You may not know exactly what a textile engineer does, but you’re involved with their expertise on a daily basis through products such as the clothes you wear, bed sheets, curtains, carpeting, draperies, fabrics and towels. Textiles are also used as the lining of space shuttle cargo holds. Textile technology or textile engineering is the study of various principles from engineering and scientific methodologies which are implemented for the processing and production of all kinds of textile fabrics, yarns and textile fibers. It involves the study of physical and chemical principles which are used in the study and analysis of polymers. With a bachelor’s degree in textile engineering, you will typically be working in an industry based around designing and controlling fiber and textile processes.

Other job sectors may include manufacturing facilities, design plants, or even a lab environment. In textile engineering, be prepared to work in the engineering field and learn about all types of materials, machines, and energy conservation and waste control. Career opportunities include medical textiles engineering, process engineering, technical services managing and quality control supervising, research and development, and corporate management.

Topics covered under Textile Engineering

The undergraduate degree is generally a four-year course and the degree obtained is either the Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) or Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.).

• After general courses, the third semester may consist of subjects like chemical processing of textiles, textile fiber, yarn formation, fabric formation, textile testing and instruments, statistics and applied mechanics.
• The subjects in the fourth semester usually deal with subjects like continuation of textile fiber, yarn formation, chemical processing of textile and fabric formation. Computer application in textiles and design and structure of fabric is usually taught as well.
• Continuation of subjects like textile testing and instruments, and design and structure of fabric may be taken in the fifth semester, along with continuation of yarn formation, fabric formation, and chemical processing of textiles. Instrumentation and control is another subject that could be taught.
• Students usually have to learn quality management and textile mill management in the sixth semester. Subjects like yarn formation, fabric formation and chemical processing of textile are continued at a higher level. Theory and design of textile machines, textile mechanics, technical textiles and new generation fibers are other subjects which may be taught.
• The seventh semester usually covers subjects like information technology in textiles, industrial engineering, theory of textile structure, textile mill management, garment technology, speciality yarn and sewing thread, wool technology, silk technology and jute technology.
• The subjects in the eighth and final semester could include values and ethics, energy sciences, entrepreneurship development, robotics and control engineering, and computer simulation for textile mechanics. Some schools may require a project in the final year.

Colleges offering Textile Engineering Courses

Some colleges that offer a B.E. or B.Tech in Textile Engineering or Textile Technology are given below.

Programs are subject to change, it is advisable to check directly with a school for current program availability.