Aerospace Textile

In the present scenario, technical textiles have been identified as a great potential area for upgrading the Indian textile industry. Since the conventional textiles industry has reached a level of saturation in terms of development, innovation and value-addition, technical textiles offer a great opportunity to succeed in the post WTO scenario.

Secondly as the country is transforming into a developed nation, huge emphasis is being laid down in adopting latest technologies and procedures in various fields. Therefore the market for technical textiles is very positive and poised for a stupendous growth. Attractive statistics for market potential seem inviting for global intervention.
Since the growth of technical textiles industry serves the interests of the government and the nation, hence it is inevitable to see a major thrust on the development of this industry by giving impetus on product and local consumption. This offers a compelling reason for the buyers and sellers of technical textiles to keep their focus on India and develop a rational strategy to seize the emerging opportunities.
The technical textile market in India was worth Rs417.6 bn (US$10.4 bn) in 2007/08, and this is set to grow to Rs 2,000 bn in 2016/17 Further, as per an internal document prepared by the textile ministry, it is estimated that the technical textile market would grow to Rs.98,060 Cr. by 2016 – 17 with an annual growth rate of 14 %.
Aerospace textiles are mainly built to safe guard the life of an aerospace traveller. Protecting the human body from a disaster or from the high rays in the upper layer of the atmosphere and space, which are threat for the life of human, is the ultimate aim of Aerospace Textiles. The development of space and aerospace textiles is a great boon to the present-day textile industry. At present, these kinds of textiles are making a significant contribution to the increasing market for textiles. There is scope for lot of research on aerospace textiles and also for horizontal and vertical growth in aerospace textiles to save the life.
Aerospace Textiles:
From pilot clothing to plane, textile would be anywhere in aircraft. Aerospace textile is an area of technical textiles that covers special finished products to engineered textiles. It includes the textile containing articles for specific functional requirements to work in aircrafts, space suits, and space shuttles, lunar and mars mission, and space transportation.
Evolution -High Cost and Low Damage Tolerance:
Early composites research provided the aircraft builders with important technology but the industry lacked the confidence to use laminated composites to manufacture wing and fuselage structures. The barrier issues were high cost and low damage tolerance. Industry wanted composite structures that cost less than aluminium and that were robust enough to withstand the rigors of airline services.
Breakthrough Technology:
 In the 1980s researchers looked to textile composites as breakthrough technology. Supporters argued for new concepts which would use knitting, weaving, braiding and through-the-thickness stitching for reinforcement and use existing U.S. textiles manufacturing technology for cost efficiency.
NASA’s Research:
ACT (Advanced Composites Technology) program. Various types of textile composites. Stitching combined with resin film infusion that showed the greatest potential for overcoming the cost and damage tolerance barriers to wing structures.