Webbing Testing

Webbing testing mainly conducts scientific testing and analysis on physical and mechanical property testing, colour fastness testing, dimensional stability testing, durability and aging testing, and safety and functional characteristic testing, objectively assessing the product quality grade and issuing a detailed test report, providing a basis for manufacturers' quality control and downstream users' product acceptance.

Testing Items

Physical and mechanical property testing: This is the core of webbing testing, mainly evaluating the performance of the webbing under force. The key items include the tensile breaking strength and elongation, used to measure the ability of the webbing to resist breakage and extension; the elongation at a specified load reflects the deformation characteristics under a specific load; the abrasion resistance test simulates the friction loss in actual use; and the tearing strength evaluates the ability of the webbing to resist the propagation of a cut, which is particularly important for safety products such as safety belts.

Colour fastness testing: Evaluates the stability of the webbing colour under the action of various external factors. It mainly includes the colour fastness to rubbing (dry and wet rubbing), judging whether daily friction will cause colour transfer; the colour fastness to water spotting and perspiration, examining the influence of human perspiration or water on the colour; the colour fastness to light tests the fading of the colour under sunlight or artificial light sources; and the colour fastness to washing simulates the colour retention ability during the washing process, ensuring stable colour lustre throughout the life cycle of the product.

Dimensional stability testing: Measures the degree of the dimensional change of the webbing after specific treatments, directly affecting the assembly and use precision of the product. It mainly includes the dimensional change rate after washing, evaluating the shrinkage or elongation of the webbing after washing and drying; the thermal shrinkage tests the dimensional retraction of the webbing under heating conditions; in addition, it also includes the precise measurement of the width, thickness and mass per unit length, which are the basic indicators for controlling the product consistency and cost.

Durability and aging testing: Simulates the performance decay of the webbing under long-term use or harsh environments. The main items include the fatigue resistance, testing its structural integrity through repeated loading and unloading; UV aging resistance, evaluating the influence of sunlight exposure on the strength, colour and material; hydrolysis resistance (especially for chemical fibre webbings), testing the molecular chain breakage in a damp heat environment; and chemical resistance, examining its changes after contact with detergents, perspiration and so on.

Safety and functional characteristic testing: Special tests for webbings of specific uses. For safety webbings such as automobile seat belts and climbing ropes, dynamic impact tests, static strength tests and seam efficiency evaluation need to be carried out. For flame-retardant webbings, the afterflame time, afterglow time and damaged length need to be determined. In addition, it also includes testing items such as the antistatic performance, waterproofness, high and low temperature resistance and mold resistance under specific environments.

Testing Scope

Coverage by material type: The testing scope covers webbings of all common materials. This mainly includes chemical fibre webbings represented by nylon (polyamide), polyester and polypropylene, testing their strength, thermal properties and chemical resistance; natural fibre webbings such as cotton and linen, focusing on testing their moisture absorption, abrasion resistance and colour fastness; high-performance fibre webbings such as aramid and high-strength high-modulus polyethylene, focusing on special tests such as the ultimate strength, high-temperature resistance and impact resistance; and composite structure webbings such as blended and core-spun webbings.

Coverage by weaving process: Targeted testing is carried out according to different weaving structures. Plain webbing is the most basic testing object, focusing on its dimensional stability and basic strength; for twill and satin webbings, testing needs to consider their structural slippage and appearance retention; for knitted webbings (such as crocheted and warp-knitted webbings), the elastic recovery rate and bursting strength are mainly tested; for shuttless webbings (such as braided and braided webbings), attention needs to be paid to their edge stability and abrasion uniformity.

Coverage by application field: Testing serves a wide range of terminal applications. For webbings used as garment accessories (such as shoulder straps and binding tapes), the colour fastness, shrinkage and handle are mainly focused on; for webbings used in luggage and shoe materials, the peeling strength, abrasion resistance and flexing resistance are emphasized; for webbings used in outdoor equipment and safety protection (such as climbing ropes and safety belts), strict mechanical property and durability tests must be carried out; and for webbings used in the automobile industry, the specific safety and environmental protection regulations for vehicle interior materials need to be met.

Coverage of finishing processes: The testing scope extends to the evaluation of various finishing effects. For dyed and printed webbings, the various colour fastness items need to be systematically tested; for coated or laminated webbings (such as waterproof and reflective tapes), the coating peeling strength, washing and abrasion resistance and functional durability need to be tested; for webbings with functional finishes such as flame retardancy, UV resistance and antibacterial properties, the functional effectiveness and durability need to be verified; and for decorative treatments such as hot stamping and screen printing, the adhesion firmness needs to be evaluated.

Coverage of the whole product life cycle: Testing runs through the whole process of product development, production and quality control. This includes the incoming inspection of the raw materials (yarns), such as the fineness, strength and colour difference; the online inspection during production, such as the width, mass and appearance defects; the comprehensive performance inspection before the finished products leave the factory; and the performance evaluation and benchmarking analysis of new products for R&D, ensuring that the product meets the requirements from the source to the terminal.

Testing Methods

Tensile property test method: Mainly in accordance with standards such as GB/T 3923.1, ISO 13934-1 and ASTM D5034. A constant rate of extension (CRE) type strength tester is adopted. The specimen of the specified size is clamped in the grips and stretched at a constant rate until breakage, recording the maximum strength (breaking strength) and the corresponding elongation. For elastic webbings, a fixed-elongation elastic recovery rate test also needs to be carried out, i.e., after stretching to the specified elongation and holding for a certain time, the residual deformation during the recovery process is measured.

Colour fastness test method: In accordance with the GB/T 3920-3922 and ISO 105 standard series. For the colour fastness to rubbing, a rubbing fastness tester is used, and dry and wet standard white cloths are rubbed on the surface of the specimen for a specified number of times, and the grey scale is used to assess the staining grade of the white cloth. For the colour fastness to perspiration and water spotting, the specimen is attached to an adjacent fabric, immersed in a solution containing simulated perspiration or distilled water, placed at a constant temperature under a standard pressure, and after drying, the change in colour and staining grades are assessed.

Abrasion resistance test method: The common methods include the Martindale abrasion method (GB/T 21196, ISO 12947) and the flex abrasion method (such as ASTM D3885). In the Martindale method, the circular specimen is subjected to a Lissajous trajectory motion against a standard abrasive under a constant pressure, and the number of frictions when the specimen is worn through is recorded, or the appearance change after a specific number of times is observed. The flex abrasion method simulates the wear of the fabric in a bent state, and is suitable for evaluating the durability of the webbing at frequently bent parts.

Dimensional stability test method: The dimensional change rate after washing test is in accordance with GB/T 8628-8629 and ISO 5077. After the specimen marked with reference points is washed and dried under standard washing conditions (specific water temperature, detergent and mechanical action), the change rate of the distance between the reference points is measured to calculate the shrinkage. For the thermal shrinkage test, the specimen is usually placed in an oven or hot air at a specified temperature for a certain time, and its dimensional change is measured after cooling.

Safety performance special test method: For automobile seat belt webbings, dynamic tests need to be carried out in accordance with regulations such as GB 14166 and ECE R16. A dummy model is used on a sled to simulate the crash environment, testing the restraint performance, strength and elongation of the webbing. For the flame retardancy test, the vertical burning method is commonly used (such as GB/T 5455): the specimen is vertically hung, ignited with a specified flame for a certain time, and after the fire source is removed, the afterflame time, afterglow time and damaged length are recorded.

Testing Standards

Domestic Standards:

1. GB/T 3923.1-2013, Textiles — Tensile properties of fabrics — Part 1: Determination of breaking force and elongation at breaking force using the strip method

2. GB/T 3920-2024, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Colour fastness to rubbing

3. GB/T 5455-2014, Textiles — Burning behaviour — Determination of damaged length, afterglow time and afterflame time

4. GB 18401-2010, National general safety technical code for textile products

International Standards:

1. ISO 105, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness

2. ISO 13934-1, Textiles — Tensile properties of fabrics — Part 1: Determination of maximum force and elongation at maximum force using the strip method

3. ISO 12947, Textiles — Determination of the abrasion resistance of fabrics by the Martindale method

4. ASTM D5034, Standard Test Method for Breaking Strength and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (Grab Test)

Note: The applicable standard can be selected according to the product use and customer trade requirements; standards agreed in the contract take precedence over general standards.

Testing Instruments and Equipment

Universal material testing machine: The core equipment for the physical and mechanical property testing of webbings. An electronic universal testing machine is usually adopted, equipped with pneumatic or mechanical flat-jaw grips, grab-type grips (for high-strength webbings), and a large-deformation extensometer. This equipment can carry out tensile, tearing, peeling, bursting and other tests. Through high-precision load sensors and displacement sensors, combined with professional testing software, the automatic control, data acquisition and report generation of the testing process are realized, complying with multiple international and domestic standards.

Colour fastness tester set: Including rubbing fastness testers, perspiration fastness testers, washing fastness testing machines and ovens, etc. The rubbing fastness tester provides precise reciprocating motion and pressure control. The perspiration and water spotting testers ensure that the specimen is treated at a constant temperature under a standard pressure. The supporting equipment also includes a standard light source cabinet (such as the D65 light source), used to compare the specimen with a grey scale or colour change scale under uniform lighting conditions, objectively assessing the colour fastness grade and reducing human visual errors.

Abrasion and fatigue testing equipment: The Martindale abrasion and pilling tester is the common equipment for evaluating the surface wear and appearance change of webbings. For webbings that need to test the repeated tensile fatigue performance (such as pet leashes and sports equipment straps), a dynamic fatigue testing machine is needed. This equipment can simulate the cyclic loading mode in actual use, set the load, frequency and number of cycles, and after the test, evaluate the strength loss rate of the webbing or observe whether phenomena such as breakage and yarn slippage occur.

Environmental simulation and aging test chambers: Used to evaluate the durability of webbings under extreme or long-term environments. This mainly includes xenon arc lamp aging test chambers, which simulate the full-spectrum solar radiation and test the light aging performance; constant temperature and humidity chambers, which provide a stable temperature and humidity environment for dimensional stability tests or damp heat aging; high and low temperature alternating test chambers, which test the performance of webbings under sudden temperature changes; and dedicated equipment such as UV aging chambers and ozone aging chambers.

Special safety performance testing equipment: Such as the automobile seat belt dynamic test system, including a sled, acceleration device, dummy model, high-speed camera and data acquisition system, used to simulate the crash process. The flame retardancy tester provides a precise burner, specimen holder and timing system. In addition, it also includes static decay testers, fabric moisture permeability testers, thickness gauges and digital fabric density glasses, for the precise measurement of the various functions and basic indicators of webbings.