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| Issue date:22/02/2010 |
| ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel - Feb 2010 Issue |
| Source:Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel |
| by Sanjay Gupta |
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| New technologies in the technical textiles field have enabled floor coverings to perform important tasks that could even be life-saving |
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| Thinking Carpet developed by Vorwerk can control alarm and temperature |
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Contract or commercial floor coverings is one of the slow but steady growth sector world over which is all set to accelerate in the coming years. It represents an area of technical textiles that's just beginning to see intervention of smart and intelligent technologies aimed at making the floor coverings more functional and responsive. Contract floor coverings have a completely different market structure from the basic consumer market, broadly divided into governmental and commercial organizations (offices, health and hospitals, hotels, spas, cruise liners etc.) and manufacturers of automobiles (cars, trains, aircrafts and etc).
New technology interventions foresees equipping textile flooring with microchips integrated into the floor coverings, networked with each other and artificial intelligence to register several, even different sensory signals at the same time and analyze them in real time for functionality deployment in areas such as security alarm, climate control and guidance technology.
For instance, pressure sensors can be fixed in security zone to act when traces of movement are registered on a window or an emergency exit triggering an alarm. However, movement on free-access areas will have no reaction.
Intelligent software solutions will be able to analyze the signals, based on individually defined and individually controlled security zones on a time-frame basis. Similarly heat sensors can detect a fire and as soon as registered signals are relayed to a security control centre, the point of alarm (break-in or fire) can be identified precisely in a matter of seconds. Besides these pressure sensors in the carpet can also be utilized as door-openers and light switches or as electronic counters for counting people.
In combination with shatterproof LED modules, the carpet can also become a controllable guidance system. For example, they can mark the shortest route to an emergency exit. The combination of pressure and temperature sensors with motion sensors can additionally enable the detection of people lying motionless on the floor, triggering a call for emergency help.
Intelligent carpets
Vorwerk Teppichwerke, the manufacturer of creative carpet solutions have in association with the German chipmakers, Infineon - an innovative company in the field of semiconductor technology unveiled what's called the "Thinking Carpet", an electronically networked, high-tech carpet to take over "intelligent" functions towards controlling alarm, climate control, regulatory, maintenance or guidance systems technology. Microchips of the size of about only seven square millimeters are integrated into the carpet backing, linked to one another via fine wires forming a self-organising network. In such a network even if a sensor fails for some reason, the neighbouring processors use their own positioning to look for a new connecting route circumventing the defective region and thereby maintaining functionality. This also makes it possible to cut the carpet, replace segments or add new ones at any time to increase the production widths without interrupting the network. A special backing construction was developed by Vorwerk specifically for this purpose which has integrates the entire technology invisibly and safely into the carpet, yet at the same time maintaining the usual look and feel of a contract carpet.
Power can be supplied via any conventional outlet and the operating voltage is 12 volts. Depending on the desired dispersal of signal detection, a carpet can carry up to 25 sensors per square metre in its backing requiring 2.5 watts of power. One single computer connection can thus provide for approximately 100 square metres of space. Even if the carpet is soaked, an intelligent safety system makes additionally sure that a short circuit does not render the entire intelligent network useless. Wet areas are instead automatically shut off and then put back into operation after they have dried.
In another development Vorwerk and Infineon integrated the RFID technology in carpets to provide intelligent navigation for a service robot moving along a carpet. Such robots equipped with an RFID reader to automatically and intelligently navigate a floor space can be used for example, in transport units or self-propelling automated cleaners. RFID tags consisting of a flat ultra-thin sheet of PET equipped with metal conductors, an antenna coil and a tiny silicon microchip are integrated into the carpet backing to form a network across the entire carpet surface. Each of the RFID tags has its own ID number which can be detected and identified by an RFID reader via wireless data transmission (13.56 MHz) across a distance of 10 centimetres.
The power required for this process is supplied exclusively by the reader. The RFID tags themselves are completely passive, meaning that no electrical voltage whatsoever is laid down on the carpet. The lack of voltage also means that there would be no short circuits. Individual "signal transmitters" are linked into a virtual map by reading out the individual RFID tags in the carpet by the robot, which can then move precisely along the routing network.
The Smart Carpet Systems can go further. It is possible, for instance, for a robot to be programmed go to different areas on a scheduled basis, e.g. when experience has shown that no one else will be moving around there at that time. Robots using RFID technology would be considerably less expensive to construct than conventional laser-radar-assisted or 3D-camera-supported devices.
Meanwhile, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan has come up with a carpet that determines the weight, age, and sex of the individuals strolling across. The carpet's intelligence is derived from the data generated by a layer of silicone rubber with built-in electrodes that measure the changes in electrical resistance and current flow caused by someone walking across it. Through analyses of this data, the software is able to predict with near perfect accuracy, ages between 20 and 60. Gender is identified with about 75% accuracy. The application is aimed at analyzing shopping patterns and audience demographics at various public venues.
Carpets for transport
Floor coverings in automobiles, trains and aircrafts form an essential part of the interior trim, providing not only the aesthetics looks and sensual comfort, but also playing a critical role in noise and vibration control. For example, a single car can contain about 3.5-4.5 square meters of carpets forming roughly 19% of the total weight of textiles used in a car. Automotive carpeting typically comes in two types: needle-punched and tufted. Tufted carpets are primarily Nylon based and are classified into either loop pile or cut pile (more used). Needle punched materials predominantly uses polyester as the raw material and are classified as flat (unpatterned) or random velour (Dilour or patterned). Compared with needle punched, tufted materials offer enhanced performance and functionality, particularly in respect of clean ability, but also in terms of a wider range of aesthetics, coverage at reduced weight, wear resistance and perceived quality. Tufted carpets have more resistance to wear and tear but needle punched are more mouldable.
RFID-tagged carpets are another option for providing enhanced functions |
There is a correlation between the choice of carpet type and the categorization of cars. Global Insights (formerly DRI) has divided cars into six groups, ranging from the most economical models in group A to the most expensive in group F. Needle punched carpets are the material of choice for categories A to C primarily because of cost - generally as 100%, 350gsm Dilour type products on the main floor. In categories D to F, the sedan and hatch models prefer 350gsm plain needle punch carpet, while estate cars have a mix of tufted and needle punched materials. The main floors of these vehicles, however, are 100% tufted. Traditionally tufted carpets had the major market share in automotive interior markets. Lately however needle-punched non-wovens are finding their way into some higher class vehicles as well. The total market size for these carpet materials, which is around an annual 60 million square metres is today divided 55:45% in favor of needle punched.
Carpets are used in two ways, one kind is molded on the entire floor of the car and another is used in mat style, which is laid on the floor of the car. Since the carpets of the cars must be molded according to the shape of the car, these materials demand high plasticity. On the other hand, mats do not face this type of demand because they are cut in a certain shape and only partially cover the car floor. Mats are almost 100% made from tufted piles whereas needle punched carpets are preferred for moulded carpets in modern cars.
Construction of special carpets
Needle punched carpets possess a high thickness for a given weight per unit length and are so voluminous and more comfortable. They can be easily moulded, will cover sharp contours without displaying cord effects or channels and are relatively dense with respect to their weight. Further they have the advantage of higher productivity and lower costs. Nonwovens have better adhesion property than woven fabrics and so binder application is uniform.
Needle punched carpets |
Generally, carpets are made by the combination of a variety of functional layers into a single unit. A layer (70-100 g/sq.m) of adhesive is applied on these carpets during the initial stages to stiffen the whole carpet structure. Specially formulated backing compounds are used to impart unique functional properties such as sound-proofing, vibration reducing or noise absorbing. Suitable material such as polyethylene powder is also added to make the carpet thermo-mouldable. In European market visco-elastic polyurethane foam is used for backing while in American market, cotton fibre pad is used. The US market is also moving towards more molded polyurethane foam due to its superior acoustical and physical properties.
Carpets made with synthetic fibers are more prone to soiling as they attract organic contaminants. While soil and stain resistance can be imparted by applying a finish that repels oil, the finish would be lost when the fiber is washed. Fluoro-chemical soil releasing agents, coated on fibers minimizes contact between the fiber and the soil and thus making it easier for the soil to be removed. These finishes are easily removed during cleaning. The latest development in this area is a fluoro-chemical ester invented by 3M which can be incorporated to the polymer melt giving the fiber a good combination of oil and water repellency, imparting stability, inertness and non-flammability. Additionally, it makes the fiber antistatic.
Dr Sanjay Gupta is the Professor of Textile Design and Development at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, India
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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