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Gester Instruments | Professional Textile Testing Equipment Manufacturers Since 1997


Test Standard
Test Standard

Common methods of textile pilling test

1. Terms and Definitions: 

  • Fluff: The obvious surface change caused by the protruding of fibers on the surface of the fabric or the protruding of the fiber ends to form plush; A ball that passes through and produces a projection. Fluff changes and the formation of hairballs can occur during washing, dry cleaning, wearing or use.  

  • Pilling: The overweight of the hairball on the surface of the fabric. 


2. Overweighting of pilling: 

The basic unit of fabric is yarn, which is combed, stretched and rubbed during processing, and its surface is not smooth, and fluff will inevitably appear. In the process of weighing, the fabric is constantly subjected to the action of external force, so that the fluff or monofilament on the surface of the fabric is gradually pulled out. When the height and density of the hair reach a certain value, the continuous action of the friction of the external force makes the hair entangle into a ball. Protruding from the surface of the fabric, if the rigidity of the material is large, it will not easily fall off under the action of friction after pilling, and finally form a hair ball. Fabric pilling will deteriorate the appearance of the fabric and reduce its wearing performance, which is one of the important inspection items in trade transactions. 


3. Methods for testing the pilling performance of fabrics: 

  • 1. Martindale method: under the specified pressure, the circular sample on the sample fixture and the abrasive on the grinding table (the same fabric or wool fabric abrasive as the sample to be tested) Rub according to the Lissajous curve. The specimen is free to rotate about a central axis perpendicular to the plane of the specimen. After the specified rubbing period, the test specimens were rated for pilling and pilling using a visual description. Martindale Abrasion Tester 


  • 2. Pilling box method: The sample installed on the polyurethane tube is turned over randomly in a cork-lined wooden box with a constant rotation speed. After the specified number of inversions, the pilling performance was evaluated visually. 


  • 3. Random tumbling method: put the sample into the test box, under the rotation of the impeller, the cork lining of the storage box rubs continuously and randomly, and after the set time is reached, take out the sample rating.random-turning pilling tester 


  • 4. Circular trajectory method: According to the specified method and test parameters, use nylon brush and fabric abrasive or only fabric abrasive to make the sample rub and pill. The pilling performance was then assessed visually under specified lighting conditions. Circular Track Pilling Instrument More about Rolling Box Pilling Instrument: 


textile testing equipment are all following the most compatible manufacturing regulations.

During GESTER International Co.,Limited’s existence in a market we didn’t receive any negative feedback from our customers.

The tensile tester manufacturers textile testing equipment is also available as a tensile tester manufacturers.

We focus on operational procedure and manufacturing facilities of textile testing equipment.                                


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