Gore opens new biophysics, heat testing labs.

• Author: Machi, Vivienne
• Position: Global Defense

* At a facility in northern Maryland, engineers can now test the durability and comfort of fabrics in a flash storm or a raging fire, no matter what the outside temperature may be.

Material science company WL Gore has opened new biophysics and heat and flame protection laboratories that will help push its product testing capabilities to new levels, said Matthew Decker, global technical leader of the company's comfort core group.

It revealed the new multi-million dollar facilities at a recent media event at its plant. The facilities were commissioned in fall 2016, after about a year of construction.

The labs allow Gore to more rigorously test products, such as its Gore-Tex waterproof and heat-resistant fabric membranes, which are used in uniforms across the U.S. military, foreign services and public safety fields.

The new biophysics laboratory enables the company to further focus on the comfort of its products, Decker said.

"We care about comfort before the rain, during the rain and after the rain," he said.

The biophysics lab includes two new components: an environmental chamber that can recreate between 85 and 95 percent of the Earth's environments, from a rainy day in Scotland to a breezy night in the Bahamas.

The chamber has the ability to simulate natural solar radiation, humidity, wind and temperature levels to reflect a complete solar cycle from sunrise to sunset, Decker said. Engineers collect data from manikins and from human test subjects, using treadmills and skin sensors to track their performance and comfort levels.

Another new component is an upgraded rain tower that can test Gore products in realistic rainfall scenarios, from a light drizzle to a torrential downpour. It can simulate rainfall of up to 3 inches per hour, water and air temperatures ranging from 41 degrees to 77 degrees Fahrenheit and wind speed of up to 5 miles per second.

A new heat and...