Study of three-dimensional spacer fabrics: Molding properties for intimate apparel application

Three-dimensional spacer fabrics are used for sports textiles and foundation garments such as bra cups and pads for swimwear. Very often these spacer fabrics are molded into a desirable shape in order to fit with consumers' body contour. Thermal-mechanical properties of the spacer fabric are greatly affecting the molding properties and shape conformity of the molded spacer product. In this study, five different spacer fabrics were molded to a desirable bra cup shape with 6 cm cup depth (equivalent to a size 38B's bra). The optimal molding conditions including molding temperature and molding time for each spacer fabric were found. It was shown that not all spacer fabrics can be molded to a desired cup shape. The thermal-mechanical properties determined by TMA revealed that the optimal molding conditions and compressive strain of molded spacer fabrics are closely related to the material used as spacer yarn, the density of spacer yarn, and the elongation and recovery of the spacer fabric. This experimental work provides the industry with a greater insight into the behavior of these environmentally friendly spacer fabrics, and useful information for selecting a suitable spacer fabric for the molding purpose.