🧵 Determination of the resistance of textile fabrics to pilling, fuzzing and matting by the modified Martindale method — a circular specimen rubs against the same fabric (or a wool abrasive fabric) along a Lissajous figure, free to rotate; pilling cycle = 16 rubs (16 revolutions of the outer drives, 15 of the inner), drive eccentricity (12 ± 0,25) mm, plate stroke (24 ± 0,5) mm, holder (155 ± 1) g or with loading piece (415 ± 2) g; visual assessment after defined stages according to ISO 12945-4, PN-EN ISO 12945-2

Materials and NDT PN-EN ISO 12945-2

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN catalogue card of PN-EN ISO 12945-2:2021-04 (English version; scope in Polish on the card), in full (our translation of the Polish card text): “This document describes a method for determining the resistance of textile fabrics to pilling, fuzzing and matting using the modified Martindale method.” We read the text of the standard in two previews: ISO 12945-2:2020 (second edition, in the French version) from the cover to Figure 3 (page 5) and ISO 12945-2:2000 (first edition, English) from the cover to Figure 3 (page 5); we do not have specimen preparation, the test procedure, assessment stages, Clause 9 or the test report.

ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF ISO 12945-2:2020 (foreword, introduction, Clauses 1–5.2.8). The standard was prepared by ISO/TC 38/SC 24 together with CEN/TC 248 (Vienna Agreement). The second edition replaces the first (2000); main change: in Clause 9 the visual assessment of pilling, fuzzing and matting is carried out according to ISO 12945-4. Introduction: pills form when fibres on the fabric surface “tease out” and entangle during use; consumer tolerance depends on the type of garment and end use; the level of pilling results from the rates of three parallel processes — fibre entanglement into pills, development of more surface fibre, and wear-off of fibres and pills; with strong fibres pills form faster than they wear off (pilling increases with use), with weak fibres the two processes compete (pilling fluctuates), and there are constructions in which fibres wear off before pills form; an ideal test would accelerate all three processes equally for all fabrics — no such test exists, but a procedure has been established that ranks fabrics in the same order of fuzzing and pilling propensity as in end use; the modification of the Martindale tester is described in bibliography item [8] (in the 2000 edition: a publication by H. Knecht of 1988). Scope (Clause 1): method for determining the resistance of textile fabrics to pilling, fuzzing and matting by the modified Martindale method. References: ISO 139, ISO 12945-4 (visual assessment), ISO 12947-1:1998. Definitions (Clause 3, according to ISO 12945-4:2020): pills — entangled fibres in balls standing proud of the fabric, of such density that light does not penetrate and they cast a shadow; pilling — formation of pills on the surface; fuzzing — roughing up of surface fibres or teasing out of fibres from the fabric, producing a visible surface change; matting — change in orientation of the raised fibres of a raised fabric, producing a visible surface change (all may occur in washing, dry cleaning and wearing); pilling rub — one complete revolution of the two outer drive elements; pilling cycle — movement along a complete Lissajous figure comprising 16 rubs, i.e. 16 revolutions of the outer drives and 15 revolutions of the inner drive. Principle (Clause 4): a circular specimen moves under a defined force over a friction surface of the same fabric or, where relevant, of a wool abrasive fabric, along a Lissajous figure, being able to rotate freely about an axis perpendicular to its plane; fuzzing, pilling and matting are assessed visually after defined stages. Apparatus (Clause 5): Martindale tester according to ISO 12947-1 modified according to 5.2 — base plate with pilling tables and drive (two outer drives and an inner one), every point of the holder guide plate traces the same Lissajous figure (from a circle through increasingly narrow ellipses to a straight line and back in the perpendicular direction); a presettable counter counts each revolution of one outer drive as one rub, 16 revolutions make a complete figure; eccentricity of the two synchronized outer drives and the central drive — (12 ± 0,25) mm, maximum stroke of the guide plate in both directions — (24 ± 0,5) mm; counter accurate to 1 rub; pilling tables with clamping ring (Figures 1 and 2); guide plate with three guides and bearings (spindles move freely, without play); specimen holder (body, ring, spindle) of mass (155 ± 1) g; loading piece — stainless steel disc (260 ± 1) g, together with the holder (415 ± 2) g; auxiliary device for mounting the specimen in the holder without folds; mounting weight for the table (2,5 ± 0,5) kg of diameter (120 ± 10) mm; this is where the part of the 2020 edition we read ends. The 2000 edition has at this point a viewing cabinet (5.3): white fluorescent light at an angle of 5–15° to the plane of the specimen, distance of the eye from the specimen 30–50 cm — this clause is not in the preview of the 2020 edition (Clause 9 refers the assessment to ISO 12945-4), so we do not give viewing conditions according to 2020.

STATUS (cards as of 02.10.2026). The card of PN-EN ISO 12945-2:2021-04 (English version, published 29-04-2021, 26 pages, price group M) has no “Withdrawn” header: Consumer Products Sector, KT 26 Textile Products, ICS 59.080.01, “Introduces: EN ISO 12945-2:2020 [IDT], ISO 12945-2:2020 [IDT]”, “Replaces: PN-EN ISO 12945-2:2002 – Polish version”. PN-EN ISO 12945-2:2002 (Polish version, “…to fuzzing and pilling…”, published 27-12-2002, 20 pages; introduced EN ISO 12945-2:2000 and ISO 12945-2:2000) — “Withdrawal date: 29-04-2021”, replaced by PN-EN ISO 12945-2:2021-04.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data up to 17.09.2026, read on 02.10.2026). The number 12945-2 appears in 9 records at 7 laboratories: AB 154, AB 164, AB 198, AB 225, AB 1417, AB 1421, AB 1864. In the current scopes on the PCA website (read on 02.10.2026, issues from 29.12.2025 to 08.07.2026) the number appears at all 7. Only “PN-EN ISO 12945-2:2021-04” — AB 164 (two places in the scope, together with PN-EN ISO 12945-4:2021-04), AB 225 and AB 1421 (both with 12945-4), AB 1417; the current edition next to the withdrawn 2002 — AB 154 and AB 198 (the latter with 12945-4); AB 1864 writes both editions without “ISO”: “PN-EN 12945-2:2021-04” and “PN-EN 12945-2:2002”. No row is set in bold italics. The “Laboratories” tab searches for entries BEGINNING WITH “PN-EN ISO 12945-2” and shows 6 laboratories; AB 1864 appears only under “PN-EN 12945-2” — checked with a query of the tab on the production server labcoda.pl on 02.10.2026.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (items in the PCA scopes). Textile fabrics, woven and knitted fabrics and clothing — “propensity to fuzzing, pilling and matting, modified Martindale method” (AB 164, AB 198, AB 225, AB 1421, AB 1864), “propensity of fabric surface to fuzzing and pilling” (AB 154, AB 1417); usually next to the pilling box method (PN-EN ISO 12945-1) and Martindale abrasion (PN-EN ISO 12947-2).

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. Assessment: since the 2020 edition Part 2 refers the visual assessment to ISO 12945-4 — therefore most laboratories list both parts; AB 154, AB 1417 and AB 1864 give only Part 2. Cycles: the counter counts rubs (revolutions of the outer drive); a complete pilling cycle is 16 rubs — confusing rubs with cycles changes the assessment stage sixteenfold. Load: holder (155 ± 1) g or with loading piece (415 ± 2) g — the result depends on the load chosen. Friction surface: by default the same fabric, wool abrasive fabric only where relevant. Mounting: the specimen and the material on the table are mounted without folds (auxiliary device, 2,5 kg weight). Interpretation: the test ranks fabrics but does not reproduce wear exactly — strong and weak fibres behave differently (pilling increases or fluctuates). Edition: the 2020 edition added matting (raised fabrics) to the scope.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We do not have the clauses on specimens, the procedure (numbers of rubs at the stages, loads for kinds of fabric), Clause 9 or the test report, and we have not read the rating scale of ISO 12945-4 — so we do not give the numbers of rubs for the stages, the assignment of loads or the pilling grades.

Method principle

A circular fabric specimen on a holder (155 g or 415 g with a loading piece) is moved along a Lissajous figure on the modified Martindale tester over the same fabric (or a wool abrasive fabric) and after defined stages fuzzing, pilling and matting are assessed visually according to ISO 12945-4.

Applications

• Woven and knitted fabrics and clothing — 7 laboratories in the PCA scopes
• Comparison of the pilling propensity of fabrics (ranking, not reproduction of wear)
• Raised fabrics — matting (since the 2020 edition)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN ISO 12945-2:2021-04 (wersja angielska; EN ISO 12945-2:2020 IDT, ISO 12945-2:2020 IDT)

Title (PL)

Tekstylia — Wyznaczanie skłonności powierzchni płaskiego wyrobu do pillingu, mechacenia i skłębiania — Część 2: Zmodyfikowana metoda Martindale'a

Title (EN)

Textiles — Determination of fabric propensity to surface pilling, fuzzing or matting — Part 2: Modified Martindale method

Step-by-step procedure

1. Specimens

   Circular specimens of the fabric and friction material, conditioned according to ISO 139. PN-EN ISO 12945-2:2021-04 current (cards as of 02.10.2026).

2. Mounting

   Specimen in the holder without folds (auxiliary device), friction material on the table pressed with the 2,5 kg weight and clamping ring; holder 155 g or with loading piece 415 g.

3. Rubbing

   Movement along a Lissajous figure; the counter counts rubs (16 rubs = 1 pilling cycle).

4. Stage assessment

   After defined stages visual assessment of fuzzing, pilling and matting according to ISO 12945-4.

5. Result

   Ratings according to ISO 12945-4 for successive stages, stating the load and the kind of friction surface.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• The part of the standard we read contains no safety warnings; moving holders of the tester — do not reach in during operation
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the counter counts rubs, a pilling cycle is 16 rubs; since the 2020 edition the assessment is carried out according to ISO 12945-4

Frequently asked questions