| About
Gerbing's Microwire® |
| Gerbings developed Microwire™
in response to a Department of Defense contract for heated
clothing for Special Ops Forces. Of the conventional heating
systems employed in heated motorcycle clothing at the
time, none of it was up to the stress and strains that
a soldier would put these items through, especially the
demands of Special Ops. Carbon fiber wires were too brittle
and thick, and common copper wire heated too slowly and
eventually the military was able to get it to it fail.
In a nutshell, the military wanted something stronger
and more durable, thinner and lighter, and which would
heat more rapidly. The answer to all these requirements
was what we call Microwire™. And when we were done
developing it, we patented it. |
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| Thermal factors such
as air temperature, radiant temperature, air velocity
and humidity all contribute to our thermal comfort.
Stubbornly, Mother Nature refuses us the ability
to control these thermal factors. However, personal
factors such as the type of clothing we wear and
the activity levels we perform are two elements
of thermal comfort we can control. |
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A jacket liner with
our copper wire,
as seen through an infrared camera. |
Our new Microwire®
in the new jacket liner. |
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| The wire in Microwire™ consists
of bundles of hundreds microscopic stainless steel strands,
each about 12 microns thick (about 1/4th the thickness of a
human hair), twisted and wrapped in a thin Teflon-derived coating.
Because heat escapes these strands from their circumferences,
and because there are so many of these strands and they’re
so tiny, Microwire™ heats instantly. No more waiting for
the heat. It's there RIGHT NOW! |
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| In the R&D process, we found
that by altering the number of these strands in each wire, we
were able to custom-tune the amount of heat. Additionally, by
using these wires either in a heating pad, in a woven pattern
or in our patented ribbon matrix, we could further tune how
the heat is delivered. More, when using the ribbon matrix, we
could refine the heat delivery to an even greater degree by
altering the number of wires in the ribbon (from 2 up to 6).
It is this “tunability” to each garment application
that is one of the major advantages of Microwire™. But
it doesn’t stop there. |
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| Being as tiny as they are, and made
from stainless steel, our strands (and therefore our wire) is
incredibly flexible and exceptionally rugged. Also, at about
.025” (vs. about .075 for the copper resistance wire that’s
been in use all these years), Microwire is exceptionally thin.
So much so you can’t feel the wires. Another advantage
is at this tiny size we’ve been able to reduce more than
a pound from the weight of our Jacket Liner, with similar weight
reductions in our other Microwire garments. |
| So, in the end, Microwire is thinner,
lighter, stronger and more durable. And it heats up in just
10% of the time that the old copper wire required. |
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| Microwire is substantially more
expensive to produce. However, it is Gerbings' intention to
absorb this cost and hold its current retail prices, at least
through the end of 2009. |
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| Microwire is currently available
in our Jacket Liners, G3 Gloves, Hybrid Gloves, T5 Gloves, Nubuck
Gloves, Glove Liners and Insoles. It will be available in our
Vests and Pant Liners by Sept 1, 2009, and in our latest outerwear
at approximately the same time. |
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| How
it Works |
| When colder outside temperatures
are detected, the nervous system restricts blood flow to the
extremities to maintain the body's core temperatures. The toes
and the fingers quickly become uncomfortably cold. |
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| Other factors besides just cold
weather or wind chill aggravate the situation even more. Poorly
fitting clothing, physical activity levels, individual physiology,
and improper selection, use, and care of your clothing are all
additional factors that increase the negative effects of the
cold. Also, the presence of moisture increases thermal transfer
significantly. This causes heat to escape more rapidly and cold
to penetrate faster. |
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| Although we all have
different tolerance levels for the cold, we all
know what it is like to be warm and comfortable.
Gerbing's Heated Clothing works with the body's
natural ability to generate heat. Adjusting the
intensity of the heat allows the user to stay warm
and comfortable in a wider range of temperatures
without tapping into the resources the body needs
to maintain its other health dependent functions.
Our products allow you to concentrate heat to specific
areas of the body such as just your hands, feet
or your entire core, helping to offset the effects
of being cold. |
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| You know how it feels
when you put on warm clothes right out of the dryer?
Cozy, right? All of us, even those who live in the
warmest climates, face the cold at one time or another.
It may be an early morning spring frost, a blustery
fall afternoon or a bone-chilling winter evening
after the sun goes down. Gerbing's Heated Clothing
products will prevent you from suffering in these
environments and help you better enjoy them regardless
of your outdoor activity by providing that "just
out of the dryer feeling." |
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| Gerbings
Heated Clothing will allow you to ride on those
chili days you usually have the bike parked. Great
for Hunting,
Riding, Golfing and many more activities. |
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| We've got
Heated Gloves,
Heated Jackets,
Heated Pants,
Heated Jacket
Liners, Heated
Pants Liners, long lasting and long wearing
Heated Insoles
for your feet and all the controls and accessories
you'll need to stay warm or hot while you ride. |
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