ISSN 0378-5254 Journal of Consumer Sciences, Special Edition Diversifying clothing research in Southern Africa, Vol 2, 2017 THE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A FABRIC OBJECTIVE MEAS- UREMENT DATA SYSTEM IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN APPAREL INDUSTRY: HYGRAL EXPANSION AND FORMABILITY Sweta Das*, Lawrance Hunter & Anton F Botha ABSTRACT Port Elizabeth 6031 A programme has been initiated with the South Africa objective to develop an advanced Fabric Tel: +27 (0) 41 585 0385 Objective Measurement (FOM) based Fax: +27 (0) 41 583 2325 technology, knowledge and data system which Email: [email protected] is relevant to, and can be implemented in, the *Corresponding author South African apparel industry to benchmark and improve the quality of locally produced — Prof L Hunter woven apparel fabrics and garments. To this 1 Department of Textile Science end, various FOM and other quality related Faculty of Science parameters have been measured and analysed Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University for a wide range of commercial worsted type P.O. Box 77000 fabrics used in the South African apparel Port Elizabeth manufacturing industry. This paper deals with 6031 one aspect of this data system, namely fabric South Africa hygral expansion and formability, two key 2 CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing properties when it comes to the making up Polymers and Composites Competence Area (tailorability) of fabrics. Further papers will deal P.O. Box 1124 with the other lesser important properties, and Port Elizabeth ultimately, with the system in its totality. 6000 South Africa Some 394 commercial worsted woven type Tel: +27 (0) 41 508 3260 fabrics, of different structure (plain, twill, Fax: +27 (0) 41 583 2325 venetian, gabardine, barathea, hopsack and Email: [email protected] herringbone) and blend (mainly wool and wool blends), the majority varying in weight between — Dr AF Botha 150 and 300 g/m2 have been sourced from CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing fabric and garment manufacturers and tested on Polymers and Composites Competence Area the Fabric Assurance by Simple Testing (FAST) P.O. Box 1124 FOM system. The effect of fabric weight, Port Elizabeth thickness, structure and composition on hygral 6000 expansion and formability has been South Africa investigated, using ANOVA, the results being Tel: +27 (0) 41 508 3223 presented in tabular and graphical form. It was Fax: +27 (0) 41 583 2325 found that the hygral expansion of the wool Email: [email protected] fabrics was, on average, higher than that of the wool blend fabrics, while the heavier and thicker fabrics had higher (better) formability in both ARTICLE INFO warp and weft directions. These factors need to be taken into consideration in preparing the Article history envisaged FOM based system. Received 23 June 2016 Revision 01 December 2016 — Ms S Das* Keywords Department of Textile Science fabric objective measurement, FAST, Faculty of Science formability, hygral expansion, worsted woven Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University fabrics P.O. Box 77000 The development and application of a fabric objective measurement data system in the 1 South African apparel industry: Hygral expansion and formability ISSN 0378-5254 Journal of Consumer Sciences, Special Edition Diversifying clothing research in Southern Africa, Vol 2, 2017 INTRODUCTION demonstrated the need for upgrading from the mere traditional subjective assessment of fabric The South African apparel industry is facing quality and tailorability to a more technologically increasing competition within the global market, advanced objective measurement system, such especially from the Asian countries, where as FOM, which is far more accurate and reliable. quality and cost, or more specifically value for Furthermore, it has been shown that the money, are often the main order qualifier, apart adoption of FOM leads to an increase in the from other factors, such as quick response, on added value of products, both in the textile and time delivery, fashion, etc. This is creating a clothing industries, also facilitating dealing with huge question mark over the competitiveness the many new types of fabrics being developed and sustainability of the local labour intensive and coming on to the market (Mahar et al, 1983; apparel manufacturing sector, with serious Postle, 1989). economic and social implications, particularly in terms of job losses. There are many reasons for Peirce (1930:377) was one of the first the lack of competitiveness, including researchers to investigate the relationship deficiencies in terms of appropriate knowledge, between subjectively assessed fabric handle technological know-how and skills and and the objectively measured fabric mechanical technology systems and capacity. For South properties, and can be called “the father of Africa (SA) to be globally competitive, it needs to FOM”. After him, many other researchers, produce, on time and on brief, fabrics and notably Postle (1989:72), Kawabata (1982) and garments, which are of excellent quality, Kawabata et al, (1984, 1986), made major fashionable and represent ‘value for money’, contributions towards the technology of the notably in wool and wool blends for the higher objective measurement of fabric and garment value “niche” end of the local and international quality related properties, such as handle, markets. To achieve this, the highly advanced making-up and wear performance. This and integrated Fabric Objective Measurement eventually resulted in the culmination of the KES (FOM) systems, such as Fabric Assurance by -F system of FOM, popularly known as the Simple Testing (FAST) and Kawabata, widely Kawabata system (KES systems, 2016), used in competing countries to improve and developed by Prof. Kawabata and his team in ensure the quality of the fabrics and garments, Japan (Kawabata et al, 1984; 1986). could play a significant role and should be Nevertheless, the system, though ideal for implemented in SA. To produce top quality research laboratories and large and advanced fashionable garments, particularly from woven fabric and clothing manufacturers, was worsted fabrics, requires effective utilization of considered too sophisticated and expensive for an FOM system, this already being widely used wider use. This lead to the development of the globally to improve and ensure fabric and FAST system which was more user friendly and garment quality. less expensive than the Kawabata system (CSIRO, 1989; De Boos and Tester, 1994; The reason for the lack of the adoption of FOM FAST systems, 2016). It was developed to systems in SA was investigated by means of a provide the industry with a single, robust and survey of local apparel fabric and clothing relatively inexpensive system for the objective manufacturers and retailers (Das, 2011; Das measurement of fabric properties important in and Hunter, 2015). It was found that only one tailoring. As rightly stated by Ly and De Boos FAST system was in use in SA, with most (1990:370), “while the measurement of fabric apparel fabric and garment manufacturers and properties with FAST is a relatively simple retailers apparently carrying little knowledge of procedure, the interpretation of the data requires FOM systems and their potential benefits. This an understanding of how each fabric property made it clear that a concerted effort was influences the tailoring performance”. This task required to promote and implement FOM in SA, is simplified with the help of a FAST Control this being considered essential in improving the Chart. In this chart, the measured properties are global competitiveness of the local apparel plotted (plotting can be done automatically when manufacturing industry dealing with worsted using a PC and the FAST Data Program) and type of fabrics. the points joined to give a “fabric fingerprint”, with control limits, which helps in the Various international studies (Kawabata, 1982; interpretation of the data, for example whether Mahar et al, 1983; Postle et al, 1983; Kawabata the fabric tested is suitable for an intended end- et al, 1984, 1986; Ly and De Boos, 1990) use (Postle, 1983; FAST systems, 2016). publications and conferences have Prediction of tailoring performance is based on The development and application of a fabric objective measurement data system in the South African apparel industry: Hygral expansion and formability 2 ISSN 0378-5254 Journal of Consumer Sciences, Special Edition Diversifying clothing research in Southern Africa, Vol 2, 2017 the suggested maximum and minimum limits for 1991:135). As already discussed, fabric-related each property, as shown in the FAST control factors which influence hygral expansion include chart. If the fingerprint falls outside the limits, it weave crimp, fabric setting and fabric structure indicates that more work, for example re- finishing, needs to be done on that particular Formability fabric. The FAST control chart indicates all the fabric properties that are tested, including, Fabric formability, derived from fabric bending relaxation shrinkage, hygral expansion, and longitudinal compressional properties, or formability, bending rigidity, extensibility, shear from bending and tensile properties, has been rigidity, thickness and weight. Of these, hygral shown to be related to tailoring performance expansion and formability are key for worsted (Lindberg et al, 1960; Mahar et al, 1983). As type fabrics from wool and wool blends, and the defined by Lindberg et al, (1960), fabric most likely to be the source of making-up related formability relates to the deformation that the problems to the South African apparel industry, fabric can bear before buckling. It provides a and have therefore been selected as the focus measure of how easily the flat, two dimensional, of this paper. surface of the fabric, can be transformed into a three-dimensional shape, for example, at the Hygral expansion shoulder of a jacket. Fabric formability can be used to predict the limit of overfeed before Hygral expansions, and its important effect on buckling. The lower the formability, the more tailorability and wear performance, have been likely it is also for seam pucker to occur, extensively studied since the 1960s (Shaw, because the fabric is unable to accommodate 1978; 1986).