This report was produced within the framework of the RAAK PRP project ‘Veiligheid op de werkvloer’. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used on a daily basis by millions of people all over the EU, voluntarily or as a result of EU legislation. In this report we deal specifically with the textile/garment aspects of PPE. In this context we must consider the fact that PPE encompasses a huge area with hundreds of different applications of materials and systems tuned to specific needs;from a materials point of view it represents a complex area due to the large diversity of labour conditions. Textiles and clothing represent an area where PPE is an important area of attention. On a global scale it is an area of much research. Safety and comfort are becoming more and more important and these aspects must be in balance. Uncomfortable systems will not be used and put safe working at risk. Thus there is a continuous need for technological innovation to improve the effectiveness of PPE systems. Specialization and specific combinations aimed at use under well-defined conditions contributes to finding a good balance between comfort and safety. The design of products, taking into account the individual needs represent an area of intensive research: Safety directed ‘fashion design’.The ultimate goal is the development of proactive systems by which workers (but capital goods as well) are optimally protected. There is also a lot of attention for maintenance and cleaning since protective functions may deteriorate as a result of cleaning processes. Another important point is standardization because producers need directions for product development and supply of goods. In our overview we make a distinction between static and dynamic systems. Static systems provide passive protection, simply by being a part of an equipment that separates the worker from the danger zone. Dynamic systems are more ‘intelligent’ because these can react to stimuli and subsequently can take action. These dynamic systems use sensors, communication technology and actuators. From this research the following may be concluded: 1. Safety is obtained by choice of materials for a textile construction, including the use of coatings with special properties, application of specific additives and he use of special designed fibre shapes. 2. The architecture and ultimate construction and the combinations with other materials result in products that respond adequately. This is of great importance because of the balance comfort – safety. But a lot can be improved in this respect. 3. Insight in human behaviour, ambient intelligence and systems technology will lead to new routes for product development and a more active approach and higher levels of safety on the work floor. Consequently there is a lot of research going on that is aimed at improved materials and systems. Also due to the enormous research area of smart textiles a lot of development is aimed at the integration of new technology for application in PPE. This results in complex products that enhance both passive and active safety. Especially the commissioners, government and industry, must pay a lot of attention to specifying the required properties that a product should meet under the specific conditions. This has a cost aspect as well because production volumes are usually not that large if for small groups of products specific demands are defined. We expect that through the technology that is being developed in the scope of mass customization production technologies will be developed that allows production at acceptable cost, but still aimed at products that have specific properties for unique application areas. Purchasing is now being practiced through large procurements. We must than consider the fact that specification takes place on the basis of functionality. In that case we should move away from the current cost focus but the attention should shift towards the life cycle
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Research through design allows creating a dialogue with the material. It uses making andreflection on action as a generator of knowledge. Our aim is to explore the opportunities and challenges of smart textiles. The Fablab is our set up, a place that allows us to combine the hackingscientific-, and design community. It stimulates collaboration and the knowledge exchange needed for the development of smart textile systems. A collaborative prototyping workshop for medical products combined two worlds. The textile world in Saxion aims at incorporating conductive materials into textile structures and functional- / 3D printing to create systems for applications such as flexible heating systems and wearable technology. We combined this with the world of Industrial Design at TU/e, focused on the design of intelligent products, systems and services by the research through design approach. The collaboration between these different disciplines accelerated the process by reducing the resistance to the new and skipped the frustration on failure. Article from the Saxion Research Centre for Design and Technology published in the book 'Smart and Interactive Textile ' (pages 112-117), for the 4th International Conference Smart Materials, Structures and Systems, Montecatini Terme, Tuscany, Italy, 10th-14th June 2012.
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The working hypothesis for this research project is that it is possible to develop a new functional polymer printing process for the direct application of conductive polymer onto textiles. We will use the basic extrusion technology that is currently applied in 3D printing. Thus the aim is also expanding the knowledge and knowhow base of 3D printing and make this technology applicable for deposition of functional polymers on textiles in such a way that process parameters are clearly understood, and pre-defined final product specifications can be met. Thus the challenge is to apply conductive tracks with a simple one step process that fits the current textile production processes. This means that investigating polymer deposition onto textiles of bio based polymers like PLA, doped with carbon could be a versatile route to achieving economic and sustainable conducting textiles. If the mechanism underlying the bonding of doped PLA with textiles can be controlled for processing then a new route to achieving conductive grids would be opened.Paper written by the Saxion chair Smart Functional Materials and The Unversity of Twente for and accepted by the Autex Conference 2013 (22-24 May 2013, Dresden, Germany).
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Within this research a smart textile based light sensor was developed and integrated into a technical demonstrator of a remote identification system. This sensor is based on polymeric optical fibers (POFs) which contain fluorescent dopants and allows a remote detection using an optical laser pulse for identification. A possible use case for this system is remote identification to avoid “friendly fire” incidents.The smart textile sensor can be integrated with a very low footprint in protective textiles or other equipment of the individual. Besides defense applications, the system could also be adopted for applications in which a safe, secure and fast remote identification is needed.
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The main challenge for the Dutch and European textile and clothing sector is to make a paradigm shift from labour intensive industry to knowledge based industry. This shift is essential for gaining a competitive edge and to develop innovative products and eco-friendly processes. A promising technology to achieve this is digital printing. This future oriented process is aimed to achieve high energy, water, and chemical savings and therefore a drastic reduction of waste. The technology breakthrough is based on a novel Eco-friendly flexible digital process. The basic components of Inkjet printers are hardware, software, inks and the substrate, which in this case is a textile.Inkjet processes can be divided in two main categories, image printing and functional printing. Image printing is already a mature technology and commercially available. The biggest advantages of inkjet printing over screen printing techniques is ease of operation, cost savings and most importantly ability to handle smaller volume (mass customisation). The functional printing is still in the research and development stage. It offers immense possibilities to bring various functional and nano-materials on textile surface on demand in a continuous process at atmospheric conditions and room temperature. Additionally functionality can be delivered at specific location on the textile with a possibility to apply more than one functionality either side by side or layer by layer. Inkjet processes could replace conventional high temperature and wet textile processes. Digital micro-disposal of fluids is expected to alter textile economics in terms of production speeds and on demand production.Nevertheless inkjet printing/finishing on textiles surfaces with different functional formulations is a major challenge. This is because of the close interaction between ink properties and chemistry, the piezo inkjets and the textile substrate. A typical process involves the development of stable jettable colloidal functional inks that will be delivered on well prepared textile substrate, followed by proper curing/fixation.The case we discuss in the manuscript is the development of a smart textile based heatable pair of trousers especially designed for people with disabilities. The inkjet printed textile samples were prepared and compared with conductive samples produced with well-established techniques such as weaving, knitting, nonwoven techniques and embroidering.
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The conductive textile grid is a large-scale (226 x 115 cm) multi-layer demonstrator exhibiting different conductive textile materials with certain outputs (such as LEDs, thermo-chromic ink and shape memory alloy) can be connected onto a base conductive fabric. Various conductive materials such as knitted patches, woven patches and 3D woven patches are attached on to the 2D base conductive fabric using different connectors. The objective is to determine the best way to electrically connect the various conductive textile patches, providing smooth transfer of current in each of the conductive patches of the base conductive fabric. The functioning of the outputs proved the transfer of electricity from the base fabric onto the conductive patches activating the outputs. The demonstrator constructed on semi-industrial scale has unique features and each of the components can be implemented integrally to develop different products of Smart textiles. Paper written by the Smart Functional Materials chair of Saxion for and accepted by the Autex Conference 2013 (22-24 May 2013, Dresden, Germany).
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Interactive design is an emerging trend in dementia care environments. This article describes a research project aiming at the design and development of novel spatial objects with narrative attributes that incorporate embedded technology and textiles to support the wellbeing of people living with dementia. In collaboration with people with dementia, this interdisciplinary research project focuses on the question of how innovative spatial objects can be incorporated into dementia long-term care settings, transforming the space into a comforting and playful narrative environment that can enhance self-esteem while also facilitating communication between people living with dementia, family, and staff members. The research methodologies applied are qualitative, including Action Research. Participatory design methods with the experts by experience—the people with dementia—and health professionals have been used to inform the study. Early findings from this research are presented as design solutions comprising a series of spatial object prototypes with embedded technology and textiles. The prototypes were evaluated primarily by researchers, health professionals, academics, and design practitioners in terms of functionality, aesthetics, and their potential to stimulate engagement. The research is ongoing, and the aim is to evaluate the prototypes by using ethnographic and sensory ethnography methods and, consequently, further develop them through co-design workshops with people living with dementia.
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The proposed bi-functional protective structure intended to have hydrophilic interior towards the skin surface and hydrophobic exterior for protection, ensuring fast transfer of moisture between body and external environment. The sandwich structure is prepared using 100% wool jersey and varieties of 100% polyester fabrics. Hydrophilic treatments were given using cutinase (fusarium solani pisi) enzyme and commercial hydrophilic softener Ruco Pur Sly®. The polyester fabrics were given a hydrophobic treatment with Ruco Dry Eco® - a commercial cationic water repellent preparation. Variables include enzyme treatment time, and change in pressure to achieve suitable wet pick up at foulard. Several wool-polyester sandwich structures with optimum hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties were made by thermal adhesion using thin polyamide layer. Drop test and vapour permeability test were conducted to evaluate wetting properties and breathability of the samples. Sandwich structure comprising hydrophilic wool-jersey and hydrophobic PES spacer fabric showed the highest value for water vapour permeability. Paper written by the Saxion chair Smart Functional Materials and the Technical University of Iasi, Romania, for and accepted by the Autex Conference 2013.
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Many interesting smart textile concepts have been developed, however there are only a few relevant examples of concepts that are producible and valuable for our society. The so-called ‘killer application’ has not been found yet. That is why it is extremely important that multi-disciplinary parties team-up during the ideation process to come up with innovative solutions (Toeters, 2007). The goal of STS CRISP (Crisp, 2011) is to integrate existing knowledge from partners in the separate domains of textile (soft materials), technology and service providers. To investigate the different kinds of expertise necessary for the development of Smart Textile Services we initiated an assignment to develop new Smart Textile Services concepts for elderly that can be used during rehabilitation (ten Bhömer, Tomico, Kleinsmann, Kuusk & Wensveen, 2012) and executed this project in 2 different institutes: Saxion University of Applied Sciences and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). Through some pre-set contact moments, the use of a gatekeeper (Vertooren, 2007) active in both institutes, and analyzing the final reports we are able to acquire an insight in the different approaches and focus preferences of the institutes. The analysis lead to the following observations: 1. Saxion students spend more time researching existing technologies and how to implement them in their concepts. A more theoretical approach from what is already there, applying existing materials and opportunities that are already there. 2. The TU/e students consistently focused on on user research to find out their perspectives. More user-centered. 3. Saxion students start with ideation and validate this by analyzing what is available in the market at the beginning of the process. 4. TU/e students work from a societal perspective towards user focus and an idea. TU/e students found out that there is a lot more steps after prototyping. Saxion takes the next step: where TU/e students stop, they continue. Out of these observations we can conclude that the institutes are active on different levels on the time-to-market line. We have to take into account that every collaborator has a different time-to-market horizon. For the STS CRISP consortium this means that efforts have to be made to define the time-to-market expertise of the partners. As a next step, we will continue to explore this concept of parallel collaboration assignments and start a new collaboration assignment in sequence in different institutes. Test the time-to-market approach and gather strategies to create a more in depth approach to relevant marketable products can speed up the process of bringing concepts to the market, so that it can have a true added value for society.
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This article investigates the phenomenon of rebound effects in relation to a transition to a Circular Economy (CE) through qualitative inquiry. The aim is to gain insights in manifestations of rebound effects by studying the Dutch textile industry as it transitions to a circular system, and to develop appropriate mitigation strategies that can be applied to ensure an effective transition. The rebound effect, known originally from the energy efficiency literature, occurs when improvements in efficiency or other technological innovations fail to deliver on their environmental promise due to (behavioral) economic mechanisms. The presence of rebound in CE contexts can therefore lead to the structural overstatement of environmental benefits of certain innovations, which can influence reaching emission targets and the preference order of recycling. In this research, the CE rebound effect is investigated in the Dutch textile industry, which is identified as being vulnerable to rebound, yet with a positive potential to avoid it. The main findings include the very low awareness of this effect amongst key stakeholders, and the identification of specific and general instances of rebound effects in the investigated industry. In addition, the relation of these effects to Circular Business Models and CE strategies are investigated, and placed in a larger context in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding about the place and role of this effect in the transition. This concerns the necessity for a new approach to how design has been practiced traditionally, and the need to place transitional developments in a systems perspective. Propositions that serve as theory-building blocks are put forward and include suggestions for further research and recommendations about dealing with rebound effects and shaping an eco-effective transition. Thomas Siderius, Kim Poldner, Reconsidering the Circular Economy Rebound effect: Propositions from a case study of the Dutch Circular Textile Valley, Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 293, 2021, 125996, ISSN 0959-6526, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.125996.
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