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Same great product with a new name:
Woolpower® (formerly Ulfrotte® Original)
Wool
Properties
Woolpower® is made for work, sports and recreation.
The garments satisfy high demands on protection, comfort, ease of
wear and durability. The product range features sweaters, pants,
one-piece suits, jackets, socks, hoods and gloves in many different
sizes. Clothes which are worn next to the body have two main functions
– to insulate and to create a thermal balance, i.e. to protect
from cold and to transport moisture and surplus heat.
 Insulation
Wool terry cloth contains up to 80% air, which binds to the kinky
fiber. The air forms an insulating layer along the skin and prevents
heat from escaping. In addition, the air bound in the terry cloth
loops creates a double thermal effect. Woolpower® has the highest insulation level for protection from both heat and
cold.
Moisture
Garments made of Woolpower® are not only warm
but also wick moisture from the skin and allow water vapor to pass
through the wool fiber – without losing their thermal properties.
The ability to wick moisture facilitates heat ventilation during
physical activity, keeping the body dry and maintaining the thermal
balance. Woolpower® is designed to allow ventilation
of surplus heat through an adjustable opening at the neck.
Odor
Studies show that the wool fiber’s ability to absorb and neutralize
unpleasant odors is far superior to that of other textiles. Through
its chemical composition wool can neutralize bodily substances which
give rise to unpleasant odors, a considerable advantage when the
opportunities for washing are limited. Comparative
tests show that wool has absolutely the highest absorption capacity
of all fibers.
 Comfort
The properties of the weave and the construction of the garments
give Woolpower® a high level of comfort. Sleeves,
legs and body sections are tubular knitted in many different diameters
for an excellent fit. The absence of side seams and a minimum of
flat inseams prevent the garments from chafing.
Sturdy
zippers and stretchable cuffs make the garments easy to put on and
take off. The elasticity of the knit and the elongated back section
of the sweaters prevent the garments from gaping or constricting.
Only fine Merino wool is used to make Woolpower®.
The field trials we constantly subject our products to show that
more than 95% of the study participants find the garments soft and
comfortable to wear directly against the body.
Durability
Tearing resistance and form retention are tested regularly. In every
respect, Woolpower® shows high values in comparison
with similar products. This durability is a result of the garments’
seamless tubular knit and the cloth’s blend of synthetic and
wool fibers.
 Fire
resistance
In its natural form, wool has a high capacity to insulate from both
heat and cold. Woolpower®’s terry knit enhances
these beneficial qualities and provides especially good protection
from radiated heat. The natural wool fiber has favorable characteristics
with regard to fire resistance. When ignited, the Woolpower® cloth carbonizes on the skin surface, while other materials with
a predominantly synthetic composition melt and in turn cause severe
injuries. Woolpower® is now offered in a collection
with permanent fire resistance properties that meet the protection
criteria for EN 531 A B2 C1.
EN
531 A B2 C1
Woolpower®’s fire protection series has been
developed to meet the criteria established by the European work
environment committees with regard to protective clothing for industrial
workers. Garments that satisfy the requirements for EN 531 protect
the wearer from brief contact with flame and one or more heat risks.
Code
A indicates the garment’s resistance to open flame, code B
its protection from convective heat and code C its protection from
radiated heat. Woolpower® meets the standard EN 531
A B2 C1.
Today Woolpower® with aramide fiber is available
in socks, pants, sweaters, jackets, one-piece suits, hoods and gloves.
Washability
Washability is an important aspect of a garment’s function.
The wool is superwash-treated at the mill to allow repeated machine
washing of the garments in 140 °F without shrinking or losing
their insulating capacity. Woolpower® retains its
excellent function even after long use and when the opportunities
for washing the garment are limited.
Wool
- a unique raw material
Wool was being used in clothing as early as the Stone Age. During
the 1900s considerable resources have been invested in development
of synthetic fibers with the same favorable qualities as wool, but
so far no one has succeeded in copying nature’s own material.
Wool
fiber properties
Wool fibers contain proteins whose chemical structure gives the
wool its characteristic elasticity, strength and airiness. The fibers
contain a large amount of air, which insulates from both heat and
cold. Furthermore, in contact with moisture the proteins in wool
fibers release heat. The core of a wool fiber is hydrophilic and
absorbs heat radiated from the body in the form of water vapor.
The fiber can absorb up to a third of its dry weight without feeling
damp.Natural raw material in clothing
Wool’s
thermal properties and ability to wick moisture make it an unbeatable
material in insulating garments. Wool is used in supplementary clothing
such as sweaters, hats, gloves and undergarments. Woolpower®, which is worn directly against the skin, is made of a
fine Merino wool produced mainly in Australia.
 Wool
export
Most of the wool produced by the world’s sheep is used locally,
and less than half goes into commercial products. The global sheep
population is estimated at over 1 billion. Australia, with its 125
million sheep, dominates the world market for fine-textured wool.
New Zealand, China and the former Soviet Union are other major producers,
primarily of coarser wool. In Europe, the U.K. is the largest wool
producer. The wool used by Woolpower® comes mainly
from Australia and New Zealand.
Fine-textured wool for softness
The Australians take comfort seriously. The research institute CSIRO
tests wool fibers of various dimensions and uses the unit micron,
corresponding to 1/1000th of a millimeter, to define the thickness
of a fiber. The comfort limit for garments worn against the skin
is 28 microns. The finer the fiber, the greater the comfort.
 Merino
wool has a fiber diameter of 15 to 25 microns and is highly suitable
for undergarments. Today, Merino is the most widely demanded wool
type on the market. Merino wool is even, matte and fine-textured,
qualities that make it easy to spin and provide superior softness.
Fibre diameter determines quality and price
Throughout the industry a low micron count has become almost synonymous
with high quality. Market demand is for increasingly lightweight
garments with the highest possible comfort, and buyers will pay
up to 20 times more for fine-textured wool than for coarser type.
Woolpower® is made exclusively of fine Merino wool with a fiber diameter
of 22 microns. Woolpower® is marked with the Merino
symbol – extra fine wool fiber - a guarantee for high quality
raw material. In addition, all packages are marked with a micron
counter that shows the average fiber diameter in the raw wool.
Fiber
diameter may vary
Wool fibers have varying diameters, even when taken from the same
sheep. If more than 3-4 percent of the fibers are coarser than 28
microns, many people will experience discomfort. Although not an
exact limit, this is nonetheless known as the ”itch threshold”
or comfort limit.
The
fiber diameter represents an average of all fibers. A coarser, lower
quality wool yarn with an average diameter of 25 microns may contain
a range of 15 to 45 microns, see the diagram at right. In other
words, it is important to have both the lowest possible micron count
and the smallest possible variation.
For
strength, elasticity and fire protection
Today Woolpower® consists of 2/3 wool and 1/3 synthetic
fiber. The fiber composition varies in different parts of the garment
for maximum function and comfort. The
wool is reinforced with polyamide for greater durability. By combining
the most desirable characteristics of wool and synthetic materials
we have achieved a virtually ideal blend.
Polyamide
increases the elasticity and pliability of the finished garment.
Elastan
The cuffs and waistbands of Woolpower® contain the
rubber-like synthetic Elastan, a resilient fiber that molds to the
body at the same time that it is supple. Today the proportion of
elastan is less than 3%. Lycra® is a brand name for the elastan
product used in Woolpower®.
Aramide
In order to meet the European work environment committees’
requirements for personal protective equipment, Woolpower® is now offered in a complete special collection reinforced
with aramide fiber, a form of polyamide, to further enhance the
material’s fire resistance. The collection features garments
which are included in the fire protection series marked with its
own sew-in label.
 Unique
manufacturing method
Woolpower® is manufactured on advanced, custom-designed
tubular knitting machines that give sleeves, legs and body sections,
as well as cuffs and waistbands, a seamless construction. For the
best possible fit, the various garment sections and sizes are woven
individually on knitting machines with varying diameters. The yarn
is woven in a loop system to produce a soft and airy terry cloth,
a technique that offers high comfort, durability and a minimum of
seams.
Dressing/blocking
In order to stabilize the material, the cloth is washed in water.
The finished garment may shrink by a maximum of 5%. Using heat and
steam, the material is then blocked and crabbed on metal frames
and tenters.
Stamping/cutting
Every size and model has a specific length and width. The garment
sections are bundled and stamped with metal knives and a warping
machine is used to split the tubular knitted pant legs at the crotch.
Flat
inseams
After stamping and cutting, the various garment sections are sewn
together with flat inseams, a technique that creates inseams without
edges that chafe.
Quality
assurance
Continuous, random testing is carried out at every stage of the
manufacturing process to ensure that raw materials, semi-finished
and finished products maintain high and consistent quality. Changes
in appearance, durability, absorption capacity, insulation and shrinkage
are routinely analyzed in the laboratory. The company complies with
the regulations for quality assurance according to ISO 9000.
The various garment sizes and sections are woven indivdually on
different knitting machines with needle beds of varying diameters,
giving the garments excellent fit and comfort.
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