ASU FIDM Textile Testing Lab
Serving the fashion and apparel industries
Serving the fashion and apparel industries, ASU FIDM is home to an industry-leading calibrated textile testing lab.
The ASU FIDM lab provides a good source of textile testing for specifiers, manufacturers, designers and consumers. Testing can be conducted to explore product analysis and performance expectations, or to mitigate risks and determine suitability for target products.
This is a teaching lab and testing will be conducted by students with oversight by an industry professional and clinical assistant professor.
Students are prepared to assist brands and manufacturers explore and meet specific needs according to product expectations. They can also assist with quality control standards by providing physical and chemical testing for fibers and fabrics.
Finally, component analysis can assist with research and development, offering further recommendations for selection of elements for desired markets.
Equipment
- Crockmeter to measure crocking
- Elmendorf for testing tearing strength
- Extensiometer to measure elastic recovery
- Flame Chamber to measure flammable safety
- Incubator for conditioning
- MacBeth light for color testing evaluation
Martindale for abrasion and pilling
- Microscopes for fiber identification
- Quickwash for shrinkage
- Scales to determine appropriate weight and suitability
- Spectrophotometer for color matching
- Suntester to measure colorfastness to sunlight
Universal tester for tensile strength, ball burst testing and elongation
Services offered
While not a certified lab, testing protocols follow AATCC or ASTM testing standards and procedures as relevant, with oversight by an industry expert in the field.
- Consultation and recommendation of available materials
- Research of suitability for the product’s intended end use. Performance expectations required and statement of conformity (such as absorbency, wicking, cool or warm to wear, etc.)
- Quality Assurance Testing procedures
- Identification of all elements of a textile
- Fiber content
- Yarn type
- Fabric structure and Fabric name
- Thread count / gauge
- Stage of dyeing or coloration
- Weight calculations and suitability for intended end use
- Visible finishes
We offer the following physical and mechanical tests to assess the quality of your textiles:
- Abrasion resistance ASTM D 4966-98
- Absorbency AATCC 79
- Colorfastness to Bleach AATCC TS 001
- Colorfastness to Crocking AATCC 8
- Colorfastness to Perspiration AATCC 15
- Colorfastness to Sunlight AATCC 16
- Color matching with spectrophotometer ASTM D2594
- Dimensional stability (shrinkage) AATCC 187-2000, AATCC 61
- Dimensional Stability of Fabric for Home Laundering AATCC 135
- Elastic recovery ASTM D 2594
- Fiber Analysis Qualitative ASTM D276-12, AATCC 20
- Fabric Confirmation AATCC 20
- Flammability ASTM D 1230
- Metamerism AATCC 16
- Microscopic analysis ASTM E2228
- Solubility AATCC 20 and ASTM D276
- Tensile strength ASTM D 5034 (Grab Test)
- Tearing strength ASTM D 1424
- Thermoplasticity ASTM D1738
- Weight of fabric ASTM D 3776
- Yarn size ASTM 1244