Textile Testing

Textile Testing and Quality Assurance

The form for submitting textile samples can be found here.

Services

IDFL provides many textile quality assurance services including testing bulk fabric and finished products, collecting samples from factories or retail stores and inspecting finished products. Services can be performed same-day for an additional fee.

Tests

  • fABRIC

  • DOWNPROOF

Seam Strength

WHAT IS IT?

This test measures the strength of sewn seams in woven fabrics by applying a force perpendicular to the seam. In other words, the force required to pull apart a seam to the point of failure.  

HOW IS IT DONE?

A section of fabric with a sewn seam is placed into a tensile strength testing machine. The machine then pulls perpendicular to the seam until the seam ruptures. The force at the moment when the seam ruptures is recorded.  

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?

Results are reported as the force measured the moment the seam ruptured/failed. Example: Metric: 200 N (newtons) US Customary: 45 lbf (pounds force) Results will be given for both the warp and the weft. Recommended ranges vary depending on fabric type.

WHY DO IT?

Determine the strength and durability of a seam and fabric/seam combination. Some fabrics hold seams better than others and some seams are better than others. Recommended for garments, bedding and upholstery.


Abrasion Resistance

WHAT IS IT? 

This tests the durability of a fabric against abrasion (rubbing).  

HOW IS IT DONE?

 A section of fabric is placed in a machine where it is rubbed against a standard abradant fabric or the same test fabric. The specific rubbing motion is continued until at least two yarns (threads) have broken. 

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN? 

The test is finished when two or more yarns have broken. The result is the number of cycles it took to get to this point. Example Result: 5000 cycles (until at least two threads have broken). Meaning, it took 5000 rubbing motions until two yarns broke. Generally the higher the number the better. Reasonable ranges are ≥5000 cycles.  

WHY DO IT? 

This can be a good indicator for the durability of a fabric, especially fabrics which will be subject to rubbing forces. Recommended for garments, bedding and upholstery


Air Permeability

WHAT IS IT? 

This test measures the volume of air that can pass through a given area of fabric at a given pressure. Akin to “breathability.” 

HOW IS IT DONE? 

A fabric is clamped over a test chamber. A fan is adjusted to bring the differential pressure to a set point (for calibration). The pressure reading is then recorded. This is repeated multiple times randomly across the fabric and the final value is the average of all readings.  

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN? 

Results are reported as a volume of air passing over a specific area per unit of time. It can be in US customary or metric. Example: US Customary: 5.5 ft3 /ft2 /min. (or C.F.M.) Metric: 27.9 L/m2 /sec. - Values between 2 to 8 C.F.M. for cotton fabric may suggest it’s downproof. - Synthetic fabrics vary but generally below 2 is acceptable. 

WHY DO IT? 

It is helpful to know the “breathability” of fabrics filled with natural or synthetic materials. It may help in predicting downproofness, ease of care, and manufacturing requirements. Recommended for bedding and garments.

Fabric Weight

WHAT IS IT?

This test measures the mass (weight) of a fabric for a specific area.  

HOW IS IT DONE?

A square section of fabric is cut out. The exact dimensions are noted. It is then weighed on a balance to the nearest 0.001 gram. The dimensions and weight are then used to calculate the weight of the fabric per unit area.  

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?

Results are reported in US customary (oz/yd2) or metric (g/m2) units. Example: US Customary: 5.6 oz/yd2 Metric: 189.9 g/m2 -To convert from oz/yd2 to g/m2 multiply by 33.9. 

WHY DO IT?

This test is generally done to determine the weight of a fabric or to judge a finished product’s feel and bulk. Also good for acceptance testing when receiving bulk fabric from textile mills. For example, a mill may tell you a certain fabric is 6oz. per square yard, but in reality the per square yard measurement might only be 4.5oz. Having checked the fabric weight, the discrepancy in quality is revealed. Recommended for bedding and garments.

Standards

IDFL tests textiles using the major global standards including EN (Europe), ASTM (North America), JIS (Japan), AATCC (North America), IDFL (Global), ISO (Global).

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