Leipzig - Emtec Electronic, the manufacturer of testing equipment for the nonwovens and textile industries will at be next month's Techtextil exhibition with its latest digital technology for measuring fabric softness.

The Tactile Sensation Analyzer from Emtec is a sound-based measuring solution for determining the haptic of textiles and nonwovens. It is described as a handy, portable device that also quickly places an objective and reliable number-value on a variety of other fabric traits, such as smoothness, deformation and recovery.

Because of its singular design and unique measuring principle, the TSA is poised to replace traditional means for measuring haptic traits, the company says.

This includes methods such as hand-panel testing, in which many tactile experts or, in some cases, consumers compare and rank material samples, often in a series of tests. However, the individual results often vary widely and require multiple series of tests to determine an average hand-feel, which can be time-consuming. In addition, humans are rarely able to distinguish between the individual components of the haptic — for instance, between smoothness and softness — and can only provide an overall impression of a material’s hand-feel.

The Tactile Sensation Analyzer allows researchers and technicians to measure each parameter individually and uses market-specific algorithms to calculate an objective hand-feel value. The results correlate very closely with the human tactile perception and are available within minutes in digital form.

Visitors to the Techtextil at the Messe Frankfurt are encouraged to stop by the emtec Electronic booth and speak with Area Sales Manager Stefan Rübesam for more information.