When you plan to sell a textile product, there are numerous reasons to test it before taking it to market. Many of those testing results tell you what you can ultimately communicate to others about your product, and what they can expect of your product. Dr. Emiel DenHartog, North Carolina State University, College of Textiles, conducted an introduction to testing workshop October 17 at ATA’s 2018 Expo in Dallas, Texas.

Some benefits of testing include obtaining objective information about the product, communicating certain expectations with suppliers, communicating product information to customers, and determining clear comparisons between your product and those produced by competitors.

DenHartog explained that certain organizations like the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, for example, provide test methods that don’t specify if a product is “good” or “bad.” Other organizations, like the National Fire Protection Association, provide specific standards that manufacturers may work to meet.

Several reasons were identified by DenHartog for testing, including conformance to specifications, quality control, quality promotion and adherence to government regulations. Other reasons discussed include comparisons to competitive products, performing a failure analysis, testing for new product development and testing for research.