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| Why
set up a quality control laboratory? |
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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. |
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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, ...) |
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| There are mainly three parts of a professional textile testing laboratory: |
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Conditioning
Laboratory (as called physical testing lab.) |
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Wet
Laboratory |
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Color
& Appearance Rating Laboratory |
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| Appendix
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Typical
Laboratory Layout |
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Laboratory Set-Up Questionnaire |
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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
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AATCC (American)
Standard : |
21 +/-1
Deg. C, 65%+/-2% R.H. |
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BS EN ISO
(Europe) Standard : |
20 +/-2
Deg. C, 65%+/-2% R.H |
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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.
- Minimum height
of the raised floor is at 10 inches, sufficient height of the
area to build the air conditioning is required.
- 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.
- Small amount
of water supply & drainage is required for the air-conditioning
unit.
- 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...
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 Wet
Laboratory
It 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
- 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.
- For the laundering/washing
fastness tester (LaunderOmeter or Washtec), Water sinks have been
recommended to design nearby, convenience for operation (handling
samples flushing & preparation).
- For drycleaning
test & tumble dryer, air exhaust with ventilation fan, blower
is required to design nearby the windows.
- 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.
- demineralized,
distilled or reverse osmosis.
- 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...)
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Color
& Appearance Rating Laboratory
When
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
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