le textile et ses débouchés

TEXTILES ARE EVERYWHERE

When we talk about textiles, we often think of clothing and fashion. However, textiles are increasingly integrating technical uses and high technology. This is why it is found in many sectors of activity such as fashion, luxury, design, decoration, but also aeronautics, the automobile industry, sport, medical, protection and armament.

The textile market generates more than one million jobs and remains the 2nd largest European employer.

The textile excellence of today and tomorrow

The fields of application of textiles :

Fashion and Luxury

Fashion often comes first to mind when one thinks of the textile sector. And if French industries are distinguished in the field of haute couture, ready-to-wear and lingerie, they also occupy an important place in the field of professional clothing, fabric and lace manufacturing.

Sport

Every sport has its own clothing and textile equipment: shorts, shoes, boat sails, tennis rackets… 

ENSAIT has joined the Sciences2024 programme, for which 13 engineering schools are working to improve French performance at the next Olympic Games in Paris.

Rail / Maritime

Textiles are used in the interiors of railway carriages (carpets, seats, etc.). ENSAIT recently exhibited a train cabin made of flax fibre. These same materials are used in the support platforms of the wagons. 

A boat is almost entirely made of textiles: the mast, flags, sails, ropes, rigging, life jackets, fishing nets, the hull, etc.

Aerospace / Aeronautics

High performance textiles lighten structures while reinforcing the properties of products (resistance to corrosion, pressure, temperature variations, etc.). The nose of the Ariane rocket, the support parts of our aircraft, engines, jet engines, etc. are all made of textile fibres. Textiles are also used in the clothing of pilots and astronauts.

Medical

Textiles are widely used in the biomedical field. They play a filtering role (breathing masks), a protective role (bandages), a reinforcing role (for hernias, pro-lapses), replace failing organs (arteries, tendons) and are present in a large number of medical devices (light therapy).

Automotive

Your car contains more than 40kg of textile: seats, carpets, trunks, interior, seat belts, airbags, hoses, tyres, air filters, insulation, brake pads, etc. For each of these elements, our textile engineers will implement the logistics chain, the production chain, the quality processes and will also work to propose new products resulting from the R&D.

Geotextile

Geotextiles are used in a wide variety of applications: drainage, road, pavement and railway foundations, asphalt reinforcement, backfill materials, protection against punching of geomembranes, root penetration barriers, surface erosion control, and protection during demolition by explosives. Geotextile is also used in landscaping.

Protection

Some professions (military, police, firemen) use textiles to protect them: ballistic protection, armoured vehicle equipment, knife protection, fire protection, etc. Textiles are used to protect against NRBC (Nuclear, Radiological, Biological, Chemical) risks. Some protect from waves and others warn of a contaminated environment.

Habitat

Textiles in the habitat are very varied. They include insulation products, textile architecture (reception tents and marquees). Sun protection (indoor and outdoor blinds, sunshades, shade sails) are made of textiles.

At the same time, table linen, bed linen, towels, plaids, cushions, carpets, curtains and blinds are made of textiles.

The professions of the textile engineer ENSAIT :

ENSAIT's career opportunities are characterized by a multiplicity of sectors and related professions.

Buyer

The buyer researches and selects products and suppliers in line with the company’s purchasing strategy. He/she negotiates contracts for the purchase of materials and products in accordance with cost, deadline and quality objectives.

Quality engineer

The quality manager organises and coordinates the implementation of product and service quality in all the processes and structures of the industrial company. He/she may coordinate health, safety and environmental procedures. They may also coordinate a team or manage a department and its budget.

Logistics and supply engineer

The logistics manager defines and implements organisational schemes for all or part of a physical goods flow logistics chain, from the purchase of raw materials to the distribution of finished products. He/she designs steering and management tools (procedures for monitoring orders, circuits and information systems, etc.) enabling the routing of products to be traced between the various players in the logistics chain (producers, suppliers, transporters, distributors, etc.) with a view to rationalisation and optimisation (quality, profitability, deadlines, safety). He/she may specialise in one phase: supplies (upstream logistics), distribution (downstream logistics) or organising operations in one field (humanitarian, national defence, etc.).

Production engineer

The production manager organises, optimises and supervises manufacturing resources and processes, with the aim of producing goods or products according to safety, environmental, quality, cost, deadline and quantity requirements. He/she may manage a team or a department and manage the budget. He/she may also manage other production-related departments (maintenance, quality, etc.).

Design office engineer, methods

The design office manager ensures the transfer between design and production workshops, by managing a team of design office staff. He/she ensures the development and industrialisation of new products, thanks to technical studies of models and specifications based on the specifications and/or drawings provided by the designer. He/she works in accordance with manufacturing standards (standardisation of sizes, etc.) and technical and economic production requirements (quality, productivity, deadlines) and is responsible for ensuring that the product fits well.

Product manager

The product manager develops and monitors a product or a range of products and services, from design to marketing, in accordance with the company’s sales and marketing strategy. They may also coordinate a team.

Environmental engineer

The environmental manager designs, coordinates and directs the implementation of the company’s environmental policy, both in terms of manufacturing techniques, product design and communication with the public, in strict compliance with health and safety regulations. To intervene directly in the field by implementing actions relating to equipment or intervention procedures.

R&D Engineer

The R&D engineer designs new products or new technologies. He/she develops existing products with a view to commercial development and innovation in an industrial environment. They define the means, methods and techniques for developing and implementing research results. They may also supervise and coordinate a project, a team, a service or a department.

Textile laboratory manager

The textile laboratory manager organises and supervises the activities of measuring and analysing conformity and quality (biological, chemical or physical analysis of materials or products). He/she works according to a control protocol and the rules of hygiene, safety and the environment. You may also coordinate a team and manage the budget.

Design office manager

The design office manager ensures the transfer between design and production workshops, by managing a team of design office staff. He/she ensures the development and industrialisation of new products, thanks to technical studies of models and specifications based on the specifications and/or drawings provided by the designer. He/she works in accordance with manufacturing standards (standardisation of sizes, etc.) and the technical and economic imperatives of production (quality, productivity, deadlines) and is responsible for ensuring that the product fits well.

Source: Fashion and Textiles Observatory

AIENSAIT : Alumni Network

The School has an Association of ENSAIT engineers: AIENSAIT. This association provides its network with the directory of ENSAIT graduates. It also helps student-engineers and young graduates in their search for internships or jobs and organizes “AIT” meetings around the world.

With 3,900 active members in 50 countries, AIENSAIT has a large international scope and influence.