The Swiss textile innovator HeiQ is launching an upgraded version of its popular dynamic cooling technology HeiQ Smart Temp. Based on an instant cooling hydro functional polymer, this patent pending technology is designed to provide activated cooling to the wearer for enhanced performance and thermal comfort.

Inhouse thermoregulation performance measurements of a treated fabric revealed a 1.5°C to 2.5°C cooler skin temperature, compared to an untreated fabric. During the Performance Days in Munich this week, the upgraded HeiQ Smart Temp technology can be experienced on high-tech sports fabrics by Pontetorto and Tessitura Taiana Virgilio. Both fabrics with upgraded HeiQ Smart Temp have been picked for the PD Forum in the Cooling Technologies focus topic.

HeiQ Smart Temp success

From its launch back in 2011 until today, the intelligent thermoregulation technology HeiQ Smart Temp has grown to one of the most popular dynamic cooling technologies. More than 50 major brands globally use HeiQ’s most popular technology on more than 500 million garments, spanning the application scope from basic apparel and sportswear to home textiles.

HeiQ Smart Temp is used as the differentiating technology in Hanes’ X-Temp programme, Dick’s Sporting Goods’ Second Skin range, Stance’s Feel 360 socks collection, Dickies’ Temp-iQ range and BekaertDeslee’s mattress ticking goods, among others.

New version

Now, the Swiss company releases the new addition to the HeiQ Smart Temp family: HeiQ Adaptive AC-06. This version has been developed to equip the sports enthusiast with activated cooling and enhanced performance and thermal comfort. Upgraded HeiQ Smart Temp interacts with the wearer, helping to lower the skin’s temperature when it needs it most.

The innovation is based on an instant cooling hydro functional polymer that is activated when the skin temperature exceeds a range between 28°C and 32°C and deactivated once cooling is complete. “Two actions are used to keep the body at the optimum performance temperature,” the company explains.

“Even before the first sign of sweat on fabric, a melting action is activated, sending instant-cooling impulse directly to the skin. And when the heat is really turned up, a vaporising action transports sweat away from the body, reducing the skin’s temperature by 1.5°C to 2.5°C (2.7°F to 4.5°F) compared to an untreated fabric sample. Overall, the wearer feels cool, comfortable and focused to perform better – even in the most uncomfortable of conditions.”

Performance testing

Inhouse thermoregulation performance testing has revealed high reduction rates of the skin temperature measured over a certain time by utilizing a thermal imaging infrared (FLIR) camera. The FLIR camera set-up imitated the human skin while sweating at different levels of activity.

“In contrast to the Dynamic Evaporation testing, the FLIR camera measurement allows us to quickly though accurately visualize the temperature change of a fabric treated with HeiQ Smart Temp, for example compared to an untreated fabric sample,” said Walter Nassl, HeiQ’s CTO.

www.heiq.com