Method 18

Functional Layer Interaction Analysis

Problem it solves: Your product has a performance issue that standard testing cannot explain. Absorption speed is fine. Material specs are within tolerance. But the product still leaks, or bunches, or feels wrong. The problem is not in any single layer — it is in how the layers interact with each other under real-world conditions.

Product Development

Layer interaction analysis answers questions that component-level testing cannot: why does a product assembled from individually acceptable materials still underperform?

What you receive:

Interface Performance Map — each layer boundary tested at multiple load cycles, with performance measured at the interface point, not just at the component level. You see exactly where liquid transfer slows, where rewet originates, and at what threshold.

Failure-Point Diagnosis — the specific interface and load cycle where performance degrades, with the physical mechanism identified (insufficient wicking, premature saturation, compression-induced rewet).

Targeted Intervention Recommendation — because the failure point is precisely located, the fix targets only the affected interface. You avoid the common and expensive mistake of redesigning a component that was not the problem.

How It Works

We analyze the interfaces between functional layers — the points where one material meets another — because that is where most unexplained failures originate:

Topsheet-to-ADL interface: Does liquid transfer from the surface layer to the acquisition layer at the speed required? Is there lateral spreading that creates a wet surface feel even when the core has capacity remaining?

ADL-to-core interface: Does the acquisition layer distribute liquid evenly to the core, or does it channel flow to specific zones that saturate prematurely?

Core-to-backsheet interface: Under compression (sitting, moving), does liquid push back through the core and reach the outer layer? At what load cycle does this rewet failure occur?

Each interface is tested at multiple load cycles — not just first pour, which masks the interaction failures that surface during actual use. The output is a failure-point map identifying which specific interface is causing the problem and at what threshold.

Why Only CORIO

Layer interaction analysis requires access to competitive products for cross-reference — you cannot diagnose why your product fails at an interface without understanding how the same interface performs in a product that succeeds. We maintain a rotating library of competitor products specifically for this purpose.

In a recent engagement, standard testing showed the client's core had adequate absorption capacity. But our layer interaction analysis revealed that the topsheet-ADL interface was restricting liquid transfer on the third load cycle — the core was fine, the topsheet was fine, but the space between them was the bottleneck. That diagnosis redirected the development plan from a core redesign to an ADL specification change — saving an estimated eight weeks of development time targeting the wrong component.

Problem it solves

Your product has a performance issue that standard testing cannot explain. Absorption speed is fine. Material specs are within tolerance. But the product still leaks, or bunches, or feels wrong. The problem is not in any single layer — it is in how the layers interact with each other under real-world conditions.

Equipment Benchmark & Capacity Assessment

IP Protection & Supplier Confidentiality Framework

See This Method in Action

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