Do you have any questions ?
+ 33 (0)3 20 23 40 44
contact@imattec.com
Do you have any questions ?
+ 33 (0)3 20 23 40 44
contact@imattec.com
"Smart textiles," or intelligent textiles, connected textiles, active textiles, or e-textiles, encompass fibers, threads, fabrics (knit, warp and weft, etc.), and other textile items (shirts, socks, gloves, etc.) that have been functionalized to capture, transmit, manage, or generate data, information, or energy (conductive textiles) while interacting with their environment. Depending on the needs and the construction of the connected fabric, for example, smart textiles can be "active" or "passive."
Two major families commonly encountered:
Smart textile actuator: A connected textile item can be used, generally through electrical stimulation, to become an actuator, i.e., to change state, shape, color, or temperature, etc.
Smart textile sensor: In the common case where what is required is to generate signals to detect pressure, deformation, a cut, a tear, humidity, etc., it will be more likely to be a "sensor."
In the case of "active" textiles, it is generally necessary to consider the use of a textile for its deformable, flexible, elastic, and resilient properties, which can, for example, be very closely connected to the skin without any particular discomfort, in combination with a rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible electronic component that can be connectable or disconnectable, depending on the requirements of the product being developed. Sensor or actuator, one will be a kind of input for interaction with the smart textile's environment, while the other would be an output.
In any case, "passive" or "active", the textile serves above all as a gateway, an interface, a means of transforming one energy into another (mechanical->electrical) which will, in general, be converted into an electrical signal by electronics, added, plugged, welded, stapled, sewn, embroidered, glued or even heat-sealed.... (depending on the use, specifications and connected textiles)
When a textile, fiber, thread, ribbon, or fabric is used as a "simple" conductor for transferring power or signals, it is referred to as a "passive" connected textile. For example, electrically conductive sewing or binding thread or electrically conductive fabric...
The advantage of textiles, rather than a traditional electrical cable, lies in their thinness, adaptability, and flexibility, allowing for extensive and complete integration into the product at the heart of the material, making them suitable for use on a knitting machine, a weaving machine, an embroidery machine, a sewing machine, or even a braiding machine...
A connected textile can be created in a variety of ways. The creation method depends largely on the desired goal, whether technical or related to cost. It also depends on the application itself, the usage, the volumes, and the associated industrialization possibilities. It also, of course, depends on the conductors and actuators chosen (types, flexible, rigid, etc.) or usable for the application (shape, elasticity, flexibility, washability, etc.).
For the simple case of a passive smart textile such as a conductive thread (energy, information, signal, etc.) or an active thread (heating wire, etc.), several methods can be used at several levels of textile finishing. A textile, fabric, or knit, lambda can be functionalized, for example, by conductive printing, conductive sewing, or conductive embroidery, or also by bonding or transfer. The choice of conductive thread must correspond, on the one hand, to the fabric that one seeks to functionalize, whether knitted or woven, elastic, thick or thin, flexible or rigid, to the functionalization technique, but also to the expected performance. IMATTEC offers a wide range of threads that allow the deposit of a conductor on a fabric, and... the advice that goes with it, as well as broad capacities for developing new threads and adaptabilities.
The addition of conductive parts can be entrusted to the manufacturing process during garment manufacture by assembling and placing functionalized and non-functionalized parts.
More advanced and more complex is the creation of connected textiles, with conductors placed at the heart of the fabric, some would call them "true smart textiles": custom-made, available in knitting or weaving, generally made possible by Jacquard technology. The functionalized pieces produced will either be assembled, again during a manufacturing step, or directly usable. Generally, there remains an accessorizing step and the addition of electronics, such as a few components or a battery.
You can request our advice and use our resources and capabilities for the development and industrialization of your connected product!
Before being functionalized and connected, we are first and foremost talking about textiles. Deformable almost at will, sometimes even elastic, and generally very thin, functionalized textiles are very useful for the most discreet and invisible applications (to the eye and/or to the touch). A textile has the advantage of being able to deform (if necessary), and this is one of the best examples, such as skin.
In the case of developing a connected textile to be worn, such as a connected garment, an intelligent sock, an e-hat, or smart pants, the enormous interest of smart textiles is acceptability. Indeed, what could be better, for example, in the context of treatment or medical monitoring at home, than to put on your connected pajamas rather than plugging into one, two, or ten measuring tools and as many wires and/or applications that go with them. The same is true in the world of sports... (belt or t-shirt) heart monitoring, connected shoes or socks...)
He who can do more can do less: a smart textile, in the extreme, can follow any deformation. It can also be rolled, folded, crumpled, smoothed, it deforms elastically or not... It can also absorb substances, or due to its natural porosity, be crossed by a fluid or a gas. In the case of rigid, or semi-rigid (case of composites), the textile matrix can also be fully functionalized for measurement purposes, or other purposes (deformation sensor, crack or break sensor, heating for defrosting...). IMATTEC's approach to textiles gives them quite astonishing performances at certain temperatures, or quite extreme mechanical performances for example, these textile products can just as easily be connected and thus collect a lot of data specific to their uses! Smart clothing can also be created from smart textiles that "simply" carry the connectors. Once the parts of the clothing are assembled, they can "just" serve as a support for a whole range of electronic equipment such as batteries, speakers, LEDs, various sensors, vibrators, heating elements, accelerometers, compasses or electronic levels, optical fiber, etc.
Any flexible structure or textile item, whether technical (fishing net, bulletproof vest, geotextile, parachute, composite matrix, cut-resistant glove, rope, sail, workwear, etc.) or not (clothing, furnishings, decoration, etc.), can be functionalized to provide security, comfort, service, measurement, rescue, management and logistics assistance, insurance, monitoring, weight reduction, simplification, efficiency, visual effect, or artistic...
Are you looking for a heating wire? Do you need a conductive thread that can be integrated into your woven, knitted, or embroidered product? Depending on your requirements in terms of conductivity, flexibility, or interaction with the environment, IMATTEC can advise you and guide you toward the best choice and provide you with the most suitable yarns and materials.
Are you looking for an item (fabric, braid, rope, mesh, etc.) incorporating conductive or effect threads, ready to be integrated into or onto your item? We can also help you, for example, with the development and production of the ideal connected ribbon for you.
We study all projects, whether they are dedicated to health, well-being, security, defense, industry, or transportation, and we can develop and produce your connected item in-house in our Fablab dedicated to smart textiles and/or possibly with the help of partners in our network (laboratories, producers, electronics engineers, designers, specialists in the field in question, etc.).
The result of five years of development, we participated in the creation of a unique connected underwear pee stop device, the main tool used for treating bedwetting in children and pre-teens, to be marketed in 2024. This Pipistop was developed in collaboration with the company Bluegriot for the electronics, and Bamboo Belgium for the manufacturing and integration of our conductive textile, then marketed under the name Sleepee by Tim by the company TEAM INNOVATION MANAGEMENT
This pee stop thus created in smart-textile mode (doubled with eco-design) makes this medical device comfortable, once worn the pee-stop is completely undetectable from the outside, no unpleasant sensation to the touch (also undetectable to the touch on the inside). Without waves, without dangling wires, usable independently by the child or teenager (6-15 years). The effectiveness (speed of urine detection) and acceptability are completely reinforced and the results speak for the product: 25% of children had convincing results in 15 days! with this pipistop or bedwetting-stop system.
IMATEC's contribution: tailor-made advice and the provision of materials adapted to contact with urine, sweat, and maintenance, as well as their shaping and integration into the heart of a moisture-absorbing textile. Working with IMATTEC isn't "just" working with a supplier; it's also about support, knowledge sharing, and networking (regional, French, and international), all the way through to market launch.
More information on bedwetting, its consequences, and treatment solutions.
Visit www.Sleepee.fr for more information on Sleepee by Tim and the support offered.
At the request of Rasa Weber (Zürich University of the Arts, Linz University for Arts and Design, Cluster of Excellence at Humboldt University Berlin), we collaborated on the implementation of a seabed restoration system through the creation of an artificial reef/artificial structure. Using IMATTEC conductive wires connected to a surface solar energy source, this system recreates, through catalysis, an ideal substrate for the colonization of marine fauna and rapidly promotes the return of numerous aquatic species. The system is currently implemented in the Mediterranean at the STARESO marine research center in Corsica.
VIRTEX is a project co-certified by the Uptex and Techtera competitiveness clusters. IMATTEC collaborated within the consortium composed of: Brochier Technologies – IFTH – Imattec – Polytrame – CAMFIL – LMFA INSA Lyon – Lille 2 Virology Laboratory. The consortium was created to study and develop a virucidal textile filter that can be integrated into existing systems (hospitals, public facilities, etc.) combining several effects: light (UV) and heating. IMATTEC is responsible for the heating textile component and the thermo-resistant and UV-resistant materials for this FUI program.
Project led by Biosernity, consisting of the study and development of a second-skin garment, pajamas, equipped with sensors capable of measuring sleep disorders, enabling detailed and reliable analysis, facilitating diagnoses by medical specialists. Project certified by the Up-tex cluster, FUI funding.
*We never communicate about our customers, their products, or their results. The information provided above as examples is either public or shared with the consent of our partners.
Other developments in which we have provided support:
If you too would like to collaborate with IMATTEC or entrust us with your smart textile development, contact us!
It all starts with contacting me via our form or directly by email at contact@imattec.com. Our sales teams are also present at various trade shows.
Analysis of the e-textile requirement, definition of the type of connected textile, regardless of its level of integration or functionality (fibers, threads, fabric, etc.), and its performance, establishment of specifications meeting the expressed requirements, sampling, prototypes, testing, and validation (performance, price, etc.) of your smart textile.
And IMATTEC will support you in the growth of your smart technical textile, ensuring its evolution by implementing the best possible service to meet your market expectations (adjusting minimum quantities to be implemented, establishing inventory, delivery service, working on optimizing the price of the connected product based on volumes, etc.)