At Ventile we believe that products should last.  That is why our fabrics are subjected to some of the most stringent tests in the industry; to ensure high-performance, exceptional quality, and durability.

Fabric testing is a crucial step in our manufacturing process. Before we bring you the finished textile, we experiment with different methods to guarantee that you get the best natural fabric available on the market.  

What do we test?

1. Breaking/Tear Strength

The fabric is placed in a tensile tear tester which applies increasing strain upon the material in an attempt to tear it. The exact breakage point is measured to gauge fabric strength. After this first process, a subsequent test measures the forces required to tear fabric across its grainline once an initial breach has been made. These initial tests are very helpful to establish suitable uses for the fabric in garment production.

2. Dimensional Stability

The fabric is washed at 30 degrees centigrade or soaked in water over a period of 24 hours at 20 degrees centigrade to measure shrinkage across the warp and the weft of the fabric.

3. Water Repellency

To establish the performance of the Durable Water Repellancy treatment, water is poured over the fabric at a controlled rate and pressure is applied for a period of 30 minutes. This test is the equivalent to 1 hour of heavy rain. The fabric is subsequently examined and weighed for any water absorption.

4. Hydrostatic Head

Water is forced under pressure (hydrostatic head) against the fabric to see at what point moisture penetrates. While rain droplets do not hit with sufficient force to penetrate the fabric, areas of the garment such as knees or shoulders are often subjected to high pressure. If wet, water can be forced through these segments on fabrics with a low hydrostatic head. With this test, we ensure that doesn’t happen.

5. Air Permeability

To test for wind resistance, air is drawn through the fabric using a specialist machine, ensuring garments are to be used in windy environments.

6. Water Vapour Permeability

The breathability of a fabric is extremely important. Especially, if we aim to stay dry and comfortable – by avoiding a build-up of moisture inside the garment when we are active. This test is carried out on a ‘skin model’, the main part of which is a porous plate and the resistance towards water vapour penetration (evaporated sweat) is determined.

7. Colour Fastness

To measure colour fastness, fabric is exposed to dry and wet rubbing against white cotton fabric. This is then repeated with a wash  with a special industrial standard compilation strip of different materials to see the staining effect on the various fibre materials. This test also allows us to establish at what rate the material will fade.

Discover more about Ventile and its testing process here.