Invista’s Cordura brand has announced its latest innovation in solution-dyed nylon (SDN) 6,6 fibre technology with mill partner MMI Textiles, a premier supplier and one-stop shop supplying fabric, webbing and elastics. MMI Textiles is the exclusive North American provider of fabrics and webbing made with the new Wolf Gray Cordura TrueLock fibre, now through December 2018.

Cordura TrueLock fibre is created from Invista nylon 6,6 multi-filament fibre that is solution dyed, locking the colour in at the molten polymer extrusion level to create deep, durable colour throughout the entire fibre structure. Colour consistency is crucial when pairing fabric with other materials, such as webbing and elastic to create uniform garments and gear, the company explains.

“Gray is one of the most commonly used colours in military/tactical applications but was previously one of the most difficult to match, with several varying proprietary versions of Wolf Gray on the market,” said Nick Rivera, director of operations at MMI Textiles. “One of our customers – TyrTactical – was having challenges matching webbings and fabric and came to us for a solution. We then turned to Cordura brand.”

Innovative fibre offering

“After examining six different shades of grey together, we worked hand-in-hand to create our latest innovative Cordura TrueLock fibre offering,” said Allen Mortimer, North American regional manager and product manager at Cordura brand. “The Wolf Gray shade of Cordura Truelock fibre offers colour that is uniform across the components of gear and apparel, and durable enough to stay true after exposure to the elements and intense military missions.”

The colour achieved with Cordura TrueLock fibre is said to have inherent Near-Infrared (NIR) capabilities, is abrasion and UV-fade resistant and does not bleed or crock. With colour-fastness locked in at the fibre level, shade consistency lot-to-lot and across multiple textile components (such as fabric and webbing), UV strength stability, and long-lasting vibrancy are made possible.

The process of colour encapsulation used in Cordura TrueLock fibre also offers several environmental benefits such as reduced water and energy consumption, and reduced dye and chemical usage in textile processing, according to the manufacturer.

Major milestone

The announcement is a major milestone for Invista’s Camden, SC facility, which expanded last year to increase US capacity of high-tenacity, specialty fibres for Cordura fabrics. The Camden investment has accelerated progress in the development of new SDN capabilities – which complement the facility’s existing high tenacity nylon 6,6 filament fibre manufacturing processes.

In addition to Wolf Gray, solution-dyed Cordura TrueLock fibre is available in Desert Sand, Tan, Coyote, Ranger Green, Camo Green and Black. Plans currently being put into action at Camden include expansion of the Cordura TrueLock filament product line to introduce additional standard colours and deniers, as well as the flexibility to work to smaller minimum order quantities and custom colourways.

“Throughout our 50-year journey, we’ve worked to establish a foundation built on durable and long-lasting fibre technologies, including our legacy of solution dyed, high-performance nylon 6,6 offerings,” said Cindy McNaull, global Cordura brand and marketing director. “The launch of our latest Wolf Gray Cordura TrueLock fibre is a testament to the strength of supply chain collaboration – a joint effort between an end-user, gear manufacturer, fabric supplier and fibre business.”

Tyr-Tactical gear in Wolf Gray is currently being put to the test by the Phoenix, AZ, SWAT Team.

www.cordura.com