Application of Airflow Resistance Tester in Medical and Textile Breathability Evaluation

The customer is a manufacturer and testing service provider specializing in medical protective products and functional textiles. Its product range includes surgical masks, disposable medical masks, and textile materials used in healthcare and personal protective equipment (PPE). With products supplied to both domestic and international markets, the customer must ensure compliance with Chinese and international standards related to airflow resistance and wearer comfort.

To strengthen internal quality control and support regulatory testing, the customer required a reliable instrument for accurately evaluating the airflow resistance of medical masks and textile materials.

Testing Challenges

Prior to implementation, the customer encountered the following issues:

(1) The need to test both finished medical masks and flat textile samples using a single instrument;

(2) Strict compliance requirements with standards such as EN 14683, GB 19083, YY 0469, and GB 2626;

(3) Limited consistency in airflow control when using conventional or semi-manual test devices;

(4) Insufficient data accuracy and repeatability for differential pressure measurements, affecting test credibility.

Solution

To meet these requirements, the customer introduced the Qinsun Textile Airflow Resistance Tester.

The tester measures the resistance of fabrics and medical protective masks to airflow under a constant flow rate, enabling accurate assessment of air permeability and breathability. It adopts a suction-type air source with a wide adjustable airflow range from 5 to 100 L/min, ensuring full compliance with various testing standards.

A high-precision differential pressure sensor with a range of 0–1 kPa is used to accurately capture airflow resistance data. The instrument supports both protective mask specimens and textile samples sized at 120 mm × 120 mm, with interchangeable test apertures of 74 mm and 25 mm to meet different standard requirements.

Application Process

The tester is installed in the customer’s quality control laboratory and is used for:

(1) Routine airflow resistance testing of surgical masks and disposable medical masks;

(2) Breathability evaluation of textile materials such as woven fabrics, cotton, and space cotton;

(3) Incoming inspection of raw materials used in medical protective products;

(4) Verification testing for product compliance with EN, GB, and YY standards.

The full-color touchscreen interface with Chinese and English language options simplifies operation and reduces operator training time. O-ring sealing ensures stable and reliable sample fixation during testing.

Application Results

After adopting the Airflow Resistance Tester, the customer achieved the following results:

(1) Improved accuracy and repeatability of airflow resistance measurements;

(2) Standardized testing procedures aligned with multiple international and national standards;

(3) Enhanced efficiency in daily quality control and compliance verification;

(4) Reliable test data to support product certification, customer audits, and regulatory inspections.

The Airflow Resistance Tester has become an essential instrument in the customer’s medical textile testing workflow, supporting both product quality assurance and regulatory compliance.