New Fabric Development: Bring Your Vision to Life

What Is New Fabric Development?

New Fabric Development is AKAS Tex's program for engineering fabrics that don't exist in Wazoodle's current catalog — new fiber blends, constructions, weights, finishes, or composite structures, manufactured in the USA. This is the highest-commitment custom program, designed for businesses that need a fabric built to their exact specifications.

Two Paths Into Development

Creating from an existing fabric: Submit samples of a textile or finished product you want to replicate or improve. AKAS engineers analyze the construction and recommend either a match from existing stock or a custom development path — from design through testing to delivery. This is the fastest route into development
Converting a concept to reality: Share your vision, performance requirements, and end-use application. AKAS engineers translate your needs into a fabric specification and develop it from scratch — fiber selection, knit or weave construction, finishing, and testing

AKAS Tex has developed thousands of high-performance fabrics across absorbency, waterproofing, wicking, stretch, and composite technologies. Many of Wazoodle's signature fabric lines — including Zorb super-absorbent fabrics, ProCool performance jerseys, and Zorb 4D waterproof composites — originated through this development program in direct collaboration with customers.

For printing your design on existing Wazoodle fabrics, see Custom Print Program. For dyeing existing fabrics in your custom color, see Custom Color Program.

Minimum Order Quantity & Investment

New fabric development requires higher minimums than custom color or custom print because you're manufacturing a new construction, not modifying an existing one.

Production MOQ

Knit fabrics: Typically 1,000 yards minimum
Woven fabrics: Typically 10,000 yards minimum
Exact MOQ depends on fiber availability, construction complexity, and finishing requirements — confirmed during the feasibility assessment

Development Investment

Development sampling: Costs for prototype runs, lab testing, and iteration are quoted per project based on complexity
Testing and certification: If your end use requires specific certifications (CPSIA, food safety), testing fees apply and are quoted separately
Production pricing: Per-yard pricing for the production run is confirmed after development is complete and the final construction is approved

Start with what you have. If you have a physical fabric sample you want to duplicate or improve, submit it as your starting point. AKAS engineers can analyze the construction and determine the fastest, most economical path to production — which may involve adapting an existing AKAS fabric rather than developing from scratch.

How the Process Works

Fabric development is iterative — AKAS works with you through multiple rounds of prototyping and refinement until the fabric meets your requirements.

Step 1 — Technical Consultation

Share your requirements: intended application, performance needs (absorbency, stretch, waterproofing, weight, hand-feel), end-use environment, and target volume
Submit any reference samples — an existing fabric to match, a competitor product to improve, or a finished product that uses the type of fabric you need
AKAS engineers assess whether an existing fabric in stock can meet your needs, or whether custom development is required

Step 2 — Feasibility Assessment

AKAS evaluates whether the target fabric can be manufactured: fiber availability, construction method (knit vs woven vs composite), finishing requirements, and production viability
You receive a project scope including estimated timeline, MOQ, development costs, and production pricing framework
If feasibility is confirmed, development begins

Step 3 — Development Sampling & Iteration

AKAS produces prototype fabric samples based on the agreed specification
You test samples for your specific application — hand-feel, performance, sewability, wash durability
Based on your feedback, AKAS refines the construction — fiber blend adjustments, weight changes, finish modifications, construction tweaks
This cycle repeats until you approve the fabric. Complex developments may require multiple iteration rounds

Step 4 — Testing & Certification

Once the construction is approved, the fabric undergoes performance testing to confirm specifications
If your application requires certifications (CPSIA for children's products, food safety for food-contact, Oeko-Tex for chemical safety), testing is conducted at this stage
Test results are documented and provided to you for your product compliance records

Step 5 — Production

Approved fabric specification moves to full production at AKAS Tex's facility in Bensalem, Pennsylvania
Production run meets the confirmed MOQ (1,000+ yards knit, 10,000+ yards woven)
Quality control throughout manufacturing ensures the production run matches the approved development samples

Step 6 — Ongoing Production & Reorders

Once a fabric is developed and in production, reorders follow established specifications — no re-development required
Reorder lead times are significantly shorter than initial development
If your fabric is added to the Wazoodle catalog, it becomes available to other customers as well — discuss exclusivity requirements during consultation if this is a concern

What AKAS Tex Can Develop

AKAS Tex's engineering capabilities span the full range of performance textile development — from simple construction modifications to entirely new composite fabrics.

Development Capabilities

New fiber blends: Custom combinations of natural and synthetic fibers — organic cotton, bamboo, polyester, nylon, Lycra, specialty absorbent fibers, and more
New constructions: Knit structures (interlock, jersey, fleece, mesh, dimple, diamond) engineered for specific performance properties
Custom weights and widths: Fabric engineered to your target GSM (weight) and width specifications
Specialty finishes: Antimicrobial treatments, moisture-wicking properties, water-repellent finishes, softening treatments
Composite and laminated fabrics: Multi-layer constructions combining absorbent layers, waterproof films, backing fabrics, and functional surfaces into a single material
Performance-specific engineering: Fabrics designed around a measurable performance target — absorption rate, holding capacity, stretch and recovery, evaporative cooling, one-way moisture transfer
Process innovation: Proprietary manufacturing processes such as Ready-AbZorb deep-extraction technology, which eliminates pre-washing requirements and reduces shrinkage in absorbent fabrics

Lead Times

New fabric development timelines vary significantly based on complexity, but you should plan for a multi-month process from initial consultation to first production delivery.

General Timeline Framework

Technical consultation and feasibility: 2–4 weeks from initial inquiry to project scope confirmation
Development and iteration: Varies widely — simple modifications may take 2–3 months, complex new constructions or composites can take 6–12+ months depending on iteration rounds required
Testing and certification: 2–6 weeks depending on tests required
First production run: 10–20 weeks from approved specification to delivery (similar to Custom Color manufacturing timeline)
Reorders: Significantly faster — the specification is established, so production begins without development phases

Plan ahead for development timelines. From initial inquiry to first production delivery, a straightforward development project may take 6 months. Complex multi-layer composites or entirely new constructions can take a year or longer. Starting with an existing fabric sample to duplicate typically shortens the timeline compared to concept-based development.

How to Get Started

Contact AKAS Tex through Wazoodle to begin a development conversation.

What to Include in Your Inquiry

Physical samples (if available) — existing fabric to replicate, competitor product, or finished article that uses the type of fabric you need
Intended application: What you're making, how the fabric will be used, who the end customer is
Performance requirements: Target weight, stretch, absorbency, waterproofing, hand-feel, durability, or other measurable properties
Estimated annual volume: Helps AKAS assess production viability and pricing
Compliance requirements: Any certifications needed (CPSIA, food safety, etc.)
Target timeline: When you need fabric in hand for your production

For sharing projected annual fabric needs on existing Wazoodle fabrics, see Annual Requirements & Supply Chain Planning.