Engineering Comfort for Knits: Optimizing physiothermal comfort

An approach of designing and manufacturing of knitted fabrics with optimal comfort properties and ultraviolet radiation protection level has been proposed which is unarguable an important aspect in knitwear industry. This research is the outcome of some systematic investigations on controllable material, structural and process parameters and techniques to achieve desired level of thermo-physiological comfort and UV protection for knitted fabrics. Orthogonal block Box and Behnken and Taguchi experimental designs were used for analyzing decisive factors affecting physio-thermal comfort and UPF of knitted fabrics and henceforth mathematical equations were developed which paved a way to optimization of comfort. Initially single objective optimization method was used to develop a system of knitted fabric engineering for optimal comfort. Multi-objective optimizations were attempted using two approaches. Desirability function approach combines multiple objectives of knitted fabrics into a single index varying from 0 to 1. Evolutionary algorithm (NSGA II) was found capable to search a set of Pareto optimal solutions from which a desired value can be chosen from high level information.

Dr. Prithwiraj Mal is Assistant Professor in Department of Textile Design, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Hyderabad, India. Dr. Mal has published 20 papers in refereed journals and national / international conferences. His research interest includes fabric manufacturing, quality and optimization.