Thermal Testing Instruments for Protective Textiles

New Delhi, Nov 6 (PTI) The National Technical Textiles Mission has supported the indigenous development of three instruments used for the evaluation of thermal resistance properties in materials used for firefighter suits, industrial protective clothing, and defence applications, where heat protection is critical, the government said on Thursday.

The successful completion of this project, funded by National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), represents a meaningful contribution towards strengthening India's infrastructure in technical textiles and aligns with the national vision of promoting innovation, sustainability, and self-reliance in the sector, the Textile Ministry stated.

Developed entirely using indigenous design and technology, these instruments offer performance comparable to imported counterparts while being significantly more affordable, priced between Rs 5-10 lakh compared to Rs 15-40 lakh for imported models.

"The reduction in cost and lead time is expected to expand access to high-quality testing across a wider range of industries and institutions. The Instruments Developed entirely using indigenous design and technology offer performance comparable to imported counterparts while being significantly more affordable," the ministry stated.

The three indigenous instruments are used for testing Convective, Radiant, and Contact (Conductive) Heat Resistance of protective textiles.

The technology has been successfully transferred to Asian Test Equipment Pvt. Ltd., Ghaziabad for commercialization, in line with the Government's Make in India initiative.

With indigenous availability, testing duration has reduced from about 30 days to 3-5 days, and testing costs have fallen from Rs 25,000-Rs 40,000 per sample to Rs 6,000-Rs 10,000, greatly improving ease of access for Indian manufacturers and R&D organizations, the ministry said.