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| The Functional Aspects of Our Rainwear |
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| There are three key functions that are demanded of rainwear. |
- Waterproofing : To prevent water from seeping inside.
- Water repellency : For repelling water off the outside surface.
- Breathability : For wicking sweat and steam away from the wearer.
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| ::: Waterproofing |
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| Our products shut out rain by completely covering the mesh of the fabric on the lining side with a waterproof laminate or coating. To prevent even minute seepage, all stitches are backed by waterproof seam tape. The tape assures protection against rain even when stitched seams are stressed from the wearer kneeling or crouching. These features give our rainwear outstanding waterproofing performance that meets or surpasses rigorous Japanese industrial standards. |
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| ::: Hydraulic pressure load test |
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A complex device is used to inflate rainwear with water to determine its waterproofing performance.
The rainwear is inflated until three drops of water appear on the surface. |
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| ::: Water repellency |
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| The outside mesh of the waterproofed fabric is thoroughly doused with a silicone- or fluoride resin-based water repellent. This makes water bead and run off instead of adhering to the surface of rainwear. |
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| While the water repellent permeates every fiber of the fabric, it does not clog the weaves, enabling the fabric to breathe.Our rainwear is made to withstand repeated washings in laundry machines while retaining water repellency. When repellency fades, it can be easily restored by using any commercially available water repellent (commonly sold as leather protectants at shoe stores). |
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| ::: Breathability |
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When the wearer’s body is enclosed in a waterproof material, one would expect perspiration to be trapped inside the rainwear, causing discomfort. But that’s not necessary. Selected models of our rainwear feature a breathable fabric that prevents moisture from entering the rainwear while wicking away the wearer’s perspiration and releasing the humidity outside.
For example, our rainwear made using Entrant 2000 can release 1.25 liters of sweat per hour. That’s more than the one liter of sweat a male adult can produce in an hour of hard exercise! |
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