Handbag clasps and other luggage components
Solution
- Tensile and compression tester with motor drive and software control
- Loadcell appropriate to expected force values
- Fixturing to locate the specimen and apply loading to components
Benefits
- Accurate results to optimise quality feel and product longevity
- Repeatable testing for multiple design elements of the whole product
- Confidence in customer quality perception and brand reputation
Requirement
The seemingly endless depths of a woman’s (or person's!) handbag are shrouded in mystery. But whatever secrets lurk within, one thing is certain—they need to be securely locked inside and not risk tumbling out due to a faulty clasp!
Handbags, clutches and purses are designed to ensure safe transit of valuable personal items, so it is vital to test the strength of their fastenings, buckles, handles and straps. Testing is not just to determine the risk of failure of these attachments but also to ensure that the overall feel and quality of the bag meets the expectations of the customer. Personal luggage products are marketed as luxury items through to tough outdoor essentials.
Self-guiding magnetic clasps, designed to only require a single hand to operate, are tested to make sure they open and close silently with just the right amount of force. Buckles and strap adjusters are checked for their tensile strength so they don’t break when engaged. Stitched straps are pulled to high loads to check they don’t detach from the bag if they get trapped inadvertently—the list of mechanical strength testing is a long one.
Solution
Leading manufacturers of handbags, both at the everyday and luxury ends of the market, rely on Mecmesin tension/compression and torque test equipment to ensure their products meet the strict quality standards expected from their brands.
One well-known producer of designer handbags and clutches came to Mecmesin seeking to evaluate the performance of their twist clasp entrances. They wanted to move away from the subjective human evaluation of a stiff or loose clasp by setting measurable quality criteria. By torque testing the clasp to determine its strength as it rotated over a pre-set number of degrees, they were able to establish clear pass/fail limits for their clasps—quantifying an acceptable tolerance band—and work with their supplier to reduce rejects.
The Mecmesin Vortex-i software-controlled torque tester proved ideal for the application. The programmed test routines enabled the quality criteria to be included in results calculations. It combined ease of use for the operators with a clear graphical presentation of data, quickly identifying clasps with a green/red pass/fail at the end of each test.
Test equipment
- MultiTest-i, MultiTest-xt software-controlled force tester for push/pull tests
- Vortex-i, Vortex-xt software-controlled torque tester for turning effort tests
- Appropriately rated lodcells and torque cells
- Standard or custom-designed fixtures and accessories matched to the components to be gripped
