The Applications Research Laboratory houses a wide variety of machinery, which provides the flexibility to work on yarn, knits, wovens, and garments on a large enough scale to be relevant to the industry, but small enough to be economical in time and money. Processes or products, which may originate in either the dyeing or finishing research laboratories, can be scaled up and evaluated on a production scale level.

The Garment Processing area has full capability to research the dyeing, finishing, and washing of both knit and woven garments. Recent projects have provided innovative answers to chemical application (metered addition) and denim washdown effects with enzymes.

The research that is done on a daily basis is disseminated to the entire textile industry in a variety of ways. Technical service calls are handled in such areas as barré, dyestuff and chemical evaluations, immature cotton, and process/procedural recommendations. Research reports and technical bulletins provide the latest information in a concise manner for immediate industry application. Lastly, technical service trips are conducted both domestically and internationally.