#ITMA Asia + CITME 2018

2018-10-15

James Heal has revealed a new Light Fastness Tester with Weathering at ITMA Asia + CITME 2018

UK-based materials testing instrument manufacturer, James Heal, is exhibiting at the ITMA Asia + CITME Exhibition, from today until 19 October, 2018, at the new National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) in Shanghai.

Today, taking centre stage on their booth H5-F50, an exclusive launch of their next generation TruFade light fastness tester, now with on-board Weathering, has given visitors the opportunity to view this machine for the first time, watch live demonstrations, and speak to their team of experts to discuss physical and colour fastness testing challenges.

An exclusive product launch

"TruFade with weathering was unveiled for the first time as part of an exclusive product launch event at ITMA Asia this morning," says James Heal Managing Director, Amanda McLaren. "Its represents a significant investment for James Heal, both in terms of product development, innovation, and customer research".

James Heal's original Trufade Xenon Arc Light Fastness Tester has an excellent reputation at global reference sites for its reliability, superior build quality and simplicity of use, emphasizes Innovation Director, Neil Pryke: "We’ve taken our existing instrument; and using customer feedback, have made several upgrades - most notably, with the addition of on-board weathering. During product development, extensive testing emulated operation in typical environmental conditions, so customers can be assured that TruFade will perform in line with light fastness & weathering testing Standards in any environment."

Testing colour fastness to light and weathering conditions for a range of materials

Now with Weathering, a range of tests can be performed for the light fastness of textiles, leather and other materials. "With the next generation TruFade, our aim was to simplify a notoriously difficult area of colour fastness testing, to deliver consistent and accurate results. TruFade is ideally suited for independent laboratories and in-house factories where space can be maximized from the small footprint of the instrument," adds Neil Pryke.

From intuitive touch-screen controls (similar to using a smart phone); to tri-sided sample holders that allow up to 27 specimens to be tested at a time - TruFade, like all James Heal instruments, is designed to simplify the user experience.

Developed with James Heal's simple and intuitive TestWise™software - for faster, more intuitive testing.

Routine testing can be started with only three touches of the screen, and the software effortlessly tracks the fading progress of samples, as well as the life of the lamp and filters with a 'traffic light' system that shows their status at a glance. SoTruFade can be operated with minimal training, saving time and reducing the potential for operator error.

Affordable: complete confidence at a competitive price

Save time: minimal operator training needed, start testing in minutes
Tri-sided sample holders: increase the usable exposure space to up to 1640cm2, so more testing can be done at once
Credible and reliable: reference locations in the best independent labs and factories globally
Meets ISO and AATCC standards
Lamps and optical air filters easy to replace – reduces maintenance costs and maximizes return on your investment
Accurate and consistent results – every time

James Heal is showcasing their range of testing instruments for physical and colour fastness testing on booth H5-F50, including:

Titan 10 – 10kN Dual Column Universal Strength Tester
TruBurst – Pneumatic Bursting Strength Tester
ElmaTear – Digital Elmendorf Tear Tester
Martindale – Abrasion & Pilling Tester
ProMace – Mace Snag Tester
FlexiFrame – Stretch & Recovery Tester
Impulse – Random Tumble Pilling Tester

Innovation in testing protective clothing and PPE

Global growth in more advanced protective wear, particularly for military and emergency services sectors has led to the continued development of James Heal textile testing equipment. Accurate, reliable testing is needed to ensure fabric properties in specialist garments meet their intended purpose, which are often critical to the survival of the wearer.

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T-CAN – Revolutionizing can transport

In virtually all spinning mills, transporting sliver cans is still done manually. Rising labor costs, lack of operators and increasing quality requirements make this a growing challenge. With T-CAN, Trützschler introduces a practical solution: a fully automated can transport system that will be presented live at ITMA ASIA 2025 in Singapore.

Francois Guetat joins Suominen as COO

Francois Guetat brings over two decades of global experience in operations, supply chain, and manufacturing excellence. Most recently, he served as SVP of Integrated Supply Chain at Kalmar, where he led business across sourcing, manufacturing, logistics and strategy. His leadership has been shaped by 22 years at Volvo, where he held key roles in Sweden, USA, and Poland.