The Olympic Games in London in 2012 are the key focus of a range of new high-tech fabrics by Swiss knit specialist Eschler and for ambitious project the company has closely cooperated with top sports apparel brands, leading technology partners and international sports associations.

For the development of its new collection, family-owned firm Eschler says it has mainly focused on the Olympic disciplines of mountain biking, road and track cycling, triathlon and swimming. Highly experienced in the production of top performance racing fabric for bike and triathlon apparel, Eschler works with the world’s leading brands.

Professional swimwear, however, is a new step for Eschler. The Swiss company says that new competition guidelines for suits, set by the international federation FINA, have opened up a great opportunity for it to offer perfectly adapted fabrics. Eschler then plans to transfer its expertise in competition sports to fabrics for non-professional sports apparel.

Ecological footprint

For Eschler, the reduction of its ecological footprint starts during the product development phase and for summer 2012, the Swiss brand has developed a permanent, water resistant finish based on plasma technology. Eschler says the new solution is environmentally friendly, free of fluorocarbons and achieves fantastic durability results.

Plasma, known as the fourth state of matter, is created by applying electrical fields to pure gas or gas mixtures in a vacuum chamber. The gas is then ionized and leads to a chemical reaction on the surface of the respective material. From a textile perspective, the right combination of gas mixture composition, frequencies and gas flow, results in the systematic surface modification of fabrics. Durable effects such as hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity and dirt repellency are achievable.

Until now, the standard for textile finishing has been wet chemical processes where the desired effects are usually achieved by the use of additives or coatings. However, these treatments often interfere with key textile properties such as flexibility, strength and handle and permanency can be limited due to mechanical abrasion and low wash resistance.

The combination of different properties can also be restricted and plasma technology aims to avoid these disadvantages. Eschler says it works exclusively with a so-called ‘dry process’, which it says is extremely eco-friendly and uses a minimum of water and chemicals, saves energy and is free of fluorocarbon compounds (PFOA or PFOS).

Fabrics for bike and triathlon wear

For new functional fabrics for bike and triathlon wear, Eschler’s main focus criteria were compression, aerodynamics, thermoregulation, low weight, and UV protection. The key body zones for compression are the arms, calves and thighs and tests conducted at a research institute in Calgary are said to have showed that optimum compression can improve blood flow in the extremities by up to 2.2% and reduce muscle vibration by 3%. Eschler says that even more important is the fact that the reduction of muscle vibration lowers the production of lactate. The body can then absorb and convert lactic acid quicker, thus enhancing the athlete’s regeneration.

Eschler offers various compression fabrics made of polyester/elastane and polyamide/elastane with the same surface construction but with different levels of elasticity. The company says the integration of carbon fibres can further optimize thermoregulation and moisture management.

The aerodynamic properties of Eschler’s new fabrics have been further improved bycombining different materials with different surfaces. These fabrics are said to have a significant effect on energy saving when athletes move at speeds of 40-50 km/h. Eschler claims that this fact has been measured in tests with professional athletes who can reach top speeds , depending on the discipline of up to 80 km/h.

Flash for thermoregulation

Eschler’s successful Flash fabric quality is said to ensure fantastic thermoregulation and ideal moisture management. Flash is a complex double layer knit with Polyester inside and Polyamide on the outside. The thermo regulating function can be further optimized by Schoeller’s coldblack technology which allows dark textiles to reflect heat, reducing heat build-up and providing reliable protection from UV-rays.

Ultra fine gauge

Low weight is a key criterion for all bike and triathlon fabrics and accordingly Eschler uses ultra fine gauge knitting machines which guarantee minimum fabric weight, whilst producing strong and compact surfaces. Microfibre yarns ensure a soft touch, which is further improved by mechanical surface treatment.

The UV protection of all of Eschler’s e1 fabrics is measured and rated. The factor is not only a crucial point for kids wear but is also extremely important for endurance sports athletes such as cyclists, triathletes and runners.

Skinliner

For comfortable weather protection, Eschler developed the Skinliner, a two and a half layer laminate. The Swiss brand laminates the elastic knit outer to a water and windproof yet breathable PU membrane. A special print on the membrane’s inside works as a spacer, so that Skinliner can be worn next to the skin, making a lining superfluous. Eschler says the seams of the two and a half layer laminates can be perfectly bonded, making the apparel 100% waterproof. Skinliners are said to be superlight laminates which unite excellent elasticity with fantastic weather protection.

Competitive swimwear fabrics

The introduction of new competitive swimwear regulations by the FINA (International Swimming Federation) in 2010 provided Eschler with the opportunity to engineer new high-tech fabrics specifically adapted to the rules. Instead of studying the material in wind tunnel tests, a research tool Eschler has applied for decades for its high-tech fabrics for competitive winter sports, the Swiss brand now conducts extensive studies in water. The results define the material’s surface design, compression zones, fabric combinations and finishing.

Bionics, the application of biological systems to modern engineering and design, is the foundation for many ideas in competitive swimwear and Eschler says its fascinating research projects involve very close observation and imitation of the functions found in nature.