The Textile Research Institute Thuringia Vogtland e.V. (TITV Greiz), a business-related research institute situated in the state of Thuringia in Germany, provides testing, consulting, research, development and continuing education services for the entire value creation chain of the textile industry.
The institute’s staff are involved in high-tech solutions to develop new materials for conventional textile technology. BINDER’s drying ovens are in use at the institute to test textiles and surfaces.
New Trends in the Textile Industry
The textile industry has witnessed new developments as a result of partnership with non-textile industries. Especially, electronics in conjunction with textiles lead to the development of innovative products, such as textile actuators and sensors, light-emitting textiles, and partially electrically conductive textile structures (Figure 1).
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Figure 1. Stitched conductor board
There are two different processes to manufacture programmable light-emitting textiles. One process involves the application of LEDs integrated into conductive textiles.
Another method involves the application of electroluminescent pastes into conductive textile structures using a silkscreen process.
The research institute in close cooperation with industrial partners in the fields of medicine, automobile manufacturing, microsystems technology, and electronics explore technology- and product-based solutions in the fields of flexible materials, surface functionalization, and microsystems technology.
Role of BINDER’s Drying Ovens at the TITV Greiz
BINDER’s drying ovens, including FD 115 and ED 53 chambers (Figure 2), are used at the TITV Greiz for a number of individual drying processes. The textiles are subjected to specified temperatures for accurately defined dwell times. The temperature range used for the drying and condensation processes of partial coatings is 120-150°C. It is essential to maintain correct temperatures to ascertain that testing procedures are conducted under consistent and reproducible conditions.
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Figure 2. Drying oven ED 53
Christina Stark, laboratory technician of BINDER drying ovens, said that the operating philosophy of the drying ovens is very simple, allowing the institute staffs to perform routine works easily and more efficiently (Figure 3).
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Figure 3. Assistant of TITV Greiz
The following are the requirements of the research institute:
- Artificial ageing of materials
- Standardized test procedures
- Testing of flexible materials, surface functionalization, and light-emitting textiles
- Testing as outlined in the standards, including AATCC, ASTM, ISO, and DIN
- Easy to operate
BINDER provided the following solutions with its drying ovens:
- Individual drying process with forced convection
- Homogeneous conditions inside the chamber
- Short heat-up time
- Adjustable fan speed
- Temperature safety device equipped with visual alarm
- Digital temperature setting with one degree of accuracy
- Large power reserve
- High air exchange rate
- High standard in accordance with DIN 12880
Applications of BINDER Drying Ovens
The areas of application of BINDER drying ovens are as follows:
- Surface technology
- Plastics industry
- Metal industry
- Electronics and semiconductor industry
Conclusion
The TITV Greiz test center delivers extensive services in the field of product and material testing. Testing of many different textile materials has been carried out as outlined in the standards, including AATCC, ASTM, ISO and DIN, as well as testing procedures designed by the TITV Greiz. Testing involves artificial ageing of materials, drying processes as well as storage of materials in different media, for instance, in an artificial sweat solution.
BINDER drying ovens have demonstrated to be versatile, allowing for modification of test conditions to specific test procedures and materials to achieve highly accurate results. The research institute has been enjoying the service of the BINDER drying ovens for quite a while, and is fully satisfied with the results.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by BINDER GmbH.
For more information on this source, please visit BINDER GmbH.