Improvements in performance fabrics are well suited to work wear, sports and active apparel markets.

From the editors of TUT (Technical Usage Textiles) magazine in Paris.

Software solutions: design your own

The Brandvis Group, Donegal, Ireland, was awarded the innovation trophy for work wear at Expo Protection 2008 in Paris, the leading European show for personal protective equipment dedicated to health and safety. The winner was recognized with this comment: “It is not just any innovative product, it is a worldwide innovation.”

The company’s patented software allows consumers of high visibility garments to fully control designing and branding of their own products via www.brandvis.com. The client simply sets up an account to log into the design interface. Once logged in, the user can choose a garment style, and with a few mouse clicks can add the desired colors to the empty panels. Twenty-one fabric colors are available. The user can also add small and large logos—and choose their locations—and add accessories such as an ID holder or a mobile phone pocket. The client can order a prototype online, receive a 3-D model confirmation within 24 hours and a fully certified garment sample within seven days, and then order a production run of 50 units with a delivery time as short as three to four weeks

Brandvis has established a network of distributors and direct customers all over Europe and North America. Its patented system contains a pre-approved mechanism that allows the customer to verify immediately whether its design meets EN 471: 2003 (class 1, 2 or 3) for high visibility garments. The software instantly calculates the parameters to meet EN 471 based on the surface and quantity of fluorescent color used in the garment design. This allows the customer to create a uniquely tailored garment, while meeting the specified requirements of certification. This is the first time that individually certified garments have been made available to the consumer.

Any product that comes out of the software is certified to EN 471 and EN 343, which rates protection against rain, snow or wind. The software also meets the Canadian high visibility standard (CAN-CSA-Z96-02) and is being adjusted to the American standard (ANSI-ISEA 107-2004). The software can adapt to any certified mechanism used around the world, and can be programmed to certify protective garments such as chemical-resistant and flame-retardant clothing.

For more information visit www.brandvis.com.

A new generation of work wear

INVISTA, Wichita, Kan., and Klopman International, Ratingen, Germany, have unveiled their latest innovation in work wear, during Expo Protection 2008 in Paris. Klopman Vantage fabric featuring CORDURA® brand technology, is a 50/50 blend of INVISTATM T420 Nylon 6.6 fiber and combed cotton in a twill construction and weight of 250g/m². This weight is recommended for trousers, coveralls and jackets, and offers wearers comfort and durability.

The distinguishing feature of Vantage is its exceptional abrasion resistance while maintaining a comfortable hand. This combination was a primary area of focus for both companies in developing the fabric. Compared to an equivalent standard polyester/cotton fabric, the abrasion resistance, as measured by the Martindale abrasion test, is approximately six times greater without compromising the fabric’s inherent comfort. In independent testing, Klopman Vantage fabric achieved 250,000 Martindale rub cycles without failure. Combining such high levels of abrasion resistance with comfort brings benefits to the work wear market in Europe.

Vantage fabric will be produced at Klopman International’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Frosinone, Italy.

For more information visit www.invista.com and www.klopman.com.

High-tech rugby shirt

Kappa, a label produced by Italian company BasicNet SpA, designed the “Kombat” shirt for Italy’s national rugby team in 2000. This now-famous rugby shirt has become very popular with leading professionals as a high-tech, highly specialized product, capturing attention at the Five Nations tournament (now RBS 6), as well as at the latest rugby World Cup

At this year’s RBS 6 Nations tournament, Kappa will again be on the backs of the Italian national rugby team with a new, high-performance shirt. The Kombat shirt 2009 has an innovative style. Its cut is stretchy and molds to the athlete’s muscle structure, which enables the player to move more easily.

Kombat offers unique performance provided by the combination of three materials:

• K3D, protective and resistant polyamide and elastomeric panels used on the chest, back and shoulders;
• K3L, a three-layer, lightweight polyamide and elastomer-based fabric; and
• polyurethane membrane for the joints for greater comfort.

For more information visit www.basicnet.com.

Outlast’s advanced coating technolog

Outlast announces a milestone; it has succeeded in developing a new application process called Matrix Infusion Coating (MIC). An advanced formulation of Outlast® mPCMs are finely printed onto various flat fabrics, including cotton or polyester. Outlast MIC is recommended for the active, casual and sportswear markets, especially for products being worn directly on the skin, such as underwear, T-shirts and polo shirts.

Outlast MIC is an application process based on newly-developed binding chemicals affixing patented Outlast microcapsules (Thermocules™) on textiles. “We managed to apply our technology through a new process, so it is not visible and doesn’t influence the material’s grip in a negative way,” says Martin Bentz, managing director of Outlast Europe GmbH, Heidenheim, Germany. “We received lots of requests in the past,” Bentz says. “Now we can finally serve new applications.”

For more information visit www.outlast.com.