Non destructive fabric weight measurement using capacitance principle

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to design and develop an instrument for non-destructive fabric grams per square metre (GSM) measurement. This study uses the capacitance principle to obtain the fabric GSM. The relative permittivity of the sample fabrics changes the capacitance value. A relationship between capacitance and GSM that best fits the look-up table is obtained. Also, the developed system is applicable for all kind of fabrics both knitted and woven fabrics. The comparison study was carried out with existing test method. Design/methodology/approach The purpose of the study is to design and develop an instrument for non-destructive fabric GSM measurement. Findings The proposed non-destructive method of fabric GSM measurement using capacitance principle is designed, developed and tested. Also, the developed system is applicable for all kind of fabrics both knitted and woven fabrics. The comparison study was carried out with existing test method. Research limitations/implications The change in capacitance due to relative permittivity of the sample fabric is in pF range (10-12). The system can be further improved by using a capacitance sensor of sensitivity upto 1 fF (10-15). By doing so, the proposed system provides better results in terms of accuracy and resolution. The system developed can be further extended by making it online equipment which measures the fabric GSM instantaneously. Originality/value So far there is no non-destructive testing method available for fabric weight measurement. The newly designed and developed instrument is used to test the fabric both woven and knitted non-destructively.