Decoding UV protection claims

August 1, 2010  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case My company makes temporary shelters and I’m wondering, when the product literature on a fabric says that the material has been UV protected, does that mean the fabric’s been protected, or that it offers protection from sunlight? Sunlight tends to degrade a lot of fa…
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NFPA 701 for indoor vs. outdoor fabrics

August 1, 2010  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case My local fire marshal is rejecting the fabric I’m using because it’s certified to NFPA 701. He says it’s because 701 doesn’t account for the fabric being used outside. I’ve never had a problem before; is he correct? NFPA 701 is a commonly quoted fl…
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Keying fabric for television studios

August 1, 2010  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case I’m doing a project for a local television studio and I need to use a “keying” fabric. What is it and where do I get it? Hollywood special effects are so common, you’ve probably heard of a “blue screen,” where actors are filmed in front of a …
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Ballistic armor products covered under defense regulations

August 1, 2010  |  Advanced Textiles, Resources

Compiled by Juli Case I’ve had an inquiry from a customer in another country about one of my ballistic armor products, but my fabric supplier tells me that it might fall under special restrictions because it’s a defense item. Where can I get more details? The International Traffic in Arm…
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Fabric blocking

July 1, 2010  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case I received some product literature from a supplier and read that the fabric is supposed to be “good” with regards to blocking. What does that mean? We’re guessing that the fabric in question is either coated or laminated. Sometimes these materials can unintent…
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“Dutch” weave

July 1, 2010  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case What is a “Dutch” weave? This is terminology most commonly seen in the filtration industry, particularly with fabrics made of woven metal wire. A Dutch weave is one in which the fabric is woven with larger yarns in the warp direction and tightly spaced yarns in the …
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Matching fabric colors

July 1, 2010  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case One of the fabrics we use has a PMS number of 1788C 2X. I know the 1788C refers to a specific color number, but what does the 2X stand for? How do fabric suppliers and their clients talk about color and remain confident that they are referring to shades and hues? … <div>…
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Bleeder fabric

July 1, 2010  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case We’ve received a couple of requests for “bleeder” fabric, but that’s a material we’re not familiar with. Any ideas? A bleeder fabric is typically part of a composite material and is used in applications such as vacuum bagging. A “breather&rdq…
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Defining radiolucent

July 1, 2010  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case I’m replacing the pad on an X-ray table and my client has specified that the material we use be “radiolucent.” What does that mean? Radiolucent is a medical term and is used for any item that permits X-rays to shine right through it. This would be important fo…
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Specifications for base fabric

July 1, 2010  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case Our company makes fabric structures, and we’ve noticed that, in some fabric specifications, the fabric manufacturer will use “EC3,” “EC6,” or “EC9” to describe the base fabric. What is this? Upon discovering that the fabric in question …
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