HeiQ’s third innovation of the year
The Swiss textile innovator HeiQ announces the launch of HeiQ No Fuzz – a new range of products to increase abrasion resistance of fabrics and reduce the level of fuzzing and pilling – at Performance Days November (8-9 November 2017 in Munich, Germany).
“Anti-pilling” is not a new terminology to the textile industry. However, many conventional treatment technologies give a negative mechanical handle impact that leads to reduced fabric comfort. Improved visual perception at the cost of worse mechanical perception is the conventional approach to the problem of abrasion-related damage on textiles. HeiQ No Fuzz is based on novel adhesive polymer structures that give targeted, localized and non-homogeneous “bridging” reinforcement inside yarns and/or on the outer surface of yarns. Like tree roots protecting soil from erosion, the novel HeiQ polymer structures adhere to and reinforce the fabric yarns, substantially reducing the tendency to pill and fuzz, keeping the appearance of the textile surface looking newer for longer, while minimizing handle impact.
Fuzzing and pilling – more than an unsightly appearance
While pilling is a historic challenge in the textile, apparel and home textile industries, the problem of abrasion-related damage extends beyond unsightly appearance and reduced comfort. Fabrics that rapidly form visible defects (like pills, fuzz, holes) can have lower perceived quality, reduced wearer confidence and negatively affect a consumer’s sense of brand image.
HeiQ’s co-founder and Chief Science Officer Dr. Murray Height adds, “Abrasion of textiles during use and laundry can lead to loss of fibers that ultimately have potential to contribute to ocean microplastic pollution. Increasing the abrasion resistance and reducing the pilling and fuzzing tendency of yarns means fibers are less likely to be released into water during laundry.” He also points out that, “by reducing abrasion-related damage, the useful life cycle of textile products can be prolonged contributing to an improved environmental footprint.”
As no one-solution-fits-all, the HeiQ No Fuzz family consists of various products that can be used in combination, tailored to the characteristics of different fabric and yarn structures to achieve an optimal balance between improving the physical resilience of the fabric and minimizing negative impact on desirable handle and comfort properties. Fabrics treated with this technology have been evaluated through Martindale and Pillbox tests and achieved exceptional efficiency initially and after washing (performance up to 50 washings).
HeiQ’s Textile Market Knowledge Center surveyed 469 US consumers in April this year. The majority of surveyed consumers were aware of pilling problems on textile products with 84% of these respondents relating they would “prefer that these pilling balls didn’t exist”. A good anti-pilling and abrasion resistance solution adds value to a textile product, while communicating a promise to look “newer for longer” can help to capture the added value at the point of sale with HeiQ’s consumer vetted and validated marketing communication tools.
The HeiQ No Fuzz product family, alongside other innovations, will be presented at HeiQ’s booth “Lounge 5” at Performance Days on 8 November 2017.
