Head: Mrs. Alice Waithaka
Textile Division Profile
Textile is a key area in which KIRDI is mandated to undertake research and development. The division undertakes research and development and disseminates findings in all aspects of textile technology including fibre development, textile processing and technologies and quality control. Research activities in the division are supported by physical and chemical testing laboratory.
The division’s main objective is creating a global partnership for industrial development as articulated in MDG 8.It endeavors to implement the entire relevant requirement under the service delivery chatter as well as activities stipulated in the KIRDI strategic plan and aims at improving the performance of the textile sub sector through enhanced demand driven research and technological development.
Vision
To endeavor to become a resource centre in textile and allied technology.
Mission
To undertake and implement demand driven textile research projects and programmes.
Areas of competencies
- Fibre technology: This involves intensive research in fibre development, which will include alternative sources as well as composites. Emphasise will be given to natural fibres such as cotton, jute, sisal etc.
- Textile processing and technologies: Intensive research will concentrate on processing and manufacturing processes and improved technologies (through reverse engineering and prototype development) with the aim of improving efficiencies and productivity, as well as value addition and product diversification.
- Quality Assurance/Control: This involves laboratory testing and analysis of various products so that they can compete nationally and internationally with both locally available and imported products. This provides confidence and suitability of the products for the intended use.
- Consultancy: This involves provision of information and skills in areas of competence and expertise. We offer consultancy to KIRDI staff, government and private sector.
- Incubation services. This aims at promoting enterprise start-up and growth in the area of weaving.
Services and Consultancies
The division carries out the following services and consultancies at very competitive fees:
1. Technology Needs Assessment
2. Technology Feasibility Studies
3. Environmental Impact assessments
4. Environmental control
5. Energy audit
6. Process Safety
Current Projects (2)
1. Development of a grading and standardization system for Kenyan cotton
Project Team:
Alice Waithaka, Solace Randa
Abstract
Purpose: The concept of grading and classification is essential for improving the quality of the country’s cotton in order to obtain maximum value for sold lint cotton and improve cotton farmers’ incomes.
A general overview of the cotton industry reveals that domestic marketing of seed cotton and lint is poorly managed and experiences a large number of constraints. Most of the cotton is sold to ginners directly by farmers and the rest through intermediaries or commission agents. Prices do not reflect the value of lint and cotton seed. Cotton farmers do not benefit from timely market information, and grading of their cotton is inadequate. Studies have revealed that storage facilities on farms, in collection centres and in some ginneries is inadequate, thus exposing cotton to quality hazards Poor infrastructure, an in established legal framework and inadequate volumes of lint mean spinners have to rely on imports. The prices of the domestically produced lint tend to be higher than those of imported lint.
- Prices of seed cotton are dictated by the ginners this is due to:
- Lack of alternative secondary markets for seed cotton;
- Lack of access to market information by the farmers leaving them with virtually no leverage to negotiate with ginners,
- Poor farmer-ginners business relationships as contracts are not legally enforceable.
2. Design and fabrication of a creeling, beaming and warping machine
Project Team:
Alice Waithaka, Solace Randa
Abstract:
Purpose: To increase productivity in handloom weaving there is need to introduce creeling, warping and beaming system that will help to reduce the time taken in weaving preparation and consequently reduce the overall weaving time. Creeling and efficient warping and beaming system will also impact on the quality of the woven fabric. The system will be made to address the following gaps: -
- Yarn entanglement as the yarn unwinds from cones that are laid down on the floor leading to many stoppages during the warping process.
- Lack of yarn tensioning system during warping leads to a weaver’s beam with un-uniform tensioned warp yarns and consequently non uniform density of the woven fabric.
- Use of few sets of yarns due to lack of creeling system leads to a longer warping time.
- The manual rotation of the warping machine, coupled with the ergonomics of monitoring the yarns as it unwinds, so as to stop incase of entanglement is tedious and slows down the warping process.
- Uneven tensioning of the warp yarns on the weaver’s beam results to non uniform width of the woven fabric.