| 59 INDUSTRY NZWTA Wool Testing Accuracy guaranteed NZWTA has developed a strong international reputation for technical expertise, providing customers with extensive information as to product characteristics and compliance. Sue Russell COMPLIANCE, ASSURANCE AND WHAT DOES THAT RESULT MEAN? Your trusted laboratory partner 06 835 1086 textiles@nzwta.co.nz Bison Workwear and Arcguard High Risk Workwear is designed and developed in New Zealand! Our products have been helping workers like you to stay safe for more than 40 years. Part of our commitment to this safety has been working alongside NZWTA to make sure our workwear is tested and compliant. For over two decades we have put our trust in NZWTA because we know the people and equipment is second to none. Christian, Lorraine and the team are always ready to go above and beyond with any compliance questions we have. NZWTA offer a great service, the most up to date equipment and easy to read reports that we can share with our customers. Working together we have been able to develop strategic testing processes to test fabrics directly from our suppliers around the world. We are looking forward to our continued relationship with NZWTA in the years to come. Thanks NZWTA! PARAMOUNTSAFETY.CO.NZ/BISON PROUD TO BE WORKING WITH THE NZWTA TEAM NZWTA operates out of its Napier laboratory facility, testing wool, textiles and materials used across a wide range of industries in New Zealand and around the world. Customer Service and Business Development Manager David Alexander says the experienced laboratory technicians and state of the art testing technologies mean NZWTA has grown a reputation for providing customers with timely and extensive information as to product characteristics and compliance. “We do a lot of compliance work, quality assurance and assisting companies in the new product development phase to set up test regimes for new products. It’s about being able to prove that the material actually does meet the performance standards it says it does with certainty, so it can be marketed with the appropriate certifications or standards attached to satisfy the Consumer Guarantees and Fair-Trading Acts. While headquartered in Napier, NZWTA also has branches in Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. Along with New Zealand-based testing facilities, NZWTA Textiles and Material Testing network extends to Australia and China. And for product developers, NZWTA can help them determine the level, or standard, they need to test a product to, in order to sell into various markets and uses. “We’ve developed a strong international reputation for technical expertise. Our laboratory is accredited by International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ). We pride ourselves on our customer service and the accuracy of our work.” Asked about some current trends in testing, David says that a lot of work is being done on testing hard flooring systems to prove whether they allow any water to permeate the surface. “These technologies are increasingly being used in New Zealand homes, so it is vital they perform to a high healthy standard and meet the New Zealand Building Code section E3. If water can get through it can become the breeding ground for mould which presents with significant health risks.” Examples of a few types of testing undertaken straddle flammability, safety products, children and infant clothing, chemical testing and testing of retro-reflective materials used in safety clothing. “We even test the orange road cones in order to assess they are the right colour orange and that the reflector bands do their job.” A significant amount of testing of flammability in foam mattresses is also undertaken. Working in the fabric and textiles testing division is a team of four and David says a considerable amount of time is spent talking with customers before and after a product test has taken place. “We have a wealth of knowledge and expertise in Lorraine Greer as customer technical support and as a result we are able to explain to customers fully what it means if a product passes a standard and what they need to do if a product fails.” Materials can be tested for strength and how much they can withstand wear and tear, exposure to light and humidity, pilling and damage to the surface’s integrity. “Manufacturers want to be assured that the wearability of their products as claimed is true and we have a range of tests that have been developed to prove whether or not they are. These tests are for international and national standards”.
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