Heat Setting in Finishing: Stenter Process
topic
Stenter heat-setting of woven polyester fabric: fabric enters pinned or clipped stenter at controlled width, passes through heated chambers at 180–210°C (residence time 30–60 s), exits dimensionally stabilised. Process crystallises oriented amorphous chains at heat-set temperature, reducing free energy driving force for shrinkage. Optimum temperature: 10–20°C below Tm. Dimensional stability measured by dimensional change in washing (ISO 5077): target <1–2%. Overfeed/underfeed controls warp/weft shrinkage balance.
Role
Stenter heat-setting is the final dimensional stabilisation step for polyester fabric. Its process parameters directly determine fabric shrinkage, width stability, and weight per unit area — the commercial fabric specification parameters.