Material Analysis

When comparing different types of textile for the outer case of the slim line, it was needed to come up with some requirements. First of all, it is important that can be washed inside a washing machine. Thus, it needs to be able to resist high temperatures. Secondly, it should be splash resistant, which means that it does not soak up water. At last, the material should be cheap and have a ‘good looking’ texture.

When looking at different materials, it was found that a canvas can fulfill all these requirements. Canvas is no material, but it is a way of weaving a material to create a strong structure. The actual material varies. Nowadays mostly synthetic materials like polyester are used. Polyester is a commonly used material for bags and laptop bags. It would be nice if the case of the slim line would match with the laptop bag for which it is designed to be stowed in. Furthermore, polyester fulfills all of the four aforementioned requirements.

Polyester is also used in more technical products like sails for boats or safety belts in cars. For these purposes the material has to resist harsh conditions. Therefore the material will probably be useable in our parts as well. The material is continuously useable up to 65 degrees Celsius, which makes it suitable for a washing machine.

It is also a cheap material, polyester is available for approx 0.90 euro/kg, while materials like cotton and nylon cost 1.60 euro/kg and 2.50 euro/kg respectively. These are bulk material costs, which do not account for production costs.