Development of Terminology to Describe the Handfeel Properties of Paper and Fabrics

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Understanding the tactile feel of paper, nonwoven, and woven products requires a valid and reliable sensory evaluation method which discriminates and describes handfeel properties. The Handfeel Spectrum Descriptive Analysis method separates the sensory tactile properties of paper and fabrics into clearly defined characteristics that are based on sound physical properties. The benefit of using a trained descriptive sensory panel is that resulting analytical sensory data allow full documentation of a sample's sensory tactile properties that can be related to consumer responses and instrumental physical tests. This benefit derives from strict protocols for manipulation and the use of precisely defined terms to discriminate and describe the qualitative properties (characteristics) and their relative intensities (strength) in each product. This paper discusses in detail the protocols for (1) sample preparation, presentation, and handling during evaluation, (2) the definition and scale range for each sensory attribute/characteristic and (3) the application of these data to address business and technical situations with consumer products.

Sensing the fabric: to simulate sensation through sensory evaluation and in response to standard acceptable properties of specific materials when viewed as a digital image

“…The first phase of the work has concentrated on setting up representations of simple mechanical variables using existing hardware and established software tools 7 . Logitech's Wingman mouse has been chosen as a low-cost haptic interface device.…”

“…touchstroke. 5,6,7 Touch Evaluation A procedure was developed to allow a restricted form of tactile evaluation which would simulate as closely as possible the conditions under which the Wingman mouse would be used. This procedure is summarised below.…”

“…5 10. Some parameters of fabrics can be identified with simple physical variables 5,6,7 . Other parameters are more complex and will require more than one variable to define them.…”

Development and Application of New Psychophysical Methods for the Characterization of the Handfeel and Comfort Properties of Military Clothing Fabrics

“…Civille and Dus [9] reviewed previously published studies on the development of sensory handfeel attributes, terminology, and systems. Confirming several earlier analyses [6,7,18] they concluded that there were significant deficiencies in the published methods in terms of the development of primary (discrete and independent) tactile characteristics, the operationalization of terminology and evaluation procedures, proper scaling methodology, subject/panelist training, and general test protocols and controls.…”

“…While the next 50 years produced a growing volume of literature on these topics, the study of the human responses to clothing materials suffered from a lack of theoretical models to guide research in the field. As a result, the field was plagued by idiosyncratic and undefined terminology, a lack of operational constructs, confusion over the type of panelists to use, failure to adopt modern psychophysical techniques, and general confusion in communication about fabric attributes and qualities [6][7][8][9].…”