothing Tubular elasticised net garment Far infrared therapeutic clothing 1 nfrared shapewear Anti-microbial underwear Anti-irritant's underwear
Intelligent functional clothing	Cardiopulmonary resuscitation vest EKG Vests for heart patients Intelligent biomedical clothing Intelligent clothing's physiological monitoring Intelligent clothing in prehospital emergency care Intelligent functional clothing for personal health records and medical information management