Recent Post/News ..!

• The withdrawal of optical brighteners from their laundry formulations, which is related to the reduction of the environmental impact in our region
• The selection of new shading dyes in line with the reality of the whiteness and cleanliness experience
• Once dinginess of commercial white garments is quantified in the first washes, the inclusion of new technologies can be evaluated
• New formulation balances considering the sufficient cleanliness expectation of laundry products.

• The withdrawal of optical brighteners from their laundry formulations, which is related to the reduction of the environmental impact in our region
• The selection of new shading dyes in line with the reality of the whiteness and cleanliness experience
• Once dinginess of commercial white garments is quantified in the first washes, the inclusion of new technologies can be evaluated
• New formulation balances considering the sufficient cleanliness expectation of laundry products.

• "Virtual Detergency Experimentation " to be presented at 2018 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo, May 6-9, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
• �Efficient Innovation with Digitally Augmented Detergency Experimentation� to be presented at Fabric and Home Care World Conference, October 28-31, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Selected Previous News ..!

June Solstice, 2009. Quito, Ecuador

The new modern and recent neurophysiology-inspired steady-state colour appearance model is in place

Recent neuroscientific insights have contributed to review colour appearance models. A new model has been constructed by combining chromatic adaptation with nonlinear response compression, that performs at least as well as CIECAM02. The reference is:

.. Kunkel, T, et al., A neurophysiology-inspired steady-state color appearance model, Journal of the Optical Society of America A Vol 26, No 4 / April 2009 776-782

This new contribution has sufficient merits to include directly on DETERTEC's calculations of colour appearance of surfaces, which in turn facilitate the understanding of consumer visual experience under real market scenarios.

DETERTEC at COLAMIQC XIX

DETERTEC will participate in the coming Latin American and Iberic Congress of Cosmetic Chemists, COLAMIQC XIX, to be held in the city of Guayaquil, ECUADOR, during October 25-28 2009. We hope to present orally our paper titled:

MODELLING THE CONSUMER'S NATURALLY DIFFERENT AND BEAUTY BY IMAGE ANALYSIS

This study exposes a new in-house methodology based on digital colorimetry of consumer's images that represent the condition "I am OK with my look" and shows the numerical modelling approach to represent that perception, in the field of cosmetic product, specifically in relation with the use of lipsticks. The paper will offer to the audience the opportunity to understand the way to customise colour difference equations to represent relevant consumer perceptions of contrast.

March Equinox, 2009. Quito, Ecuador

New links between consumer benefit perception of foods and visual experience

A collaborative project between neuroscientists at the Centre Hopitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, the Centre d'Imagerie Biomedicate, as well as the Nestle Research Center, in Lausanne, Switzerland, revealed that the human brain predicts the energy content of food, simply by looking at its picture. The brain distinguished between the high- and low-fat foods within 200 milliseconds (ms). According to Dr Le Coutre, one of the autors, "this suggests that reward properties, such as food's energy and fat content, are treated rapidly and in parallel with the brain regions involved in categorization and decision-making."

Despite of the link between consumer benefit perception of food and its visual attributes is well known in general, this study is "the first time that these processes have been investigated in humans, giving us indications of when and where food-related choices are made in the brain." The reference of the study is:

.. Toepel, U., et al., The brain tracks the energetic value in food images, NeuroImage 44 (2009) 967-974

This study is very good contribution to brands and products innovation project of foods, due to its contribution to understand the humans' decision-making processes that involves the consumer visual evaluation of food attributes under real market scenarios.

December Solstice, 2008. Quito, Ecuador

Modern colorimetry algorithms to improve visual perception understanding

Vision science in general and colorimetry in particular are fields of continuos advancements thanks to several basic research groups spread around the world. DETERTEC as other dozens of applied research groups, is continuously nurturing internal procedures from those well supported and accepted advancements. That is the case of the recent implementation of the new physiologically-based colour matching functions.

Conventional and basic colorimetry procedures are based on CIE 1931 colour matching functions and its supplementary CIE 1964 functions. Starting in the 60s, with findings of the properties of light-sensitive photoreceptors, and continuing with recent understandings of the visual function, the scientific community in the field, has accepted the cone fundamentals of the Stockman and Sharpe (2000), as the new physiological-relevant cone fundamentals in which all colorimetry computation algorithms are based.

The consumer industry has been aware of the deficiencies of the CIE 1931 and 1964 functions, which are seriously flawed particularly at short-wavelengths, and their deficiencies to represent consumer's evaluations of fluorescent materials, but only recently the scientific community (late 2006) has offered a better alternative. DETERTEC in line with this, implemented during 2008 the new algorithms in all colorimetric procedures, the results are a more coherent understanding of consumer visual perception under real visual scenarios. During 2009 DETERTEC will keep and expand the use of the new algorithms, now part of the LaundryVisualSim in-silico technology.

New Indoor Daylight Illuminant

Following the recommendations of the Technical Committee 1-66, Division 1, International Commission on Illumination (CIE), DETERTEC includes, starting in January 2009, a new illuminant for colorimetric calculations, the standard illuminant ID65, which represents a daylight source of illuminations at indoor environments.

The new illuminant was derived taking into account the average transmission spectrum of window glass, the average thickness of window glass and the average angle of transmission of light through the window. The differences between indoor and outdoor daylight are in the UV and the red portion of the spectrum. The new standard collects the fact that at indoor conditions exists around 32% less ultraviolet and violet radiation capable to excite fluorescent agents.

The visual experience of a myriad of consumer products take in effect at indoor daylight visual scenarios. The new standard is an important contribution to understand consumer visual perception in real market realities, specially of fluorescent surfaces.

September Equinox, 2008. Quito, Ecuador

DETERTEC and the 7th World Conference on Detergents

For third occasion in a row, DETERTEC has been invited to participate in Technical Committee in charge of the program of the 7th World Conference on Detergents to be held in Montreaux, Switzerland on October 4-7, 2010. The overall theme of the conference will be "New Strategies in a Dynamic Global Economy". The conference is organised by the AOCS, The American Oil Chemists' Society.

It our privilege to become part of the selected group of companies and people in charge of the most important global event in the field of soaps and detergents. The Conference is held each 4 years and DETERTEC has been part of the organizing committee in the years 2002, 2006 and will be in 2010. DETERTEC is the only company from the less-developed markets forming part of the Committee.

For more a more detailed information about the conference, please visit http://www.aocs.org/meetings/montreux/

June Solstice, 2008. Quito, Ecuador

Contract business model improves our customer's value

In the year 2007 DETERTEC started to change its business model from an occasional isolated test provider to a medium or long term innovation partner under yearly contracts. The transit has not been so smooth as we expected. Some of our occasional clients decided to see other alternatives internal of external, but some others decided to change the business relation in line with DETERTEC proposal.

After more than one year of application, the new business model has been evaluated with our clients. The advantages for them were clear:

.. more services from DETERTEC for less price

.. more support and information narrowed in the business critical areas

.. more training and knowledge-sharing to Marketing and R&D in specific relevant areas, less generic knowledge

.. more confidentiality and in some cases strict exclusivity

.. more responsibilities are shared and more sense of partnership

From DETERTEC side the advantages are also important, specifically the ability to plan our resources and efforts and a new healthy pressure to obtain clearly visible final results in line with our Clients expectations. In general terms the model is helping to business sustainability in both sides.

March Equinox, 2008. Quito, Ecuador

Characterising priming elements as part of brand innovation projects

Up to now, the most prominent brand innovation strategy is to manage total consumer experiences, which in turn are mainly a group of focal sensory experiences. Therefore, the need to manage visual experiences during communication, purchasing, usage and after-use moments are now the job of people in charge of brand management and innovation. The final idea is to support the consumer's generation of value to the brand.

The generation of value by the consumer rely on the perception of some critical benefits which are influenced by priming elements, according to recent findings in the field of psychology. One example of that in the area of laundry products is the influence of the visual perception of changes on the soiled garments when they are wetted and enter in contact with the washing solutions made with soap bars or powder detergents. That critical visual perception can the enormous potential to influence the final cleanliness and whiteness perception of some washing process.

Fortunately, understanding visual perception under real scenarios has been improved in the last decade thanks to new developments in the field of photonics and new algorithms to quantify colour appearance. The approach of DETERTEC in the field is the use of a combination of two elements: a in-house built non-contact absolute spectrofluorimeter, and in-house software (based on JMP) to compute data according the most recent colour appearance models in combination with recent findings in the uniformity of colour spaces, the influence of chromatic induction and the new international accepted physiologically-based colour matching functions. The final output is a full characterisation of the consumer visual perception of wetted fabrics at the beginning of the washing process according to the most modern principles of vision science applied to relevant market realities. Recently DETERTEC has expanded the area with the use of four (4) test fabrics models relevant to less-developed laundry markets:

.. light soiled nearly-new cotton knitted white fabric

.. soiled dingy cotton knitted white fabric greyished

.. light soiled nearly-new cotton woven white fabric

.. soiled dingy cotton woven white fabric yellowished

No doubts that in the coming years more products in the very competitive consumer industry will have the potential to offer consumer more easily perceived benefits that in turn will sustain the generation of brand value.

Example of technical data can be consulted at ...Visual Experiences

December 10th, 2007. Quito, Ecuador

NEW BRAND AND PRODUCT INNOVATION TRAINING PROGRAM

The year 2007 has been a very productive year for DETERTEC's training programs. More than 150 marketing and R&D professionals from all over the Americas, assisted to courses on Innovation and Visual Experience and provided remarkable evaluations.

Based on that, DETERTEC has announced and innovative and unique group of courses for 2008. These will cover the most important and modern topics on Brand and Product Innovation Strategies as well as Consumer�s Visual Experience Management, each focused on a different consumer product category: food and beverages, beauty and personal care, household care, and laundry.

The series has been called Innovation and Visual Experience, and the first specific course will be offered on coming March 2008. On-site versions will be offered in a continuous base.

September 28th, 2007. Quito, Ecuador

OUTSTANDING COURSE ON VISUAL EXPERIENCES. FIRST STONE IS IN PLACE

Senior and junior level professionals from marketing areas of multinational and regional companies working in Latin America participated in the first-ever-time course: The Consumer�s Visual Experience, held in Spanish during September 2007.

The final courses evaluation was: Good (10%), Very Good (65%), Excellent (25%). Additional comments were: "excellent content", "excellent research", "invaluable, totally justified", "loved practical exercises", "superb tool for innovation", "easy to implement", "thank you very very much."

These are remarkable evaluations and comments from experienced professionals, considering it was the first time edition of a training program focused to improve brand and product innovation trough the management of consumer visual experiences. A very innovative approach.

From DETERTEC side, it provided valuable inputs to improve coming editions, and proved to have a tremendous potential to match current and future Clients needs. DETERTEC will continue offering the course on public and private base in Spanish and English.

May 16th, 2007. Quito, Ecuador

SASCOM, THE MAGAZINE OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE FEATURES DETERTEC

SASCOM, a leading magazine in the business intelligence and analytics sector, features DETERTEC's virtual R&D approach in the consumer industry, in a recent published special supplement about JMP 7. Other companies cited are:

.. Georgia Institute of Technology's Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL) - USA
.. Duke Medical Center - USA
.. Goodyear / ASTM - USA
.. TERA Environmental - CANADA
.. Agricultural Research Service of USDA - USA
.. NNE A/S - DENMARK

The new JMP 7 was launched in May 2007 and offers the following features: JMP and SAS can connect, dynamic visualization - bubble plots, immersive visualization - scatterplot 3-D, instant subsets - dynamic data filtering, surveys and multiple responses, among others. The new JMP strategy is that JMP means business and the current focus is not only to scientist and engineers but to everyone.

View the magazine at www.sas.com and JMP 7 at www.jmp.com

More details of DETERTEC's innovations at Computer-based Technologies

May 10th, 2007. Quito, Ecuador

SUCCESSFUL TRAINING PROGRAM ON INNOVATION. REMARKABLE EVALUATIONS

32 senior high-level professionals, from Marketing and R&D departments, from multinational and regional companies from USA, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and Spain, participated in our course: The New Innovation at the Laundry Market - Developing Regions, held in Spanish during April and May 2007.

Everyone enjoyed lectures from Rodrigo Olmedo and around 20 pertinent laboratory observations in charge of Selena Guerra, both from DETERTEC, Ecuador. The final courses evaluation was: Good (1/32=3%), Very Good (13/32=41%), Excellent (18/32=56%).

Attendees evaluations and comments showed outstanding results, better than our average on previous training programs. That is a clear confirmation that the new course matched and superpassed attendees expectations. DETERTEC will continue offering the course on private base in Spanish and English.

February 16th, 2007. Quito, Ecuador

DETERTEC IS THE TOP HISTORY OF JMP NEWSWIRE AND WILL CONDUCT A PRESENTATION AT JMP USER CONFERENCE

DETERTEC is the top history of JMP Newswire February 2007 edition. The heading: "Washing Away R&D Worries in the Consumer Products Industry. DETERTEC uses JMP to virtualize consumers' visual perception, helping clients save time and money," introduces the history. The electronic newsletter is distributed to thousands of SAS and JMP users around the globe. See: http://www.jmp.com/about/newsletters/jmpnewswire/2007/200702.html

The fourth annual edition of the famous JMP User Conference will be held at SAS Campus, located on Cary, USA, on June 11-15, 2007. Rodrigo Olmedo, principal of DETERTEC, will conduct a 60 minutes presentation at the Scientific Application category:

In Silico Approach to Innovations with Perceived Customer Value

Rodrigo Olmedo, DETERTEC

In the consumer products industry, business competition is fierce, with an accelerated commoditization of products and services, increasing price wars, and shrinking profit margins. R&D teams are pressured to accelerate their pace of innovations to stay ahead, but with different cost structures, being collaborative with external sources and compelled to be more consumer-relevant. There is an urgency to innovate the way R&D innovates.

This session describes the way relevant consumer sensory experiences are capable to be included upstream in the innovation process using computer-based technologies based on JMP. A novel in silico approach rests on a mixture of tabulated data computations from new photonics devices, customized mathematical models of consumer's perceptions, and simulation of concatenated events that include changes on materials surfaces and how they are perceived in different visual realities. The in silico technologies offer unparalleled advantages against conventional costly and lengthy in vivo and in vitro alternatives, and additionally provide a significant return on investment.

JMP's scripting and numerical capabilities as well as interactive 3D graphical and non-linear modeling features are clearly exemplified and presented as the key affordable tools of the new technologies to innovate.

More details of JMP User Conference 2007 at: http://support.sas.com/training/jmp/index.html

More details of DETERTEC's innovations at Spectroscopy Technologies and Computer-based Technologies

January 9th, 2007. Quito, Ecuador

SAS CITES DETERTEC's VIRTUAL R&D SYSTEM

We are very proud to announce that SAS, the world leader in business intelligence and analytical software, has chosen DETERTEC's Virtual R&D system as an Innovation to Success story. This important industry recognition refers to our innovative uses of JMP software, a business unit of SAS, to support new spectroscopy technologies as well as to build a novel consumer perception modelling and simulation system. A disruptive 'in silico' technologies to accelerate consumer products innovations with different cost structures and being more consumer-relevant. See full story at http://www.jmp.com/software/success/detertec.shtml

As a small but award-winning entrepreneurial technology firm located in Ecuador, South America, DETERTEC feels honoured to be in the company of other leading-edge institutions that have received similar recognition from SAS in recent years. These institutions include:

.. Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory, Georgia Tech (USA)
.. Children's Services, Duke University Medical Center (USA)
.. Hardware Division, Microsoft Corporation (USA)
.. WildTrack Organisation (UK)
.. AstraZeneca (UK)

This new distinction reinforces our commitment to stay in line with our clients' current and future needs focused to develop competitive technologies and products that improve consumer experiences.

More details at Spectroscopy Technologies and Computer-based Technologies

December 15th, 2006. Quito, Ecuador

DETERTEC UPDATES GANZ WHITENESS MODEL TO NEW UNIFORM COLOUR SPACES

Since the 70's Ganz whiteness model has been internationally accepted as a simple and useful model to estimate whiteness values with some level of correlation with panellist response evaluating whiteness under artificial daylight illumination. Two well used whiteness formulas based on the same model are the CIE whiteness formula and the so called Ganz whiteness formula, both are well known in the detergency industry.

With the recent internationally acceptance of the new colour appearance models, several things have changed in colour measurements and estimations. Now colour attributes perception are well represented by J' for lightness, a' for red-green opponency and b' for yellow-blue opponency, which have much more significance than the basic values of Y, x, y, from the point of view of total appearance.

DETERTEC obtained mathematically a new function based on J' a' b' starting from Y, x, y, which is a very complex function, but nearly a curved plane in the new uniform colour space. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a more simple quadric function represented by a quadric sheet with high level of correlation with the original Ganz values.

See graphs at Modelling Whiteness.

November 3rd, 2006. Quito, Ecuador

ASTONISHED SUN SPECTRORADIOMETRY ON THE EQUINOX 2006

During the last Equinox (September 2006) DETERTEC conducted calibrated sun spectroradiometry measurements in Quito, latitude 0 degrees 2.800 m above the sea level, with the intention to expand its data base of ground level measurements at populated environments (more than 1.5 millions inhabitants).

Measurements conducted in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA on July 1990 (noonday in a desert zone) has been used for some international standards as a reference of a high spectral measurement at ground level, which show negligible values below 300nm which in turns affects significantly to biological weighted UVB calculations like the UV Index and the UV Protection Factor. Measurements collected in Quito, show not only high values on the UVA regions but significantly higher values on the UVB regions than the aforementioned measurement.

In line with that, the UV spectral measurement collected in Quito, can be considered as a reference of the highest value capable to be measured at ground level in a populated environment. It is important to keep in mind that Quito is the only city in the world with such a combination of geographical characteristics.

More details at Sun Radiometry

September 12th, 2006. Quito, Ecuador

FOUR YEARS ON APPLIED PHOTONICS

It was mid 2002 when Leeward Bean (Ocean Optics co-founder) conducted with Rodrigo Olmedo (DETERTEC co-founder) at Ocean Optics laboratory in Dunedin FL, USA, some preliminary test concerning the application of new spectrometers to measure luminescent fabric excitance and source of illuminations irradiance. That was the beginning of a productive relationship which has become one of the foundation to DETERTEC's innovative very-first-time developments:

• to characterise actual laundry visual scenarios at critical moments when consumers conduct product's evaluations: before, during and after the laundry;
• to quantify radiation excitance coming from soiled/stained areas and adjacent areas before and after wash, on fluorescent substrates, capable to inside viewer eyes, as a way to understand cleanliness and whiteness consumer perception on washing results;
• to measure radiation coming from liquor solutions and wet fabrics, on fluorescent and non-fluorescent substrates, that reach consumer eyes under specific visual scenarios, in order to unveil the link between consumer visual perceptions during laundry and final consumer value;
• to perform absolute spectrofluorimetric and spectrophotometric measurements as part of large detergency test with thousand of test fabrics, so as to evaluate fabric luminescent and reflected radiance, using fast, accurate, traceable, and low cost procedures; and
• to assist on customised professional training programs oriented to understand complex advanced topics on radiometry, photometry, colorimetry and consumer appearance.

Two others facts also contributed to the implementation and success of the aforementioned developments: recent advances on vision science about the visual appearance process at natural scenes (some from CIE), and the powerful graphic and programming capabilities of JMP software (SAS Institute).

Our achievements in the area of applied photonics are good examples of our efficiency to innovate with limited financial resources, all come solely from business relationships with regional and global companies in the laundry sector.

This is a good opportunity to reinforce our commitment to efficiently develop spectroscopy and computer-based technologies focused to understand actual consumer practices and realities around the world as a background to develop products and technologies with superior consumer value.

More details at Spectroscopy Technologies.

May 2nd, 2006. Quito, Ecuador

DETERTEC GOES 'IN SILICO'

The year 2006 is shaping DETERTEC as an 'in silico' technology company.

Mid of last year we began to apply full 'in silico' or virtual R&D procedures, which progressively started to be applied late 2003, but developed since year 2000. Up to know, we see our future as a different company in comparison with our 1994 vision.

After mastering for more than a decade 'in vivo' and 'in vitro' techniques of detergency research, now we think that our movement toward the field of 'in silico' technologies is correctly in line with the new-century industry trends: accelerate the pace of innovation in a different time frame, with different cost structures, being collaborative, and significantly more consumer-relevant.

Rested on innovative spectroscopy technologies, affordable numerical and graphical software capabilities, novel mesoscale models of surface's optical properties, recent colour appearance models, and statistical models of consumer perceptions at real market scenarios, DETERTEC's computer-based technologies are offering:

• fast, affordable, and relevant procedures to link materials properties with consumer visual experiences at different global market realities, and
  
• a link to close the chain between nanoscale materials modelling, quantum and molecular models, and the environment of the real product at moment of use.

This is a unprecedented stage on DETERTEC history. The future arrived!

More details at Computer-based Technologies.

February 13th, 2006. Quito, Ecuador

NEW SERIES OF ON-SITE COURSE AND WORKSHOPS

With the aim to improve confidentiality and to cover private examples and specific topics, DETERTEC started this year offering the on-site version of its flagship course: Visual Perception of Washing Results. The course started in 2004 and has had a tremendous success due to its applicability to understand consumer cleanliness and whiteness perception under actual visual scenarios, a crucial topic to develop products with perceived consumer value.

The new training approach: ON-SITE and CUSTOMISATION, is offering a significant increment on the cost/benefit ratio:

• homogeneous group from the same company with similar expectations and interest
• program of contents in line with current company priorities
• examples and applications show relevant products and regional laundry markets
• fixed price for a group of participants and less cost for logistics

In line with that, workshops in the areas of: hand-washing, sources of illumination, natural radiation, and fabric fluorescence, will continue be offered on a private basis.

January 20th, 2006. Quito, Ecuador

QUANTIFYING COMPLEX VISUAL EXPERIENCES DURING WASHING

Spectrometry of wet fabrics immersed on washing liquors is the new capability available from DETERTEC. Installed mid 2005 and tested during the last trimester, the new technology is providing unique data about radiant energy coming from a wet fabric at consumer-relevant washing liquors (using laundry powders, pastes or bars) under different sources of illuminations.

In the detergency field, potential applications of this novel technology are:

• to monitor the changes of fabric fluorescence, shadding dyes and the base white of clean, stained, soiled and dingy fabrics immersed at relevant washing liquors, and to link those changes with cleanliness and whiteness perception.
  
• to estimate actual consumer visual perceptions of washing liquors with immersed soiled wet fabrics at the beginning of the washing process, which is linked to the visual consumer experiences during washing, which in turn has, potentially, strong influence on final perceived customer value.

The new technology is also supporting the DETERTEC's virtual R&D system.

More details at Visual Experiences.

November 9th, 2005. Quito, Ecuador

JMP� version 6.0 ARRIVED TO DETERTEC!

Finally! The last version of JMP is now working at DETERTEC. Some of the new features of JMP have tremendous implications to our work:

improved 3D surface analysis, which is linked to our geometric and analytical modelling capabilities to represent consumer whiteness and cleanliness perception,

new encrypting procedures for scripts, that will help DETERTEC to share innovative and complex scripts for managing advanced spectroscopic and colorimetric procedures,

a new connectivity with SAS large databases, which improve implementation and scalability of our modelling and simulation system into large organisations.

The experience with SAS products started in 1982 when Mr Rodrigo Olmedo (DETERTEC co-founder) used SAS/STAT and SAS/GRAPH as part of his thesis on Photochemistry of Edible Oils at Catholic University in Quito-ECUADOR. DETERTEC expertise with JMP software started in 1996 with version 3.1, as the statistical package to plan laboratory experiments and data analysis. JMP features included in version 4.0 (scripting) and 5.1 (interactive 3D graphics) have supported DETERTEC'S new spectroscopy and computer-based technologies.

JMP� is a trade mark of SAS INSTITUTE, Cary, NC, USA. www.jmp.com

October 21st, 2005. Quito, Ecuador

LaundryVisualSim� IS NOW AT THE GLOBAL LAUNDRY MARKET

In a short but emotive ceremony, DETERTEC launches to the global laundry market, LaundryVisualSim�, a new mesoscale modelling and simulation system focused to the laundry industry.

This new 'in silico' technology has a special importance for DETERTEC, not only because is a crucial result after more than 5 year of dedication in the area of spectroscopy, vision science and computer modelling and simulation, but mainly because is a breakthrough step in the global laundry market: a disruptive technology.

Rodrigo Olmedo, Director-General, shared with participants his confidence that the new technology will positive impact the market, due to its enormous potential on R&D cost structures, on R&D timeframes, and on consumer relevance features of laundry products and technologies. He congratulated the technical team for this 'historical step'.

More details at LaundryVisualSim�

September 7th, 2005. Quito, Ecuador

NOVEL COLLAR AND CUFFS STAINED TEST FABRIC MODELS

Consumer cleanliness assessment of laundry product is not equal around the world, but it has been found that some washing problems are nearly the same despite different cultures and habits. Consistently, remotion of easily perceived stains present on white collar and cuffs constitute one of the icons linked to final consumer value delivered by laundry products.

Unfortunately this simple cleanliness perception fact from the consumer point of view, is a very complex process from the R&D perspective, not only due to the complexity of the inorganic and organic constituents of the stain, but also due to the interaction of different fabric surroundings (the area in direct contact with the skin and the rest of the collar area) on final consumer cleanliness perception.

DETERTEC is proud to offer to laundry products R&D efforts a special constructed double-layered test fabric with different dingy surroundings that simulate a worn white collar, with two areas of fresh stain that mimic the combination of body and ambient soil. Clean and soiled dingy fabrics on the monitor can follow different laundry realities regarding dingy fabrics.

More details at Test fabrics

August 22nd, 2005. Quito, Ecuador

A NEW CUSTOM-BUILT MINI SPECTROFLUORIMETER

First semester 2005 was very active in the optical spectroscopy area of DETERTEC.Thanks to recent developments on UV LED light sources, solid state detectors arrays and thin film technologies, we were capable to built a customised non contact mini spectrofluorimeter to accurately determine, in absolute terms, spectroscopy properties of fluorescent materials full traceable to international standards. Specifically the new equipment is working on spectral characterisation of:

• stained areas and remanent stained areas on actual garments from laundry markets, and
  
• clean and soiled dingy garments from different laundry markets.

Absolute spectrometric properties of very small fabric areas (less than 6 mm2), like the strip-shaped remanent collar and cuffs stained area after some process of wash, and its fabric surrounding, as well as accurate determination of typical fluorescence spectroscopy properties like: quantum absorptance function, quantum yield, and total, reflected and luminescent radiation coming from the fabric and capable to reach our eyes, under relevant sources of illumination, including different phases of daylight, constitutes the foundation to model and simulate consumer whiteness and cleanliness perception.

More details and examples can be viewed at Spectral Properties and Visual Experiences

June 17th, 2005. Quito, Ecuador

A NEW RECORD ON DAYLIGHT MEASUREMENT IS ESTABLISHED

On June 17, 2005 at DETERTEC drying deck we have measured a blue sky source of illumination with a correlated colour temperature of 60,296 Kelvin degrees. The highest temperature registered and published for a natural source of illumination. Absolute and relative graphs in comparison with typical CIE D65 - 6,500 K can viewed at Visual Scenarios.

The only previous similar reference is 60,000 K, that was taken in USA on September 18, 1939 and published on:

.. Taylor, A., and Kerr, G., The Distribution of Energy in the Visible Spectrum of Daylight, JOSA, January, 1941, Vol. 31, 3-8. Lighting Research Laboratory, General Electric Company

Obviously, at that time due to equipments and software limitations, only a few values for visible range was reported.

Deep blue sky as a natural source of illumination during morning shows correlated colour temperature values of more than 20,000 K, if you include all surrounding present during laundry. Under those source of illuminations the influence of fluorescence on cleanliness and whiteness perception when consumer evaluate washing results is dominant.

This and much more data and interpretation is shared during the On-Site Workshop offered by DETERTEC: "Source of Illuminations and Relevant Laundry Visual Scenarios".