Development
TenCate Outdoor Fabrics continually develops and innovates in order to stay at the top of the game in the high-end camping market. Together with our technology partners, various research institutes and market participants, we work on products and production processes for the future. With an open mind for fundamental research and a strong focus on applied research and development, we have set out a strategy for the next five years. The strategy is implemented along four development themes; Comfort, Safety, Durability and Freedom of Design.
Our development strategy
Based on trends and developments in the market and our technological network, we have put together our development portfolio. The TenCate Outdoor Fabrics development themes Comfort, Protection, Sustainability & Freedom of Design are main priorities in the development of the products of the future. Comfort is becoming increasingly important for the end user. The canvas is an important factor as it provides a comfortable climate. It is breathable and can block sunlight, regulate moisture and prevent condensation. Providing protection with our materials is one of the core values of TenCate. Durability is a dual concept: it says something about the lifespan of our products, but also about the sustainable use and choice of raw materials which we find equally important. Its Safety against the weather and in some cases against fire. TenCate Outdoor Fabrics sees the latter as an important aspect of development in a market where the number of professional applications increases. ‘With the Freedom of Design’ functionality, tent producers and the sun awning manufacturers can personalise their collections using TenCate Outdoor Fabrics.Product development results
Over the years, TenCate has successfully introduced several developments for the high-end markets. Below, we explain about two of these products; TenCate Residential & TenCate Campshield.
TenCate All Season Residential is the product for high-end awnings & bungalow tents. The unique fibre mix consisting of polyester with PVA makes the fabric extremely suitable for these applications. The PVA fibre gives the fabric moisture regulation properties; it can absorb the moisture in the air during the night as it cools and thus prevents condensation forming on the tent fabric. During the day, the fabric exhales the moisture as it warms up.
TenCate Campshield is unique due to the ‘Quatro’ blend technology, which combines properties. The most important function is the inherently flame-resistant character. In contrast to competitive products, TenCate Campshield does not have a flame-retardant coating, as the fibres themselves are flame-retardant. As a result, the fabric has a beautiful finished look and can regulate breathing and moisture.
Product development
Many of our innovations are driven by process development; the quality, reliability, flexibility and technical possibilities of production are improved by the innovation of application technologies.
Digital print technology is a perfect example of process innovation which TenCate Outdoor Fabrics has introduced in recent years. As part of a European based development project and the TenCate ‘factory of the future’ program, a new print platform has been developed together with our technology partners. The first production machine was introduced in 2014 which enabled us to provide customer-specific design collections. Since then, many metres of digitally printed Outdoor canvas has been sold. The second generation printing machines have been in use since 2017.