07/01/2026

Hands-on emtec’s TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer at Techtextil North America in Raleigh (7/1/26)

With its focus on innovation, business networking, product diversity and education, Techtextil North America continues to be an ideal platform for emtec Electronic GmbH, which is returning as an exhibitor once again this year. With its award-winning TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer in combination with the cloud-based solution Virtual Haptic Library, emtec is looking forward to demonstrating to the audience how the subjective sensation of touching a fabric can be transformed into objective, comparable data across the global textile supply chain. At its booth, visitors will gain valuable insights into the science behind the human perception of textile hand feel. The German manufacturer, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last December, aims to provide visitors with hands-on experience using the instrument that evaluates the haptic quality of textiles. By practising with the modern measuring device, users can determine and compare the overall tactile quality of textile samples. Visitors are encourages to bring round circled fabric samples in the seize of approximately 100 cm² for testing. The TSA objectively measures key haptic parameters such as surface softness, surface smoothness as well as stretch & recovery. From that, calculation of the hand feel value is possible by the help of special algorithms. The underlying mathematical model enables a correlation with human expectation of up to almost 100 percent. This data, along with the automatically calculated Hand Feel (HF) value, can be digitized in the Virtual Haptic Library. This online platform provides a digital marketplace and enables real-time quality assurance across the global textile industry. Besides these three haptic parameters emtec’s TSA gives the opportunity to measure even more parameters like air permeability, thermo haptic and thermal insulation. Optional modules for compressibility, crumple and drape, expand the system’s capabilities. In addition to the live testing demonstrations, Harrie Schoots presentation at 1 pm on Tuesday August 4th entitled “Realizing Fabric Softness and Smoothness as Part of Your QC program - Digital Approval of Fabric Handfeel Today” will be another highlight of emtec’s exhibition appearance. The discussion will include the introduction of new quality control tools for retailers, buyers and suppliers that can create tolerance windows for haptics values like surface softness. For those who use digital color values, this is the new generation of speed to market, fabric approval before shipment and qualification of multiple fabric sources with digital hand feel specifications. “We are passionate about sharing our knowledge of textile haptics and demonstrating how objective hand feel measurement can support more sustainable product development and quality control throughout the textile industry”, convinces Schoots with his visit to the fair in Raleigh. Alexander Gruener and Harrie Schoots will welcome the visitors at booth number 1431 for promising industry connections throughout the event.