RATIONALE: Cotton produced in the Caribbean has been exported since the mid-1700s
during British colonization. Most cotton species only go for $2USD per pound
and the majority of cotton species are often exported for further processing. In
2018, Georges Sassine, president of the Association des industries d’Haïti
(ADIH) said that over 8 million undergarments and cotton t-shirts were made in
Haiti and the majority of fabric panels used are imported from the US and
Canada. Although this provides revenue, this is also due to the lack of
machinery necessary for woven fabric production. Loyal Textile Mills Limited,
a textile manufacturer and producer in India, produces approximately 27, 000
tons of fabric each year. With 460 industrial weaving machines in operation,
that is approximately 58 tons per machine each year. This scale of production
is not possible in the Caribbean since the cotton requirements cannot be met.
On top of this, these machines can cost upwards of $10, 000USD not including
shipping. It would not be profitable to purchase these machines. However, if
weaving machines scaled to suit our needs were manufactured in the region, it
would become feasible and economical to produce fabrics. There is room for
woven fabric producers in the regional textile industry and there is a need
for weaving machines in the region.
OBJECTIVES:
(1) Discuss the role of cotton in the
regional textile industry and the cotton production industry as compared to
the global industry.
(2) Discuss types and main operations of
weaving machines and preparation of cotton yarn for weaving on a loom/weaving
machine.
(3) Define needs and specifications of the
machine to be designed.
(4) Review patents and develop three concepts for the
design of the machine.
(5) Analyze concepts with concept selection
techniques and develop chosen concept including detailed drawings,
calculations and simulations.
(6) Test the machine to determine if it
meets the requirements.
PROJECT
SCOPE: The machine designed will take into
consideration the characteristics of Gossypium hirsutum cotton. In Trinidad, this
plant grows wild throughout the country. The machine should be scaled to
process the volumes of cotton produced within the region. The main operation
of the machine would be to produce woven fabric with a plain weave. The five
main motions of the machine will be shedding, picking, beating up, taking up
and letting off. The machine will be targeted to fabric producers in
Trinidad. The machine designed will be manual but can be redesigned for
automation.
ENGINEERING
PRINCIPLES/ TOOLS TO BE APPLIED: Engineering drawing, Machine Drawing, Machine
Design 1, Machine Design 2, Product Design and Development, Introduction to
Engineering, Communication Skills and Mechanics of Machines.
REFERENCES:
https://www.textileschool.com/246/basics-weaving-woven-fabrics/
http://onglobalcotton.com/knitwear-production-grows-in-the-caribbean-but-starting-from-a-low-base/
https://newsday.co.tt/2020/11/15/lets-take-a-second-look-at-plant-fibres/
http://www.alwelaie.com/website/universitytheses_details_print.php?theses_id=22233
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