Author: Apiry Digital

What IS a Testing Continuum?

Learn how our two testing sequences support optimal performance

In our earliest days at Thermetrics, our customers helped us understand that a unidimensional approach to product testing only tells you part of the story.
 
The need for a comprehensive and multi-tiered testing sequence is even more apparent when the products you’re developing are the vital tools of performance and safety for end users like athletes, explorers, and everyday heroes who need top notch protection from extreme hot and cold conditions.
 
We’ve developed our testing instrument portfolio to cover a wide range of product evaluation needs and test standards. As our product offerings have grown, it’s become more complex to communicate how they relate within a comprehensive product development strategy. Enter our two testing continuum structures for Thermal/Moisture Management and Thermal Protection.
 
Let’s explore them both.

The Thermal and Moisture Management Testing Continuum

Thermetrics Thermal and Moisture Management Testing Continuum

* Want a copy of this image for your reference, or to support discussions with your team? Download this Testing Continuum.
 
As its name suggests, this testing continuum was created to facilitate optimal garment development, with a particular focus on quantifying heat and/or moisture transfer.
 
The 5 phases of the Thermal and Moisture Management Testing Continuum are:

  • Flat Sample Testing
  • Cylinder Testing
  • Thermal Manikin Testing
  • Physiology & Comfort Model Integration
  • End-User Product

 

1D. Flat Sample Testing
The basis of system testing starts with understanding the components. This includes accurate, repeatable measurements of thermal resistance (Rct) and vapor permeability (Ret) for single and multi-layer textiles.
 

2D. Cylinder Testing
Quantify the impact of undergarment and within-garment air gaps by fitting materials and layered systems on a controlled and repeatable cylinder geometry.
 

3D. Thermal Manikin Testing
Final products are tested for ultimate thermal and moisture management performance, combining materials, layers, and garment design features in-use on an actual body form with realistic fit.
 

4D. Physiology & Comfort Model Integration
Turn your manikin into a human simulator with a new software dimension that simulates complex human thermoregulation, comfort perception, and potential burn injury.
 

5D. End-User Product
The end user product gets its own dimension. Every stage of component and product evaluation needs to be focused on improving the user experience, whether safety, comfort, or value. Testing through the entire continuum gives your customer the confidence of ultimate product performance while keeping testing costs lower.
 

The Thermal Protection Testing Continuum

Thermetrics Thermal Management Testing Continuum

* Want a copy of this image for your reference, or to support discussions with your team? Download this Testing Continuum.
 
This testing continuum was designed to demystify the complex interactions between high heat sources, protective garments, and the brave individuals we aspire to protect. Ensuring that they receive the appropriate level of life and safety protection should not be left to chance.
 
The 5 phases of the Thermal Protection Testing Continuum are:

  • Flat Sample Testing
  • Cylinder Testing
  • Flame Manikin Testing
  • Burn Model Integration
  • End-User Product

 

1D. Flat Sample Testing
Understand and characterize materials as flat samples and materials stack-ups. This can include intrinsic thermal properties, and also performance under compression or high-intensity heat exposure.
 

2D. Cylinder Testing
Capture effects of air gaps, vertical orientation, and fabric dimensional change or shrinkage.
 

3D. Flame Manikin Testing
Evaluate finished goods on full- and partial-body manikin forms to understand the combined effects of materials, layers, and garment fit.
 

4D. Burn Model Integration
Estimate burn injury through a multi-node skin tissue model.
 
5D. End-User Product
The end user product gets its own dimension. Every stage of component and product evaluation needs to be focused on improving the user experience, whether safety, comfort, or value. Testing through the entire continuum gives your customer the confidence of ultimate product performance while keeping testing costs lower.
 

In conclusion…

The thoroughness of these testing continuums delivers the certainty that you’re developing products that can withstand the world’s most extreme conditions and keep every end user safe, supported, and as comfortable as possible.
 
Wherever you want to be on the testing continuum, Thermetrics has a solution to help you get there. Contact us directly.

Thermetrics Hosts ASTM Week ‘Fire and Ice’ Event

On the cusp of the summer 2022 season, the Thermetrics team was delighted to open our factory doors for an evening we won’t forget anytime soon.

 

Our “Fire and Ice” event included manikin factory tours, flash fire cylinder demonstrations, and a steady supply of spicy margaritas, of course.

 

thermetrics flash fire demo
One of the evening’s Flash Fire Cylinder demonstrations

And who can forget the delight of our Lead Service Engineer, Daniel Corona, surprising us all with a musical performance alongside his talented band, Mariachi Alma Nueva. 

 

Mariachi Alma Nueva, featuring our very own Daniel Corona, second from right

However, the greatest highlight of the evening was connecting with long-time colleagues and new acquaintances in person. Our deepest thanks to everyone who attended!

 

thermetrics astm fire and ice event
Selfie fun with our ANDI Manikin!

If you’d like to be notified about future Thermetrics events, please drop your email in the box below.

 

And safe travels back home for all our non-local attendees!

 

Rick Burke and Team Thermetrics 

FITI Parks Their New Flame Manikin Underground

FITI is a premier testing laboratory located in urban Seoul Korea, providing a broad range of physical and performance testing to clients worldwide. When they decided to add flame manikin testing per ISO 13506 and NFPA 2112 to their capabilities, they faced a familiar challenge:  where to put it without expensive new building construction?

In partnership with Thermetrics and our sales agent in Korea, Technox, the team at FITI came up with a creative solution: Repurpose some space from their underground parking garage to build out a new laboratory for the flame manikin system. The first level of their garage was convenient to access from the other lab spaces, had multiple openings to the outdoors to provide fresh air, and included an existing sprinkler system for safety. The underground location also provides a more stable environment in summer and winter months without expensive HVAC.

The first stage of the installation was to enclose the space with modular walls, and to reroute any existing electrical and ventilation.

Parking garage location: Before installation and at the start of construction
Parking garage location: At the start of construction

The resulting fully enclosed space includes security doors, utility sink, and electrical and network service to create a world-class laboratory from essentially 7 parking spaces. If you look closely at the neatly sealed and painted floors, you can still find slightly raised areas marking the paint stripes of the former parking lot.

Flame manikin laboratory, installed

Every world-class flame laboratory needs a world-class flame manikin system. Thermetrics supplied a complete Burnie manikin for the FITI lab. The system was built and shipped from Seattle and the Thermetrics team spent several weeks in beautiful Seoul assembling the modular chamber, installing the manikin, commissioning the system, and training the research team at FITI.

Burnie Flame Manikin system installed
Burnie Flame Manikin system in operation

Each flame manikin system installation is a little bit different. Site requirements and local code compliance vary by location. For this installation, FITI set a new bar for innovation with their parking garage reconfiguration. If you need some flame testing done or are in the Seoul area, we strongly suggest a visit to FITI. You will be impressed!  

Thanks again to the team at FITI for putting their trust in Thermetrics, and also to Technox for their engineering and coordination support on this project. We love this work.

Rick Burke and the FITI team at the FITI headquarters in Seoul

Big changes unfolding at Thermetrics

This past summer, we created a new division within Thermetrics, “Customer Engagement” to bring our marketing, sales, and product service teams into one cohesive unit. We often say that when you buy a Thermetrics system, you become a partner for life. This shift in company structure will help us ensure that sentiment even as we grow. A critical part of this, of course, includes key team members:

 

Monet Solberg, Director of Sales and Marketing

We welcomed Monet to Thermetrics at the start of October to oversee the new Customer Engagement division. Coming from a medical device background supporting technical customers with specialized equipment needs, Monet brings a new level of expertise and energy to Thermetrics. You can expect to hear and see more of her in the near future as she becomes more immersed in all things Thermetrics.

 

Aki Sirkkola, Global Sales Manager 

Aki has been a key part of the Thermetrics team for almost 8 years, managing our service and support function and working directly with customers to keep their Thermetrics devices in top operating condition. This year, Aki made the move across the globe and is now managing international sales from our new Finland office.  

 

Kevin Bengston, North America Sales Manager

Since 2007, Kevin has been a key part of Thermetrics, serving as Operations Manager for over 10 years before joining the sales team. Kevin knows the products inside and out, and has deep connections in the outdoor and recreation markets. That expertise is aligned with Kevin’s bottomless enthusiasm for collaborating with customers.

 

COVID-19 and supply chain disruptions: Managing the new normal

By now, we are all no doubt growing weary of hearing about and dealing with the Coronavirus. Many have been personally impacted by the virus, and everybody has been affected by the resulting societal changes. Masks, separation, remote working, and much more. COVID-19 has turned what was normal and predictable into a constant challenge. How does this specifically affect Thermetrics customers? As labs are slowly returning to full capacity and managing testing backlogs, our service and support team is helping ensure Thermetrics instruments are up to the task with both on-site and remote service and calibration options.

 

To compound things, global supply chain disruptions are causing longer lead times and price escalation on raw materials and manufactured parts. We are applying three strategies to reduce impact on our clients: 1) Increased inventory to ensure long-term availability; 2) Dynamic design changes to replace unavailable components; 3) Regular communication with customers about active order status.

 

For our clients taking delivery of new equipment, we are scheduling in-person startup and training visits by fully vaccinated Thermetrics staff. For organizations where in-person visits aren’t a viable option, we can provide virtual startup support with a real-time video headset and remote computer connection.

 

I am optimistic 2022 will be a year of return-to-in-person, and look forward to more opportunities to get together to geek out and laugh together.

 

Warm regards,

Rick Burke, Thermetrics President

Liz Female Thermal Manikin Puts in the Reps at Nike’s Innovation Center

We’re excited to share with the Thermetrics community that two of our thermal manikins were highlighted in a recent Fast Company article showcasing Nike’s LeBron James Innovation Center.


Our new female thermal manikin Liz was pictured alongside our Newton manikin on treadmills inside one of the lab’s environmental chambers. Each manikin, garbed in Nike athletic apparel, could be seen being put through the paces in a high-temperature, high-humidity environment, connected to specialized control software. 

Image credit: Photo by Mark Wilson, senior writer at Fast Company

The Liz female manikin, like her brother Newton, is divided into body regions that can be independently temperature- and sweat rate-controlled. The system measures thermal and moisture management behavior of garments in real-time with a high degree of realism. Such data can be used to improve end-user protection and thermal comfort in performance wear and protective apparel.


We commend Nike for taking such a forward-thinking approach to the design and testing of athletic garments for the female form! 


Do you develop performance wear or protective apparel for women; test products for women; or do research into thermal safety and comfort? Reach out for more information about our Liz female thermal manikin and view the full product page here.

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    Now Available: DRT-201 advanced drying rate detection algorithm

    Thermetrics just completed an extensive material review study and optimized our drying rate detection algorithm to cover a wider range of samples. Our DRT-201 has always provided reliable and consistent drying rate results for those samples that behave well. You know the ones—they wet out nicely, dry uniformly, and don’t change dimensions between dry and wet state. But the real world includes a complex array of materials and scenarios that don’t always fit within the guidance of the AATCC TM201 test method.

    If you are testing samples with hydrophobic surfaces, membrane layers, or other samples that might push the boundaries of the test method, you will find the Thermetrics DRT-201 be an even more versatile instrument for both specialized research and production testing.

    Dan Howe, Thermetrics engineer specializing in the DRT product put it this way: “In general, the machine does an automatic slope detection and computation to extrapolate moisture level based on sample surface temperature as described in the AATCC TM201 Test Method. It works very well with some materials but not at all with others. The more unusual a material you tested, the more prone to glitches it was, which I know has been frustrating to operators. We rewrote the software to be more robust when samples didn’t behave with a typical response curve. The range of testable samples is now larger and when a sample can’t be measured with the automatic detection, the system now provides a fault code to help the operators mitigate for future tests.”

    Drying Rate Tester (DRT) with labeled parts

    For more information about the Thermetrics Drying Rate Tester (DRT-201) or the new algorithm, please contact Thermetrics.





    Long-time Thermetrics partner, PBI Performance Products showcases the Flash Fire Cylinder

    In what started as a rough sketch on a flipchart during a brainstorming session, the Flash Fire Cylinder (FFC) has evolved into an highly repeatable, closer-to-reality bench-scale tool for testing thermal performance of textiles. 

    PBI president Bill Lawson recently narrated the first in a series of videos on how the FFC is helping achieve their goal of providing lightweight, comfortable PPE for end-users. The first video covers the need and evolution of identifying a closer-to-reality way to test the materials for PPE. The second video highlights some key features of the FFC.


    “The closer-to-reality testing the FFC affords is a huge benefit to garment makers, helping them better-understand how their garments will perform in the field.” – William Lawson, President of PBI

    About the Flash Fire Cylinder

    With its cylindrical design, 15 embedded sensors, and sample holder rings creating a quarter-inch air-gap, the FFC provides a much closer approximation to the human body—the actual end-use case. Benefits of the device are many, including:

    • A huge cost-savings with the ability to test materials at a bench scale before going to full-scale manikin tests
    • Compact for use in existing lab environments
    • Easy sample prep and installation for highly repeatable test conditions 
    • Integrated, robust safety precautions for test operators, including an external emergency-stop interface
    • Ability to see the effects of dimensional changes in the material under very controlled conditions
    Flash fire cylinder (FFC) with flames

    Be on the lookout for more videos in this series from PBI Performance Products, and contact Thermetrics to learn how the FFC can support your org’s materials testing needs.





    Thermetrics showcases the value of its Flash Fire Cylinder at ECPC 2021

    Partnering with PBI Performance Products Development Engineer Josh Ingram, Thermetrics President Rick Burke delivered a talk, “Development and Validation of a Bench-ScaleFlash Fire Materials Tester” at the 9th European Conference on Protective Clothing held in May 2021.

    During the presentation, Burke and Ingram covered the “missing dimension” in flame exposure testing. The standard across the globe is testing flat fabric samples which only considers one dimension—the alternative testing method being a flash fire manikin, which provides data for three dimensions, but is very expensive. Enter the Flash Fire Cylinder (FFC) which is an excellent intermediate testing step.

    The benefits of the Thermetrics FFC are many: 

    • Compact for use in existing lab environments—fits in any standard lab hood
    • Integrated, robust safety precautions for test operators
    • Incorporates an industry-recognized sensor design for proven accuracy
    • Have the ability to test materials at bench scale before going to full-scale manikin tests
    • With the cylinder form of the FFC, you can see the effects of dimensional changes in the material under very controlled conditions
    Flash Fire Cylinder Fills the Gap - 2 dimensions

    For more information about the Thermetrics Flash Fire Cylinder, please contact Thermetrics.





    Happy Retirement Dave!

    After 18+ years at Thermetrics, Dave Heiss, our International Sales Director, will be retiring at the end of May (May 28, 2021). When Dave joined Thermetrics in 2003, we were a box of thermal geeks without a promotional voice. Since that time, Dave has grown our domestic and international sales and also been the “behind-the-scenes” author for brochures, product literature, newsletters, the website blog, and other company communications. Chances are it was Dave who introduced you to the many manikin and hotplate innovations developed by Thermetrics over the years.

    Dave Heiss, Thermetrics alumnus and future island hopper

    Of course, if you attended a trade show or conference Dave was the person you were most likely to see. Dave has been the face of Thermetrics for half of the company’s existence, and he will be missed. 



    Despite our best attempts to chain him to his desk, there are mountains, pastures and hiking shoes, along with grandkids waiting for him. We wish Dave well and thank him for sharing his time and talent with the Thermetrics family. Feel free to connect with him in the next few weeks to share your memories and gratitude.

    Aki Sirkkola, Thermetrics International Sales

    Aki has been part of Thermetrics service/support division since he joined the company in 2014, and he will bring impressive technical knowledge to the international sales role.  There is a good chance you already know Aki, as he has worked with the vast majority of Thermetrics customers and on our systems in the field.



    So please join me in a heartfelt goodbye to Dave and a warm welcome to Aki as he steps into the International Sales position.

    Introducing the newest member of our thermal manikin family

    April 7, 2021

    Thermetrics is proud to present our newly developed female thermal manikin! May 4, 2021 Update: The community has spoken and the final selected name is Liz. Thank you to all who participated in her naming!

     

    Our manikins have measured comfort in car cabins, estimated heat stress in protective wear, evaluated space suits for NASA, and supported testing for countless other scenarios. But, all of these scenarios have been tested using a male manikin.

     

    It’s time all garments and gear designed for females are tested with female manikins. Female thermal manikins are vastly underrepresented in the research and testing arena, and those that are in use often resemble store mannequins—a far cry from realistic female anthropometry. As a result, products designed to enhance performance, health, and safety for women may not perform as promised.

     

    You’ve designed for women. Now you can test for women.

     

     

    About the names

    Cori. “Cori” is suggested to honor Gerty Cori (1896-1957) who was the first woman awarded the Nobel prize in physiology and medicine. She earned the Nobel Prize in 1947 for her discovery of the course of carbohydrate metabolism, where glucose is broken down into lactic acid and used for energy storage, known as the Cori Cycle. Gerti Cora was a trailblazer during an era of male-dominated scientific research. Understanding energy storage and consumption is key for thermal manikins, especially if they couple to a physiology model like this one does.

    Joules. The name Joules is a natural nod to the energy balance critical to the design and use of Thermal manikins. The Joule is a derived energy unit equivalent to kg m2/sec2. More practically, one Joule is the energy dissipated when 1 ampere flows through a resistance of 1 ohm. Or in the case of this specific female manikin with surface area of 1.61 square meters, a 1 MET activity level during a 30 minute ASTM F2370 test duration would generate 168,664 Joules from the manikin heaters.

    Liz. The name “Liz” is proposed in honor of Dr. Elizabeth “Liz” McCullough who spent her career working with manikins, and who was a strong female leader and pioneer in this field. No female scientist worldwide has done more with thermal manikins to advance testing, development, and standardization of improved protective clothing, sleeping systems, and personal protective equipment. Liz has published over 100 scientific papers and book chapters, and her work has been incorporated into textbooks in multiple languages. She has been the primary author of several ASTM standards, including standards utilizing thermal manikins. Liz was the driving force behind developing a successful and internationally known textile testing program using manikins at Kansas State University.