What is Textile Testing?
Textile testing plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality, performance, and safety of textile products. Testing is a major part of the textile industry to ensure quality and performance from fibres through to yarns, fabrics to the end product to ensure their fitness for purpose either to meet legal requirements or specifications. When testing, a control sample is used; this is a piece of the fabric or product that is placed in a sealed bag without being altered. The tested fabric or product can then be checked against the control sample to find out whether any changes have taken place. Each test should be a fair test, which means the circumstances must be exactly the same for each fabric. Tests are also carried out in the standard testing atmosphere: 65% relative humidity at 20°C.
Testing is important throughout the whole production process because it can help the designer improve or develop products, maintain the quality of the products for sale so preventing customer returns or complaints which will have an effect to a company’s reputation, costs and time. It should be pointed out that testing textiles is a destructive process; therefore, it is carried out on a statistical basis: a small, representative sample is taken from the bulk so it is important that the test methods prescribed are adhered to. If a fault is found in an individual product, additional tests are carried out to investigate the problem and take whichever steps are required to amend the problem. Textile testing helps manufacturers, designers, and consumers understand the physical, chemical, and performance characteristics of fabrics and garments. Testing ensures that textiles meet industry standards and customer expectations before reaching the market.
In this article, I will explore standards of testing, BS & ISO codes and the different types of textile testing methods commonly used in the textile and apparel industry.
Standards for Textile Testing
The Standard is created as a result of input from a committee of manufacturers, users, research organizations, government departments and consumers. In the United Kingdom, the British Standards Institute is the chief governing body of such standards but is also governed by European directives. There are many committees that impact on the textile industry:
- BSI TCI/66 Apparel and Interior Textiles
- BSI TCI/24 Physical Testing of Textiles
- BSI TCI/80 Chemical Testing of Textiles
- BSI TCI/81 Colour Fastness and Colour Measurement of Textiles
- BSI TCI/82 Textiles Care Labelling, Dry-Cleaning, Domestic Laundering and Drying.
The main standards used are as follows:
- BSI – British Standards Institute
- EN – European
- QA – Quality Assurance
- ISO – International Standards Organization
- Manufacturers’ Requirements
Other National Organizations are:
- ADNOR – Association French Normalization Organization Regulation
- AENOR – Spanish
- ASTM – American Society for Testing and Materials
- DIN – German
- DS – Dansk
- GOST – Russian
- JSA – Japanese
- KSA – Korean
- NEN – The Netherlands
- SAI – Australian
- SN – Norwegian
- SNZ – New Zealand
- UNI – Italian
Within the United Kingdom, the standards used are BSI, EN, QA, and ISO. Applications of British and European standards fall under the following headings:
- Sizing – standardized as a means of assessing the size required. This is useful when one cannot try on the products.
- Labels – informs the public about the product e.g. fibre content, flammability, country of origin (all statutory), sizes and care instructions (voluntary).
- Product Specification – lists the components of the product e.g. style features, fasteners or the performance of the final product and its manufacturing quality.
- Test methods – standardized as a means of testing fabric and product properties.
Test reports should include:
- Sample reference and description.
- Test method details.
- Settings.
- Test results, including units and any deviation from the set method.
- Details of the testing laboratory.
Optional:
- Opinions and interpretations.
- Additional observations.
- Background details to settle potential disputes.
- Details of in-house methods used.
List of BS and ISO Codes Used in Textile Industry
Below are some of the BS and ISO codes that are used in the industry.
A. Sizing
- BS 3666 Size designation for women’s wear.
- BS 6185 Size designation for men’s wear.
- BS 3728 Size designation for children’s and infants’ wear
- BS 5511 Size designation of clothes – definitions and body measurement procedures.
This has been superseded by BS EN 13402-1:2001.
B. Labelling (a legal requirement)
BS EN ISO 3758:2012 This standard includes symbols for care labelling on textile products, textiles, care labels, clothing, washing labels, laundering labels, dry—cleaning labels, drying, symbols, graphic symbols and bleaching labels. BS 5742 Labels must include care instruction, marking, colour fastness and tests required for washing and/or dry-cleaning.
The following information is mandatory in the United Kingdom:
1. Fibre Content per cent (regulation established in 1986).
Regarding fibre content: there are allowable tolerances:
- +/– 3% on declared fibre content.
- Up to 10% on embroidered products.
- Up to 7% on decorative materials.
- Up to 2% on anti-static materials.
- Excludes non-textile parts, labels, edging, shirring elastic at limited points, interlinings and sewing threads.
2. Flammability and Nightwear (BS 5722 Nightdress safety regulation established in 1985).
3. Flammability and Furnishings (Furniture and furnishing safety regulations established in 1988).
4. Personal Protective Equipment (EC directive; regulations established in 1992 and afterwards in subsequent regulations).
5. Origin disclaimers established in 1989. If the company name implies the country or place of origin, a disclaimer must be added. (E.g. a football strip has town name but is not made in that town).
6. Country of origin; in the United Kingdom established in 2013. Prior to that date, it was mandatory only in China and the United States.
Optional information on labels:
- Size.
- Care Labelling BS EN ISO 3758: 2012. These labels are usually placed on products to protect the manufacturer and to prevent the consumer from complaining.
- Environmental Labelling. For example, Oeke-Tex standard 100 is a uniform, global testing and certification system for textiles that contain harmful substances. Other companies may put eco-friendly or fair trade information on the label to encourage a customer to purchase the product and to promote company loyalty.
Labelling on products, based on EU resolution 93/c110/01, should be comprehensive, distinctive, relevant, transparent and verifiable.
Aftercare Symbols
Symbols relate to washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and professional cleaning.
Different national systems exist for ISO, the United States, Canada
C. Product Specification
Manufacturers have their own requirements and viable testing methods that are dependent upon the product’s specification. These tests ensure that each product fulfils the requirements of the specification. The manufacture may have a final inspection checklist, too. For example:
- Style detail and method of manufacturing is exactly like the sealed sample.
- Labelling as specified.
- Measurements within tolerance, as stated on the size chart.
- Zips inserted flat and square with no puckering. The base is secured, and the zips open and close without snagging.
- Hem finish is like the sealed sample.
- No needle damage noticeable.
- Tension of machine stitching allows seam extension to match that of fabric.
- Collars, pockets and fastenings are securely attached and aligned.
- The pattern repeats and the stripes align.
- Stains and fabric flaws are not noticeable.
- Belts are the correct size and shade, and they are well finished.
- Garments are free from loose threads; inside and out.
- Trim shades match, including sewing threads.
- Trims conform to colour fastness tests.
- Garments are packed as stipulated in the contract.
- Garments are not over-pressed.
- Knitted products have ribs with consistent width across the length.
Well-enforced quality controls procedures help ensure that customers will be happy with their products and refrain from complaining which might lead to production disruption, increased costs and a damaged company reputation. Manufacturers put the following procedure in place:
N.A.C.E.R.A.P.: It is used in garment manufacturing as a standard to identify faults, analyze them and fix them.)
N – Name of the fault.
A – Appearance of the fault.
C – Cause of the fault.
E – Effect the fault has on the overall quality of the garment.
R – Repair of the fault or equipment.
A – Action taken to correct the fault.
P – Prevention plan established to prevent the fault from happening again.
There are other links to these requirements that include product components, such as fastenings.
For example:
Touch and Close (Velcro) BS7271 EN 12242: specifies sampling, performance and requirements for general use.
- Product – a touch close fastener consists of two tapes, both pile fabric. The male tape has a pile made of monofilament yarn with a hook, and the female tape has a pile made of multifilament yarn. When the two tapes interact, the male engages the female tape, which forms a secure closure that can be separated by peeling the materials apart.
- Effective Width – the width of the pile surface of the male or female tape, whichever is lowest.
- Peel Strength – the force per unit of effective width required to separate the two tapes that form the specified closure.
- Shear Strength – the force per unit of effective area required to separate (via shearing) the two tapes that form the specified closure.
- Effective Area – the width of the pile surface of the male or female tape, whichever is lowest, multiplied by the length of the closure.
Slide Fasteners BS3084 – performance levels for the slide fasteners made from interlocking components mounted on textile tapes. The standard tests the performance of the opening and closing of the slide fastening and makes provisions for those sold singly to the public and those sold in bulk to companies.
- Slide Fastener – a fastening device consisting of two flexible, interlocking stringers (with or without end stops) and a slider. The apparatus is designed so that moving the slider along the stringers in one direction forms an opening, and moving the slider in the other direction closes the opening.
- Chain – a continuous closure formed by interlocking two compatible stringers.
- Chain Width – the width across the interlocked elements or shoulder on which the slider runs, whichever is largest.
- Length of Fastener – the distance from the top of the slider to the base of the bottom stop. It is measured with the slide in the top position and with the puller in the downward position
Performance levels are specified for colour fastness and dimensional stability in relation to washing and dry-cleaning.
Manufacturing Production ISO 900—there are legal requirements for the quality of manufacturing production:
- ISO 9000: Total Quality Management (TQM) for sustained quality requirements that extend through the company and its suppliers. If a company is successful in maintaining quality, it will be awarded the International Standard of Quality ISO 9000.
- ISO 9001/9002: These are mandatory parts of the ISO 9000 series.
- BS 7907: 2007: Risk Assessment Code of Practice for safety requirements that cover the design and manufacture of children’s clothing.
Different Types of Textile Testing Methods
Testing is done on fiber, yarn and fabric. Besides, textile testing methods can broadly be categorized into physical, chemical, mechanical, and performance tests.
Testing methods may include:
A. Fibre
- Fineness.
- Length.
- Quantitative analysis of fibre mixture BS 4407:1988.
- Breaking tenacity.
B. Yarn
- Count BS ISO 7211-5: 1984.
- Strength BS 1932-2: 1989.
- Linear density BS ISO 7211-5: 1984.
- Twist BS EN ISO 2061: 2010.
- Yarn regularity.
- Hairiness.
- Friction.
C. Fabric – (physical test procedures)
- Threads per unit length BS EN 1049-2: 1994.
- Tensile strength of fabric BS EN ISO 13934-1: 1999.
- Tear strength BS EN ISO 13937-2: 2000
- Bursting strength test BS EN ISO 13938-1: 1999
- Seam strength – strip: BS EN ISO 13935-1: 1999;
- Grab: BS EN ISO 13935-2: 1999.
- Pilling resistance BS EN ISO 12945-1: 2001.
- Dimensional stability to washing BS EN ISO 6330: 2012.
- Dimensional change to washing and drying BS EN ISO 5077: 2008.
- Dimensional stability to steam BS 4323: 1979; ISO 3005: 1978.
- Resistance to corrosion of metal parts ISO 22775: 2004 (footwear)
- Slippage resistance of yarns at a seam BS EN ISO 13936-3: 2007.
- Recovery from creasing BS EN 22313:1992, ISO 2313:1972
- Abrasion resistance BS EN ISO 13770: 2002 (knitted footwear).
- Abrasion resistance (Martindale) BS EN ISO 12947-1 to 4: 1998.
- Snagging resistance (mace) ASTM D3939/D3939M-11.
- Water repellency BS EN 29865:1993 ISO 9865: 1991.
- Colour fastness to light BS EN ISO 105-B06: 2009.
- Colour fastness to washing BS EN ISO 105-C06: 2010.
- Colour fastness to dry-cleaning BS EN ISO 105-D01: 2010.
- Colour fastness to perspiration BS EN ISO 105-E04: 2009.
- Colour fastness to rubbing BS EN ISO 105-X12: 2002.
- Colour fastness to water BS EN ISO 105-E01: 2010.
- Air permeability test BS EN ISO 9237: 1995.
- Vapour permeability BS 7209:1990 BS ISO 18695: 2007.
- Assessment of draping BS 5058: 1973.
- Thermal resistance BS 4745:2005 (tog rating).
D. Fabric (chemical testing)
- Determination of Azo dyes BS EN 14362-1: 2012; BS EN 14362-3: 2012.
- Flame retardants.
- Determination of formaldehyde content BS EN ISO 14184-1: 2011; BS EN ISO 14184-2: 2011.
Conclusion:
Textile testing is a vital process to ensure that fabrics and garments meet quality, safety, and performance standards before reaching consumers. Textile testing encompasses a wide array of methods—physical, mechanical, chemical, and colorfastness—to ensure that fabrics meet quality, safety, and performance standards. These testing methods are not only critical for manufacturers and exporters but also for consumers who rely on textiles for comfort, durability, and safety in everyday life. By adhering to standardized testing protocols, the textile industry can deliver products that consistently meet the demands of global markets.