03/24/2026

How to determine the human touch of textiles: emtec’s TSA at the Functional Fabric Fair in Portland (3/24/26)

At this year’s spring edition of the Functional Fabric Fair, textile professionals get the chance to experience the current testing methods and measuring instruments live on duty at the AATCC Textile Testing Zone. The question emtec Electronic is solving with its TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer, is how to define and determine the tactile sense of fabrics. From April 8 – 9 the German manufacturer showcases with live demonstrations of the measuring device improvement from product development to quality assurance. For emtec is Alexander Gruener on side to explain how humans experience the fabric’s feel, what factors influence this perception, and what are the limits to that human tactile experience. As Global Business Development Manager he demonstrates the integration of textile haptic evaluation from the TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer into the digitized marketplace Virtual Haptic Library. With this online platform the data of the fabric samples is easily categorized, controlled and communicated worldwide in real time. By giving the audience a look at the advantages of the patented measuring methods with the TSA he causes to discuss the haptic test results and its use with the researchers, product developers, technicians and chemical suppliers. “Haptic parameters, such as surface softness, surface smoothness or stretch, which together make the haptic impression when touching a fabric’s surface, could not be measured reliably and objectively in the past.”, explains Gruener. “The emtec TSA Tactile Sensation Analyzer is able to individually measure the parameters that determine the touch. From these, a so-called hand feel value can be calculated, which usually shows a correlation to the human expectation of up to almost 100%.” Emtec Electronic is a long-standing corporate member of the global textile community so called AATCC - American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. In addition, Alexander Gruener is the chairman of the community’s RA89 haptic committee, that focusses on the standardization of hand feel measurement. He is looking forward to introduce the innovative TSA to the textile industry experts on April 8 – 9 at the AATCC Textile Testing Zone in the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, where the exhibition visitors get an overview of innovative testing methods and devices. The visitors of the Functional Fabric Fair 2026 Portland are welcome to bring their testing samples to determine the hand feel value of their fabrics with the TSA at booth number 369. Mr. Gruener is looking forward to get into the exchange with the experts and share the practical insights the TSA provides.