SCOTCHLITE 9925+ A REFLECTIVE MATERIAL SUITABLE FOR A GREATER NUMBER OF WASHES PROTECCIÓN LABORAL 3M has launched a new re ective material that stands out for being more robust and resistant. Christian Kurtz, Application Engineer at 3M explains the genesis of this product. “For some years, -Kurtz says- we realized that in the eld of high-visibility work clothes and emergency services the trend is that leasing / renting clothes are becoming a more important subject. Consequently, the treatment of these textiles is also an important issue in the respec- tive industrial laundries. From the comments of these laundries it follows that there are fabrics that work up to 50 times with industrial washing or that can be dry cleaned up to 50 times. The re ective material up to now, especially in the re ective vests, was always a limiting factor de- pending on the additives of the washing. So we set the goal of working in a material truly suit- able for industrial washing and to modify the products we have so that they no longer have to be the limiting factor of clothing. Our intention was to develop a re ective material that would withstand the washing and drying processes more than the base material, that is to say the uorescent backing materials used. Challenge achieved Kurtz explains that “initially, we developed a rst product that reached 50 cycles of industrial washing according to the standard, ie accord- ing to ISO15797, in laboratory tests. Then, in the next step, we were able to continue to im- prove the performance of this material, so now with the new 3M Scotchlite Re ective Material 9925+ we have a valid certi cate for more than a total of 75 industrial wash cycles. This is valid for regular industrial washing. In the disinfec- tion wash we reach 50 cycles of industrial wash- ing, which is quite enough and above all entails a signi cant change for emergency services. By the way, we have improved the product not only for industrial washing, but also for the drying process. The new re ective material is suitable for both drum dryer and drying tunnel. This guarantees a universal use without limitation in the type of drying”. The importance of washing for certain services “In German emergency medical services, -Kurtz says- clothing must be washed and disinfected at regular intervals. After some interventions, in which the wearer of the work clothes comes in contact with blood, body uids or infectious agents, it is necessary to wash the clothes again. Disinfection washing is a more demand- ing washing process than normal industrial washing”. The product has a new formula. In the words of our interlocutor, that means “at 3M we have been able to modify the overall structure of our re ective material, ie the support matrix in which the glass microspheres are embedded. Thus we have further increased the thickness of the material, thanks to which now the sewing process has been improved signi cantly. At the end of the day it is not just a matter of washing, but of course we have to take into account the whole chain: from the transformer or confec- tionary, that manufactures the textile garments, to the end user who expects quality, protection and comfort. Unique product Asked about the existence of similar products in the market, Kurtz responds that “as far as we know, there are currently none. At least, there are no products that are truly certi ed for 75 in- dustrial wash cycles according to the standard for high visibility clothing. It is a record number of which we are very proud. As for the operation of the 3M Scotchlite Re ec- tive Material, the Application Engineer explains that “what human eye perceives depends on the re ection of light. If nothing is re ected, we literally do not see anything. Darkness is a dangerous factor in road traf c, especially for para-medical services, emergencies, roadside assistance, etc. The secret of retrore ection are thousands of glass microspheres that re ect incident light and return it directly to the light source. The advantage is that the illuminated person will be more visible seconds before thanks to the effect of the retrore ection. 3M Scotchlite Re ective Material is composed of exposed glass microspheres, adhered to a du- rable polyester fabric. When illuminated the material shines. Therefore, it is ideal for equip- ping service and emergency personnel with high visibility clothing”. The product does not require special wash- ing care. “Just follow the care instructions we posted for other 3M re ective materials”, Kurz says. There are no special warnings in them to achieve the maximum possible amount of washes. Of course, with these re ective materi- als corrosion is always an important issue, since they are microspheres of glass vaporized with a metal. Thus, care must be taken with alkaline detergents and wash enhancers, which could attack the re ective metal layer, shortening the life cycle of the product. 3M Scotchlite Re ective Material 9925+ has a certi cate that guarantees a 75 cy- cles lifetime of industrial washing UPDATED PRODUCTS / PRODUCTOS DE ACTUALIDAD 69