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CHAPTER XIII Textile Research Associations COTTON TEXTILE RESEARCH
ASSOCIATIONS Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA), Bombay
Textile Research Association (BTRA), South India Textile Research Association
(SITRA), Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA) are registered
under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (XXI of 1860). The main objective of these institutions is to carry out research
and render consultancy services to the textile industry on various aspects of
textile technology with a view to reducing the cost and improving the quality
and durability of fabrics, reducing pollution, conserving energy and
utilising waste, adopting new technology and improving the technology in the
decentralised handloom sector. A
large number of projects of considerable importance was undertaken and the
studies made by these Associations have helped to improve the efficiency and
productivity of the textile Industry. The Research Associations have carried out original and
innovative work in several fields of textiles. In addition to result
oriented, short-term projects in the field of management in the Textile
Industry, the Research Associations are also currently engaged in other
specific projects such as (i) Development of Chitin & Chotosan
derivatives and their evaluation as Textile printing thickness and for other
applications, (ii) development of fabric hairiness indicator, (iii) a study
on the role of cotton fiber maturity, (iv) development of computerized system
for marker making in garment industry, (v) Development of industrial Yarn for
specific use (vi) micro encapsulation of enzymens and other speciality
chemicals and their use, (vii) upgrading the quality of knitted goods, (viii)
fibre quality enhancement by process control at ginning etc. Besides, useful R&D work is also
being done on jute diversified products with Government of India-UNDP Funds. SYNTHETIC & ART SILK
MILLS’ RESEARCH ASSOCIATION The Synthetic & Art Silk Mills’ Research Association
(SASMIRA), Mumbai is a Textile Research Association located at Mumbai.
SASMIRA’s principle activities include research and development, provision of
technical services, testing and training facilities in the field of silk and
art silk. SASMIRA has completed 4 projects in 1999-2000 sponsored by the
Ministry of Textiles. These
projects were on various topics related to mechanical and chemical processing
of textiles, energy conservation, product development, fibre and polymer
science and instrumentation.
SASMIRA has been engaged in following projects: (i) Evaluating
Powerloom Fabrics for their Suitability for Automatic Garment Manufacturing
for Exports. (ii) Technology Development for
Recycling Polythylene Trephthalate (PET) Bottles for Specific End Uses. (iii) Establishing
structural parameters and post treatment requirements in agro textiles like
sunscreen, bird net, etc. for green house usages. (iv) Development
of software to evaluate output from the yarn evenness tester for assessing
the magnitude of evenness fault analysis and for pinpointing specific areas
for pinpointing specific areas for corrective action. (v) Development
of eco-friendly antibacterial finishes using indigenous natural products. (vi) Development
of Low Cost Effluent Treatment Model for Silk/Synthetic Wet Processing Units
in Decentralised sector. (vii) Eco-Friendly
Alternatives to Reducing Agents used in vat and sulphur dyes on cellulosic
and polyester/cellulosic blends. (viii) Print paste re-utilisation scheme for the decentralised
sector. (ix)
Development of blue standard and grey scale standard for evaluation of
fastness of properties of Textiles. (x) Development
of technique for dyeing cum sizing in package form to facilitate production
of striped shirting in decentralised textile sector. (xi) Designing
high performance into polyester/viscose blended fibre fabrics. SASMIRA is giving excellent testing services to textile
manufacturers, traders, exporters, Govt. Agencies, R&D institutes etc.
for the past four decades in the field of man-made textiles, synthetic
textiles and allied fields. Its reports are widely accepted and recognized in
the industry. SASMIRA had also
organised a Seminar on “Technological Upgradation” and a mini exhibition on
modern technologies. SASMIRA has also been actively involved in Technology Upgradation
Fund Scheme (TUF). SASMIRA is
helping powerlooms units to prepare
bankable project proposals for modernisation under TUFS. MAN-MADE TEXTILES RESEARCH
ASSOCIATION The Man-Made Textile Research Association (MANTRA), Surat is a
Textile Research Association registered under the Societies Act of Gujarat.
MANTRA is one of the Textile Research Associations catering to multifarious
needs of the textile and allied industry at large. The activities of MANTRA
are primarily aimed at planned and healthy growth of the decentralised
textile industry. MANTRA has been undertaking the R&D assignments as per the
needs of local synthetic textile industry and the stress is, particularly,
more on the application and transfer of available research results to the
local decentralised textile industry which badly needs such inputs to withstand
the global competition round the corner. Looking into the needs of Industry, MANTRA has undertaken
research projects on such areas as pollution control (including noise
pollution) and on mechanical and wet processing. Some of on-going projects are: Effect of different methods
of effluent treatment and chemical dosing on water pollution parameters in
the effluent of synthetic textile process houses in South Gujarat; Study on
the noise pollution and its control in the loomsheds in the decentralised powerloom
industry in and around Surat;
Standarisation of dyeing of microdenier polyester fabrics and an
attempt to improve dye fastness properties; Development of combination yarns from differentially
shrinkable/ yarns using airjet texturising and performance evaluations of the
fabric made therefrom; Development of newlook synthetic filament yarns on
false twist texturiser for value added fabrics; To study the toxicity of various chemicals, finishing
agents and auxilaries used in textile processing and biossay study of
different anti-bacterial finished fabrics; Bio-technological applications in textiles for quality
improvement and value addition, Characterisation of amine based and other
acid and disperse dye intermediates by creating an impurity profile using
GC/MS, AAS and HPTLC systems.
MANTRA management gives top priority to developing infrastructure
facilities for R&D and Technical Services. MANTRA has a Computer Aided Design Centre and three Powerlooms
Service Centres at Dhokla, Sachin and Pandesra. The present activities of these units include
training of weavers for quality fabric production, design development on
loom, testing and technical service support for loom modernisation activity etc.
for local Weavers' Co-operative Societies and weavers in respective
areas. Indian Jute Industries
Research Association Indian Jute Industries Research Association (IJIRA), Calcutta,
registered under West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961, is an
autonomous Cooperative Research Organization mainly funded by the Ministry of
Textiles, Government of India.
IJIRA is governed by a Council, headed by the Chairman, assisted by
the Vice Chairman and consisting of 24 members in all, drawn from the
Industry, Government, Eminent Professionals and others. The Director is appointed by the
Council and is the Principal Executive Officer of the Association exercising
general power of supervision and coordination over all activities of the
Association and is assisted by the Secretary cum Financial Controller, Deputy
Directors. There are nine
technical divisions and each division is supervised by and held in-charge of
a Head In-charge/ Group Leader. The objectives of IJIRA
are:- (i) to
promote Research and other scientific work connected with the jute trade and
industries allied with or accessory thereto; (ii) to
establish and maintain laboratories and foster education of persons engaged
in or likely to be engaged in the said trade and industry. (iii) To
encourage discoveries and (iv) To
examine and publish information regarding the nature and merits of
inventions, improvements, materials and designs connected with the said
trades of industries. At present IJIRA has 59 primary members and 41 associated
members. IJIRA has made so far 105 Indian and 15 Foreign Patents. IJIRA has
earned 3 NRDC Awards. WOOL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
(WRA), THANE Wool Research Association (WRA) was established and registered
under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in October’ 1963. A group of members representing
various woollen industries came forward to establish the Research &
Development laboratory for the benefit of woollen industry. Wool Research Association at present is organized under the
following five departments namely:- i) Physical
Test House ii) Chemical
Test House iii) Textile
Technology Department and Pilot Plant iv) Computer
Aided Textile Designing and Colour Research Laboratory v) Eco-testing
Laboratory And, the WRA is engaged in the following activities:- (1) Mechanical
processing of wool and woollen blends on woollen spinning system. (2) Processing
of Jute, Wool and Synthetic Fibres on Friction Spinning (DREF-II). (3) Development
of elastomeric friction spun yarn and fancy yarn on
DREF-II friction spinning machine. (4) Development
of Economic Friction Spun Multicomponent yarn for High-tech (Industrial
Fabric) Textiles. (5) Computer
Aided Designing & manufacturing of knitwears. (6) Computer
Applications in Colour Matching and Quality Control, woven printed designs,
grading and blending. (7) Carpet designing, weaving and finishing. (8) Natural
and synthetic dyeing and finishing of wool and woollen blends. (9) Physical
and chemical testing from fibre to fabric. (10) Eco-testing
of textiles. (11) Project
Proposals, Feasibility reports related to above activities. Sponsored Projects A. Schemes completed during
1999-2000 R&D work related to following projects was completed before
March, 2000:- 1. Computer
Aided Embroidary Designing using WRA's CAD system & 'EMI-14B' single head
embroidery machine. 2. Development
of Instrumental Analytical Techniques methods for separation and
identification of isomeric reference to Eco -Testing. B. Schemes likely to be
completed during 2000-2001 1. Development
of Economic Friction Spun yarn multi-component yarn for high-tech (industrial
fabrics) textiles. 2. To
develop the Software for prediction of worsted yarn characteristics &
optimi various parameter of raw material. 3. Role
of enzymes in wool processing. 4. Isolation
and identification of the most potent insecticides from their group of
isomers and their use towards moth proofing. 5. Study
of Technical Aspects of Knitwears Comprising of Wool, Acrylic and their
Blends. C. Ongoing schemes as on
31/03/2001 1. Development
of different types of knitwears, outwears, pullovers, knited shawls from
repco spun self twist yarn by using wool and other fibres in suitable blends. 2. To
develop cotton core and wrapped woollen yarns on woollen spinning system and
study it's suitability for products like dress materials, furnishing and
knitwears. 3. Development
of innovative yarns and fabrics using elastomers (Lycra, Natural Rubber,
Nylon) blended with wool, cotton, acrylic and designing comfortable and
fashion oriented garments. 4. To
improve aesthetic value of the worsted fabric by enzyme treatment. 5. Investigations
of Herbs - Beladona, Neem & Custard
Seed as effective moth proofers. 6. The
fabricate the woollen carding mahcine of 40" width to processcoarser
Indian wool for cottage level. 7. Quality
management from Raw material to yarn of wool and wool blends on worsted
system. 8. Enrichment
of Woollen Fabric with printing for Economic benefits. 9. Derivatisation,
Separation of Isomers and their qualification using internal standard. Educational and Training
Activity The transfer of R&D findings and the transfer of adopted
technology to the various entrepreneurs and the related industries are
covered under HRD Programme/Training Programme. We offer the training
programme at WRA and also at the required site. WRA has started the special training courses as follows: 1. Computer
Aided Textile Designing (Part time/Full time) 2. Instrumental
Chemical Analysis (Part time/Full time) 3. Textile
Testing & Quality Control (Part time/Full time) The infrastructure for the educational activities like
classrooms, furniture, presentation aids, availability of experts and guest
lecturers were developed and nearly 20 students were benefited under the
above said courses. |
