EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST
Engineering Expertise
STERN EWS's staff offers technical expertise in yarn preparation, weaving, finishing, and material testing. They represent a combined tenure of nearly 100 years working with customers on the design and manufacture of thousands of patterns.
Occasionally, yarns that have been available for years become discontinued. Our staff is very experienced in anticipating such problems and ensuring that replacement yarns, weaving layouts, and finishing techniques are established in anticipation of orders from our customers.
Equipment
Weaving Equipment
For the majority of our work, we employ rigid rapier looms with positive transfer, up to 4m in width.
Airjet looms are available for weaving the lightest weight fabrics.
Finishing Processes & Equipment
We use reiterative processing techniques to coax the most out of a fabric's potential.
We employ a full assembly of equipment to customize the finishing process, including
- Scouring jigs for surface cleaning and chemical add-ons such as soil and water resistant finishes
- Heat Setting equipment for shrinking and stabilizing thermoplastic fibers such as nylon, polyester, Nomex meta-aramid, and Teflon PTFE
- Clip Tenter frames, linear ovens that heat stabilize the fabric with width control.
- High Tonnage Calendering for imparting final properties to a fabric, such as gauge, permeability, visual appearance, or surface texture.
Finished widths are typically available from 30” to 74”.
Lab Testing
METRIC
PROCEDURE
DESCRIPTION
Yarn:
Denier (yarn number)
ASTM D1059
Test Method for Yarn Number Based on Short Length Specimens
Yarn Twist
ASTM D1423
Test Method for Twist in Yarns by Direct Count Method
Fabric:
Abrasion Resistance
ASTM D4157
Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Textile Fabrics (oscillatory cylinder method)
Air Permeability
ASTM D737
Test Method for Air Permeability of Textile Fabrics
Arc Thermal Performance (ATPv)
ASTM D1959
Standard Test Method for Determining the Arc Thermal Performance Value of Materials for Clothing
Burst Strength
ASTM D3786
Test Method for Hydraulic Bursting Strength - diaphragm method
Elongation
ASTM D5034
Test Method for Breaking Force and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (grab method)
ASTM D5035
Test Method for Breaking Force and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (raveled strip method)
Extractible content
ASTM D2257
Test Method for Extractible Matter in Textiles
Flammability
FTMS 191 5903
Flame Resistance of Cloth Vertical
FMVSS 302
Flame Resistance of Textile Materials Horizontal
ASTM D6413
Flame Resistance of Textiles - Vertical
FAR 25.853A
Flame Resistance of Cloth - 60 second, Vertical
FAR 25.853B
Flame Resistance of Cloth - 12 second, Vertical
FAR 25.853B2
Flame Resistance of Cloth - 15 second, Horizontal
Gauge
ASTM D1777
Test Method for Measuring Thickness of Textile Materials
pH
AATCC81-1983
pH of the Water Extract from Textiles
Stiffness
ASTM D4032
Test Method for Stiffness of Fabric by Circular Bend Procedure
Surface Resistivity
AATCC76-1982
Electrical Resistivity of Fabrics
Tear Strength
ASTM D2262
Test Method for Tearing Strength of Woven Fabrics by the Tongue Single Rip Method (“tongue tear”)
ASTM D5587
Test Method for Trapezoid Tearing Strength of Textiles (“trap tear”)
Tensile Strength
ASTM D5034
Test Method for Breaking Force and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (grab tensile method)
ASTM D5035
Test Method for Breaking Force and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (raveled strip method)
Thread Count
ASTM D3775
Test Method for Fabric Count of Woven Fabric
Weight
ASTM D3776
Test Method for Mass per Unit Area (Weight) of Woven Fabric
Width
ASTM D3774
Test Method for Width of Woven Fabric
Elastomeric:
Abrasion Resistance
ASTM D3389-94 Method B
Standard Test Method for Coated Fabric Abrasion Resistance (Rotary Platform, Double Head Abrader) (“Taber Abrasion”)
Engineering Expertise
STERN EWS's staff offers technical expertise in yarn preparation, weaving, finishing, and material testing. They represent a combined tenure of nearly 100 years working with customers on the design and manufacture of thousands of patterns.
Occasionally, yarns that have been available for years become discontinued. Our staff is very experienced in anticipating such problems and ensuring that replacement yarns, weaving layouts, and finishing techniques are established in anticipation of orders from our customers.
Equipment
Weaving Equipment
For the majority of our work, we employ rigid rapier looms with positive transfer, up to 4m in width.
Airjet looms are available for weaving the lightest weight fabrics.
Finishing Processes & Equipment
We use reiterative processing techniques to coax the most out of a fabric's potential.
We employ a full assembly of equipment to customize the finishing process, including
- Scouring jigs for surface cleaning and chemical add-ons such as soil and water resistant finishes
- Heat Setting equipment for shrinking and stabilizing thermoplastic fibers such as nylon, polyester, Nomex meta-aramid, and Teflon PTFE
- Clip Tenter frames, linear ovens that heat stabilize the fabric with width control.
- High Tonnage Calendering for imparting final properties to a fabric, such as gauge, permeability, visual appearance, or surface texture.
Finished widths are typically available from 30” to 74”.
