A New Apparatus for the Study of Fabric Drape

Abstract

A new drape elevator is developed to analyze the drape generation mechanism. The drape elevator can measure drape shape, including node generation at various stages during drape formation. The drape elevator method indicates better reproducibility of the drape coefficient of the fabrics than the conventional method. The drape formation process is experimentally found to consist of three stages, seeds generation, their development, and the final stabilizing stages. A new parameter R, evaluating the shape of the drape, is defined in terms of the drape projection. Both the R parameter and the drape coefficient are expected to be useful parameters for the quantitative analysis of fabric drape formation.

Fabric objective measurement and drape

“…A test started with both table and disc at the same level and then the operator lowered the table until the tested sample became completely free and hung under its own weight (6.4 cm distance down the sample disc was enough to allow any tested sample to hang down). A digital camera was set above the drapemeter to record and capture the stages of drape generation [61]. They used their drapemeter to study the stages of drape formation.…”

“…The early stage has the most important role to determine the drape characteristics, however the final stage was responsible for the completion of this determination. The drape formation resulted from mutual relationships between the sample weight and bending properties, and the friction between the sample and the elevator table surface (in the drape elevator of Mizutani et al) [61].…”

“…Moreover, rheological parameters: Young's and shear modulus in warp and weft directions and Poisson's ratio were used [73]. where: r r was calculated along the whole contour of the drape projection,r r andr were radial coordinates of the drape projection, the radius of a circle with an area equal to that of the drape projection, and the radius of the sample holder [61].…”

“…Bending rigidity and recovery of different woven fabrics were measured at warp, weft and both bias directions. The bias direction had the lowest bending rigidity and recovery values, the nodes were generated in this direction [61].…”

“…This means that the rotation movement of the conventional Japanese drape tester caused disturbance of the drape shape which produced low repeatability. However, the drape elevator kept the sample tested more stable during testing [61].…”