Ardmel’s ambition is to maximise production efficiency and de-skill operations to improve output.

The Scotland-based machinery specialist recently announced the advancement of its textile testing technology, The Comparator, which allows fabrics to be tested in true-to-life conditions for what it calls the first time.

The Comparator will launch in the summer allowing brands to identify how fabrics perform in wet and dry conditions by measuring condensation created by the microclimate of the textile.

This could be a huge opportunity in the outdoorwear and sportswear categories. Currently the standard test method is carried out in dry conditions similar to the Sahara Desert, which has been criticised when it comes to developing waterproof and breathable apparel, for example.

Ardmel’s The Comparator
Arlene Kidd, director at Ardmel Group said: “The new standard relating to this testing machine is AATC TM214, with no European equivalent that measures condensation.”

This method was introduced in 2023 by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC). It has been designed to measure the water condensation accumulation on the innermost surface of the fabric in a humid microclimate and during the test, the outermost fabric surface is subjected to dry and wet conditions.   

Kidd explained the test