Fabric Relaxation Guidelines

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Apparel 01P-02-201 02 Approval Date:

June 2020
Effective date:
June 2020
Fabric Relaxation Effective Until
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Table of Contents 1
Document Purpose 2
Current Situation 3–6
Best Practice 7–9
Don’ts 10 – 11
Other Relaxation Methods 12
PURPOSE
The purpose and objective of this document is to offer some guidelines on the correct methods to be used
when relaxing knitted fabrics prior to spreading / cutting.
adidas PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION:

This manual contains proprietary and confidential information intended only for the use by the adidas and its authorized suppliers, sub-contractors and materials suppliers.
The recipient of this manual shall not disclose any information contained herein to any person other than their employees who may need to use the information to comply with this
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It is very important to have a proper relaxation method in place in order to properly measure and
control the shrinkage of each individual roll of knitted fabric / cut panel so that you can minimize any finished
garment measurement issues.
Fabric Relaxation Guidelines – Current Situation
1. Fabrics are removed from the roll using a paddle system

added to the back of the fabric inspection
machine, or on a separate relaxation paddle machine (See
pictures below)

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The fabric is then left to relax for a minimum of 24

hours depending on the fabrication for knitted
fabrics without Lycra / Elastane content.
Fabrics with Lycra / Elastane content no mater knit

or woven must be left to relax for a minimum of
48 hours.
The individual relaxed fabric rolls are then stored

on individual shelving units during the relaxation
period.
Fabric should not be directly exposed to light and should be covered to avoid color change in fluorescent
colors and dirt/stain in the space or from manual operation
It is important that the shelving units only hold one roll of fabric at a time. Multiple rolls sitting on
top of one another will inhibit the relaxation process due to the weight of the rolls on top of one

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another.
Once the fabric has been relaxed for the appropriate length
of time, it is then loaded onto moveable frames which are
then transported to the individual auto or semi-auto
spreading machines.
The fabric is then loaded a flat bed at the back of the
spreading machine
In the case of engineered stripe fabrics these frames
can also be used to transport the fabric to a manual
spreading table for blocking and re-laying.

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It is important that the fabric being spread is tension-free and most auto and semi-automatic
spreaders have a combination of rollers that can be set to over-feed the fabric as it is coming off the machine
allowing the fabrics to be relaxed as much as possible during the spreading process.
The downside of using a manual spreading method to lay the plies is that weight and gravity prevents
the fabric from relaxing properly because the spreaders pull the fabric during the spreading process.
The other major concern is that the fabric is not being allowed to relax for the correct amount of time.
Some suppliers will block cut around the panels and then store these panels on racking to allow the correct
relaxation period before final cutting.
Supplier should have on place good labeling system showing the fabric relaxation time (starting & finishing).The
relaxation time information should be kept to create historical data per fabric quality.

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Best Practice
The best and most accurate way of relaxing the fabric is to use a proper relaxation machine such as the
example below from C-Tex.
Fabric is unwound off the roll without introducing tension.

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Relaxation Stage 1 – Lazy Loop Feed - Fabric is unwound into a photocell controlled ‘lazy loop’,
which allows the fabric to hang freely. The movement of the fabric through the loop causes the fabric to
oscillate and assists in the relaxation procedure.
Relaxation Stage 2 – Air Flotation - Fabric passes over an air-flotation section of the table. Air is blown through
the fabric, reducing friction and causing it to vibrate, thus speeding up the process of relaxation.
Calibrated Length Measurement – Fabric length is measured using an industry standard measuring wheel,
combined with an adjustable pressure roller to eliminate slippage and guarantee accurate length measurement.
Automatic Width Monitoring – Fabric width is continually monitored throughout the complete length of
the roll.
Accurate Edge Control – Photo-electrically controlled and pneumatically operated for accurate re-rolling
of materials.
Consistent Output – Twin Rewind Rollers – Processed rolls are re-wound with the minimum amount of
tension and are consistent from roll to roll.

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Advantages
1. If you use a relaxation machine such as the C-Tex machine above, you will find that you have many
advantages and positives to ensure correct fabric usage and accurate cutting is achieved.
2. During the relaxation process you can confirm actual cut width to enable width batching you can
also confirm fabric roll lengths to make sure you are receiving what you are paying for
3. Together with width batching, you can now make claims against the fabric mill and maximize any
positives in the received fabric.
4. Every single roll will have the same tension so measurements will no longer be an issue from roll to
roll, ensuring your cutting is accurate.
5. The time factor is taken out as you no longer need to relax the fabric for 12 to 48 hours, once the
fabric has passed through the relaxation machine it can be cut immediately.

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Relaxed fabric rolls ready to be spread after relaxation on the C-Tex machine.
The rolls are pre-loaded onto ‘A’ frames ready to be positioned directly behind the auto spreader.
Don’ts

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Have fabrics piled on top of one another after unrolling.
Examples of poorly relaxed fabric.

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Poorly relaxed fabric prior to spreading.
Other
methods of relaxation:

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Some suppliers use a steam shrinkage method to relax the fabrics prior to cutting.
The disadvantage of this method is that there can be a significant loss in length and width.

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Area Document No Version Page 1 of 12

Apparel 01P-02-201 02 Approval Date:

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