Notes on the durability of our fabric and printing method December 13 2014, 0 Comments

At Social Fabric we are proud of the comfort and durability of our fabrics. When considering durability you might have seen that the abrasion rating of our products is quoted in Wyzenbeek double rubs.

 

What does this mean?

 

The Wyzenbeek and Martindale rub tests are the two standard methods commonly used to predict the durability of a fabric. Wyzenbeek can be seen as the US standard and Martindale the European one. In Australia we tend to quote one or the other. Although these two tests are conducted quite differently, they both give an indication of the actual performance of a fabric as it is affected by many factors such as fibre content, weaves, finishes, furniture design, maintenance, cleaning, and usage.


FABRIC DURABILITY CHART


Wyzenbeek
double rubs

Martindale
cycles

Light use 6,000 – 9,000 9,000 – 12,000
Medium use 9,000 – 15,000 12,000 – 20,000
Heavy use 15,000 – 30,000 20,000 – 40,000
Extra Heavy use 30,000 + 40,000 +

 



Light or Medium use means general domestic use, but we would always recommend a minimum of medium use for domestic upholstery.

 

Heavy use scenarios might include hotel rooms/suites, single shift corporate offices, conference rooms and dining areas.

 

Extra Heavy use means situations such as 24 hour transport facilities, theatres, restaurants and 24 hour call centres and multi shift corporate offices.

 

As you can see from the above, you will have no problem using Social Fabric products in many situations as most of our fabrics currently have a 70,000 Wyzenbeek rating (which is roughly equivalent to 90,000 Martindale).

 

To add to the inherent durability of the polyester base cloth, we use dye sublimation printing (where the pigments are deposited INTO the fibres of the fabric) rather than surface printing (where the ink is usually deposited ONTO the fabric). This means the longevity of the print is also maximised with the addition that it is colourfast and it does not affect the “hand” of the fabric.

 

All in all, as close as we can get to bullet proof!