Performance Fabric News & Insights | Fabrics 101

Lots of companies manufacture textiles - but how can you be sure that their goods are manufactured to a higher standard, consistently? That's where the certification of quality management systems  can help to give you trust that a company is manufacturing with consistent quality. The gold standard of quality manufacturing system certifications is  ISO 9001. You may have seen the ISO 9001-certified claim made by companies as diverse as Nestle and DHL. 

But what is ISO certification? It's become ubiquitous, we see the logo at the bottom of manufacturers, suppliers, and other company web sites. But what does it really mean for you, the customer? Let's explain exactly what ISO 9001 certification stands for and what it means when you buy products from one of our Herculite brands.

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Antimicrobial fabric, what is it? What’s it made of? Why is it effective? What do you need to know about this specialty fabric and why is it great for use in so many products?

First, let’s define what antimicrobial means. The term ‘antimicrobial’ is defined as: “destroying or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms, and especially pathogenic microorganisms.”

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Opaque materials do not allow light to pass through or penetrate them. For textiles, the measurement of opacity in the fabric refers to the percentage of light it blocks out. Think about completely opaque materials like blackout fabrics -- these provide absolute coverage from light. You might see these kinds of specialty fabrics used in wedding or party tents. But did you know that fabrics come in varying levels of opacity?

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Choosing the right type of industrial fabric for your specific use can be challenging given the specific requirements of your desired use. Fortunately there are a a number of options, all with specific strengths and weaknesses. Some fabrics are highly durable, while others offer flexibility, others are inherently fire resistant, while others offer good abrasion resistance. Those inherent qualities might me that a fabric is good for the specific demands of the marine environment but not for aerospace.

However, off all the industrial fabrics currently available on the marketplace, only PVC vinyl fabrics offer the ability to have a variety of these characteristics making them suitable for a much wider range of different applications than other fabric options. 

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When you with think of mold and mildew, you probably think about wet, cold places. But did you know that both types of fungus can grow on any surface? This means curtains, tent fabrics, awning fabrics, glass and even materials used indoors are vulnerable.

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For about as long as humans have worn clothes and needed shelter, fabrics have been in use. Natural fabrics -- including but not limited to silk, cotton, wool, and linen -- are made from natural materials and were the only fabrics available for many years. As technology grew and advanced, people began to search for new options and attempted creating fabrics rather than using the ones that had always existed.

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Ever wonder why and how specialty fabrics are designed for the healthcare industry? Or even how healthcare fabrics can be antimicrobial? Flame resistant? Stain and odor resistant? Mildew and mold resistant? Well, there’s a lot more to healthcare fabrics than meets the eye!

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We’ve all heard of cotton, wool, and silk fabrics and with technological advancements we’ve also know about moisture, mildew and ultraviolet ray resistant materials. But, do you know what conductive fabrics are and how they are used?

Lets take a quick dive into conductive fabrics, what they are, how they work, and ideal uses for them.

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Today, we use vinyl for awnings, signs, tents, boats, tent structures, clothes, and more. From boat seat coverings to that corporate banner sign, vinyl performance fabrics are a part of our daily lives. Understanding how to care for and cleaning vinyl fabric is the first step in ensuring you not only enjoy your PVC fabric product, but help make it last.

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When we think of fabrics, we miss the fact that there are several types that are good for outdoor applications. Not every fabric can withstand the rugged outdoors or even just your backyard.

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