O o d h e a d p u b L i s h I n g L i m I t e d

2.1
Introduction
Put simply, fitness for use  defines quality, of which there are two general
aspects:  quality of design and quality of conformance. Raw materials and
products are generally available in various grades or levels of quality. These
variations are often intentional, and consequently the appropriate technical
term in such instances is quality of design. Quality of conformance is how
well the product conforms to the specifications and tolerances required by
the design.
Every product, including wool, possesses a number of elements that jointly
describe its fitness for use. These elements are often called quality
characteristics. Quality characteristics may be of several types. In the case of
wool and wool products these include:
• physical:   length, weight, fineness, yarn evenness;
• sensory:   handle, feel, appearance, colour;
• time orientation:   reliability, durability, serviceability.
Generally it is difficult (and expensive) to provide customers with raw materials
and products that have flawless quality characteristics. A major reason for
this difficulty is variability. Wool is an extremely variable material. It varies
along the fibre, among fibres, among staples, among animals, among mobs,
among bloodlines and among regions.
The quality characteristics of wool were traditionally estimated subjectively.
© 2009 Woodhead Publishing Limited

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The objective measurement of wool fibre quality
23
Today, at all levels of the industry, technology providing objective
measurements has almost completely replaced the senses of vision and touch
because now most of the quality characteristics can be assigned a numerical
value. This chapter focuses upon the measurement and specification of raw
wool and wool sliver, providing an overview of the current status of wool
fibre metrology, highlighting the major advances that have occurred in the
past 50 years.