HanesBrands| Protect & Notify

Connie Wong, Denisse Sada-Romero, Sierra Figuerado, Talib Patrick

Our sponsor, Hanesbrands, challenged us to develop a fabric for hoodies and sweatshirts with increased levels of protection for school-aged children without making the hoodies uncomfortable to wear. Our team narrowed the scope down to cut-resistance and abrasion-resistance. Serving as our ‘comfort’ baseline material, the Hanes Reverse Weave® fabric is composed of 82% cotton and 18% polyester. Our team added ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) to improve protection performance.

In response to the project scope, our team researched commercial cut-resistant products and analyzed how their yarn composition and fabric structure influenced their cut performance. Based on our findings, we narrowed down our ideas into multiple prototypes, ranging in complexity and innovation: core-spun interlock knit, plated jersey knit, 3-ply interlock knit, nonwovens interlock knit, and self-stitch interlock knit.

After our prototyping session, we conducted physical tests to evaluate comfort and protection levels based on our measurables: cut resistance, abrasion resistance, launderability, hand, tear strength, air permeability, and pilling. Based on our results, we were able to pinpoint ways to further refine our prototypes moving forward. Our project’s next step is garment design, which will include a notification device that will allow the wearer to send an alert to their parents or guardians if needed. Throughout this course, we have developed valuable skills in regards to teamwork, including communication, time management and presenting.