LIGHTER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING FOR CHANGING WORK NEEDS
Product development involves sensing and responding to customer and market needs. "We clearly identified a need for an inherently flame-retardant collection that is lighter, softer, and more flexible than previous ones, yet still meets the protection requirements of demanding professional use. This was driven by increasing demands in work environments and new applications. Energy and electricity networks, critical infrastructure such as data center construction, industrial installation environments, and export markets created the need for a lighter collection," describes Dimex Product Designer Teija Backman.
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING DESIGN GUIDED BY STANDARDS, OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND LIFE CYCLE THINKING
"Protective clothing design is guided by standards and occupational safety. Every detail of the product is evaluated from both usability and certification perspectives. Thorough information gathering and delimitation phases, where customer needs and protection requirements are mapped, are crucial in product development. Customer feedback and observations from test usage of previous collections are also utilized in the design phase," Backman states.
Dimex's design is also guided by life cycle thinking, especially from the perspective of product durability and lifespan. Personal protective clothing must retain its properties during use, maintenance, and repeated washing. "That's why, for example, resistance to industrial washing was an important starting point for this collection. It's not just a technical requirement, but about the garment remaining a reliable tool throughout its entire life cycle," Backman says.
THE RIGHT MATERIALS AND FEATURES ARE FOUND THROUGH A MULTI-STAGE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
The functionality of workwear is critically dependent on how well protective clothing, including its details, serves the overall work process. According to Backman, important factors usually include mobility, the durability of areas prone to wear, fit, and the practicality of pocket solutions or other details. It is also important how well the garment works in conjunction with other protective equipment.
The starting point for the Inherent collection was mobile work in challenging and changing conditions. "This is directly reflected in the clothing's structures. Mobility wasn't just built with individual stretch panels. All solutions, such as the flexible material throughout the product, contoured cuts that improve mobility, and knee and sleeve solutions, were designed to support reaching, climbing, squatting, and working on one's knees."
The softer, inherently flame-retardant material brings lightness and mobility to the collection, but at the same time sets its own limits for the structure," Backman points out. "Abrasion resistance cannot be considered in the same way as with heavier and stiffer fabrics; instead, in critical areas, abrasion resistance is improved with additional reinforcements, product fit, and structures."
A new protective garment is rarely created on the first try, but rather by developing, testing, and refining until the product works and meets the requirements. New materials and features require several prototypes, fittings, and modifications. Backman says the work involved close dialogue with users, the pattern maker, technical designer, sample sewer, and other product development team experts.
TESTED IN REAL-WORLD WORK
At Dimex, in addition to material tests and clothing fittings carried out at their Leppävirta facility, products are always also tested in various work environments and tasks. This provides a realistic picture of the products' practical functionality. "Diverse testing is invaluable. Certification bodies' laboratory tests tell whether the product meets standard requirements – the user tells whether it works in the job," Backman states. The MultiStretch Inherent collection was tested, among other things, in welding work, power line construction, electrical installations, distribution network installations, heating installations, and mining conditions.
Changes are made to the products as needed, based on user feedback. "In this project, we refined material choices, modified pocket solutions, and honed details based on user feedback. A new radio pocket was developed during test use to address a need that arose directly from working life. The goal was for the radio to stay securely in place, but for the PTT button to be easily accessible. Some ideas were also discarded if they didn't work in practice. For example, not all sleeve pocket solutions were included in the final product."
"Test users appreciated the lightness and flexibility of the garment. We also received praise for the fit and mobility of the products in extreme positions," Backman says. "Flame-retardant clothing is still often associated with being heavy and stiff, but user experiences showed that even a lightweight solution can work in demanding jobs."
GOOD PROTECTIVE CLOTHING IS BORN FROM UNDERSTANDING THE WORK AND THE USER
"The development work for this collection clearly demonstrates what product development of demanding personal protective clothing is all about," Backman summarizes. "One must know the standards, but it is equally important to understand the diverse work tasks for which the ensemble is intended. When the design starts with the users, testing is done in real conditions, and details are carefully refined, workwear is created that not only meets requirements but genuinely serves its user. Good protective clothing is something the user is happy to put on, even during long working days, day after day."