FR Thread Puts Safety First

June 01, 2007

A new flame-resistant (FR) embroidery thread may open the door to decoration opportunities in FR garments and upholstery. Madeira now offers an embroidery thread made with DuPont's Nomex brand fibers in 24 colors. "It's not a sewing thread. It's a three-ply embroidery thread," emphasizes Hajo Voeller, president of Madeira USA Ltd., Laconia, N.H.

Madeira's Fire Fighter No. 40 has a temperature resistance of 572ºF, making it compatible with the FR requirements of many industries, including fire and rescue, electrical, petrochemical, motor sports, military and aviation. The company also sells a line of white bobbin thread with Nomex and Proban 85/FR-7A backing for applications where total FR construction is required.

Voeller says embroiderers should have no concern about the thread compromising the integrity of the fabric. "The thread fills the [needle] hole in the garment, so it's totally covered," he explains. The company recommends a size 80/12 needle. Laurie Lee, general manager, sales and marketing for Hymans, a Charleston, S.C.-based distributor of VF Imagewear's Bulwark brand of FR apparel, concurs. "Nomex thread should maintain 100% integrity of the garment," she says.

She notes, however, that Nomex is not the only available FR substrate, and that each material offers varying degrees of comfort and wear characteristics. While Nomex represents an inherently flame-resistant fiber or fabric, constructions of treated fibers or fabrics also are available. Within the Bulwark line, for example, Lee points out that in addition to Nomex, there is Excel-FR, 100% cotton that is treated to be flame resistant for the life of the garment. There's also Excel-FR ComfortTouch, 88% cotton/12% nylon, also treated to be flame resistant.

In a response to our questions about decorating FR garments, David Loftin, fabric development and compliance manager for VF Imagewear, Nashville, Tenn., wrote that Bulwark "does not recommend the use of non-flame resistant embroidery or emblem attachment to flame-resistant garments."

Other suppliers of FR apparel agree. On its Web site (aramark-uniform.com), Aramark Work Services and Uniforms Inc., Burbank, Calif., posted this admonition: "Adding identifying emblems and embroidery to FR garments is a difficult issue to give clear and easy advice. While the personalization of clothing is key for workplace identity and morale, it's important to keep in mind the safety ramifications in doing so."

Because of a variety of standards for FR garments — depending on the governing body and the particular application — embroiderers should do their homework on the requirements for both garments and embellishments before entering this market. Most employers should know which regulations apply to their workers and contractors, and should be able to match the garment to the particular situation. — R.L.