Wool research Association (WRA) – Center of Excellence (COE) in Sportech
Introduction
Wool research association (WRA) is cooperative research association registered against the Society Registration Act 1860, established in 1963 by the woolen industry under the auspices of CSIR, Government of India. At present it is administrative under the Ministry of Textile for last few decades
WRA is the only research body fully dedicated to research, consultancy, testing & evaluation, training and education, etc. in the field of Woolen Textiles. WRA has been rendering useful services and technical support to both organized and decentralized sector including medium, small, and tiny and cottage sector of woolen textile industry. WRA pioneered in development and technology absorption in the country in respect of computer color matching, Computer added designs, various product and process development.
Beside research and development in the field of the Wool and Woolen textiles WRA provides technical assistance to decentralized woolen sector for establishment of common facility centers, Scouring and spinning of indigenous Chokla, Deccani, Marwari, Pathanwadi . etc. and other coarse and very coarse wool. One of the important activities of WRA is to render useful services to testing and evaluation of wool, eco testing, standardization and formulation of specifications, quality assurance, etc.
WRA also provides technical assistance to various projects undertaken by the Central Wool Development Board (CWDB) and the other State owned Wool Boards for improvements of wool and woolen textiles. WRS imparts training for the workers, artisans, supervisory, staffs, technologists & scientists in Woolen and worsted industry.
Facilities
WRA is well equipped with necessary infrastructure in research and other technical activities; the organization has its own sprawling campus of over 13 Acers land at thane.
It has its own accommodation where following infrastructure has been created over last five decades of
- Accredited Textile Physical Laboratory
- Accredited Textile Chemical Laboratory
- Color & Design Laboratory
- Research & Development Division
- Eco- Testing Laboratory
- Textile Technology Lab.
- Pilot Plant.
- Library
- Training facilities
- Auditorium and conference room
- Computers, LCD projectors
- Information technology coordination center
- Administrative & accounts Department.
- Center of excellence for Sportech.
Activities performed
- Research & Development.
- Testing & evaluation service.
- Color technology.
- Training & Education.
- Technical services to decentralized
- Carpet industry, SMEs Cottage/Rural industry.
- Industrial Audits.
- Turnkey Projects.
- R&D, Training in Sportech.
- Developments in woolen & Manmade Textiles.
Textile testing laboratory
Textile testing Laboratory has undergone Onsite assessment for verifying the continual compliance to ISO/ IEC 17025: 2005. The laboratory is also accorded international Accreditation membership for the year 2016 by inter-wool labs. This Lab is currently under up gradation, sponsored by ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India.
Yarn & Fabric manufacturing Facilities
WRA’s Pilot plant is equipped with yarn manufacturing facilities for woolen yarn, worsted yarn, and friction spun yarn, blends of wool with other natural & natural synthetic fibers. It also houses knitting facilities like hand knitting machine, semi-automatic & computerized flatbed knitting machine.
ECO Laboratory
WRA’s Eco Laboratory has been one of the major facility Centre created in the aftermath of the German ban on certain azo dyes, heavy metals and other toxic components, closely followed by Government of India measures on similar lines with a view to provide necessary help to the Indian industry in the production of eco-friendly textiles.
Eco Laboratory is well equipped to take up testing of Dyes, Pigments and Finished Textile Products as per international Standards and has been providing the testing services to the textile industry over a decade.
Textile chemical & color department
Textile Chemical & Color department is involved in R&D and testing related to textile wet processing (Textile pretreatment, dyeing & Finishing), advanced textile technology like Plasma treatment, ultrasonic treatment, functional finishing, coating, Effluent and waste water analysis, color difference measurement, quality control, yellowness & whiteness index measurement. It is also involved in color recipe prediction service for all customer specific requirements and also involved in color data maintenance and update for all online customers through indigenously developed internet based computer color matching service.
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR SPORTECH
Wool Research Association, Thane (WRA) which has been of late designated as COE in Sportech, by Ministry of Textiles under Technology Mission on Technical Textiles (TMTT) scheme with financial assistance of Rs.24.5 Crs . This facility is being set up in two buildings renovated inside the existing WRA campus i.e., a PILOT PLANT and SPORTECH LABORATORY buildings.
Pilot plant houses machineries related to Center of Excellence in Sportech comprises of:
- Gill box
- Comber
- Cheese winding
- Two for one twister (TFO)
- Sectional warping machine
- Flexible rapier loom
- Circular knitting machine
- Warp knitting machine (tricot type)
- Semi-automatic flatbed knitting machine
- Hot melt laminating and coating machine
- Compression molding machine
- Rubber mixing mill
- Ultrasonic sealing machine
- RF sealing machine
- Shoe stitching machine
- Industrial sewing machine
These machines are being utilized for product development and R & d related to sports textiles and other technical textiles.
The Sportech laboratory is equipped with state of the art equipment’s related to testing of technical textile product and in particular Sportech products made of woven, non-woven, knitted and composite textiles. The tests are performed by the skilled staffs, thus ensuring the consistency, reliable and accurate analysis to serve the needs of users and manufacturers to ascertain the product quality and specifications required to compete the global demands. Testing assignments are undertaken against specifications of BIS, ISO, ASTM, AATCC, and other reputed standards and also customized testing as per customer’s requirement.
WRA is rendering continual testing and consultancy services at various levels in textile and allied industries, Government agencies, international agencies etc.
Our trained and competent Technical & Management personnel ensure to deliver the accurate results within the shortest possible time frame.
FOR ALL LABORATORY TESTING AND PILOT PLANT FACILITY USE PLEASE CONTACT DIRECTOR
WOOL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
KOLSHET ROAD, THANE – 400 607
Tel: 022- 25314294/25868398
Email: [email protected] /[email protected]
