Testex, stylized as TESTEX, is a globally operating, independent Swiss testing and certification organisation that focuses on textile testing. The Testex corporate group is headquartered in Zurich and consists of the Testex AG, ÖTI GmbH (Austria), PT Testex (Indonesia), Swiss Textile-Testing Ltd. Hong Kong, and Testex Testing Co. Ltd. Beijing.
 | |
| Industry | Textile testing, certification |
|---|---|
| Founded | September 22, 1846 in Zurich, Switzerland |
| Headquarters | Zurich, Switzerland |
Key people | Serge Rolle (CEO) |
Number of employees | >200 |
| Website | www |
Testex AG emerged from the "Seidentrocknungsanstalt Zurich" founded in 1846, and operates more than 20 branches[1] worldwide. Testex is the official representative of the Oeko-Tex Association in Australia, Canada, the P.R. China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Switzerland, South Korea and Taiwan.
Operations
Analytical Testing
The analytical laboratory at Testex is ISO 17025 certified[2] and conducts a variety of analytical tests designed to detect pollutants, residues, and trace elements in textiles. Testing and auditing are also conducted in accordance with the guidelines specified by the Oeko-Tex Association. These include Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex, Step, Made in green, Eco passport, Allergy Standards[3] and the Leather standard.
Testing
Testex conducts physical and chemical tests on fibers, yarns/ strings, woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, and finished products. The services also include physiological tests on textile fabrics and ready-made textiles, flooring tests and the testing of personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with ISO 17065,[2][4] which involves various flaming tests.
History
Present-day Testex AG was founded as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute in 1846. The initiative to establish the silk conditioning institute came from representatives of the Zurich silk industry.[5] Unlike the institutes in Lyon or Turin, the Zurich silk conditioning institute was not founded as a public institute, but as a public limited company.[6] In the case of the silk conditioning institute, the shareholders were a small group of people from the silk industry who were known to one another – merchants, bankers and manufacturers.
The reason for founding the silk conditioning institute was the intent to combat silk fraud, which was a common practice at the time.[7] Silk conditioning institutes had previously been established in both Turin and in Lyon, which had an active silk trade.[8]
By the middle of the 1850s, the institute’s core business was determining the commercial weight of raw silk.[9]
Present
Following the development of synthetic fibers, particularly after World War II, the Swiss silk industry began processing less and less real silk.[10] As a result, the demand for traditional silk drying methods declined significantly. In 1970, the company responded to the shifting market conditions by focusing on textile testing and changing its name to Testex AG.[11] In 1993, Testex joined the Oeko-Tex Association and began conducting human ecological tests on textiles.[12]
References
- ^ "TESTEX – Who we are". www.testex.com. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ a b SAS, Swiss Accreditation Service. "Search Accredited Bodies SAS". www.sas.admin.ch. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ "Allergy Standards". allergystandards.com Allergy Standards Limited.
- ^ "EUROPA – European Commission – Growth – Regulatory policy – NANDO". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ Bröcker, Kirsten, Witek, Friederike and Wagner, Till:175 years. From zurich silk conditioning institute to Testex AG. Munich: August Dreesbach Verlag 2021, p. 8.
- ^ Bröcker, Kirsten, Witek, Friederike and Wagner, Till:175 years. From zurich silk conditioning institute to Testex AG. Munich: August Dreesbach Verlag 2021, p. 17.
- ^ Bröcker, Kirsten, Witek, Friederike and Wagner, Till:175 years. From zurich silk conditioning institute to Testex AG. Munich: August Dreesbach Verlag 2021, p. 14.
- ^ Fuchs, Konrad: Die „Seidenstädte“ Krefeld und Lyon. Versuch eines Vergleichs. in: Deutschland und Frankreich in der frühen Neuzeit. R. Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, München 1987, p. 590.
- ^ Bröcker, Kirsten, Witek, Friederike and Wagner, Till:175 years. From zurich silk conditioning institute to Testex AG. Munich: August Dreesbach Verlag 2021, p. 30.
- ^ AHB, Liliane Mottu-Weber /. "Seide". HLS-DHS-DSS.CH (in German). Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ "Le Fil Rouge, Jubiläumsausgabe zum 160-jährigen Bestehen der ehemaligen Seidentrocknungsanstalt Zürich". www.testex.com (in German). Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ "Milestones TESTEX AG". www.testex.com (in German). Retrieved August 14, 2017.
Bibliography
- Hans Jenny, Hundert Jahre Seidentrocknungs-Anstalt Zürich. 1846–1946, Zürich: Orell Füssli AG 1946 (German)
External links
- Official website (in English)