Why set up a quality control laboratory?

• To protect the interests of consumer.

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To cater for the needs of quality assurance (pressure from buyers).

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To build up a quality and marketing image of your product and company.

• To deliver quality product from time to time.

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To conduct routine quality control in production line to avoid rework & poor quality raw material.

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To equip reliable capabilities for new product development to develop new program.

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To incorporate the laboratory the laboratory practice into international quality assurance program. (eg., ISO 9000, Lab Accreditation, ...)

There are mainly three parts of a professional textile testing

laboratory:

• Conditioning Laboratory (as called physical testing lab.)

• Wet Laboratory

• Color & Appearance Rating Laboratory

Appendix :

• Typical Laboratory Layout

• Laboratory Set-Up Questionnaire

Conditioning Laboratory(as called physical testing lab.)The mechanical behaviour of textile fibres and fibre structures are influenced by the amount of moisture in the specimen. The moisture relationships of the various fibre types differ and naturally the degree to which the fibre properties are modified will vary.

Amount of moisture in specimen influences the mechanical behaviour of textile fibre.We'll recommend an area between 300 to 400 sq. feet due to the numbers of your existing/purchasing equipments & functions for conditional room: includes locating the physical testing equipment; tensile strength test, abrasion test, pilling test, crocking test, dimensional measurement, sample pre-conditioning, sample conditioning, etc.

Standard testing atmosphere

  AATCC (American) Standard :21 +/-1 Deg. C, 65%+/-2% R.H.  

  BS EN ISO (Europe) Standard :

20 +/-2 Deg. C, 65%+/-2% R.H  

The correct concept in sequence of conditioning at least 4 hours or over 24 hours, sample marking, washing(s), drying (s),

conditioning, sample shrinkage measurement¡Ketc.I it is important to their fundamental understanding the proper process.

Down-Flow System :With technical merits, we'll recommend the down-flow air conditional unit with raised floor system, the unit will be a modification unit of those existing system supplied for computer room; maintenance contract is an essential deal to assure long term smooth operation.

1. Minimum height of the raised floor is at 10 inches, sufficient height of the area to build the air conditioning is required.

2. Either an external water chiller in providing cooling water or an external air-cooled condensing unit is required for the air conditioning unit. A near by location to place the external unit outside the laboratory is recommended particular the existing laboratory is located in ground floor.

3. Small amount of water supply & drainage is required for the air-conditioning unit.

4. The benches, racks for conditioning & design of the air-conditioning laboratory are based on the needs to apply M&S, GAP, NIKE, LEVIS, JCP¡K etc accreditation.

An air-lock with double doors must be used to maintain the standard condition.

Features : Air conditional Unit, Benches, working tables, racks.Equipment : Air Conditional Unit, Abrasion Tester, Pilling Tester, Crockmeter, Balance, Tearing Strength Tester and other physical Testers...

Wet LaboratoryIt plays a crucial role for colourfastness and care performance tests. As colourfastness of textiles is to test their color stability (or color quality) after washing, rubbing, exposure to sunlight or atmospheric gases, and other factors, water supplied must be good enough in order to minimise unnecessary contamination.

We'll recommend an area between 800 to 1000 sq. feet

1. For American Standard Testing Washer & Europe

Wascator Washer, a concrete raised floor with water drains will be recommended to place those equipment require water supply & drainage during routine operation.

2. For the laundering/washing fastness tester (LaunderOmeter or Washtec), Water sinks have been recommended to design nearby, convenience for operation (handling samples flushing & preparation).

3. For drycleaning test & tumble dryer, air exhaust with ventilation fan, blower is required to design nearby the windows. 

4. Make the benches & working table put on Oven/Incubator, Perspirtion Tester.

Tests in Wet Laboratory :

Colourfastness tests to washing, to light, to perspiration...

Care performance tests such as washing, shrinkage, appearance after laundering, shrinkage after steaming...

So water supply must be good enough to minimize contamination.

o demineralized, distilled or reverse osmosis.o solid content less than 17 ppm (parts per million)

Fume hoods are mainly used for flammability tests. Fire extinguishers, alarms and automatic sprinkle

systems must be provided in case of fire and explosion,

Features : Water Sink, Drainage Ditch, piping work, exhaust air system (Ventilation), cencrete platform (avaid flooding).Equipment : Xenon Arc Light Fastness Tester, Washer, Tumble Dryer, Washing Fastness tester, Oven/Incubator, Sewing Machine, Fume Hood (for drycleaning test, glassware, chemicals...)

Color & Appearance Rating LaboratoryWhen visually evaluating or comparing textiles, a standardized light source, viewing dimension and background should be used. The color seen is affected by the type of lighting and backing (e.g., daylight versus incandescent light).

The distance between the visual assessor and specimen may be different result! Shown below are

diagrams of an appearance rating room. Cool-white fluorescent light is used to view the specimens. The mounting board is painted gray to match the Class 2 rating on the gray scale for staining. Depending upon the appearance test being performed, either standard photos (left) or replicas (right) are used in the evaluation process.

We'll recommend an area between 100 to 200 sq. fet The key point is to have a 'dark room' concept by

painting the walls in light grey or dark colour. The light box, color spectrophotometer & viewing

assessment, it can be located in the same area.

Features : Dark room (painting of walls). Equipment : Light boxes, viewing borad, bench type color spectrophotometer