Apollo Light Fastness Tester

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. is pleased to announce that leading retailer Marks & Spencer have officially approved their Apollo Xenon Arc Light & Weather Fastness Tester. Apollo is a highly advanced tester that reproduces sunlight and replicates a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels. Apollo was designed in consultation with industry leaders and is an accurate, reliable instrument with low running costs.

Another HEAL'S instrument to receive Marks and Spencer approval this year was Thermaplate colour fastness and thermal stability tester. In 2004, M&S also approved a range of HEALS Quality Assured Consumables, including Multifibre, Crocking Cloth and Grey Scales for staining and change in colour.

Presentation of Certificate to Michel Sermet of VVC (France) by HEALS MD David Repper

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. has just completed a global agents training programme at their head office in the United Kingdom. HEAL'S Agents from Turkey, France and Taiwan attended a 5 day programme of instrument training which included, Washing Solutions, Light Fastness Testing and Colour Fastness Testing on a range of HEALS quality control solutions. The training programme also included HEALS new Martindale tester, the '864', a flexible 4, 6 o r 8 position machine which was launched in September at ATME in the U.S.A

HEAL'S are dedicated to providing up-to-date, in-depth sales and calibration training for their agents and distributors, to ensure that each and every customer receives the highest level of service. Agents training programmes are held on a number of occasions throughout the year, with this session being the third one in 2004.

Training on the Nu-Martindale 864

Taiwan is one of the growing markets for HEALS and Business Development Manager Elliot Rich believes that it is vital for agents such as Go-In to be prepared for 2005. HEALS host over 20 international agents each year who leave Halifax with the most up to date information on a growing portfolio of products and services. Go-In's top sales manager, Mei Lan Wu, will also be visiting HEALS for official Agent Training in November 2004.

John Kent, Jet Kao, Diane Oldfield and Elliot Rich

Nu-Martindale 864 on HEAL'S stand

HEALS are delighted to announce their success at CITME 2004 at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing. HEALS are currently processing a number of enquiries and some significant projects from the exhibition. HEAL'S stand attracted in excess of 300 visitors, all of whom were high level decision makers in their respective companies

CITME was HEAL'S launch platform for their Nu-Martindale 864 abrasion tester to the Chinese market. Visitors to the exhibition commented on the cutting-edge design, easy access top plate and the flexibility of a user upgradeable 4, 6 or 8 position machine. Other machines exhibited by HEALS included Apollo Xenon Arc Lamp Light and Weather Fastness Tester, Titan Universal Strength Tester and TruBurst Intelligent Bursting Strength Tester. HEALS offered free samples of their range of Quality Assured Consumables samples including Multifibre, Crocking Cloth and the newly launched range of HEALS Reference Detergents.

HEALS stand at CITME 2004

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. will be showcasing their Nu-Martindale 864 Abrasion Tester at the 7th Indian International Textile Machinery Exhibition between in Mumbai. The 864 was officially launched in September as HEAL'S most flexible abrasion and pilling tester, an instrument available as a user upgradeable 4, 6 or 8 position machine. The 864 can be whatever you want it to be and whatever configuration you choose, there are no compromises to the performance of the machine.

Also to be exhibited at ITME is HEAL'S range of Quality Assured Consumables, including the brand new range of Quality Assured Reference Detergents, specially developed to meet the needs of all colour fastness and dimensional stability tests. HEAL'S Makeweights, Grey scales, Martindale and Yellowing consumables will also be showcased and samples will be available on the stand.

You will find HEAL'S from December 4th to 11th in Hall 6 of the Bombay Exhibition Centre, stand number N7. For more information, contact Rachel Bannister +44 1422 430671.

The launch of the latest addition to JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD.'s Martindale family; the Nu-Martindale 864 abrasion and pilling tester at ATME-I in the U.S.A attracted a range of visitors from the show to HEALS booth. HEALS showcased the 864 with local representatives ATI at the world-renowned ATME exhibition in Greenville U.S.A. The 864 is one of the most flexible Martindale abrasion testers available; boasting user upgradeable change of motion and an intuitive software programme. The 864's modern top plate design allows access to the abrading tables without having to lift it.

Over the ATME's 5 day show; HEALS staff saw visitors including Milliken and JC Penney and also noted a large number of visitors from the South Americas.

On display at ATME for the first time was HEAL'S recently launched Quality Assured Reference Detergents. HEALS launched the detergents to mark the 1st birthday of Quality Assured Consumables which were launched at ITMA last year.

As well as the 864, HEALS also exhibited Apollo Light and Weather Fastness tester, Thermaplate stability tester and the Mini-Martindale one-head abrasion tester.

HEALS Business Development team noted the quality of visitors to this years ATME despite the lower attendance levels than previous years.

HEAL'S Stand at ATME-I 2004

CITME will open at the China International Exhibition Center between October 12th and 16th where JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. will exhibit a range of quality control solutions with local agent Introtech Ltd.

HEALS International Sales Manager John Kent will be in attendance on the joint HEALS/Introtech stand (8D122). John commented that "China is an increasingly important market for HEALS; our continued attendance at this event to support to Introtech shows our commitment to further developing the market and improving our long-term profile in the Far East"

Among the instruments to be exhibited is HEAL'S Nu-Martindale 864, which was recently launched at ATME in the U.S.A. The 864 is typical of HEALS dedication to cutting edge, functional equipment and offers 4, 6, or 8 position functionality, with user upgradeable stations. The revolutionary top-plate allows comfortable access to the abrading tables and easy change between abrasion, pilling and straight line motions

Also to be exhibited at CITME are Apollo (Light Fastness and Weathering Tester), Titan (Universal Strength Tester) and TruBurst (Bursting Strength Tester).

HEAL'S Nu-Martindale 864 Abrasion & Pilling Tester

HEAL'S Titan Universal Strength Tester

David Repper, Managing Director of JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD., explains his Company's involvement in Consumables for testing textiles and the investment and vigilance required to produce satisfactory products.

By any yardstick, JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. has an outstanding reputation for its leading-edge portfolio of high quality, fabric and colour fastness testing instruments.

Apollo (colour fastness to light), Gyrowash (colour fastness to washing), Nu-Martindale (abrasion & pilling), Impulse (random tumble pilling), Titan (strength), Elmatear (tear strength), TruBurst (bursting strength) and FlexiBurn (flammability) are just some of the names which justify that reputation.

But, no matter how good the instrumentation, valid test results are only obtained, if all variables in the testing process are reduced to an acceptable minimum.

Simply put, that means using the right instruments, the right test methods and the right consumables. Consumables refer generally to anything, which is used or has to be renewed during a testing procedure - good examples are: multifibre and detergents in colour fastness testing, and abrasive cloth, felt and foam in Martindale abrasion/pilling testing.

It's easy to appreciate therefore the importance of consumables and how they are linked to the testing instruments themselves. In general, we have found that customers for new equipment prefer to buy it ready-for-testing and, when supplies of consumables run out, that they like to return to the same supplier.

In these circumstances, our consumables business was born, and so it remained for many years - we bought consumables from many reputable sources and resold them to our customers.

Gradually, and in parallel with other developments in testing, the level of business increased, until we arrived at a point, where we could seriously consider manufacturing consumables ourselves. For an engineering company devoted to designing and manufacturing textile testing instruments, this was to be a very bold move. One thing was clear from the start: to be successful, we had to get it right - so know-how and investment in facilities would be key factors.

To start off the project, we put together a team of textile technologists, headed by Dr Carol Graham - an acknowledged, world expert, and particularly in the colour fastness testing field. Following on, we built, on an empty floor, within our own factory, in Halifax, a dedicated Consumables Centre - this well-equipped and modern Centre has facilities for weaving, inspection, packaging, labelling, cutting and sewing. But all that was not quite enough - our aim was to make sure that the quality and consistency of our consumables is and remains beyond argument.

To achieve our goal, we installed a stringent and demanding quality assurance regime, designed to ensure that every product leaving the factory is compliant with its manufacturing specification and is fit for the purpose intended.

HEAL's new range of consumables was launched at the 2003 ITMA Exhibition in Birmingham, UK, under the branding: Quality Assured Consumables. To emphasise quality and fitness for purpose, the consumables are supplied in distinctive and easily recognisable packaging, and many include free of charge test reports - a further demonstration of compliance with relevant standards and of consistency.

For those, who still may feel resistant to change, we offer free samples of most products - try them for yourselves and don't change, unless you are convinced. Most importantly: changing to HEAL's consumables is likely to save you money - by using modern machinery and clever production techniques, most of our consumables are considerably cheaper than elsewhere.

Recent approvals, for our Quality Assured Consumables, from both Marks and Spencer and Next are further evidence of the suitability and validity of these new products.

As we reach the first birthday of the Consumables Centre, HEAL's Directors have just sanctioned further investment in production machinery and a general expansion of the facility, in order to keep pace with surging world-wide demand.

Caroline Dawson (HEAL'S Textile Technologist with Dave Mason and Carol Graham (HEAL'S Technical Applications Manager)

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. is excited to announce the official launch of their Nu-Martindale 864 ; a brand new machine which provides the ultimate flexibility and ease-of-use. The 864 is a competitively priced 4, 6 or 8 position machine which allows easy change between abrasion, pilling and straight line motions. The unique top plate design facilitates comfortable access to all eight abrading tables, without having to physically remove the top-plate; the user simply changes the parking position. The 864 also boasts a state-of-the-art touch screen graphic LCD which has intuitive and flexible software. This software allows the user to track different tests running at the same time. With up to eight test positions configured in two groups, the 864 is literally two machines-in-one. The 864 meets the requirements of every known national and international standard/test method and is fully supported by HEALINK global servicing and calibration.

The 864 will be on display on HEAL'S stand A718 at ATME in Greenville in the U.S.A between 13 - 17th September 2004 and also in Hall 8 stand 8D122 at CITME in China from 12 - 16 October 2004. For more information on the 864 or any other solution from HEALS please visit www.james-HEAL.co.uk or contact HEAL'S Sales Department on +44 1422 366355.

Mr John Kent (HEALS) with Mr Qadeer (Andal) Mr Jafri & Mr Abdullah (S.A.S.O)

Mr Rory Toes; Technical Manager for Truworths, South Africa recently paid a visit to JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. in Halifax, England. Mr Toes spent a day with the premier Textile Testing Equipment Manufacturer as part of an ongoing program that HEALS have set up to forge relationships with their customers.

Mr Toes was introduced to a number of key personnel at HEALS and went on a tour of HEALS factory and Purpose-Built Quality Assured Consumables Centre. During his time at HEALS, Mr Toes also looked at the use of Truworths' existing machines and the possibility of new instrumentation. The day was concluded with a presentation on future developments and partnerships.

Mr Toes commented that he found HEALS to be very focused on the capabilities of their instruments and liked the close work HEALS do with retailers around the world. He also commented that he found HEALS to be open and honest about what they can and can't do and noted with interest, their internal quality and traceability system. Mr Toes was particularly impressed with his tour of the Quality Assured Consumables Centre and commented that the Quality Assurance doesn't just stop with the products on offer, but stretches to internal procedures and after-sales support.

Mr Toes concluded that HEAL'S South African agent, Dutest, gives Truworths outstanding service at the drop of a hat and that he is looking forward to a strengthened relationship with JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD.

Training on Titan

HEALS' Stand at Bandungtex

The sixth Bandung Intertex Exhibition was held in Indonesia between 17th and 21st June 2004. HEAL'S local agent PT Multi Rajut Prima had exhibited at Bandungtex on a number of occasions, but JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. participated in the event for the first time this year. Visitors to the event were able to see HEAL'S 4-head Nu-Martindale abrasion tester and HEAL'S Crockmaster and speak with International Sales Manager John Kent about their requirements. HEAL'S stand attracted a record number of visitors who received samples of HEALS range of Quality Assured Consumables, inculding Multifibre, Crocking Cloth and sample Yellowing kits.

HEALS are dedicated to providing continuing support in the important Indonesian market and are very pleased at the event's success .

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. Textile Testing Equipment manufacturer will be exhibiting at the biggest shows around the globe in the next 6 months. HEALS will be involved in ATME, CITME and ITME.

ATME-I 2004 will take place in September in Greenville U.S.A where more than 400 exhibitors will show the latest industry developments to the American market. HEALS will be exhibiting a wide range of instruments including Titan Universal Strength Tester, SnagPod Snagging Resistance Tester and their range of Nu-Martindale abrasion testers; including the Mini-Martindale one-head tester. HEALS have been working with local American agent Advanced Testing Instruments (ATI) to prepare for the show. HEALS will be located in hall A on stand 718. ATI have complimentary tickets to distribute to companies who are planning to visit HEALS stand at the exhibition.

In Bejing in October, CITME 2004 will open at the China International Exhibition Center. Following the huge success at ShanghaiTex in 2003, HEALS will once again link up with agent Introtech Limited to showcase a range of solutions for Quality Control and Textile Testing.

The 7th India International Textile Machinery Exhibition will take place in Mumbai in December. HEALS will exhibit at ITME with local agent Eurotech.

HEALS continuing investment in global events further strengthens their position in and commitment to, the industry. If you require any further information on HEALS events, please visit www.james-HEAL.co.uk or contact Rachel Bannister on +44 1422 430671.

Irena Markus of Shenkar College, Israel visited JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. earlier this week. Irena is the Head of Textile and Chemical Testing at Shenkar College and is also a Marks & Spencer Accreditor. Ms Markus was in the UK for the M&S Accreditor's conference which took place in London on 23rd June. HEALS had presented at the conference on the topic of Calibration and Servicing and Ms Markus was invited to spend a day at HEALS to gain a greater awareness of their expertise on equipment, consumables and calibration services.

The visit programme included a demonstration of HEAL'S Apollo Xenon Arc Light and Weather Fastness Tester and other instruments in HEAL'S in-house lab. HEALINK after-sales department presented on the topic of calibration and servicing and finally Ms Markus was taken on a tour of HEAL'S production facilities and new purpose-built Quality Assured Consumables centre.

Shenkar college have been a HEAL'S customer for many years and have amongst other instruments, a Wascator, Pilling Tester and Martindale-Abrasion Tester.

Irena Markus and Amanda McLaren (Purchasing Manager) with HEAL'S Multifibre loom

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD.'s recent attendance at the International Textile Machinery Exhibition in Turkey has been hailed as a great success. The event took place between 1st and 6th June in Istanbul where HEALS and local agent Aygenteks exhibited a range of Quality Control and Textile Testing equipment.

HEALS sales and technical staff were present on the stand and received a staggering amount of enquiries on the displayed instruments. Many companies at the event commented on HEAL'S reputation for Quality instrumentation and HEALINK after-sales service and cited this as the main reason for visiting the stand.

HEALS Quality Assured Consumables were officially launched at ITM where visitors received free samples of Quality Assured Multifibre, Crocking Cloth and Yellowing Test sample kits. HEALS instruments exhibited included Apollo Xenon Arc Light and Weather Fastness Tester, TruBurst Intelligent Bursting Strength Tester and Universal Strength Tester Titan.

As well as Turkish visitors, ITM saw a large number of visitors from Syria and Iran. HEALS found the opportunity to speak to companies from these markets invaluable and will be conducting visits to these countries in the near future

Aygenteks Managing Director, Ahmet Aygen, commented that ITM was extremely successful and allowed him to conclude a number of sales.

HEALS Instruments on display at ITM

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. is investing in the future; over the past 3 years, significant investments have taken place across the business. Improvements in manufacturing capabilities have greatly improved HEAL'S ability to meet the constantly progressing textile market. The investments in new machines include a Vertical Machining Centre (VMC) for processing metal parts and a punching machine for the sheet metal department; these instruments have made HEAL'S production department one of the most efficient and cost effective in the industry.

However, it is the most recent purchase of an LVD Press Brake which further puts the textile testing instrument provider at the cutting edge of manufacturing. The Press Brake will revolutionise the way that sheet metal is processed for the production of testing instrumentation and is the single largest expenditure on a machine in the history of HEAL'S.

A detailed 3-D drawing is shared between HEAL'S expert design team's Computer Aided Design (CAD) system and the production department's Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) system. The designers are able to construct a 3-D component and the production team can manufacture a virtual part and construct a programme to operate the press brake; this process has come to be known as Rapid Prototyping. All production work is proven and tested before the metal has even been cut; offering right-first-time production.

Other HEALS investments have included an ongoing program of intensive training for agents; investment in new staff including production staff and service engineers and a brand new purpose built Quality Assured Consumables Centre, which was opened in September. The Consumables Centre has facilities for narrow fabric weaving, inspection, testing, cutting, sewing, labelling and packaging.

HEALS' Agents at the March 2004 Training Programme

Training on the Nu-Martindale

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. is proud to announce Marks & Spencer approval for their Quality Assured Consumables brand. The news comes as a further boost for a product range which is being extremely well received all over the world. Leading UK retailer, Marks & Spencer, have approved 3 products from the Quality Assured Consumables range. HEAL'S Multifibre Adjacent Fabric Type DW, HEAL'S Cotton Lawn and Crocking Cloths and HEAL'S Grey Scales for Colour Change and Staining. Quality Assured Consumables are a guarantee of fitness for purpose, consistent with HEAL'S reputation for producing world-class, leading-edge instrumentation.

Quality Assured Consumables are available from HEAL'S agents around the world. If you require further information on any HEAL'S solution, please visit our website www.james-HEAL.co.uk or call +44 1422 366355 to speak to our sales department.

Aygenteks, agents for JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. in Turkey, will be exhibiting at the International Textile Machinery Exhibition in Istanbul between 1st and 6th June 2004. ITM is expected to attract over 50,000 visitors, from Turkey, North Africa, Eastern Europe, the Far East and the Middle East. For those companies who didn't make it to ITMA 2003, in Birmingham, it's the perfect opportunity to see the new products available from HEAL'S.

Aygenteks will have their largest ever Exhibition Stand at ITM; with 75% dedicated to HEAL'S range of textile testing products. A number of HEAL'S new product developments will be showcased including new xenon arc light and weather fastness tester; Apollo. Also to be exhibited are HEAL'S Nu-Martindale range, intelligent bursting strength tester; Truburst and universal strength tester; Titan.

ITM will be the launch-platform for the new range of Quality Assured Consumables from HEALS; Not only is the range guaranteed fit-for-purpose, but also money and time saving, provided with expert applications support and immediately available from local stockists. The range of Quality Assured Consumables includes Multifibre, crocking cloths, grey scales, makeweights, yellowing test materials and Martindale consumables

Aygenteks Managing Director, Ahmet Aygen, expects the exhibition to be extremely successful and to bring him further substantial business, in all areas of activity. Members of both Aygenteks and HEAL'S staff will be available in Hall 1 Stand 105/A to discuss your requirements.

Aygenteks staff Ahmet Aygen, Gursel Culpan and Kemel Kolelioglu in their Istanbul office

HEAL's machines on show at Igatex

Igatex 3rd International Garment, Textile and Leather, Machinery, Accessories and Fabric Exhibition recently took place in Karachi Pakistan. JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. local agent, Al Ameen exhibited at the event.

More than 220 companies from 23 countries participated at the exhibition, which attracted over 20,000 visitors and is now the largest international textile trade show in the region. The Al Ameen stand displayed universal strength tester Titan, which now has a yarn testing facility and enhanced printing facility. Also showcased was HEAL'S Nu-Martindale 408 and HEAL'S Automatic Crockmaster for colour fastness to rubbing. HEAL'S new range of Quality Assured Consumables was available to delegates, who received samples of HEAL'S Multifibre and Crocking Cloth. Quality Assured Consumables are guaranteed fit-for-purpose, money saving and have time-saving packaging.

IGATEX is an important show for Pakistan as the industry increasingly competes on a global level. HEAL'S are well placed to provide cutting edge technology and tailored solutions for a wide range of testing requirements and are committed to the further development of quality control and testing in Pakistan.

For more information, please contact Al Ameen or JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. via www.james-HEAL.co.uk

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. in Halifax, England, would like to announce the retirement of Mr. Julio Bosch, Managing Director of their Spanish representative, Bastos Y Cía, S.A. Mr. Bosch recently visited HEALS' head office to announce an order for two six-head Nu-Martindale machines and to say farewell to his British colleagues. During the visit, HEALS Managing Director, David Repper, presented Mr. Bosch with an engraved Microscopic Pick-Counter as a retirement gift. Mr. Bosch has worked for Bastos for 25 years, during which time; Bastos have represented HEALS for 20 years. All the staff at JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. would like to take this opportunity to wish him a very happy and HEALthy retirement.

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. provide premier Textile Testing Machinery, Quality Assured Consumables and HEALINK global servicing and calibration. Spain has always been a very important market for all these products and services and HEALS look forward to a continued partnership with Bastos. New Consejero Delgado (Managing Director) Mr. German Panades visited HEALS for the first time with Mr Bosch to meet the HEALS team and cement the partnership. Two technicians from Bastos will be visiting HEALS during March for intensive Technical and Applications training. Bastos Y Cía have two offices in Spain; one at Centelles, near Barcelona and the other at Alcoi, near Alicanti.

Mr. Julio Bosch of Bastos receiving his retirement gift from Mr David Repper, Managing Director of JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD.

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. are pleased to announce that they are now members of the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry. HEALS were approached earlier in the year by the ASBCI to present on the topic of quality control and testing at their AGM in Nottinghamshire. Phillip Blackburn, HEALS new International Sales Manager presented 'Testing Times' to an esteemed group of ASBCI members. Mr Blackburn's presentation dealt with some of the important issues affecting the UK textile industry and discussed some of JAMES HEAL's most important projects including new instruments such as the Mini-MartindaleTM abrasion tester and Xenon Arc Light Fastness and Weather Fastness Tester Apollo.

For further information on solutions from JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. for the United Kingdom, please contact Phillip Blackburn 01422 430675. For the rest of the world, please call 01422 366355 or email rachel.bannister@james-HEAL.co.uk

The foundation of Quality Control and Testing is based on three principles: Quality Assurance for your customers, control of production and saving money to increase profit. Although investment in quality control can be expensive, costs can be justified through the increased reliability of your products, which can save time and money through Right-First-Time production.

There is a need for customer assurance and conformity to international standards and credible results only come as a result of rigid procedures, technical competence and certified instrumentation. Wrong Quality Control decisions can have huge repercussions for all parts of your business.

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. have always believed that their customers' success is their own success, especially as quality is as important in our business functions as it is in yours. We were the first manufacturer of textile testing machinery to be accredited to give UKAS certification with our machines.

Both UKAS and ISO 17025 certification is vital in today's business climate; without accurate lab apparatus and test methods, many companies can not conform to their end users' requirements. It is for this reason that JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. are concerned with Continuous Improvement. Calibration of HEALS machinery is requested from many of our customers on an annual basis: this ensures apparatus operates within specified tolerances and is functioning in accordance with requirements. All HEAL's instruments are part of an ongoing evaluation process to ensure that they meet changing market needs.

As textile testing and quality control become ever more important: JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD., the UK's premier textile testing instrument manufacturer, aim to always be at the leading edge of new product development and are champions of best practice for industry development. HEAL's portfolio of solutions are of the highest possible quality and the instruments are designed By Users for Users.

One of most exciting development projects in the past year has been, SnagPod . HEALS brought together some of the most respected names in the industry to create a new instrument to test for snagging. With PPT, Technicare, Intertek Testing Services and Jaeger on board, the Snagging Form was created. The first forum meeting was held in December 2000 and at ITMA 2003 in the UK, SnagPod was launched. This is a perfect example of the importance of industry collaboration for best practice.

HEAL's solutions ensure that even the most unusual testing methods can be carried out, through instrumentation like the Mini-Martindale TM . This one-head martindale abrasion tester can be used for the small and unusual applications. The Mini-Martindale TM is a flexible instrument, which complements HEAL's existing range of Nu-Martindale abrasion testers.

As well as new product development, HEALS are involved in a program of product improvement to ensure that their range of solutions meets the changing needs of the industry. Recent improvements include Thermaplate dry heat shrinkage and sublimation fastness tester - now Marks & Spencer approved - and TruBurst bursting strength tester which now has a cyclic testing facility - repeated inflations can be carried out on same specimen to test for example knee-bagging on trousers and the fabric's ability to recover.

HEALS offer a wealth of expertise in their technical, design and after-sales teams. New Xenon Arc Light Fastness and Weather Tester, Apollo , was designed over a two year period by a dedicated team. It offers the ability to measure and control irradiance through a HEAL's developed device called SolarSens. SolarSens can operate on three wave lengths which are programmed into Apollo's test parameters. HEALS have managed to develop a superior machine which is also cost effective.

Quality Assured Consumables from HEALS are a new range of reference materials that are guaranteed fit-for-purpose and conform to test standards. Each package is designed with the user in mind for simplicity of use in the laboratory and quality is certified by HEALS. A substantial investment was made in 2003 in a purpose built consumables centre on site in their Halifax factory. This consumables centre is a symbol of HEALS commitment to continuous improvement and allows them to offer a full range of Quality Assured Consumables to the Textile Industry.

HEALS understand the importance of new international standards and our staff sit on many standards bodies such as AATCC, ISO and BSI to gain a better understanding of upcoming issues. One of these issues is BS EN ISO 13772: 2003 for flammability on curtains and drapes. Realising the impact of this new standard, HEALS are currently redeveloping their flammability tester to better serve the needs of the market and meet requirements of the new standard.

As well as supplying quality instruments, HEALS calibrate all machines on site and provide superb after-sales servicing through 'HEALINK' . HEALINK provide an accomplished, affordable and accessible response to the rapidly-growing, worldwide demand for professional servicing and re-calibration. As well as a comprehensive field calibration service, an ongoing internal review of calibration and certification methods ensures the validity of HEALS certification.

Quality Control and Testing will only become increasingly important in the future and it is vital that the industry works together to ensure that standards evolve and instrumentation evolves with those standards.

Marks & Spencer have just announced their approval forJAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD.'s colour fastness and thermal stability tester, Thermaplate . This is more good news for a product which has been very well received since its launch at ITMA 2003, where new features demonstrating the instrument's superiority were showcased to the industry. Thermaplate's applications include colour fastness to dry heat, hot pressing, sublimation fastness tests and thermal stability.

Both the top and bottom plates of Thermaplate heat up independently, allowing the user to tailor testing to their specific needs; it is compact and safe, conforming to all relevant British, European, American and Retailer's standards. Thermaplate is exceptionally user friendly and unlike previous machines, is suitable for both left and right-handed use. The temperature control and auto timing are second-to-none and timing starts as soon as the lid is closed for much more accurate results.

Also available with Thermaplate is a comprehensive range of Quality Assured Consumables from HEALS. This new range of consumables has been tested vigorously, so you can be assured of the highest quality. For Thermaplate , the relevant range includes; HEALS Multifibre, Grey Scales, as well as Felt and Cotton Limbric (cut-to-size in order to achieve the correct operating pressures).

Thermaplate is fully supported by HEALINK -the world-leading Maintenance and Calibration Service from HEALS - covering installation, operator training, regular maintenance, ISO/IEC 17025 compliant calibration and on-line technical and applications support.

If you require further details on Thermaplate, or any other testing solution, please contact HEALS or your local agent quoting Newsflash:

Phone: + 44 (0) 1422 366355

Email:info@james-HEAL.co.uk

Fax: To Rachel Bannister, Marketing Co-ordinator + 44 (0) 1422 352440

JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. would like to take this opportunity to thank you for visiting our stand at ITMA 2003 and remind you of the new product launches and developments from the exhibition.

ITMA 2003, held in October at the NEC in Birmingham, has been hailed as an enormous success. Over an eight day period, 125,000 visitors were treated to the latest industry developments. Some of the most exciting of these developments were unveiled by JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD., world leader in the design and manufacture of physical and colour fastness testing equipment, who were proud to launch an array of brand new products to industry representatives.

The launch of HEALS xenon arc light and weather fastness tester, Apollo, designed through consultation with users in the textile industry, was met with great enthusiasm. Apollo's specification is a significant improvement on existing products and it is available at almost half the price of its market rivals. Apollo delivers three different spectral measurements and accommodates 11 specimen holders, giving it the ability to meet the highest product performance standards.

HEALS has long been recognised as the authority on martindale abrasion and pilling testing and at ITMA2003 launched the brand-new Mini-Martindale. HEALS was the first instrument provider to manufacture a six-station instrument and responding to current market demands, have now fulfilled the need for a lower cost, single-head machine. This will allow users to bring testing in-house and it becomes possible, through additional features, to test a range of unusual applications.

Involvement in overall industry development has always been important to HEALS. The new snagging resistance tester, SnagPod, is the result of a joint development forum between Coats plc, HEALS, Intertek Testing Services, PPT and Technicare Services. SnagPod offers more realistic testing of snagging on knitted and woven fabrics and is delivered with a detailed test procedure covering specimen preparation. It can be attached to HEALS ICI Pilling Tester and Orbitor.

Pam Sharrott of Technicare Services says of the Snagging Forum "Technicare view HEALS as an essential business partner, now and in the future. The co-operation between the users and solutions providers in the industry is essential in order to create new and effective instruments. The Snagging Forum facilitated the development of a high quality snag-testing instrument, which fulfils specific user needs."

Quality Assured Consumables from HEALS, launched at ITMA 2003, are cost-effective, convenient to use and many contain a test report guaranteeing their fitness for purpose. At ITMA, free samples of HEALS Multifibre Adjacent Fabric, complete with test reports, were showcased to delegates. Aygenteks, HEALS agents in Turkey report "there have been many positive comments from the market in respect to the quality and the presentation of HEALS new Quality Assured Consumables."

With the addition of Quality Assured Consumables to the already renowned world-class testing instruments and HEALINK's full after sales and calibration service, JAMES H. HEAL & CO. LTD. can now confidently offer a total quality solution to the textile market. HEALS have been UKAS accredited since 1999 and have recently updated their accreditation to the new standard BS EN ISO17025.

The colour fastness and stability tester, Thermaplate, was also launched at ITMA 2003. The top and bottom plates on the instrument heat up independently, allowing the user to tailor their testing to their specific needs. Thermaplate is compact and safe and complies with all relevant European, American and retailers' standards.

Along with the new product launches, HEALS had improvements to announce to its existing product portfolio. The digital tear tester; Elmatear, is a revised machine with improved jaws, which can now be connected to a PC to process results. The Titan Universal Strength Tester is now yarn friendly and has an enhanced printing facility for test results. HEALS have developed an advanced version of TruBurst bursting strength tester, for cyclic testing and HEALS now offer a new and cleverly designed range of hand and motorised Crockmaster instruments.

Following the exhibition, HEALS Managing Director David Repper commented "We have never experienced an ITMA like it - we are literally overwhelmed by the positive reaction to our new light fastness tester and to our brand new range of Quality Assured Consumables."

When asked about plans for the future, Mr Repper said "We are presently formulating an even more challenging Design and Development Programme for the next ITMA and our customers may expect another series of exciting innovations from HEALS".

ITMA Asia will take place in 2005 and will be followed by ITMA 2007 in Munich. HEALS is already committed to both events. If you are interested in any of the solutions available from HEALS, please feel free to drop us an email rachel.bannister@james-HEAL.co.uk, visit our website www.james-HEAL.co.uk or call Elliot Rich on +44 (0) 1422 430650.