BS 8479 is the British standard that gives a method for determining the propensity of fabrics to snagging, and related surface defects. The standard is applicable to knitted and to woven fabrics.
Snagging is a phenomenon in which undesirable loops of varying sizes appear on the surface of a garment, usually as a result of the fabric catching on sharp points or objects. Fabrics made of filament yarns, both textured and untextured, are most prone to snagging. However, certain fabrics made of spun staple yarns, and certain fabric structures e.g. satin and sateens, can also be prone to snagging. It is important to be able to measure the propensity of fabrics to snagging so that fabrics with the lowest propensity to snagging can be selected for making garments.
BS 8479 gives a method of test which uses a rotating chamber containing snagging pins to measure the propensity of fabric test samples to snagging. Another procedure for this test which uses external snagging pins attached to a mace is under development. It is envisaged that this procedure will be added to the standard in a future revision.
Contents of BS 8479 include:
- Scope
- Normative references
- Terms and definitions
- Principle
- Apparatus
- Preparation of test specimen tubes
- Pre-treatment of fabric
- Conditioning of fabric
- Preparation of test specimens
- Procedure
- Assessment
- Test report
- Example of the location of test specimens on a length of fabric supplied for test
- Recommendations for periodic cleaning, and for verification, of the test chamber Bibliography
- List of figures:
- Test chamber
- Covering of test specimen tubes with felt Example of the location of test specimens List of tables:
- Grading system
- Classification system for surface defects
