Identifying fabric samples
Compiled by Juli Case
We’ll be making some pads that will be used to polish glass lenses. Our client gave us samples of fabrics, but we’re not sure what they are. There are three different types, which they describe as .020, .025 and .030. Can you help us identify them?
Once we received the fabric samples, we were able to determine that the materials in question were flocked fabrics. Flocking is a process by which finely chopped fibers are adhered to a base fabric, creating a pile on the surface of the fabric. In this case, the base fabric was a woven textile. The .020, .025 and .030 numbers that the customer mentioned refer to the length of the fiber that is used as the flocking material. Flocking is often used as a decorative process in the apparel and home furnishings industries, but there are industrial uses as well: Wiping and polishing clothes are one use. Flocked fabrics are also used as linings in carrying cases for musical instruments, packaging and blackout backings for curtains and draperies. Spectro Coatings is one of the companies that supplies flocked fabric for wiping cloths, among other applications. The Mermet Corp. offers window-covering fabric that has a flocked backing, making the material opaque and blocking out light.
