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SENIOR DESIGN 2019 Textile Engineering and Textile Technology

Program Team Members and Mentors Amanda C. Myers (Ph.D., NC State University, Mechanical Engineering) is the program coordinator for the senior design projects and a fusion designer for the Nano-EXtended Textiles (NEXT) research group. Dr. Myers’ interest is in developing innovative methods for electronics integration into textiles. She creates full system demonstration platforms to examine the impact of the textile on the device and vice versa.

Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE) Staff Brian Davis, Knitting Lab Manager William Barefoot, Weaving Lab Manager Tim Pleasants, Spinning Lab Manager

Jeffrey Krauss, Dyeing and Finishing Lab Manager Theresa White, Physical Testing Laboratory Specialist Special thanks to the TECS administrative staff, Joyce Cole and Kisha Patterson,and the North Carolina Textile Foundation.

Content

Course Overview ...........................................................................................................3 Sponsors .......................................................................................................................4 Program Directors ......................................................................................................5,6 How to Get Involved ...................................................................................................7,8 Dye House of the Future / Albahealth ......................................................................9,10 Cornhole Bag Development / American Cornhole League ...................................11,12 Canine Bite Sleeve / Army Research Office ..........................................................13,14 Nonwoven Flexible Packaging / Avery Dennison ..................................................15,16 Warp Knitting for Medical Devices / Cortland .........................................................17,18 Modular Wall Tent / Diamond Brand Gear .............................................................19,20 Wall Tent Fabric Development / Diamond Brand Gear ..........................................21,22 Hot-Cold 3D Fabric Design / Filspec ......................................................................23,24 High Value Fiber Repurpose / Filtec-Precise Inc ...................................................25,26 Connected Fabrics / Gryppers_SPORTECH .........................................................27,28 3D Printed Garment / Hanesbrands Inc ................................................................29,30 EZ-Order / Hanesbrands Inc .................................................................................31,32 KIRAF Applications / Kaneka .................................................................................33,34 Recycled Card Hanger / Li_Fung America ............................................................35,36 Hospital Bedsheet Design / Lleel3a ........................................................................37,38 Industrial Recycling Network / Manufacturing Solutions Center ..........................39,40 Wingsuit Fabric Design / Red Bull ..........................................................................41,42 Low Microfiber Release Fabrics / The North Face .................................................43,44 Hemp Performance Gear / Under Armour .............................................................45,46 True Cooling Performance / VF Corp .....................................................................47,48 Wrinkle-Free Tee / Hanesbrands Inc .....................................................................49,50 2

Course Overview This capstone in the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science provides companies the opportunity to work with student teams to innovate in product and/ or process development. In working with the student teams, your company will be able to explore materials-property design, develop new directions for existing products, or take your materials / product into a new marketspace. Our students will utilize their expertise in engineering fundamentals, information systems, medical textiles, product development, supply chain management, testing and consumer behavior to solve your current product / process challenge. Through your sponsored project, student teams will learn project management and product design principles that leverage the global textile complex.

Project Expectations and Outcome The purpose of the course is to deliver a “real-world” experience that prepares students to solve open-ended problems that they will face upon entering the workforce. The sponsored student team is expected to: 1. Communicate effectively on the project problem, objectives and proposeed solutions. 2. Work efficiently in teams to deliver high-performing results. 3. Assess, select and learn the latest and most appropriate technologies for project success; be able to adapt those technologies as needed. 4. Analyze the project and solution from financial, economic, technical, ethical and commercial perspectives. 5. Develop ideas with appropriate patent mapping and intellectual property assessment. 6. Produce proof-of-principles prototype(s). 3

2019 Sponsors

Program Directors

Jesse S. Jur (Ph.D., NC State University, Materials Science and Engineering) is an Associate Professor in Textile Engineering, Chemistry & Science Department at NC State University and is a member of the Textile Engineering and Textile Technology faculty. His main interests are in nanotechnology applications to textiles, including nanoscale surface modifications and the incorporation of electronics into wearable platforms. Before coming to NC State for his graduate work in Materials Science and Engineering, from 2001-2002, Dr. Jur worked as a process development engineer at NeoPhotonics Inc. in San Jose, CA, where he focused on fabrication methods for erbium-doped fiber amplifiers. In addition, Dr. Jur has gained experience in process design from IBM Research, Advanced Micro Devices, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, from which he has been awarded 10 patents. For more information, contact: Dr. Jesse Jur (jsjur@ncsu.edu) 5

Russell E. Gorga (Ph.D., Iowa State University, Chemical Engineering) is a Full Professor in the Textile Engineering, Chemistry & Science Department at NC State University and former Program Director of Textile Engineering. His main interests lie in developing polymer nanocomposites with improved properties (mechanical and conductive) for a variety of functional applications. Before coming to NC State, Dr. Gorga was a post-doctoral associate at MIT where he worked on improving the strength of brittle polymers (such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)). In addition, Dr. Gorga worked as a research engineer at Union Carbide Corporation from 1997 - 2000, where he focused on structure-property relationships of semi-crystalline polymers for high strength commodity applications. For more information, contact: Dr. Russell Gorga (regorga@ncsu.edu) 6

How to Get Involved Sponsor Requirements While most sponsors spend an average of one to two hours per week on the project, many find that interaction with the students to be the most rewarding aspect. Beyond that minimal time commitment, other expectations include: ● Helping define project scope and metrics for project success ● Holding regular meetings with the team and providing specific project feedback ● Providing technical mentoring and feedback on the team’s materials and process deliverables ● Providing specific training on unique tools that are pertinent to the project ● Provide coaching to help the student team reach the best solutions Keys to Success for a Sponsor ● It is important for the sponsor not to tell the team exactly what to do. This is an open-ended problem. ● Address any issues as they arise. If you encounter team issues or technical project issues, contact the program directors immediately. ● Encourage information sharing. Visit NC State and schedule times for the team to visit your company. Consider introducing the team to your compa ny in mid-October and bringing them back at the end of March to present their hard work. Project Submission The project submission period is March 1 to July 1. Prior to submission, two short phone interviews are required with the senior design co-directors. This helps to identify the project scope and determine if the project fits well with our students’ skill sets. Sponsors are notified of project acceptance by August 20, and projects begin the first day of classes in mid-August. 7

Selection of Student Teams Student teams are carefully selected based on their project interest, complementary skill sets and leadership style inventory. Each year, 80 to 95 students participate in the program, forming 20 to 25 teams of three to four students per team. Project Management The rigorous senior design capstone program spans both fall and spring semesters. Course directors guide the teams through a design process to develop innovative products / processes that meet the projects’ defined criteria and constraints. Financial Commitment A required donation of $10,000 is due by the end of September. This contribution supports project expenses as well as strategic growth of the capstone lab space and program. Intellectual Property and Confidentiality When a project is funded by a donation, NC State University does not exert IP ownership unless an NC State employee is involved; undergraduate students in this course are not NC State employees. The intellectual property generated from the project is owned by the students unless otherwise agreed upon with the sponsor in the form of a non-disclosure agreement between the two parties at the onset of the project. Existing inventions and technologies are the separate property of the sponsor company or NC State. Sponsored research agreements are also available. Two public presentations by the team are made each year in the fall semester and spring semester. Teams are required to review content with the sponsor before this presentation. Design Showcase The culmination of the course is a ‘Design Day’ poster session generally held in April at NC State. 8

Albahealth | Dye House of the Future Yair Alonzo, Kenneth Bradbury, Lia Gregor, Raquel Weis

The “Dyehouse of the Future” project centered around redesigning the garment dyehouse for Albahealth in Rockwood, TN. This project had a wide scope and three main components: Dye Machinery, Material Handling, and SIMIO Modeling. In order to justify dye machinery suggestions, dyeing trials and physical testing on Albahealth’s medical socks were completed using the Zeis Textile Extension’s Pilot Plant and the Physical Testing Lab, respectively. Rotary dye machines were chosen for overall dyehouse process improvement. To complete the material handling component, research was performed into appropriate equipment upgrades, such as motorized push carts, conveyor systems, and an improved ceiling mounted hoist system, all to create a smoother process flow. To build the SIMIO model, many weeks worth of time studies were done via Nest Security Cam footage and edited through TimerPro software before the collected data was incorporated into four models.

Recommendations were centered around decreasing cost and energy usage while improving efficiency. A base model was created in SIMIO of Albahealth’s current garment dyeing process and then three improvement models were created using data gathered from the three main components: Model 1 focused on dye machines, Model 2 on material handling, and Model 3 on conveyor to baling. These three models produced figures to compare to the base model and thus proved the value of each machine/material recommendation. Upgrade proposals were designed to provide long term process refinements and future implementation possibilities to allow Albahealth to remain competitive on the global market.

American Cornhole League | Cornhole Bag Development Gatlin Howell, Rachel Landon, Aditya Srinivasan

Why is it such a big deal in the NFL for the football to meet regulations? Because the slightest difference can make the biggest impact on a game’s outcome. The same holds true for Cornhole tournaments. Our team was tasked by the American Cornhole League to develop new bags for - to competition, while developing a reproducible test method for friction so that they could be used evaluate future bag designs. Our team started this project by talking to our sponsor about what the most common player complaints were regarding the bag’s performance. One of the most common issues was that the bag fabric was sticking to the board more than necessary, which caused the bags not to move when hit with another bag. Another issue was that the amount of moisture in the air was causing inconsistent gameplay since tournaments are played both indoors and outdoors as well as in different regions of the country.

To solve these issues, our team came up with several ideas regarding the bag fabric structure and water repellents that we could add to the design. We then created multiple friction tester devices and analyzed the performance of current tournament bags. This allowed us to accurately compare our designs to the current designs. After selecting our top three fabric structure ideas, we worked with the knitting and weaving labs to turn our designs into prototypes. We later made adjustments to our initial prototypes in order to address any manufacturing issues that had arisen. We also altered our fabric design in order to improve things such as the hand or feel of the fabric. We learned several lessons through this process. We learned to always prepare for setbacks and to be flexible when unexpected events occur. We also learned to keep written records of everything that was done, discussed, or postponed. This drastically improved our team’s communication and allowed us to successfully be working on multiple things at once. 12

Army Research Office | Canine Bite Sleeve Troy Coffield, Margaret Goodman, Emily Thompson

In military and police forces, specially trained canines are used to assist with searching for drugs and explosives, locating missing people, finding crime scene evidence, and attacking criminals to stop them from escaping. Common methods of training involve tools such as bite sleeves, bite suits, and tugs or dumbbells, which in turn produces a canine with a skill set worth around $150,000.

With this information and sponsorship from the United States Army Research Office, our team has developed a smart bite sleeve with pressure sensor technology that collects data in real time during field training. This data will be utilized in establishing more efficient training mechanisms, increasing handler education and knowledge, and raising overall safety and understanding of the canine training process. Through sensor testing and fabric validation, we determined the optimal layering system to protect the equipment while still providing accurate bite force data.

Avery Dennison | Nonwoven Flexible Packaging Hailey Clark, Austin Conner, Will Reiber

The goal of this project is to create a nonwoven flexible packaging product for e-commerce apparel goods that can be made from either textile waste or Avery Dennison process waste. The packaging will have the ability to be upcycled into a second use product or recycled. This project is driven by the growth of the nonwoven packaging market due to its ability to incorporate recycled materials as- well as have structural properties that allow for a greater second life potential. This product will contribute to creating a closed loop material system that will bring Avery Dennison and their customers closer to a circular economy system. The project process started with Avery Dennison woven selvage waste, that was then shredded and broken down into a fibrous form called shoddy. From there, the material was processed in a nonwoven carding machine to create a nonwoven web

The team selected double belt lamination for bonding the web due to the efficiency and good properties it gave the web. Additionally, a thermoplastic polyurethane film is applied to the surface of the web to give the material the needed water and abrasion resistance. The team selected ultrasonic bonding as the construction method because of the strong and water tight seam it yields. The end product must be able to withstand going through the mail and shipping supply chain, while protecting the contents of the package. Testing is necessary to ensure these properties, especially due to possible variation in the raw material. The end product is not looking to replace current plastic packaging, but rather provide an alternative to the sustainability-minded consumer. The packaging would provide a unique marketing and branding concept to influential brands looking to show consumers the importance of sustainability. -

Cortland | Warp Knitting for Medical Devices Moriah Kimel, Michelle Lishner, Justin Wang

For our senior design project, we were tasked by Cortland Company to incorporate warp knitting into a viable medical device. Through market research and determining the best opportunity to showcase warp knitting into a medical device, the team landed on redesigning a septal occluder which is used to treat Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), a heart anomaly in which babies are born with a hole between the heart’s two atria. Due to the adverse effects of this defect including stroke, murmurs and possible death, a septal occluder is used to plug the hole. Because only two septal occluders are FDA approved in the US and do not utilize a smart textile for tissue ingrowth, we found a unique opportunity to create a new design using the porous structure of warp knitting.

Through this project, we have learned greatly from conversations with our sponsor, professors, and local cardiologists at Duke Hospital. Our process for completing this project began with determining a medical device to incorporate knitting into through research on market, risk and feasibility. Once deciding on a septal occluder, we determined four different knit structures with varying properties and two varying CPIs to test for our criteria of burst strength, pore size, and elastic modulus compared to the surrounding tissue of the heart. In addition to determining the best knit structure, we ideated on the final design and assembly including nitinol wire, a braid jacket, and final sewing attachment of the warp knit to the braid. We have expanded our skill sets and have learned a lot about the challenges of molding and heat setting nitinol wire. We are grateful for all we have learned and the exposure to the process of product development from ideation, testing and justification and final implementation into a functional prototype.

Diamond Brand Gear | Modular Wall Tent Beth Kirkwood, Alex Nguyen, Jackson Winchester

Diamond Brand Gear is looking to redesign the next generation of wall tents. Their current -design has remained unchanged for almost 100 years and is used by scouts across the country. By integrating a modular functionality, customers can personalize a wall tent to suit their individual needs. The concept involves ordering select tent panels (wall, door, and roof) with different designs such-as a wall with windows or a roof with a stove jack and self assembling the entire tent with the connectors provided. We are creating a unique, easy-to-use connection mechanism that will be attached to all tent panels for easy assembly.

Over the course of these two semesters, we have learned a variety of lessons, both technical and administrative. In the initial brainstorming and setup of our prototypes, it was imperative- to keep up to date with the designs of competitive products and patents on products for similar purposes. Almost as much effort went into examining patents as did design of prototypes in the first semester. As development continued, the value of testing was demonstrated in order to accurately determine the specific needs of each section of the tent when aligning prototypes accordingly. The results of the testing also revealed the wide consequences of design compromises and over-engineering. For all prototypes, problems can be limited or solved but must be effectively designed to mitigate potential harmful effects to the positive aspects of the design.

Diamond Brand Gear | Wall Tent Fabric Development Christopher Atack, Donavon Logan, Drew Schweikert

The goal of this project is to develop a lighter-weight fabric which meets all criteria for standard wall tent fabric produced by Diamond Brand Gear. This fabric must be waterproof, mildew resistant, fire retardant and meet a minimum specification for tear strength, water resistance and water repellency. This project intends to solve production and shipment issues caused by a bulky and dense tent fabric. All the while maintaining the same performance from the former wall tent design.

We have gone through a product development cycle to design our new fabric. We began with researching current and similar canvas fabric or outdoor fabrics such as boat covers and awnings. We compared properties and measurables given to us by Diamond Brand Gear to find what aspects were pertinent and which could be improved upon. We took those ideas and moved into designing a fabric and making prototypes. Our designs boiled down to two major ideas: fabric optimization and inherent properties. Once the prototypes were finished, we tested them compared to the given measurables and matched them to the current wall tent fabric to see how they stood up. We then made any changes or alterations to future design to better solve issues we might have found. We have learned a lot throughout this project. How to design a woven fabric, how to test different types of fabric in different ways, how to work as a team and develop skills on how to lead and adapt as a team. We have all been extremely grateful to have this opportunity to learn and to help solve problems.

Filspec | Hot-Cold 3D Fabric Design Rachel Hall, Ines Ortiz de Zevallos, Claire Rose

The Hot/Cold 3D fabric design project aimed to create a performance garment that generates - heat to ultimately cool down the wearer. Filspec, Inc., the sponsor for this project, generated this idea utilizing its WarmFil yarn. They are a world leader in manufacturing high-performance technical yarns - the made from natural, artificial, and synthetic fibers. The WarmFil yarn provides warmth when in presence of near infrared light sources. The function of the yarn in the Hot/Cold 3D fabric is to heat the sweat trapped in the fabric’s hydrophilic component which will cool the body through evaporative cooling. The wearer will only be in contact with the hydrophobic component of the fabric allowing them to stay dry.

The project started with an ideation and benchmarking process which gave the team criteria and desired features of the end product. The first prototype was focused on determining the fiber blend selection and optimum IR percentage of the yarn. After testing and analyzing the results, the second prototype was developed using the chosen fiber blends. For this prototype, the team varied and evaluated knitting structures to find the ideal final fabric design. The team worked to modify current standard tests and created new methods to obtain meaningful data. Overall, working on this project was a great personal and professional experience, which wouldn’t have been possible without the personnel and facilities of the Wilson College of Textiles.

Filtec-Precise Inc | High Value Fiber Repurpose Ethan Cole-Evans, Robert Furr, Rebecca Smith, Kat Tchinnis

Our senior design project is sponsored by Filtec-Precise Inc, an organization that twists industrial yarn which is incorporated into the ropes and materials used for crane lifting. Filtec-Precise’s yarn is very high denier, ranging from 52,000 to 210,000. Filtec-Precise meets the industry standard of only 1% off spec yarn but that translates to 40 tons annually. Our goal is to develop a partnership with third-party willing to purchase Filtec-Precise’s off-spec yarn inventory in order to increase their revenue and decrease their environmental footprint.

During the past 8 months, we researched multiple outlets for Filtec’s off-spec yarn, including both downstream applications and partnerships with local or domestic organizations who specialize in the recycling of textile goods. This has taught us about important economic factors to consider when assessing storage and shipping alternatives in the aim to increase the efficiency of their off-spec yarn collection and documentation. This process has involved multiple site visits to our sponsor’s yarn-twisting facility as well as other recycling facilities to gain a better understanding of which factors and production practices have the greatest impact on minimizing environmental impact while maximizing profit. It also relied heavily on analyzing data on their historical off-spec yarn production and using statistical software to visualize and validate anecdotal information.

Gryppers_SPORTECH Smart Sensor Tech | Connected Fabrics Lauren Anderson, Tyler Eller, Anna Matthews, Isaiah Wallace

Heat stroke may not be one of the most prevalent sports injuries, but it is definitely one of the - most serious. It has gained more attention in recent years due to the deaths of high-profile D1 and professional athletes. Despite this, heat illness is most common in high schoolers and still demands to be addressed. The goal of the SPORTECH project is to create a garment that is capable of directing sweat to a sensing area in order to analyze sweat for signs of stress. Specifically, we decided to knit a sleeve garment using hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials in order to inherently direct sweat to the sensor.

Throughout the process, the group has done extensive research on yarns that manage moisture in the way that is desired. This spanned across materials such as nylon, polyester, UHMWPE, and more to try and accomplish the goal of wicking sweat away that was not in the channels and moving moisture that happened to lie within the channels. In doing so, the comfort of the athlete is kept at the forefront by trying to keep the sleeve dry while allowing the sleeve to be functional in directing moisture. We have learned a broad range of skills including Shima Seiki seamless knitting software coding, knitting designs and loops, and the importance of manufacturability to overall product success. To get a basic understanding of what function the sleeve needed -to serve, research on body physiology and current market sensors was also conducted.

Hanesbrands Inc | 3D Printed Garment Annie Corah, Kate Milano, Joshua Pettis, Aidan Special

We spent our second semester design and testing. We focused on building complex 3D printed lattices using auxetic structures and state-of-the-art stereolithography printers. Our goal is to provide a framework for how a shoe’s midsole can be custom printed for an individual’s needs; designed to control the forces for their specific foot. During this process we have learned a great deal from applying our textile knowledge to engineering a product, understanding materials, and performing standardized tests.

Hanesbrands Inc | EZ-Order Zachary Rosen, Jiin Son, Edgar Garcia Torres, Mamie Trigg

You finally found your favorite Hanes T-shirt. A year later your T-shirt wears out and you want-to buy another, but have to go through the tedious process of finding it again. EZ-order technology will allow the consumer to quickly “scan” their favorite t-shirts and redirect straight to the product page on the Hanesbrands app. By having a marker on the shirt, the user can scan it with their smartphone when they want to reorder the product. This process is especially useful when the shirt is worn out and the consumer no longer remembers the exact size, style, length, etc. In addition to the marker, a mockup app was designed to illustrate how the user can seamlessly interact with the marker on their smartphone. Through this process, tedious web searching will no longer be an issue increasing customer satisfaction.

The primary challenge of this project was to determine the best method of attaching data onto a men’s T-shirt. The final selections were a QR code and an NFC chip as both these methods can interact directly with a smartphone. The steps involved in printing QR codes are time-consuming and it was found that the QR codes often didn’t survive past 20 washes. Those that did were either inconsistent or took too long to scan therefore defeating the philosophy of “EZ order”. The second method of attaching data to the shirt was with a NFC chip, which was much quicker but required more raw materials. First, the chip is programmed with a NFC reader/writer, then an adhesive film is laid on top of the chip’s area, finalized with a layer of TPU that heat-pressed for a specific time and temperature onto the T-shirt. Launderability testing showed that each of the chips still functioned properly even after 30 wash cycles. -

Kaneka | Kaneka IR Absorptive Fiber (KIRAF) Applications Amor Camatcho, Jacob Crew, Hannah Rich, Hannah Stephenson

In thousands of courts, fields, and rinks across the world, athletes of all kinds can be seen pouring water over themselves to cool off. What if your workout shirt could react with the environment to cool you down instead? The objective of this project is to determine and create an application in the performance market that optimizes the use of the Kaneka Infrared Absorptive Fiber (KIRAF) produced by the Kaneka Corporation. KIRAF works by absorbing infrared energy from your body and transferring it to the environment, thereby having a cooling effect at the fiber level. This is unique, as similar cooling garments that exist on the market today predominantly utilize moisture management techniques in the garment construction to conquer this problem.

Beginning at the staple fiber stage, the team worked with the Spinning Lab to create a 24/1 Ne Open End spun yarn. The yarn was then taken to the Knitting Lab where a 24 gauge, Single Jersey Knit fabric was created on a circular knitting machine. The design process of this project focused on the results of thermal testing, such as heat flux and thermal insulation. Blends of polyester, nylon, and KIRAF were analyzed to determine which material combination resulted in the largest cooling effect. Additional test results from the Textile Protection and Comfort Center (TPACC) revealed that the degree of cooling with the KIRAF blend was greatest when the temperature difference between the body and environment was significant. This led the team to pursue cooling applications specific to cold environments such as garments for figure skaters and hockey players.

Li_Fung America | Recycled Card Hanger Development Wyatt Moore, Ananya Suresh, Peicheng Wang

40% of all plastic produced in the world goes to single-use packaging items, which are used- once before being discarded. Hangers are frequently banned from recycling centers, and are diverted directly into the waste stream. Of the 8-10 billion plastic hangers produced each year, 85% end up in a landfill. Li & Fung currently ships 14 million of their private label jeggings per year to be- sold in Walmart stores. Each jegging is packaged on-hanger, with each hanger used once before being disposed of after each sale. The goal of the Recycled Card Hanger project is to create a hanger that is sustainable in all aspects: environmental impact, cost, and performance. The project will aid Li & Fung with their efforts to replace the plastic hangers currently being used for the jeggings program.

Four prototypes have been developed: three hangers made of 85% recycled card and 15% virgin pulp (each of a different thickness) and a polypropylene plastic hanger with a biodegradable additive. The card hangers were tested for both design and material performance. The effect of moisture created during shipping from overseas manufacturers on the hangers’ tensile strength, bending rigidity, and flexibility was also tested. The plastic hanger prototype consists of a biodegradable additive, which turns normal plastic into a landfill-friendly material by breaking down the long chain polymers for easier consumption by microorganisms found in landfills. Life Cycle Assessments were performed on both the card and plastic prototypes to evaluate the hangers’ environmental impact.

Lleel3a | Hospital Bedsheet Design Wmma Dimig, Hannah Eberenz, Eric Graham, Samantha Sharp

“Nearly 2.5 million individuals are affected by pressure ulcers, and more than 60,000 patients in the U.S. die each year as a direct result of pressure ulcers.” – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2018. Our team partnered with Lllel3a LLC to create a two sheet turning system to reduce the prevalence of pressure ulcers. We have worked with UNC Rex and Emory Rehabilitation Hospitals to learn more about hospital beds, pressure ulcers, and nurse injury prevention. Overall, our team learned how to address all these aforementioned areas with the help of textiles by redesigning the fabric used in hospital bed sheets to be more compatible with the human body, as well as compatible with the previously patented two sheet turning design which uses chain lifts to rotate a patient in bed.

Our design addresses a unique fabric structure and fiber component in addition to an improved lifting mechanism. This new design is intended to assist nurses in turning patients that are immobile, with a fabric structure and fiber component that will manage the patient’s moisture, minimize shearing of skin, and support the patient while turning.The fabric is made with REPREVE Polyester and Nylon, the two synthetic polymers that proved to prevent pressure ulcers most effectively, based off of measurables research and testing. The new lifting mechanism introduces a “curtain rod” system that uses a pole inserted into a pocket edge in a sheet which lifts a patient safely and comfortably by creating an even weight distribution. Additionally, the pole has a bending mechanism so that when tucked under the mattress, it can bend with the bed as it is adjusted. Throughout this semester we have learned tremendous amounts thanks to the Wilson College of Textiles, Dr. Laura Lee, and UNC Rex Hospital.

Manufacturing Solutions Center | Industrial Recycling Network Design Darian Boyd, Emily Davidson, Michelle McGoogan, Liesl Miranda

16 million tons of textile waste is produced every year, but only 16% of that waste is recycled. Smaller textile manufacturers contribute a significant amount of waste to landfills due to the lack of resources available to repurpose their waste. Unfortunately, many textile recycling companies require a certain amount of waste material before pickup that smaller manufacturers just can’t accommodate.- The Industrial Recycling Network Team, sponsored by Manufacturing Solutions Center, is combating that statistic. The team is working with a group of upholstery and apparel companies in western North Carolina to aggregate their waste for upcycling into premium products which can be reintroduced into the supply chain, creating a circular economy.

The team’s main focus is the interface between furniture and textile manufactures and a waste aggregation facility. The team has been working to help companies understand the stories hidden in their waste data, and to provide efficient, error-proof methods of aggregating and sorting the textile waste. Their efforts will help change the culture around industrial recycling and pave the way for the textile industry to fully support a circular economy.

Red Bull | Wingsuit Fabric Design Rebekah Cope, Hannah Joyner, Kyrsten Rudock, lla Schauss

In the extreme sport of BASE jumping, wingsuit fabric design has not been innovated in over a decade. In a collaborative effort with Red Bull, our team is designing new materials and creating industry standards for wingsuit development in order to help athletes break records and unleash the power of human flight. Through analysis of the wingsuit, we determined there were two areas of major improvement - the fabrics and the zippers. Along with materials changes, we developed an air permeability test method for the fabrics and zippers used. All current development is based on a cut-sew-fly method where completed suits are tested by pilots wearing them to jump out of planes. Our goal was to develop fabric-level metrics which could predict wingsuit performance before full garment testing.

The current fabric used by all wingsuit companies is a 210d nylon plain weave ripstop. In order to decrease the surface roughness while maintaining the strength of the ripstop fabric, we changed the construction of the fabric in the wing areas from a plain weave to a twill ripstop construction. The twill construction contains floats that allow for closer packing of yarns and a smoother surface. By adding the aramid yarns as the ripstop, the dimensional stability increases without compromising the strength or substantially decreasing the suit’s comfort. Wingsuits have 13+ zippers that are used for in-flight and preflight functions. The current in-flight zippers are 10mm normal coil zippers with no coating on the surface that we replaced with 10mm reverse coil zippers that have a polyurethane coating. To test these fabric and zipper samples, we constructed a wind tunnel that utilizes a pressure differential to calculate the permeability of the sample. We also incorporated fog into the tunnel to receive qualitative and quantitative data that shows which fabrics and zippers perform the best at certain wind speeds. These improvements at the material level will help progress and legitimize the sport, allowing athletes to develop new tricks, fly in new locations, and break speed records.

The North Face | Low Microfiber Release Fabrics Sam Covington, Caleb Gellert, William Mullinix, Phillip Parker

Do you wear fleece jackets to stay warm? Little do you know, your fleece jackets are doing- more than just keeping you warm. They are releasing fibers and microfibers from your jackets into the environment everyday from normal wear and tear. Fibers released from fleece jackets are an emerging issue that our team will be tackling. This is a macro to micro level pollution that we aim to solve be re-engineering fleece fabric construction. We are trying to improve traditional North Face fleece jackets to release fewer microfibers and fibers to help solve this issue and help you enjoy wearing fleece without causing unnecessary harm.

Throughout the year long course we got a hands on approach to manufacturing textile prototypes. Insight was gained into how the development of new fabrics work in large power brands and had a great experience in working as a closely knit (no pun intended), codependent team.

Under Armour| Hemp Performance Gear Khalil Duncan, Toma Schneider, Maeve Sedivy, Ryan Wimmer

Hemp-based textiles present a sustainable option that historically has not been considered for performance gear due to concerns with hand feel and drape. As technology continues to evolve, Under Armour (UA) would like to be on the forefront of new advances in textiles that not only address hand feel and drape but also performance factors that aren’t necessarily achieved via conventional textile-formation processes.

The Hemp Performance Gear Team was able to source hemp fiber from BearFiber, ring spin this fiber at North Carolina State University with the Zeis Textile Extension, and then circular knit a plain jersey knit 50/50 hemp fiber and Pima cotton blend fabric. Ultimately, this fabric will undergo the cut-and-sew process and the team will end up with a T-shirt composed of 100% natural fiber. Although both are cellulosic in nature, it is important to note that hemp fiber is naturally much more coarse than cotton fiber and variable in staple length, which greatly affects the yarn count after spinning. As a result, the final 50/50 hemp and Pima cotton yarn exhibited a 20 singles count with the final fabric being knit on a 20 gauge machine. This project has given our team the unique opportunity of touching all aspects of product development, from material sourcing to yarn spinning to knitting. As a result, we have made contacts all throughout the hemp and textile industry that we hope to carry throughout our professional careers.

VF Corp | True Cooling Performance Caroline Barker, Ryen Frazier, Christian Rust, Ethan Wynne

Currently, there are many different testing mechanisms to determine heat transfer through the- plane of a textile but there are no testing mechanisms to determine how a textile moves heat within itself, in-plane. Our project is to complete the picture of heat transfer in a textile and create a novel testing mechanism to determine the behavior of heat through the plane of a textile.

Two prototypes have been created to test planar heat transfer in a textile. The first consists of a point heat source, a resistive heating rod, which applies heat to the surface of the textile to -be tested. On the opposite of the point heat source, an IR camera captures the heat spread and through image processing the distance of heat spread can be determined. The second prototype is a resistive heater placed inside a metal clamp which attaches to one edge of the fabric, applying a uniform strip of heat to one side of the fabric. The distance spread of this testing mechanism can be measured in multiple locations to provide a more accurate measurement. This measured distance can be compared to other fabrics distances spread so the relative throughplane conductivity of fabrics can be known and this can then be associated with different fabric constructions and yarns. -

Hanesbrands Inc | Wrinkle-Free Tee Ryan Adams, Carmen Davis, John Llanza, Kat Robinson

The goal of the project is to develop a wrinkle-free t-shirt that looks crisp through the lifecycle of the shirt (wear, launder, repeat). The t-shirt that is developed must provide similar comfort to a traditional cotton t-shirt and appeal to consumers at the current price point. The motivation for this project is to completely reinvent the basic cotton t-shirt while positively impacting both the environment and the consumer. Most wrinkle-free garments on the market contain formaldehyde, a chemical that in large amounts is hazardous to human health and the environment. The t-shirt the team has developed does not use formaldehyde in any capacity. In terms of the consumer, wearing crumpled clothing is unprofessional, so many people use ironing to eliminate wrinkles. However, ironing is a tedious and time-consuming task. The product the team has developed will eliminate the need for ironing and save the consumer time.

During the design process, the team identified potential factors such as knit structure, yarn structure, and fabric blend, that may affect the wrinkling properties of a fabric. The team developed a series of experiments to understand how these factors influenced wrinkling. In order to evaluate these factors, the team used AATCC test methods 124 (Smoothness Appearance) and 128 (Wrinkle Recovery). From the data collected during this process, the team learned that wrinkling decreased with the use of interlock knits, cotton and polyester blends, lower cotton counts, and heat setting. The team developed two prototypes to act as a current and future solution to our problem.