Latest news with #VirtualHapticLibrary
Fibre2Fashion
5 days ago
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
Unlocking Efficiency in the Textile Industry
Objective hand feel determination with the TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer and digital utilisation of the test results by the help of the cloud-based Virtual Haptic Library results in Cost Reduction and Process Optimisation . Alexander Grüner, Global Business Development Manager, emtec Electronic GmbH In today's fast-paced and increasingly digitalised textile industry, product development cycles must become faster, more efficient, and more sustainable—without compromising quality. Yet the traditional processes in fabric's hand feel evaluation and communication of the results along the supply chain often lead to inefficiencies, miscommunication, and escalating costs. This is where the TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer and the cloud-based Virtual Haptic Library from emtec Electronic offer a game-changing solution. The Problem: Inefficiencies in Fabric Development and Communication Product development in the textile industry is a time-consuming and costly process. Typically, brands begin with an idea and a reference sample to define target qualities like hand feel and comfort. This sample is sent to multiple suppliers who attempt to reproduce the feel, often without a clear, quantifiable understanding of what 'the right feel' means. This trial-and-error process can span 4–5 development cycles over 20 weeks or more. For companies working with numerous mills, this quickly adds up: thousands of fabric submissions, hundreds of hours of manual testing, and courier costs alone reaching into the hundreds of thousands of euros annually. Additionally, there is no universally accepted or objective standard in the industry to evaluate the haptic properties of textiles, which leads to inconsistent quality control and communication gaps between mills, brands, and quality teams. The Solution: Quantification and Digitalisation with TSA and the Virtual Haptic Library The TSA provides an objective and repeatable measurement of a textile's hand feel and wearing comfort by evaluating individual haptic parameters such as: Surface softness and smoothness Stretch and recovery Friction Thermo-haptic behaviour Thermal insulation Compressibility and crumple resistance These parameters are measured individually and combined through application-specific algorithms to calculate an overall hand feel score that correlates well with human perception. This ensures not only accuracy, but also cross-cultural consistency in quality standards. Once a sample is measured, the data is instantly uploaded to the Virtual Haptic Library, a cloud-based platform where digital haptic profiles are stored and shared across the supply chain. Real-World Impact: Time and Cost Savings at Scale The textile industry's supply chain is complex, the quality of the garment or any other textile product depends on each of the steps that need to be taken until the finished product, like illustrated from the fibre to the sales. The costs are not limited to sampling (shipping, handling, testing, etc.); the extended duration of the process also contributes significantly to the overall expense. Implementing the TSA and the Virtual Haptic Library dramatically reduces the need for physical sample exchanges. Suppliers can develop fabrics based on numeric, objective targets, eliminating unnecessary iterations and shipping. In many cases, the required hand feel can be achieved in just one development cycle. To understand the financial and logistical benefits, consider a brand that collaborates with 14 mills and processes over 16,000 sample submittals annually. If each sample costs approximately $100 (including courier fees, handling, and testing), the total yearly expense reaches over $1.6 million. Labour costs for sample evaluation can add another $600,000. Optimised Process Flow With the TSA and cloud platform integrated, the new development workflow looks like this: The brand defines the desired hand feel using the TSA. The values are shared with the fabric supplier via the Virtual Haptic Library. The supplier uses these values to develop and validate a matching fabric on-site using their own TSA device. Once alignment is confirmed, one final sample is sent for physical verification. The result is faster time-to-market, lower development costs, and a significant reduction in the environmental footprint due to fewer sample shipments. Broader Benefits Across the Textile Supply Chain Beyond product development, the TSA and Virtual Haptic Library can be used to: Improve quality assurance by establishing digital haptic standards for batch control. Enhance sourcing decisions through measurable and comparable haptic profiles. Streamline complaint management by enabling objective evaluation of disputed fabric characteristics. Accelerate market research by digitising consumer preferences into measurable targets. Aligning with Sustainability Goals Reducing the number of sample shipments does not only save time and money—it also supports global sustainability initiatives. Lower shipping volumes mean lower CO₂ emissions, less packaging waste, and an eco-friendlier product development cycle. Moreover, digital tools such as the TSA and the Virtual Haptic Library empower companies to embrace the principles of Industry 4.0: integrating intelligent data, cloud platforms, and automation into every stage of the product lifecycle. The Future of Textile Development is Objective and Digital The Virtual Haptic Library enables brands to communicate numeric haptic specifications and mills to verify compliance for each fabric without shipping samples around the world. A user can measure a development sample or use standardised key descriptors to search the database for existing fabric matches, eliminating wasted time due to sample confusion, long shipping routes, unclear descriptions or language barriers. The cloud-based Virtual Haptic Library Improves the supply chain communication Accelerates fabric development Assures product quality Reduces courier costs required to send development samples Reduces the environmental footprint. Subjective evaluation of textile hand feel has been a limiting factor in communication and process optimisation for decades. The TSA finally brings a reliable, repeatable, and digital method to overcome this hurdle. Combined with the Virtual Haptic Library, it provides a powerful infrastructure for brands and mills to collaborate more efficiently, economically, and sustainably.
Fibre2Fashion
26-06-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
Emtec to highlight Tactile Sensation Analyzer at Texworld NYC
Following the success from Texworld New York in January this year, the recent Techtextil North America Innovation Award winner in the 'New Product' category, the TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer will once again take center stage. The device digitizes key haptic parameters such as softness, smoothness, and stretch and recovery behavior, enabling manufacturers and designers to optimize products, processes, and communication across the textile supply chain. Developed and produced in Leipzig, Germany, the TSA was originally created for the tissue paper industry and has since been adapted for textiles and nonwovens. Through simulation of the human hand, the device provides objective, repeatable results and minimizes subjectivity in evaluating fabric hand-feel. The TSA enables precise, repeatable measurements, allowing manufacturers and brands to make data-driven decisions and ensure consistent product quality. Paired with the Virtual Haptic Library, a cloud-based database of haptic profiles, the solution enables global collaboration, reduces the ecological footprint, and accelerates time-to-market. Moreover, digital tools such as the TSA and the Virtual Haptic Library empower companies to embrace the principles of Industry 4.0: integrating intelligent data, cloud platforms, and automation into every stage of the product lifecycle. Texworld Textile Sourcing in New York invites global textile professionals to the Javits Center from July 23-25, offering an essential sourcing platform for fabrics, trims, and accessories. German company emtec Electronic GmbH will showcase its innovative TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer, continuing its mission to digitize the sensory experience of touch and bring objective measurement to textile haptics. Alexander Gruener, emtec's Global Business Development Manager, will be present with his team —including Rodger Segelstrom from emtec North America— to demonstrate the TSA and share insights into the latest advancements in digital haptic testing. He will also give an exhibitor pitch titled 'Optimization of the supply chain communication in the textile industry by the help of objective softness measurement and digital utilization of the test results' at 2.15 pm on 24th July. Visitors to Texworld Textile Sourcing New York City are invited to meet emtec experts Alexander Gruener and Rodger Segelstrom at the booth no. H01 to take a closer look at the latest developments, have them demonstrated, ask their questions and discuss new ideas. Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)
