Emtec Electronic launches redesigned TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer

Much like its predecessor, the new TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer allows manufacturers to objectively measure the haptic traits that determine the subjective way a material feels to the touch, calculate specific hand-feel values, and reliably compare samples. Now, in addition to measuring the softness, smoothness, flexibility, and deformation/recovery behaviour of base and finished products, the redesign now includes features like surface thermal conductivity and thermal insulation measurement, an improved design for measuring springback behaviour, an integrated high-resolution camera and a cloud-based virtual haptic library, the company said in a press release.

The TSA reliably measures a product’s thermal 'handshake', delivering objective data on how warm or cool a material feels to the touch. This feature allows manufacturers, researchers and developers, and in particular chemical suppliers to test the thermal effects of certain additives when developing new products with cooling or insulating properties, such as wipes with a cooling sensation.

The TSA employs an improved method for measuring recovery behaviour, which accurately captures the fabric's ability to return to its original shape after deformation. This function is especially useful in the design and quality control of nonwoven products such as diapers or feminine hygiene articles, where rebound plays a key role in comfort. But also as part of quality control, manufacturers can better evaluate the flexibility and recovery of the material and ensure that the required performance standards are met.

To digitise optical properties, the camera captures a high-resolution image of the sample, showing in detail the fabric structure, the design as well as any visual embellishments.

The Haptic Library was developed in cooperation with Black Swan Textiles and is an online database, available via license, in which sample data can be automatically digitised, processed, and categorised according to specific haptic and optical traits. This data can be accessed in real-time by authorised persons from anywhere in the world, enabling efficient quality assurance and control regardless of location. The virtual haptic library can also be used as an online marketplace that simplifies and speeds up the search and comparison of samples and patterns certain haptic or optical requirements many times over.

“The new TSA provides several additional advantages for nonwoven producers aiming to optimise the quality of their products, design specialty products, and unify the production and quality assurance across sites,” explained Giselher Gruener, founder and general manager at Emtec. “We are proud to further support the industry needs with this new innovation."

The new TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer will be available in 2024.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)