Commitment

Innovation and quality are some of the most important elements of RECASENS Philosophy. All company processes revolve around them in order to ensure full customer satisfaction.

In its operating sector (Sunscreen, textile Architecture, Technical fabrics, Decoration, marine and transportation). Investment in R&D+i is a constant and is intended to improve fabric performance, optimize production processes both in quality and efficiency, and to respond to specific requests from its customers.

RECASENS constantly works on developing new fabrics. The MarketingDepartment, along with R&D+i, continuously analyzes the trends and market requirements to adapt the creation of new products to its customers, offering innovative and value-added solutions.

Within these new innovative solutions, RECASENS has developed the Infinity Process for tarps Recacril^® and Recsystem^®, a process in which canvas is subjected to a high-tech treatment to ensure the durability of fabrics. In this process, nanoparticles from completely finished products cover the surface of the fabric fibers, forming a permanent coating. After treatment, the exposed surface and inside fabric are permanently protected from dirt accumulation and adverse effects of a wide range of atmospheric agents.

The low reactivity and high stability of the Infinity Process applied to the canvas confer a lasting protection, especially against mildew, and provides excellent water-and-oil proofing, protecting awnings from both sun and water.

The vocation of customer proximity service, technical knowledge and commitment to quality has driven RECASENS to adopt a management system according to ISO 9001:2015 certified and issued by TÜV Rheinland, and the implementation of Quality Policy based on the following premises:

1. Finding the complete customer satisfaction through products tailored to the requirements agreed with our clients.
2. Working for a continuous improvement of our processes, products, services and training of our staff.
3. Commit adequate provision of resources to meet the agreed commitments.
4. Provide quality in manufactured products and services, as the basis for the future of our Company.
5. Promote the involvement and commitment of staff.
6. Not providing products and services that break the applicable law, and being committed firmly with sustainable development and concerned with environmental challenges.
7. Address deficiencies from the moment they are detected.
8. Optimize and maintain an appropriate working environment.
9. Continually strive to set the optimal criteria for health and safety policy.
10. The commitment of the Managing Director to fulfill these premises.

Rev. 04/2018

Due to the differences regarding legal requirements and safety concepts in different countries, and how the work is distributed internationally in the textile chain, you need a common security standard for harmful substances.

The Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 meets this need. It is a testing and certificates worldwide raw, intermediate and finished textile products at all stages of the process. Its aim is to ensure that textiles are free of harmful substances. The advantages Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 are:

• The production of textiles harmless from human-ecological point of view.
• The streamlining and accelerating supply relationships for producers and traders who wish to offer perfectly hygienic textile products to its customers.
• A reliable distinction of product for consumers who consciously favor hygienically harmless textiles.

The UV Standard 801 is a method of analysis to determine the Ultraviolet Protection Factor. In the case of awning fabrics, tissue tension, aging canvas by sunlight, rain and humidity, reduce the ability to protect the canvas. Consequently, these factors should be considered in the tests to give a reliable UPF for not endangering the user.

To ensure all these factors, the tests according to UV Standard 801 are performed under the following conditions:

• The measurements were made on wet and stretched canvas samples that have been previously subjected to artificial aging.
• Protection Factor is determined based on the maximum ultraviolet radiation and the most sensitive skin.
• the spectrum of solar radiation in summer in Australia, which contains more ultraviolet radiation that used by other standards (solar spectrum in Albuquerque, New Mexico, etc.) is simulated.

Due to the high level of exigency posed by the above conditions, RECASENS considers the UPF obtained by the UV Standard 801 as the most reliable to characterize his sunscreen canvases.

When solar radiation incides on any surface (glass, an awning, a curtain, etc.) is divided into three parts:

1. The part that a surface reflects and dissipates – REFLECTANCE
2. The part  absorbed by the surface and warmed – ABSORPTANCE
3. The part that passes through the surface and transmits to what is behind it – TRANSMITTANCE

The amount of reflected, absorbed or transmitted solar radiation relies on the nature of the fabric, therefore each fabric behaves differently and depends mainly on:

• Weight.
• Thickness.
• Color.

Solar radiation is a set of electromagnetic radiation from the sun. From this set, a part is absorbed by the atmosphere and the other part is reaching the surface of the earth.

The radiation reaching the surface is divided into three types:

1. Ultraviolet (8% of total). It is the most powerful energy and therefore more dangerous. Is the main cause of the skin lesions and is the major risk factor for most skin cancers.
2. Visible Radiation (43%). It is the area corresponding to the visible radiation whose wavelength is between 360 nm (violet) and 760 nm (red). Produces glare.

Infrared Radiation (49% of total). It is less powerful. Produces warm feeling.

To assess how a fabric performs we use the following factors:

• Solar Reflectance factor (Rs): Percentage of total incident solar radiation reflected by the fabric surface. The higher it is, the more energy reflects the fabric.
• Solar Absorptance factor (As): Percentage of total incident solar radiation that is absorbed by the fabric surface. The lower the factor, less fabric is heated.
• Solar Transmittance factor (Ts): Percentage of total incident solar radiation transmitted through the fabric. The lower it is, the lower the energy that passes through the fabric.

The sum of these three indices has a value of 100: Rs + As + Ts = 100%

Total Solar Factor (Gtot): The solar factor (TT/SF/g) of glazing is the percentage of the total solar radiant heat energy entering the room through the fabric and glass, taking into account both. The lower this factor, less solar radiation enters the building and therefore the fabric is more effective blocking solar radiation and reducing cooling requirements.

As already indicated above, the solar radiation absorbed by the fabric causes heating. Then, the fabric becomes a heat emitter.

If the fabric is on the outside of the glass that closes the room, the radiated heat is dissipated in the external environment. However, if you are behind the glass inside the room, the heat radiated by the fabric remains inside. Therefore, from the point of view of the thermal efficiency is more effective to place the fabric on the outside of the building.

Technically, this behavior is described by the value of the Exterior Solar Factor (if the fabric is on the outside) and Interior Solar Factor (if the fabric is inside).

These four indices are called Thermal Indices as they are directly related to the thermal efficiency and thermal comfort provided by the fabrics.

Generally, the most used index in regulations and standards to specify the thermal efficiency of a fabric sunscreen is the Total Solar Factor (Gtot).

From the three components of solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth, the visible radiation is the only one that has direct influence on visual comfort.

Visual comfort is the right combination of several factors: the nature of the (natural or artificial) light, its stability and its quantity relative to the visual demands of the activities to be performed, whether labor, domestic or rest. Inadequate correlation between lighting and activity, leading to premature material fatigue, and in extreme cases, luminous imbalance.

To measure the action of a certain fabric, on the visible part of solar radiation, we use the following optical indices:

• Openness (Tvnn) or Openness Factor (OF): Percentage of the fabric surface occupied by holes. Is an index indicating a feature of the fabric only and is independent of the same color. The higher is the degree of openness, the higher the amount of light will pass through the fabric. The lower the openness factor, the higher the amount of shade.
• Visible Light Transmittance (Tv): This factor gives the total percentage of light radiated through the fabric.
• Visible light reflectance (Rvnh): Percentage of visible light radiation reflecting by the fabric. When light passes through a fabric, the total transmitted light is spread in all directions (diffuse transmission). The diffusely transmitted light is softer, has less contrast, and generates lighter shades (smoother transition between light and shadow).
• Diffuse Light Transmission Factor (Tdif): It is defined as the difference between the visible transmission factor and the openness factor: Tdif = Tv – OF

When referring to glare and shape recognition, is indicated as Tvndif. A low value means greater visual comfort.

When referring to the lighting control is indicated as Tvdifh. This control is used to measure the diffusion capacity of a fabric. A high value indicates a greater contribution of natural light through fabric.

Regulation and legislation standards indicates Visible Light Transmittance factor (Tv) as the factor used to specify the visual comfort provided by a fabric.

Installing a sun protection product, such as an awning or shade allows to control the amount of sunlight entering a building through an opening. Depending on the type and fabric color selected, light contrast intensity is reduced, lowering the cooling requirements of the building.

For example, a dark colored fabric allows greater glare control by less light transmission, but the amount of reflected radiation is smaller than in a light color and the absorption percentage is greater. This solar radiation absorbed is transferred as heat, therefore a dark fabric provides greater visual comfort but may reduce thermal comfort.

Solar UV radiation is necessary for human health. For example, our body needs vitamin D, responsible for regulating bone calcium. This vitamin is formed by exposing skin to ultraviolet sun radiation. However, an excess of this radiation presents a significant risk of developing skin burns, and can even cause skin cancer.

There are different types of skin (up to 6 according to dermatologists) and everyone reacts differently when exposed to sunlight and each has its own maximum exposure to sunlight to avoid damage. For example, skin type I can only be unprotected from sun between 5 and 10 minutes before they redden.

The Ultraviolet Protection Factor UPF indicates how long a person can stay under the sun protection element without damaging the skin. A canvas with a UPF 50 allows a person with type I skin to be under it around 250 minutes.