Pilling

Pilling

Pilling is the formation of small balls of entangled fibres on the surface of fabric. The amount of pilling that develops is governed by the rate of fibre entanglement, the rate of surface fibre development and the rate of fibre and pills wear-off.

Snagging is filamentation or loops on the surface of a woven or knitted fabric. The breaking of individual threads in a woven or knitted fabric causes the generation of this type of surface damage. Both these types of surface deterioration is generally unacceptable to the consumer.

How do you perform pilling or snagging testing?

Instrument used for pilling testing include the Orbitor, where four tubular specimens are mounted on polyurethane pilling tubes and tumbled in the cork-lined box for a specified number of revolutions. Specimens can be tested before or after a washing process. After tumbling, the change in surface appearance of the specimen is visually assessed under controlled conditions.

Snagging differs from pilling by the inclusion of standard points fitted in the SnagPod's box or drum. Any tendency to form undesirable potential fabric deficiencies are highlighted as the tubular specimens randomly catches on the points.

History of the Martindale

In 2022 the classic Martindale abrasion and wear testing instrument, that is a staple in textile and other materials testing laboratories worldwide, reached

Textiles Testing Protective Wear for Wet Abrasion

Case Studies

Partnership with a perfect fit: Case study with Riga Technical University

With a relentless pursuit of quality and innovation in ergonomics and performance for the PPE sector, Latvia’s top university, Riga Technical University (RTU