• Insufficient flame resistance: The fabric burned for 12 seconds after ignition (exceeding the EN ISO 11611 standard of <5 seconds), leading to failed compliance audits in the EU market.

• Poor thermal protection: The fabric’s thermal transmission rate (80 kW/m²) put workers at risk of burns, resulting in 20% of client complaints from industrial customers.

• Short service life: The flame-retardant coating degraded after 15 washes, requiring frequent garment replacement and increasing customer operational costs by 25%.

• Limited compliance scope: The previous fabric only met 2 regional safety standards (ANSI/ISEA 107, GB 8965), restricting the client’s access to global markets (e.g., EU, Middle East).

Solution

SpecFabric delivered a custom aramid-blended industrial flame-retardant fabric engineered for global compliance:

• Blended aramid fibers (60%) with flame-retardant polyester (40%), achieving a flame spread time of <3 seconds and self-extinguishing within 2 seconds (meeting EN ISO 11611, NFPA 2112, and GB 8965-2018 standards).

• Added a thermal insulation layer (aerogel composite) to reduce thermal transmission rate to 25 kW/m², exceeding the industrial safety standard of <50 kW/m² and enhancing worker protection.

• Adopted a permanent flame-retardant treatment (integrated into fiber structure, not surface coating), ensuring flame-retardant performance remains effective for 50+ washes (vs. 15 washes for the client’s previous material).

• Optimized fabric composition to meet 8 global safety standards, enabling the client to enter EU, Middle East, and Southeast Asian markets.

• Adjusted fabric weight (320g/m²) and breathability (6000mm/s) to balance protection and wear comfort, reducing worker complaints about "bulky/non-breathable" apparel by 70%.

• The client’s flame-retardant coveralls passed all global compliance audits, gaining market access to 12 new countries (including Germany, Saudi Arabia, Singapore).

• Secured a 5-year, $15M contract with a government-owned oil & gas company for safety apparel supply, representing a 40% increase in annual revenue.

• Thermal protection improvements reduced burn-related safety incidents reported by clients by 85%, strengthening the brand’s reputation as a "trusted safety partner."

• Extended service life of the fabric reduced customer replacement costs by 35%, increasing client retention in the oil & gas sector by 22%.

• The breathable design boosted worker satisfaction with safety apparel by 65%, leading to 3 major construction companies switching to the client’s products.

• The client expanded collaboration to include flame-retardant gloves and protective hoods, with annual fabric orders reaching $10.2 million. In 2024, the brand was awarded "Top Industrial Safety Apparel Material Supplier" by the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA).