James Heal Take Their TruRain Shower Tester To ShanghaiTex in November

Image Courtesy of James Heal

James Heal, manufacturer of premium quality textile testing instruments and consumables worldwide, will showcase its innovative new collection of state of the art instruments at ShanghaiTex 2019.

Since 1872 James Heal  been on a mission to improve every aspect of materials testing, so that  customers can achieve consistent and accurate results, every time.

New additions to James Heal’s extensive testing instruments range will be showcased at the exhibition which runs 25-28 November. The new instruments will be unveiled on the James Heal stand for the first time to Asian customers at the exhibition.

Following a successful showcase at ITMA Barcelona, James Heal will show  TruRain – an artificial rain shower repellency tester.

Part of the manufacturer’s exciting new ‘Performance’ testing range that was unveiled at the exhibition – which also includes AquAbrasion, ProDry, and WickView – the TruRain is a much-needed development in the area of water repellency testing.

An evolution of the ‘Bundesmann’ tester

Water repellency is an important function of technical fabrics.

These fabrics are intended to protect the user/wearer in environmental conditions, such as rain for example, in water repellent garments and accessories – such as outdoor jackets, over trousers, walking boots, backpacks, tents and awnings.

It’s crucial from a safety and comfort perspective, that these fabrics and garments perform as they are intended – to repel water, and protect the wearer.

Neil Pryke, who is the Innovation Director and leads the product design team at James Heal, explains that the TruRain is an ‘improvement and evolution’ of the current Bundesmann testers available in the market today. “The TruRain water repellency tester replicates the conditions of use, and therefore provides an accurate indication of fabric performance. This method is used in the development of water repellent garments and accessories.”

How TruRain works

TruRain is an artificial rain shower testing instrument for determining the water repellency of textiles. It measures three aspects of water repellency in a single test:

1.     Surface water repellency is assessed by visually comparing the tested specimen with a photographic grading scale (similar to the spray rating tester)

2.     Resistance to water absorption is evaluated by weighing the specimen before and after test. The after test measurement is taken after the specimen has been centrifuged to remove any excess surface water.

3.     Resistance to water penetration is determined by collecting and recording any water which passes through the test specimen into the specimen holder cups.

Establishing TruRain as the definitive Bundesmann tester

The most significant aspect of any new instrument development at James Heal, is to put the ‘user’ at the heart of design. This means focusing on what their current challenges are, what they are trying to achieve from the test, the relevant test methods and standards, and crucially – the usability of the instrument in day-to-day use.

Whilst the Bundesmann instruments have been around for many years, and have been established as ‘the standard’ testers for water repellency testing, unfortunately, they have suffered from a reputation of being “difficult and messy” to use.

As part of the development process for TruRain, we conducted customer research to hear from users of the Bundesmann tester who use these instruments regularly, We specifically wanted to understand what the issues were, so that we could develop something to address those needs and improve usability.

A design matched to customer needs

Using customer feedback, we concentrated on developing a James Heal water repellency tester which focused on improvements with usability and accuracy. For instance, TruRain has a ‘shower guard’ which keeps the operator dry, whilst also controlling the release of liquid. This ensures that testing is accurate,” says Neil.

Peter explains, “Like all our instruments, TruRain has been designed with precision in mind to reduce inconsistency and improve the accuracy and repeatability of results.”

Key Features of TruRain

• An integrated, automated shower guard diverts the water flow before and after each test to keep the operator dry when inserting and removing the specimens. Water can be switched on and off with one button, and a water pressure regulator guarantees consistency wherever in the world the test takes place.

• TestWise software is user-friendly, automating the process of testing and alerting the user of when to grade the specimens based on the ISO standard 300 evenly distributed nozzles which produce the raindrops for the test are easy to clean and maintain.

• The cups can be easily removed individually using a twist motion, minimising the amount of space required for set up. All four cups can be removed together on their carousel.

• Compliant with ISO 9865 – Determination of water repellency of fabrics by the Bundesmann