Chapter 9 Testing o An integral part of the whole material sourcing process o Verifies raw materials is correct quality o Consumers are more educated and demanding about quality o Through testing the fabric and components selected will be suitable for a particular type of garment Everyday stressed impact the choices of materials used claims being made o Allows how well a product measures up to competition o Testing particular properties of a known brand against a new product establishes a benchmark for comparison o This can be done through laboratory testing as well as user trials o Measures the characteristics of materials and finished products so that they may perform Testing End Use satisfactorily for their particular end use Testing Buyers Sellers o It is critical that a buyer be able to verify that the materials ordered are the materials that were actually used in garment production o Buyers Sellers rely on testing data when investigating causes of failure when settling disputes regarding quality or performance of the good Compliance o One of the most important objectives of testing is to ensure compliance of regulatory and industry standards o There are federal and state regulations forced in the United States and other countries o Regulatory Standards are federal and state regulations Failure to comply with government regulations result in Financial penalties Product recalls and liabilites o Industry Standards are retailer and consumer expectations Failure to meet expectations result in Returns Loss of sales Loss of customers Damage of reputation o Some mass merchants department stores and other large retailers have established their own internal performance standards to provide merchandise acceptable to their customers Technical and Scientific Organizations o Textile testing is performed in a laboratory using specialized machinery and equipment utilizing test methods and standards developed by the textile industry o American Association of Textile Chemist and Colorist AATCC Publishes a manual that deals mainly with testing dyed and chemically treated fabrics o American Society for Testing and Materials ASTM Specializes in physical properties of fibers yarns and fabrics such as tensile strength pilling and abrasion o International Standards Organization ISO Deals with standards for the internationals market and is striving toward globally accepted standards Government Agencies o Different countries each have their own standards methods and regulations which make it difficult for global companies that are shipping to various countries around the world o Composed of committees of volunteer industry experts They propose and write new test methods as they are needed and constantly review and update existing methods to be current with new textile technologies o ASTM Test physical properties of fibers yarns and fabrics Provides product performance specifications related to end use Strength pilling abrasion Indicates requirements for a series of test relevant to the end use of the fabric valuable to companies that do not have own internal performance requirements o Federal Trade Commission FTC Enforces regulations require testing merchandise sold in the U S Protects producers and consumers alike in Non safety Fair trade matters o Care labeling o Fiber content labeling o Advertising o Warranties o Price fixing o Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC Enforces regulations requiring testing merchandise for sold in the U S Flammability and all product safety issues Addition is Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act CPSIA Children s Apparel o Safety Issues Choking hazards Snaps Buttons Sharp points Pins Production Cycle Testing Hardware Lead traces Zippers Snaps Painted surfaces Strangulation hazards Drawstrings o Quality not something that can comply by added at the end of the process essential that materials be tested by various stages thought the production cycle o A manufacturer who buys fiber to spin yarn and then weaves knits the yarns into fabrics which are used then cut and sewn into garments must test in the following sequence Fiber Yarn Dimensions content moisture etc Size twist per inch evenness strength etc Wight thread count weave type etc Fabric Construction Fabric Properties Fabric Inspection Dimensional stability colorfastness strength pilling abrasion etc Visual examination for defects damages color shading etc Garment Testing o Preproduction Measurements dimensional stability appearance after washing seam strength etc o Early Production o Postproduction Ensure that all sample components and operations are acceptable in mass production before entire production is completed etc Done to confirm that corrections requested were actually made during production etc If testing is prolonged to the postproduction strange and shrinkage is high or colorfastness is poor the opportunity to make corrections is lost There it is critical to detect failures early in the cycle in order to take corrective action U S Market Textile Testing Standards o Flammability of Wearing Apparel Primary safety hazard All garments in sold in the U S must meet government regulations Exemptions Hats gloves footwear interlinings Ease speed and intensity of burn determine hazardous Factors that impact burning characteristics Fiber content Weight Fabric construction Lightweight fabrics that weigh 2 6 oz per sq yard or less and that are made from natural fibers cotton rayon silk and brushed fabrics are particularly suspect for burning and MUST ensure compliance Test is designed to eliminate those fabrics that are highly flammable A class determination is made on tested sample in their original state and after one washing and dry cleaning cycle Class 1 Normal Flammability o Commercially acceptable Class 2 Intermediate Flammability Class 3 Rapid and Intense Burning o Banned from sale o Extremely dangerous o Refers only to textiles with napped raised surface Flammability characteristics Low twist yarns ignite Loosely woven and lightweight Napped fabrics Coated plastic fabric FIBER CONTENT IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FACTOR IN DETERMINING FABRIC FLAMMABILITY Only the exposed parts of a finished garment is subject to this standard Exceptions are items that can be reversible or worn inside out Children s sleepwear flammability Separate regulation Includes infant s sizes 9 months through children s size 14 More stringent test and more difficult to pass The pass fail criteria is based on char length rather than