SDCE’s longstanding distributor GTE Company has launched a new verification scheme targeting manufacturers and retailers of garments featuring snap and button fastenings. GTE Company – whose territory comprises Hong Kong and China – identified a particular requirement for skilled testing within this product sector, responding with the niche verification kit to ensure that test systems are being used correctly when assessing the safety of such garments prior to sale.
Test systems such as SafGuard® assess the performance of garments featuring accessories in line with international Standard TSE CEN 17394-3 (2021). Using a clamp, test professionals apply a tensile force on a pre-prepared sample until the snap fastening or button detaches from the material. The resulting tension gauge value indicates whether the accessory is sufficiently secure to meet the international safety standards required for retail.
However, variables such as the base fabric used, the accessory and the method of securing can all affect the final result, potentially skewing the perceived performance of the test system, equipment and the testing professional. Standardising these elements ensures a fairer, more consistent approach to testing, reassuring manufacturers and retailers that only their procedures and equipment are being put to the test and helping them to identify any key areas of weakness that may need addressing.
In line with this approach to international standardisation, GTE Company has selected SDCE’s verification fabric as its base material for the kit’s pre-prepared samples. Each verification kit comes with an accessory pre-attached to a sample of SDCE’s verification fabric for physical and dimensional stability. The sample is also supplied having been pre-laundered 50 times to best simulate real-life conditions.
“It is very hard to find reliable fabrics for test continuity,” says GTE’S managing director Henley Cheung. “We selected SDCE verification fabrics as the core standard because they offer a constructive solution to any facility looking to monitor the ongoing quality of its procedures, technicians and equipment, while confidently comparing its results against the market standard.”
SDCE is fully supportive of GTE’s new venture and the selection of its verification fabric as the base materials for pre-prepared samples.
“Developed with SDCE’s extensive knowledge of textile testing at their core, SDCE’s verification fabrics are relied upon by industry professionals worldwide to assess the consistency of laboratory results,” says SDCE’s managing director Mark Yare. “By guaranteeing consistent results and removing the variables of the fabric and accessory, professionals can be assured that the skill, equipment and procedures are being correctly assessed.”
The verification kit includes both snap or buckle fasteners, and sewn accessories such as buttons. Other related instruments are also available upon request. To find out more and get a free sample kit, contact GTE Company.
