SATRA expands footwear test capabilities
SATRA has invested £75,000 in new equipment to expand its footwear testing capabilities. According to the technology centre, these additions were necessary in order to respond to the growing demand for assessments in the technology centres core field of footwear and materials evaluation.
As a result, SATRA now has two additional Bally permeometers which have traditionally been used to assess the water resistance of heavy leathers, particularly soling, and is now required to test insoles and footbeds for the new safety footwear standard EN ISO 20344:2004.
It has also invested in an additional Bally flexometer, which assesses the flexing endurance of leathers, textiles and coated fabrics.
The Bally penetrometer measures the dynamic water resistance of leathers, textiles and coated fabrics. An additional machine has also been added to SATRA’s suite of equipment. Another permeability tester has also been acquired, which determines how much water vapour transmits through footwear upper material in a given time. A further whole shoe flexer, designed with a deep trough to assess the water resistance of high-legged boots, has also been incorporated into ‘test laboratories’.
"This considerable investment emphasises our commitment to meeting our members ever increasing needs by having sufficient equipment available to enable us to offer a fast response," says Lynne Brent, SATRA’s head of footwear testing
