PRESS RELEASE

Development, Testing and Quality Control For Wind And Waterproof Textiles

The exceptionally rapid growth of the highly fashion- and time-sensitive outdoor and sports clothes industry has highlighted not just the need to develop new waterproof and windproof materials quickly, but also to quality check textiles before they are used.

Specialist company Versaperm has introduced a single solution to both of these problems. The answer is a multi-gas Permeability Meter which can measure the waterproof- and windproof-ness of fabrics very quickly – not just for water vapour, but also for Oxygen, CO2, and most other gases.  For many fabrics, results can be produced in around thirty minutes, which is under a hundredth of the time required for conventional (gravimetric) measurement.   
 
The meter is accurate in the parts per million range, and even parts per billion for some gases and textiles.  Weatherproof fabrics are often either plain weave with yarns coated with a durable water repellent finish or those that rely on some form of semi-permeable microporous or monolithic film.   Many also have a coating, or bicomponent combination.  These materials are produced quickly and in massive quantities worldwide and so need stringent quality control.  .
 
Although the ISO standard (15496:2004) for measuring the waterproofness, windproofness and breathability of textiles is rapidly being overtaken by developments in technology, Versaperm also produces a conventional gravimetric system, alongside its permeability testing meter for traditional, standards-based results. 
 
Instrumental systems are ideal for product development and the quality control of textiles, fabrics and garments.  Most of these materials freely allow the passage of water as a vapour (breathable), but strongly resist it as both water droplets and wind.
 
For companies not wishing to produce their own systems, Versaperm also offers a laboratory service.

ENDS

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Please send any sales enquiries to Christopher Roberts, Versaperm Limited ,
10 Rawcliffe House, Howarth Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1AP, UK, tel: +44 (0) 1628 777668
e.mail info@versaperm.co.uk Web http://www.versaperm.co.uk
 
For further Press Information please contact Gerry Palmer @ the Palmer & Rose Partnership. Tel +44 (0) 1494 637499, fax 0871 9003898,
e.mail gerry@palmer-rose.co.uk.