How Are Garments Tested?

Throughout the entire clothing production process, a fundamental yet vital component is the testing procedure. This is an integral part of the whole operation, and plays a crucial role in ensuring that the finished product is not only fit for purpose, but also attains to the mandatory design standards, whilst looking and feeling good to wear. It is absolutely essential that the manufacturing process is aligned with the highest of standards, and the testing operation assesses and confirms that this is the case, verifying that an end product is coming through that reaches the quality levels insisted on. Access to product testing is vital as it quantifies the quality and safety of products, which is essential in the safety clothing industry.

As part of this operation, members of our purchasing team recently visited one of the world renowned Eurofins testing facilities in order to gain a deeper understanding of what procedures are required to facilitate the testing process and providing helpful content to supplement our testing manual. The below photos give an insight into these meticulous testing processes.

 

 

1 – Fabric Puncture Resistance Test. A point is pushed through the fabric at a set weight.

2 & 3 – Fabric Tear Resistance Test. The fabric is stretched over a balloon shaped object until it tears.

4 – Fabric Piling Test. The fabric is rubbed against a test fabric a certain amount of times to check how much piling occurs.

5 – Fabric Colour Fade Test. The fabric is made to spin round specially designed UV lights to test how much it will fade in sunlight.

6 – Fabric Colour Fade Test Result.  This is the result of the test from image 5.

7 – Fabric Flammability Test. The fabric is exposed to a small flame to check how far the flame travels.

8 – Fabric Breathability Test. The fabric is placed over the top of a metal dish containing water for a set amount of time before measurements are taken to check how much of the water has been able to evaporate.

9 – Fabric Abrasion Resistance Test. The fabric is rubbed against a control fabric a certain amount of times to determine how resistant the fabric is to abrasion.

10 – Colour Transfer after washing and drying. This result shows the extent of colour transfer between the different fabric types after washing and drying.

 

Garment testing laboratories test fabrics for colourfastness, shrinkage, pilling, seam slippage, abrasion resistance, and other key properties. The garment’s resilience to factors including sunlight, stretching, compression, chemicals, and water vapor resistance is also checked.

Tests are also conducted for flammability, optical brighteners, hazardous chemicals, physical defects, dyeing and printing processes, and to ensure compliance with industry standards.

A general overview of the testing journey that our garments take is encapsulated below.

 

Stage 1 – Concept Development

For every new fabric type, and fabric weight used a raft of base test reports will be produced by an accredited facility. The tests cover composition, stability and performance of the fibre to determine its suitability for the intended use. Any new trims will also require testing, to ensure they meet the approved criteria. Prints and transfers undergo the same process to check adhesion, colour fastness and durability. Once complete, all tests will be submitted for approval.

Stage 2 – Bulk Fabric (Post Fabric Production)

To guarantee consistency of performance, colour fastness and stability tests must be performed on the bulk fabric and the results compared against the approved base fabric. The minimum sample size to ensure proper testing is two pieces of 300mm x 300mm fabric hangers.

Stage 3 – Finished Garment Appearance After Wash

AAW testing must be performed on a garment finished to pre-production standard and incorporating all bulk materials and approved trims, so that the tests results adhere to the bulk production standard. Two samples will be required for testing, and time constraints must be considered in setting ex-factory dates to accommodate testing statutes.

Stage 4 – Product Performance Quality Checks

Quality inspections at source, necessitating regular visits to conduct on-site or field testing is another key element of the garment testing procedures here at Clad. This also strengthens the connections and links throughout our supply chain, and we can articulate our goals, aspirations or any concerns though regular face to face meetings with our primary manufacturing partners. This type of hands-on approach also facilitates the smooth running of our whole quality control mechanism, giving us the assurance that the products we are providing to our customers will always bear the stamp of excellence they have become accustomed to.

 

A Quest For Quality

In a competitive market, Clad Safety remains a level above our competition due to the superior quality, comfort and durability of all our garments. We would not be able to maintain this standard without our rigorous testing and quality control procedures, which we have refined and optimised throughout time.

If you’d like to learn more, give us a ring on 01423 881266 to speak to one of our knowledgeable garment technologists.