The birth of "Täsmä," the next generation breathable waterproof material

Starting this season, Teton Bros. has added a new material to its technical shell lineup, "Täsmä," which was developed in collaboration with Toray over a period of more than three years.
This is a report from Naoya Nakajima of Toray Industries, Inc., who was involved in the development.

Over 10 years ago, we began developing the ESP membrane*, but at the time, controlling water resistance and breathability was extremely difficult, forcing us to abandon the project. However, recent advances in membrane production technology and growing demand from the outdoor market for breathability, rather than just moisture permeability, to further improve comfort, led us to resume development of the ESP membrane, which we believe could be the optimal solution. To achieve a design that strikes a good balance between water resistance and breathability, our Technology Development Center, advanced processing technology department, sales department, and dyeing factories collaborated, shared information through regular meetings, identified issues, and conducted more than dozens of field tests. As a result, we were able to successfully establish a design that achieves uniform functionality, including water resistance, by using a special lamination technology that minimizes web unevenness compared to conventional ESP membranes. Furthermore, a test run using our company's artificial climate chamber, Technorama GⅢ, confirmed that the material offers superior comfort when worn, with lower humidity inside the garment and less condensation on the inside of the outer shell, regardless of exercise intensity or environmental temperature, compared to our existing waterproof and breathable materials and products from other companies.
In this way, we have been able to establish our own proprietary ESP membrane and its advanced processing technology. Going forward, we will continue to develop materials together with TetonBros., which specializes in field-based R&D, and by combining this with our extensive fabrication capabilities, we aim to provide even more advanced materials.

*The "ESP membrane" is a breathable waterproof membrane made using the electrospinning method. It is made by spraying micro-sized polyurethane fibers into sheets, and the multiple layers of micro-mesh block moisture while allowing air to pass through. It is the core of "Täsmä" technology, a next-generation breathable waterproof material that is both waterproof and breathable, yet soft to wear.

Naoya Nakajima

Toray Industries, Inc.