Why Us
MARKET & TECHNICAL AWARENESS
Stern + Stern’s production is completely oriented to industrial fabrics, whether they are fabrics used in industrial products or fabrics used in the processes for making such products. Stern + Stern understands shop floor issues in virtually every industrial market segment. These segments include:
PATTERN LIBRARY
Over the years, Stern + Stern has amassed a fabric library containing thousands of patterns. The library is a unique research tool allowing Stern’s technical staff to interpolate and extrapolate between old designs to create new solutions. Even if fibers previously used in a fabric design are no longer available in terms of their chemical or physical properties, the company’s technicians have been able to design around these technical gaps to create new fabrics that still satisfy its customers’ needs.
SPECIALISTS IN THE DIFFICULT
Benefiting from an equipment layout that uniquely allows for reiterative processing, Stern + Stern produces fabrics that others do so only with great difficulty, or not at all. The manufacturing operations are a vertical integration of four operations under one roof – Yarn Preparation, Warping, Weaving, and Finishing. This well-coordinated arrangement ensures that many differing products are produced on time and to specification.
The greater majority of archived fabrics are composed of nylon, polyester, Nomex®, Teflon®, and Kevlar® filament fibers. The denier range is from an incredibly low 8 to a high of 8000. The Yarn Preparation Department plies and twists different yarns together to form unique yarns for specific applications. Our synthetic fibers are sensitive to slight variations in tensions and heat, and reiterative processing capitalizes on these effects, allowing for a massaging of synthetic properties. Yarns are further prepared for weaving in the Warping Department on silk warping equipment.
The Weaving Department relies primarily on shuttleless, rigid-rapier looms of varying speeds, matched to yarn capabilities. The majority of the looms are 4m wide for the careful weaving of sensitive, fragile yarns that do not take well to high speed weaving. High speed 2m rigid rapier looms and airjet looms are also available for those larger yarns and less sensitive designs that can tolerate such mechanical action without significant deterioration.
The massaging process takes place in the Finishing Department. It employs scouring, dyeing, heat setting, calendaring, and dip coating equipment. Using processes unique to Stern + Stern, fabrics are thoroughly cleaned, dyed, and/or stabilized with respect to customer specifications for width, bow/bias, strength, elongation, heat shrinkage, permeability, or gauge.
MAINTENANCE
The equipment is modern, well maintained, and well suited to flexible production. It is subject to preventive and predictive maintenance. The equipment and processes are mistake-proofed to appropriate degrees.
TESTING
Stern + Stern maintains a certified testing laboratory for testing and certifying all customer requirements. The lab customarily conducts standard textile tests in accordance with ASTM test methods.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Stern’s customers do not tolerate unexpected delays or off-quality material. Stern’s quality policy is to produce all material to customer specifications and 100% on time.
Stern & Stern employs a cross-functional quality management team composed of operational coordinators, all of whom are internal auditors certified in accordance with standards and procedures promoted by the American Society of Quality Control.
Stern + Stern’s quality systems are compliant with ISO 9002, AIAG QS-9000 and SAE AS-9000 for all of its products and processes.
AND ... A GREAT PLACE TO WORK
Personnel turnover is virtually non-existent.® Registered trademark of Dupont de Nemours & Co.
