Objectives of Testing||Purpose of Testing in Textile Process

The testing is the set of activities that determine, whether the finished product meets the established standards or can be able for further processing or not. So the main purpose of testing in the textile industry is to check the finished product's quality and to determine whether it fulfills the requirements of customers and functional properties. In this article, we will discuss the main objectives of testing and its importance in the textile industry. 

Fig: Objectives of Testing

The main objectives of testing can be classified as follows;

1)    Objective of testing in Research

2)    Selection of Raw Material

3)    Process Control

4)    New Process Development

5)    Finished Product Testing

6)    Specification Tests

1. Research:

Testing is very important for the scientist during the research of anything because when a scientist invents something, the different results of testing will help the scientist to decide which route to follow next. For example, if a new product or a process is invented in the textile industry, then various tests are carried out to find out the different properties and quality of the product, and from the results of these various tests, the researchers are able to assess whether the product is usable or not.

2. Selection of Raw Material:

The main purpose of testing in the selection of raw materials is to know the quality of the raw material. If the quality of the raw material is good then the product made from it will also be of good quality.

For example, to make cotton yarn we need cotton fiber and as you know that the properties of fiber found in different areas are also different, so before making yarn we have to test the quality of its raw material to know if its quality is good or not.

One thing that is common to most textile raw materials is their variation in quality. Fibres vary in “length, colour and fineness”, yarns vary in “count, strength and twist” and fabrics vary in “threads per inch, weave type and shrinkage” etc.

3. Process Control:

The purpose of testing is also to control the manufacturing process of any product. Because while manufacturing anything, if we do not periodically test the quality of the product, we will not know whether our product is according to the established standard and we will not know whether our process is in control or not. When processing goes out of control the amount of waste, the number of seconds and the costs increase.

Higher end-breakages in spinning and winding departments and excessive loom stops due to warp or weft breakages affect the operatives as well as production. Thus to avoid these breakages each process is tested to control the process.

4. Process Development:

Testing also plays a very important role in the development of new processes because the process development may be considered a form of applied research.  Different types of experiments are conducted for the development of a new process and then the resulting product is tested to determine whether the new process is better than the old process or not.

5. Product Testing:

The purpose of testing is also to check the quality of the product/output of any manufacturing process. When we have manufactured our product, we have to test it before using it for further processing or before sending it to the market.

Product testing is mainly done for two reasons, which are given as follows;

• The product is tested to judge whether it meets the customer's needs or not.

• Product testing is carried out to check whether the product can be used for further specific processes or not.

6. Specification Tests:

When the customer demands a specific product, then the specification testing of the product is carried out to check whether it meets the required specifications given by the customer or not.

For example, if the customer wants a flame retardant fabric, then you will make the flame retardant fabric according to the specifications given by the customer. Then specification testing is carried out to check whether the finished product conforms to the basic specifications, specified by the customer or not.

In the textile industry the various specifications of the textile products are tested to check their quality, which are given as under;

Fibre Testing:

• Fiber strength
• Fiber fineness
• Fiber length
• Fiber Color
• Fiber maturity
• Fiber moisture regain

Yarn Testing:

• Yarn Count
• Yarn twist (T.P.I)
• Yarn Strength
• Yarn hairiness
• yarn CLSP

Grey Fabric Testing:

• Fabric weave type
• fabric construction
• fabric strength
• Fabric GSM
• Fabric pilling behaviour

Textile Wet Processing Testing:

• Fabric absorbency
• Whiteness index of bleached fabric
• Shade matching
• Colourfastness to washing, rubbing, perspiration and light
• Fabric water repellency

Garments Testing:

• Stitch per inch (SPI)
• Seam strength
• Seam puckering
• Button pullover

Note:

There are three testing standards involved in developing testing methods for textile-finished products, which are given as under;

1. AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists and Colouration): They focused on the textile wet processing industry and textile chemists, etc.
2. ASTM (American Society of Testing Materials): They focused on physical testing or testing of fabric construction
3. ISO (International Organization of Standardization): They are the World’s largest developers of international testing standards

FAQs:

1. Define Testing?
2. What are the objectives of testing?
3. What is the purpose of testing in the textile Industry?
4. What is the abbreviation of AATCC?
5. What is the abbreviation of ASTM?
6. What is ISO?
7. Enlist the different types of tests of textile products?
8. What is the purpose of testing in research?
9. Why testing is required for process control?
10. What is the role of testing in new process development?

Author:

Engr. Muhammad Usman Ashraf

HOD Textile Department at TEVTA Punjab, Pakistan

M.Sc Textile Engineering (NTU, Faisalabad)

Email: usmanashraf884@gmail.com