Molecular manufacturing
Molecular manufacturing is a term used to describe an emerging technology that is being developed to build large objects to atomic precision, quickly and cheaply, with virtually no defects. As it becomes more sophisticated, it promises to be an energy-efficient and environmentally benign way to make materials and textiles. Built with a high level of automation an armada of molecular robotic subsystems working in parallel to process simple chemicals into brand new materials and devices; built to atomic specification, the manufactured products would exhibit significantly higher performance to a substantially lower price than that of today’s products. However, it’s important to question the safety brand-new Nanotechnology. An interesting view about issues regarding molecular manufacturing can be found at the website Lifeboat Foundation: “molecular manufacturing too dangerous allow?”
In molecular manufacturing, the uniqueness is to be able to control every molecule in the system precisely will revolutionize the concept of designing and wearing garments. The current accomplishment to apply of nanotechnology to textiles brings forward innovations such as:
- Thermal sensing and breathability control
- Antibacterial and odour removing effects
- Stronger than steel fibre (Nanotube fibres)
- Clothing sensoring and diagnoses (sense injury and immediate medication delivery)
However, molecular manufacturing will promise revolutionary changes far beyond current advances:
- Programmable garments that increase or decrease its own size as needed
- Variable and self-regulating fabric breathability
- Textile colour and pattern changes on demand
- Self-cleaning and self-repairing fabrics (integrating molecular robotic material components)
- Self-moveable fabric effects by programming
- Seamless garments (molecular fasteners)
SOURCES AND RECOMMENDED READING:
Internet
- Introduction to nanotechnology in the fashion and textile industry part one
- Introduction to nanotechnology in the fashion and textile industry part two
- Introduction to nanotechnology in the textile industry. Part three
- Modular manufacturing, too dangerous to allow? Lifeboat.com website
Books
- Nanofabrication, edited by Yoshitake Masuda. Published 2011 by Intech
- Molecular Assembly of Biomimetic Systems by Junbai Li, Qiang He, and Xuehai Yan. Published 2011 by Wiley-VCH Verlag
- Nanotechnology, Risk, ethics, and law, edited by Geoffrey Hunt. Published 2006 by, Earthscan
- Nanotechnology Challenges, Implications for Philosophy, Ethics, and Society. Editors Joachim Schummer and Davis Baird. Published by 2006 by World Scientific Publishing Co
- Microfabrication and Nanomanufacturing, Edited by Mark J. Jackson. Published 2006 by CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group
ECO-FASHION-DENIM AND DIAGRAMS DICTIONARIES OVERVIEW