idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
How can textile structures be developed more quickly, characterized precisely, and tailored to demanding applications – such as medicine, sports, mobility, or construction? The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM shows how its software solutions support the textile industry with powerful simulation at Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main starting April 21, 2026. The goal is to shorten development times, optimize material usage, and reliably predict the behavior of textile structures virtually. The focus is on the software tools VISPI and TexMath.
Simulation as a Key Technology for Modern Textiles
The textile industry faces intense pressure to innovate: Companies are developing new fibers, complex fabrics, and hybrid lightweight structures, and bringing them to market in ever-shorter cycles. At the same time, demands for sustainability, resource efficiency, and functionality are on the rise.
To address this, Fraunhofer ITWM develops mathematical models, designs efficient algorithms, and programs software solutions. These software solutions virtually map textile processes and structures from the micro-scale to the component scale. By combining simulation, optimization, and data-driven analysis, users can test different variants on a computer instead of relying solely on time-consuming experiments.
»With our software tools VISPI and TexMath, developers can virtually analyze the behavior of yarns, fabrics, or textile composite structures at an early stage«, explains Dr. Walter Arne, who co-developed VISPI at Fraunhofer ITWM. »This allows us to replace time- and cost-intensive experiments and accelerate development processes.« Industrial research into product and process innovation often reaches its limits when conducted on a purely experimental basis. The solution: virtual simulations.
VISPI (Virtual Spinning): C++ Software for Simulating the Spinning Process
Spinning processes are highly complex, as numerous steps interlock within a short period of time: A molten or dissolved spinning mass is forced through fine nozzles, formed into fibers, and then cured in cold air or a spinning bath.
VISPI provides a comprehensive virtual representation of this process. The software visualizes how process parameters affect fiber properties, thereby supporting targeted optimization. At the same time, it allows for the analysis of both the fluid dynamics of the spinning shaft and the arrangement of the filaments within the spinning bundle. The tool is specifically tailored to industrial applications and helps make development processes more efficient.
TexMath: Mathematical Solutions for Sophisticated Textile Simulations
While VISPI is tailored to the spinning process, TexMath is used wherever physical effects on textiles need to be described with precision, for example:
- Mechanical behavior: Nonlinear deformations, contact, wrinkling
- Multiphysical Processes: Coupling of mechanics with temperature or flow fields, e.g., during impregnation, drying, or filtration
- Cross-Scale Models: Linking fiber and yarn modeling with macro-properties of fabrics
Mathematical modeling, simulation, and optimization can thus improve medical products that many people need. »Bandages, for example, come in different sizes and compression classes and require appropriate pressure distribution depending on the clinical condition. With TexMath, we can help further develop these products so that they are of great benefit to as many people as possible«, says Dr. Julia Orlik, team leader of »Technical Textiles« at Fraunhofer ITWM.
Techtextil Showcases New Developments
At Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main, starting April 21, 2026, Fraunhofer ITWM presents the possibilities of VISPI and TexMath using selected application examples from the textile industry.
Interested trade visitors can expect the following topics at the joint booth of the Fraunhofer Society’s TEXTIL Research Division (Hall 12.0, Booth C78):
- the virtual design of textile structures
- the integration of simulation and experimentation
- as well as opportunities for joint development and research projects
Dr. Walter Arne
Fraunhofer-Institut für Techno- und Wirtschaftsmathematik ITWM
Fraunhofer-Platz 1
67663 Kaiserslautern
Phone +49 631 31600-4347
Fax +49 631 31600-5347
presse@itwm.fraunhofer.de
http://itwm.fraunhofer.de/virtual-textile-processes-pr
Technical Textiles: From Simulation to Optimized Product
Source: Fraunhofer ITWM
Copyright: Fraunhofer ITWM
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