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Fabric and colour fastness testing instruments and consumables

James H. Heal & Co. Ltd began in 1872. Today the company specialises in the manufacture of leading-edge fabric and colour fastness testing instruments, complemented by a comprehensive range of quality assured consumables.

In addition to this, it provides excellent after-sales service through HEALINK and the recently launched HEALINK ASIA. These are global service and calibration divisions, which offer a complementary range of services, covering: installation, training, applications and engineering support, maintenance and calibration – whatever customers need to realise the most from their investment.

Heal’s operates worldwide, from Halifax (UK), and its products and services are channelled through a network of strategically-positioned and carefully-selected local agents and distributors. The company's quality management system is independently accredited by NQA to BS EN ISO 9001: 2000, and its calibration services by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service).

Colour fastness testing

Heal's range of colour fastness testing equipment includes: Apollo Xenon Arc Light and Weather Fastness Tester; Gyrowash -an official AATCC instrument for assessing colour fastness to washing and dry cleaning; Accudry2 – an air-vented, reverse-action tumble dryer, designed to reduce machine variables and operator error to the absolute minimum; AATCC approved manual and motorised Crockmasters (rubbing); Perspirometer (perspiration); and Thermaplate (hot pressing).

Fabric testing

TruBurst2 Intelligent Bursting Strength Tester, a fully-pneumatic bursting strength tester, which comfortably exceeds the exacting requirements of ISO 13938-2, ASTM D3786-06 and the test principles of many other national and international standards. Truburst2 comes in two models. With a maximum capacity of 1000kPa/145psi, Model 810 is suitable for the majority of textile specimens (including cyclic testing of elastomerics), as well as for many paper, board and similar materials.

However, there are many less resistant, more delicate materials (e.g. non-wovens, tissues and plastics), which require a lower capacity/higher resolution machine for successful and repeatable bursting strength tests. With the ability to measure values as low as 5kPa/0.7psi and a maximum capacity of 100kPa/14.5psi, Model 801 is ideal for these applications.

FlexiBurn Multi-Purpose Flammability Tester, an extremely adaptable machine, suitable for numerous vertical tests, through its range of interchangeable precision test frames and burners;
Titan2 Universal Strength Tester, an exceptional bench-top tensile test apparatus that has been designed specifically for textile applications;
Truburst2 Intelligent Bursting Strength Tester, a new generation, fully-pneumatic bursting strength tester that utilises optical laser photoelectric technology to achieve non-constant distension measurement;
Snagpod: a snagging resistance tester, in the form of an additional test chamber, for a Heal’s ICI Pilling Tester or a later generation Orbitor Pilling and Snagging Tester;
Nu-Martindale 864, a competitively priced 4-, 6- or 8-position machine which allows easy change between abrasion, pilling and straight line motions, with a unique top plate design that facilitates comfortable access to all eight abrading tables, without having to physically remove the top-plate; and
Mini-Martindale Universal Abrasion & Pilling tester, a versatile and affordable, single-head machine, which will suit occasional users and those who need a Martindale for development work or production control.

Quality Assured Consumables

Meaningful and valid test results can only be generated in textile testing by keeping all variables in the process to a minimum. Therefore, Heal’s recommends the use of its Quality Assured Consumables, which come with a guarantee of quality. Heal’s stringently supervises and controls the production of its consumables. For customers' convenience, they are professionally packaged and clearly labelled. Many are supplied with free test reports to demonstrate compliance with standards.

Key products in this range include:

• Multifibre
• Soap and detergents
• Crocking cloths
• Grey scales
• Makeweights
• Yellowing test materials
• Martindale consumables

Healink

HEALINK – the Service and Calibration Division of James H. Heal & Co. – offers an accomplished and affordable response to the rapidly-growing worldwide demand for engineering and applications support, instrument repair, maintenance and re-calibration.

Our services from the UK are complemented and enhanced by a fully equipped HEALINK ASIA Service and Calibration Centre, located in Hong Kong, which currently covers: China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.