For Immediate Release NC State University College of Textiles Brings Testing Expertise to Outdoor Retailer
Raleigh, N.C. — July 21, 2017 — Retailers, manufacturers, suppliers and other outdoor industry professionals attending the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2017 will want to be sure to stop by booth 250-109 to speak with representatives from NC State University’s College of Textiles. The Market, Outdoor Retailer’s 35th anniversary show, will be held July 26-29 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Representatives from the college’s Textile Protection and Comfort Center (T-PACC) and the Zeis Textiles Extension (ZTE) will be available to discuss the cutting-edge development, testing and fabrication services they offer as well as opportunities for collaboration.
Zeis Textiles Extension
The center offers a spectrum of fabrication and testing services, as well as technology incubation to help products get to market through pilot production, sampling and prototyping. ZTE is a leader in textile professional education, both online and in person, covering topics from fibers to finished fabrics.
Through ZTE, NC State’s College of Textiles houses a diverse array of textile production equipment, including unique, custom-made machinery. This infrastructure is the most comprehensive of any textile program in the United States, beginning with fiber production and covering the entire textile supply chain through finished fabrics. These facilities serve several key functions: supporting undergraduate and graduate education, serving as the technical platform for graduate and faculty research, and providing testing and fabrication services for the textile industry. Knitting lab manager Brian Davis and dyeing and finishing lab manager Jeff Krauss will be on hand to discuss the center’s services and capabilities.
Textile Protection and Comfort Center (T-PACC)
T-PACC is the only academic center in the U.S. with the capacity to research, test and evaluate the comfort and protective performance of textile materials and garments in one location. At all stages of the development process, from fabric level/swatches to human subject evaluations for garment systems and ensembles, T-PACC offers unique opportunities to quantify, study, evaluate and compare the comfort and protective ability of a wide range of textile materials, from athletic wear to a firefighter’s protective garment.
The Comfort and Thermal Protection laboratories are state of the art, including testing systems like the sweating thermal manikin, an articulated, life-size model complete with a whole-body sweating surface and a movement system designed to imitate the action of walking.
Research assistants Sophie Guevel (Comfort) and Kyle Watson (Thermal Comfort) will be on site to answer questions and demonstrate equipment, including a sweating manikin hand and foot and an infrared camera.
Student Design and Industry Collaboration
For a glimpse into the capabilities and design innovation of NC State students, stop by the ‘Destination Durability’ designer area at the CORDURA® booth 39212 to see a capsule collection designed by College of Textiles graduate Jacob Shindler using CORDURA® Combat Wool™ fabrics.
“Sunrise Sunset” aims to blend eastern silhouettes with western styles to reflect the new traditions forged by displaced people in new areas. The collection was inspired by Shindler’s diverse background and the hybridization of cultures that influenced his upbringing. The collection was developed with resources at the College of Textiles at NC State including CAD software and industrial machines. Laser etching and digital printing also were used to create unique prints and patterns that emphasized a western style.
He previously worked with CORDURA® fabrics as part of a 2016 class project that challenged designers to create for the Millennial male. His current collection is a tribute to the company’s heritage-meets-innovation 50th anniversary theme.
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About NC State College of Textiles
The NC State University College of Textiles is recognized as the global leader in textile education, research and service. NC State produces more textile graduates per year than any other university in the country, leading the way in textile and fashion design, product development, brand marketing, basic and applied science, and engineering. The College of Textiles’ faculty and alumni foster research and new technologies that span the textile industry. Located on the award-winning Centennial Campus, the textile complex features more than 60 labs and studio spaces that provide opportunities for the development of innovative products and services, contributing to the economic, societal and intellectual prosperity of North Carolina and fueling worldwide economic development. For more information about the NC State College of Textiles, visit textiles.ncsu.edu.
Media Contact on site at Outdoor Retailer: Melissa Sharp 919.345.4201 mcgardne@ncsu.edu
Media Contact at NC State: Susan Fandel 919.515.6529 sefandel@ncsu.edu