An Alternative Approach to the Objective Measurement of Fabrics

Abstract

Objective measurements of fabric mechanical properties have great potential for quality control of clothing materials. However, access to the requisite instruments still remains a problem for many potential users due to their high cost. Therefore, a scheme for measuring all the relevant property parameters on an Instron is proposed in this article. Also, in view of the lengthy measurement process typically required by the Kawabata KES-FB system, this work provides a theoretical approach for selecting the pertinent parameters from those of the KES-FB system, so that measurement time and complexity of further data analysis can be reduced. As to the overall evaluation of fabric performance or utilization of acquired results, a graphical technique using circular diagrams is proposed to "fingerprint" or characterize fabrics. Data obtained on selected fabrics of different fiber types, weave construction, and fabric thickness are presented to illustrate this method and its applications.