Cramerton, N.C.-based textile marketer LookChina Inc. has developed a lightweight, four-way-stretch
3-D spacer fabric for apparel, medical, footwear, sporting goods and general industrial
applications. According to the company, QuikSlim®, a 90/10 polyester/Lycra® fabric weighing 310
grams per square meter, offers breathability, compression and cushioning, stretch and recovery,
durability, and insulating properties; differing from comparable traditional laminated products in
that it requires no adhesives or latex and offers cushioning without the use of foam or similar
materials. It also can be machine-washed and tumble-dried, and does not ravel when cut.
Apparel applications include compression apparel especially for active sports, where the
combination of compression with temperature regulation and moisture management can enhance the
wearer’s comfort as well as performance in terms of aerodynamics and freedom of movement.
LookChina points out that traditional two-way-stretch compression articles for medical
applications do not distribute the compression evenly and also do not have good elastic memory,
whereas QuikSlim’s four-way stretch provides more even compression distribution and – along with
its breathability, thermal insulation and cushioning function – better encourages recovery and
healing after reconstructive surgery or aesthetic enhancement procedures and helps the skin reshape
to new body contours, for example, due to pregnancy or following childbirth, or liposuction or
spinal realignment, among other conditions.
For apparel, the company is offering QuikSlim in 12 colors for the 2010 season. In addition,
Dr. Johnson Wu, a textile engineer with LookChina, said two companies are conducting trials using
the fabric to develop prototype products for medical applications. The patent-pending fabric’s
construction can be modified to meet specific needs by using different yarns and changing the
spacer gauge.
November 24, 2009
