Technology & Narrow Fabric

Narrow fabrics are the indispensable part of textile industry that has both decoration & functional purposes. To make these, narrow fabric manufacturers keep an eye on changing technology and use the latest innovation to further improve these small fabrics. Technology in this sector has again worked as a blessing by giving fire resistant narrow fabrics that are extensively used in breathing apparatus, during fire combating operations etc. Another very important innovation is the development of E Textile in which a normal fabric contains the electronic connections inside the fabrics and used by military personnels to transfer data. Strong seat belts, fabric based gearless bearings are the examples of narrow fabrics that are used in automobile sector and the outcome of latest technology. So the use of technology in narrow fabrics is a benediction to this industry and human.

Narrow Fabrics: Ceaseless Uses in Numerous Industries

If we talk about cars, sports, health, relocation then we must be familiar with the narrow fabrics as without these your work cannot be done. These are the small strips of fiber that are given extra strength. Narrow fabrics are mostly used for support & safety so they need ceaseless innovations yo further improve them. Webbings, ropes, cords, straps lanyards are the example of narrow fabrics. Most of the technical & non technical industries look for the new types of narrow fabrics that can be used in their specific industry. Like there can be seat belts, dog leashes, ropes for adventurous sport et al.

Bally Ribbon Mills, Bally, Pa., is well known name in narrow fabric manufacturers. Recently they have innovated a 3D structures for their fabrics. To make this, the quad-axial loom is used, which is a special kind of loom. Furthermore in narrow fabrics there is another category of E textiles or conductive fibers that do not produce static current. This was made for US military but now extensively used in other industries like carpet, medical, fashion. In this, normal fabrics is woven or infused with the metal that stop or counteract the static current. Static current is harmful to health and cloth as it reduces the durability and shape of the cloth.

The range of industries where narrow fabric can be used in not limited. But it can be used in any type of industry. The most common ones are:

Narrow Fabrics in Automobile Industry
Webbings are extensively used in automobiles in the form of seat belts, HANS device and window net. The webbing are thus an inseparable part of your car, truck etc that give you the safety. Another safety equipment in cars is head & neck support or HANS. It is a U shaped device to be connected with helmet & generally seen in the racing cars. Window nets are again used in racing cares and protect the driver if the car rolls during sport.

Narrow Fabrics in Agriculture
Agriculture is also not untouched by these technical textiles. It is used in harvesting and tying the live stocks as cattle and making a fence. For animal fencing mono filaments & metallic yarn tapes are used.
Where as nylon braids are used at the bottom of tank for fish farming.

Narrow fabrics in Sports
Your sports shoes, gloves, sticks all have narrow fabric in that. You can find three dimensional band in all the sports shoes that is made from polyester. If you are gong on for hiking & trekking then you really need very strong narrow fabric like ropes, straps, cords & braids . These solve the purpose of safety & support. 

Narrow Fabrics in Medical & Health Industry
Rigid gauze, semi elastic gauze, elastic badges, elastic nets in tubular shape, fiberglass bands, are easy to find in the hospitals. Plaster cast needs fiberglass bands, to make elastic knee bands & body belts elastic bandages are used whereas for hospital use & bandages rigid gauze is used very often.

Narrow Fabrics in Furnitures
The furniture industry also has the taste of narrow fabrics in it. In this sector these are mostly used for comfort & safety. For joining the carpets polyester ribbons are used that is an example of narrow fabric. Again for edging the mattress ribbons are used. Polypropylene, rafia or coated rubber bands are used in the back of the sofa or in the chair to give strength & comfort.

So narrow fabrics although very small but are extensively used in every types of industry & require new & ceaseless innovations so that keep on serving their purpose very well.

Narrow Fabrics: Different Purposes & Industry Demand

If you are looking for an elastic for your lower, ribbon to decorate your kid's b'day dress, webbing for your bags, laces, trims etc, then yes; you are looking for narrow fabrics that comes in various colors and designs. Now what the narrow fabric is?  Narrow fabric is nothing but the strip of thin fabric that does not exceed 12 inches in width. It can be woven, knitted or braided. Different fabrics such as cotton, nylon, polyester etc are used by the narrow fabric manufacturers. 

Narrow fabric is widely used in all types of industries such as jewelry, beauty, decoration, military, travel and so on either for decoration or support & safety. Each day every industry is doing experiments and finding out improved version of narrow fabric for these purposes. Like leather cords in jewelry industry having exquisite designs and colors are in vogue. Garment industry requires expressly looking laces & ribbons for trendy garments. Along with this narrow woven fabric having beautiful patterns and colors can be spotted easily.
 

Narrow fabrics for Decoration

Decoration whether individual, on fabric or for home is one area that seeks the attention of everyone. You can easily find a nice dress having laces & ribbons. Apart from this, laces can be found on handbags, lingerie, bed & bedding furnishings and other textile furnishings. Garment & furniture upholstery use narrow woven fabric called ribbons and tapes to decorate their products. Now if you talk about home decor with narrow fabrics for decoration, then there is nothing better than wicks and mantels. You clear surface can be beautify further with these small artifacts.

• Ribbons
• Laces
• Tapes
• Trims
• Fringes
• Wicks & Mantels

Narrow Fabrics for Safety

Safety is one area where narrow woven fabrics play an important role. In military there is much demand for cotton narrow fabrics that are used for safety. Cords and straps are made to tie things and used in packing also. Wherein Lanyard is a piece of rope that is especially used in ships.

• Cords
• Straps
• Lanyard

Narrow Fabrics for Support

Narrow fabrics in support & safety cannot be differentiated much. Narrow woven fabrics that are used in sports industry are considered under the support category. Webbings, which are made from closely woven fabrics is used to fasten anything. So rock climbing, trekking, swimming and other such adventurous sports are not untouched from narrow fabric. You can find cotton webbings, jute, nylon, plastic webbings, reflective webbing and many more webbings from different fabrics and in ultimate designs. But in each case very high quality fabric with durability and strength is required. Elastic narrow fabric is extensively used in any kind of garment. Wide range of elastic is thus used in garment industry. Narrow fabrics for support and safety are also used in aerospace, footwear industry and for industrial safety. For safety and support these narrow fabrics are checked for stretch tolerance, tension tolerance, yield, pick & stitch tolerance. There is no such industry at present that does not use the narrow fabrics.

• Webbings
• Elastic

Curing Wrapping Tape: Process and Properties

There are certain narrow fabrics that are exclusively used for industrial applications. Curing wrapping tape is one such narrow fabric which is widely used for vulcanization and for making rubber products like hose pipes etc. It is also used in many other industries such as aerospace, cargo, industrial safety, home furnishings, automotive and lots of other industries.

Manufacturing of Curing Wrapping Tapes

Curing wrapping tapes are made from high tensile long threads of nylon 66 with the help of high-speed weaving. The weaving techniques adopted for making these tapes provide them with high tenacity and efficiency. Most of the manufacturers who produce quality curing wrapping tapes conform to the latest technologies and use various types of machines and tools. In fact, the manufacturing of curing wrapping tapes include almost all those steps that are followed while making any other type of fabric right from designing to finishing.

Equipment for Making Curing Wrapping Tapes

Curing Wrapping Tape, in its essence, is a fabric which is woven with the help of weaving looms. The looms that are used for weaving these tapes include shuttle looms, jacquard loom, needle loom or shuttleless loom etc. In fact, many narrow fabrics manufacturers make even customized tapes with patterns that are required by their clients. Braiding, dyeing, finishing, strap cutting, sonic welding and sewn webbing assemblies are all done to make a high quality curing wrapping tape.


Tests for Quality Assurance

Curing wrapping tapes are used for highly efficient products that need a very high level of safety and durability. As such, they are tested in well equipped laboratories to ensure optimum performances in any condition. Some of these tests include static load tensile test, interior materials flammability test, vertical flame resistance test, heat resistance test, abrasion resistance test, shrinkage resistance test, and elongation test among others.

Properties to be Considered while Buying Curing Wrapping Tapes

Curing wrapping tapes are mainly used for vulcanization to give flexibility and strength to the rubber products like hoses and pipes which in turn have to meet the specifications of a given application. The quality of a curing wrapping tape determines how well the end product will turn out. Therefore, one should always ensure the basic properties of these tapes before buying them. The advanced properties that are additionally provided by the manufacturers can be considered according to one's requirement and budget allowance. Most of the curing wrapping tapes have the following properties:

• Controlled elongation
• High tensile strength
• Chemical resistance
• Heat resistance
• High tenacity
• High dimensional stability
• High strength
• Flexibility
• Lightweight
• Abrasion resistance
• Capability to withstand harsh conditions

Apart from the above properties, one can go for such properties like eco-friendly and low deformity which are, nowadays, provided by many manufacturers.

How to Sew Elastics the Right Way?

Active lifestyle demands dresses made up of such fabrics that give the freedom for easy movement. However, in most of the clothing, elastics are used for making them more workable and flexible with control over their stretchability. Not only garments, elastics are used for sewing and other craft projects too. Do you ever wonder why the elastic that you used in your last project doesn't seem to work with the present sewing project? Why the elastic in your cotton pajama is causing problems while the same elastic in your swim wear is working excellently? In fact, the type of elastics and the fabrics with which they are used plus the sewing methods, all go to contribute in the perfect working of elastics

Types of Elastics and their Construction

Elastic is a flexible and stretchable narrow fabric made of rubber core which is wrapped in polyester, cotton, nylon or a blend of fiber threads. These exterior fibers are braided, woven or knit together to give various thicknesses and widths to the elastics. Most of the elastics are 1/8" to 2 ½" wide. However, elastic thread can be much narrower and the decorative elastic waistbands can be extra wide. Different elastics have different degrees of stretchability. Elastics are sewn to fabrics in two ways- direct application and casing. In the first method, elastic is attached to fabric by sewing directly through the elastic and fabric. In the second method, the elastic is encased into a closed tunnel like fabric and then sewed to the fabric often around the waist, at the neckline or lower edge of a sleeve or pant leg.

Braided elastics are used in casings as they get narrowed when stretched. They can't retain their stretch and shape if applied directly to the fabric. These light weight elastics are mainly used on sleeve hems, swim wear and leg bands. Braided non-roll elastic is appropriate for waistbands because they can remain flat when stretched.

Knitted elastics are soft, light weight, strong and appropriate for directly applying on almost any kind of garment. These elastics can also be sewed in casing. They ares best for lightweight fabrics. Many knitted elastics also have sewing line at their edges which don’t have elastic in them. So, it becomes much easier to sew these elastics to a garment.

Woven elastics, usually thicker than the other elastics, are very strong. When sewn directly onto a fabric, they can retain their width and stretch,. Woven elastics can also be sewed in casing. They are usually applied to heavy weight fabrics, such as home furnishings, car covers, bags, accessories, etc.

Transparent or clear elastics are synthetic narrow fabrics that can stretch up to four times their length and can completely recover the original size and shape. They are made of polyurethane and does not contain rubber which makes them appropriate to be used in kids garments or for people who are allergic to latex. It is primarily used in those areas that are prone to lose stretch, such as shirt bottoms, shoulder seams and necklines. They can't be used in casings as they'll roll over themselves.

Tips for Sewing Elastics

• Choose an elastic that has the same care requirements as the finished garment.
• Use those elastics which recover their original length after stretching.
• Use cotton elastic with cotton garments. Wash the cotton fabric before sewing as the elastic will also shrink a little when washed.
• Use nylon elastic for lingerie and swim wear. They can be machine washed but dry them in medium heat.
• Polyester elastics go with almost all fabrics. They can be washed as well as dry cleaned.
• Choose such threads that are compatible with fabric.
• Use a ball-point needle when sewing.
• Adjust the thread tension when stitching and stretching elastic.
• Elastic should be tight enough to prevent fabric from drooping, but loose enough to be comfortable.
• Cut the elastic according to the required length plus 1" for finishing the ends.
• When applying elastic directly to fabric, cut it about 8% shorter than the required length. It will stretch during sewing.
• Use a long straight stitch or a zigzag stitch when sewing the elastic directly to fabric. A long stitch having length of three or four is best for most of the fabrics and elastic types.
• If doing too much work with elastic, consider buying specialty presser foot/machine attachment that applies elastic without having to stretch it by hand.

How to Use Laces for Decoration

Laces have been used for decorating since ages. In fact, lace manufacturing is a significant part of narrow fabrics industry. They not only decorate clothing but are also used to increase the beauty of home furnishings such as table cloths, curtains and bed linen. There are many ways for using laces for decoration as have been listed below. Some of these are common and age old methods whereas some others are entirely new and innovative ways for decorating with laces.

• Lace can be used as a base material for creating costumes.

• They can be used as decoration or trimming of dresses, especially for kids frocks.

• They lend grace and elegance to wedding gowns. In fact, such gowns look incomplete without a touch of lace for their decoration.

• It is good to match laces with color and texture of fabrics. If laces of particular color is difficult to find, they can be dyed because laces lend themselves for easy dyeing.

• Black lace over black satin, white and silver lace with white, silver or light colored fabrics look amazing.

• A lace shawl is a very good companion of gowns, especially wedding gowns.

• A hat decorated with lace gives charm to the dress as well as wearer's personality.

• Decorate handkerchiefs with laces and feel the sense of royalty.

• Subtle uses of laces are more charming. For example a chair having lace seat will look as if overdone but a cushion with its cover decorated with lace looks wonderful.

• When talking of home furnishing, experiments with different colored laces can be done. Colorful laces to make fabric collage on table linens will definitely look good.

• Laces can be used as borders on delicate, say satin, bed linen or as lace edging on curtains.

• Laces can even be used for making decorative wall hangings. For this, laces in varied patterns can be sewed or glued to a silk or satin covered cardboard backing. Glimpse of soft fabrics through the lace holes will create delightful experience.

• Those who love to do crafts can use laces in more creative ways. They can be used for making fine lace dresses for dolls or can be effectively used even in scrapbooking.

These were only few uses of lace, the beautiful narrow fabric. Just let your imagination loose and then see how this thin strip of fabric with holes can create wonderful effects on almost any thing!

Narrow Fabrics- For Decoration, Safety and Support

Narrow fabrics are specialized fabrics used for both- individual as well as industrial requirements. Individuals use them for decorating their garments and home furnishings while industries utilize them for adding value to their products. Narrow fabrics manufacturers know this very well and thus strive to create more and more innovative narrow fabrics in order to meet the requirements of various industries. Let's know what are the types of narrow fabrics and how they find applications in various industries.

Types and Applications of Narrow Fabrics

Narrow fabrics are thin strips of textile, not more than 45cm in width. They can be made of different fabrics including cotton, satin, velvet, nylon, polyester among others. There are many such common narrow fabrics that are used for one or the other purpose.

Tapes: Available in various patterns, designs, weaves, width and thickness, the long strips of fabrics called tapes are widely used in garment, furniture upholstery and home furnishings etc.

Webbings: They are flat strips or tubes of strong woven fabric, often made up of meshed fabric. Webbings are used in bags, sports products, furniture and automobile upholstery, parachutes, military apparels and industrial safety products.

Laces: Laces are narrow fabrics with open holes in them. Mostly used for decorative purpose, they find application in garment, handbags, lingerie and footwear industries.

Cords: They are lengths of fabrics, usually made of twisted strands or fibers and can be called an intermediate between rope and string. Some of the cords can be identified as drawstrings, piping cords, and elastic cords which are mainly used for binding, tying, connecting or supporting garments, handbags, luggage, sports clothing etc.

Elastics: These stretchable fabrics are further used for making other narrow fabrics such as tapes, laces, straps, trims etc. Elastic narrow fabrics can be braided, woven, knitted or corded which are used by various industries like furniture, automotive, garments etc.

Ribbons: These narrow strips or bands made up of fine fabrics like satin, velvet etc. and sometimes with leather too, are mainly used for binding and tying things together. However, their use for decorative and symbolic purposes (awareness ribbons) is also well known around the world. They are widely used in garments, footwear, handbags, lingerie, gift packing and even for decorating wedding cakes. Typewriter too have ribbons for holding ink.

These are only some of the narrow fabrics. There are many others like straps, trims, labels, wicks and mantles etc. that can be categorized as narrow fabrics.