The star of the weaving room is constantly improving, providing added value and higher quality to the finished product.

Although in most cases, the weaving process is the same as before-creating a shed, inserting fillers and beating up wefts-today's looms are highly technical instruments with many innovations that can speed up production, improve quality, and save energy.

Many of the latest developments in looms are focused on automation, digital upgrades, and innovative end products that can add value, including technical textiles, electronic textiles, and 3D structures.

“As labor shortages affect every weaving mill in North America, we are seeing an increasing demand for automation technology from our weaving mills,” said Oliver Meier, Stäubli Textile Director, North America. "In addition, in the residential contract business, we have seen a trend to increase the flexibility of jacquard machines to solve various fabric structures that can meet market demands more quickly."

Here, Textile World showcases some loom innovations that can be used by weavers in all end markets.

Today, Italy-based Itema SpA combines some of the long-established knitting brands such as Somet, Sultex and Vamatex, and the company says it "combines Swiss precision with Italian creativity." In 2019, after acquiring Panter/PTMT in Italy, the company also established Itematech, a new technical department dedicated to technical fabric looms. The Itema and Panter alliance has produced a product portfolio that includes negative and positive rapier looms as well as air-jet and projectile products. The purpose of setting up Itematech is to provide a partner for technical fabric manufacturers, providing a complete weaving solution and a skilled technical team to help meet customers' specific requirements for technical fabrics.

Itema reports that the Itema A95002 air-jet loom is particularly popular in the demanding weaving markets of countries such as the United States, Russia and India. The machine combines two Itema technologies-shed geometry and air-jet weft insertion technology-to ensure high-quality fabrics even when weaving at high speeds.

The machine was tested in real scenes during customer trials; according to Itema, A95002 demonstrated the ability to avoid "so-called "knotting"" and also provides "excellent results" when weaving high-density fabrics. Itema customers currently use the machine in medical, automotive and parachute applications, among other applications.

A95002 has an enhanced whip roller, which can eliminate friction to improve warp tension control and reduce warp stoppages. The machine also has a longer dwell time of the cam sley drive to allow longer weft insertion time, thereby filling the weft more effectively. When weaving the thickest yarns at high speeds, the machine’s dual tandem nozzles also play a key role. Itema provides two technologies for leno binding on A95002. According to the company, the patented electronic leno device (ELD) has an innovative design that ensures perfect leno binding and reduces operating costs. Rotating Leno Device (RLD) is suitable for most man-made fiber yarns.

Picanol NV, based in Belgium, specializes in air-jet and rapier weaving machines. The company recently launched the TerryPlus-i air-jet loom with a new pile formation system, which can form any pile height from 0 to 12 mm on a weft basis, regardless of the pattern. "Whether it is high pile, low pile, high density, low density, complex style or simple style, [TerryPlus-i] can meet any challenge," said Johan Verstraete, vice president of Picanol Loom.

Picanol has just launched PicConnect, a brand new all-digital platform that supports the Internet of Things (IoT) and service-related applications, and is also the portal for all Picanol's digital services. You can use a web browser on any device to access web-based cloud applications. All machines can be connected to the cloud to take advantage of all four applications of the platform-production monitoring, energy monitoring, style management and Picanol’s new online online store PartsLine.

Using production monitoring applications, users can track production in real time and immediately react to operational tasks to improve efficiency and view historical data to determine what actions may be needed to optimize production.

PicConnect's energy monitoring application monitors the air and power consumption of the loom. Picanol said that a deep understanding of the energy flow in the weaving room can help reduce overall energy costs.

You can use PicConnect's style management application to quickly open, edit, and manage machine settings. Operators can compare and copy settings between machines on the factory floor, ensuring that each machine is running at the best settings for each fabric.

PicConnect's PartsLine online spare parts online store allows customers to receive quotes, view orders and receive invoices.

“PicConnect is a new platform that enables weavers to react quickly to changes in the weaving room, which will have a direct impact on the performance of all aspects of the machine,” said Erwin Devloo, Picanol’s marketing communications manager. "This new Picanol platform is just the beginning of a new story. Picanol is constantly working on new applications in the future."

A few years ago, SMIT, headquartered in Italy, joined the Santex Rimar Group. The company has been manufacturing looms since 1938, specializing in rapier loom technology.

SMIT recently launched the 2FAST rapier loom. FAST is an acronym for Flexible Advanced Shuttleless Technology. SMIT connects the engineering design of its 2FAST "racing machine" with the country's traditions and expertise in motorsports. According to SMIT, 2FAST has shown high starting acceleration and 100% beating efficiency from the first weft insertion. The machine also has the maximum torque to meet the heavy shedding requirements, and the minimum vibration even at the highest operating speed. The modular concept machine adopts a new leno force system, which is suitable for different fabric types. The operator can program the false selvage and leno yarns on each side of the fabric weft by weft to control the weft stretching and reduce the weft tails. The new patented gripper design is suitable for all wefts and fabric styles; and 2FAST can also handle fancy items with different sizes and styles of wefts. The design of the machine also takes into account energy-saving goals. 2FAST is suitable for clothing, denim and home textile fabrics, as well as technical fabrics.

"Software-based control and automation, intelligent algorithms and data analysis-all this is reflected in this rapier weaving machine that is ready for Industry 4.0," said Giuseppe Castelli, CTO of SMIT. "We are very proud of all the advantages embodied in the new 2FAST compact design, and we are happy to say it out loud-while also using advanced technology to make the machine itself quieter."

SMIT also provides the ONE modular concept based on the GS940 intelligent platform architecture. The company reports that the machine is "extremely" versatile, thanks to its dynamically controlled flexible belt rapier loom, which can use reed widths of 140 to 220 cm. The weft insertion system is based only on a rapier, and no weft transfer occurs in the middle of the shed. Speed ​​According to SMIT, this mode of operation allows the use of low weft tension and reduces the width of the warp shed to increase efficiency, reduce machine energy consumption, speed up style changes and increase the range of yarns that the machine can handle. The company's Free Flight Ribbon System also eliminated the ribbon guide hook, thereby further reducing operating costs. According to SMIT, ONE will produce high-quality fabrics for any industry, including carbon fiber technical fabrics.

After the Second World War, Lindauer Dornier GmbH, headquartered in Germany, turned to engineering looms because it was banned from manufacturing aircraft in Germany. Today, the rapier looms and air jets designed by the company are particularly suitable for technical weaving applications such as airbags and bulletproof products, and can also produce pure silk fabrics, jacquard fabrics and delicate worsted fabrics.

According to the company, the DORNIER P2 rapier loom is the most flexible loom. "We cover the entire fabric production range from very fine fabrics to very thick fabrics," said Wolfgang Schöffl, head of the DORNIER loom product line. The company reports that some customers use P2 for filter fabrics. "In order to continuously improve the tightness and quality of the filter cloth, we are working closely with our customers to further develop our machines," Schöffl said.

Other customers are using P2 to weave fabrics for art installations. Bulgarian artist/sculptor Christo is known for his fabric-wrapped creations and outdoor sculptures created with his wife Jeanne Crowder. He died in 2020 before he was able to carry out the planned exhibition covering the Arc de Triomphe in Paris . However, his nephew Vladmir Yavachev set out to complete Christo's last work, and the fabric produced for the installation was made using Dornier's P2 loom. Approximately 25,000 square meters of silver-blue recycled polypropylene coated fabric is woven by German SETEX Textil. “For this demanding fabric, only one loom has been questioned,” said Konrad Schröer, owner and managing director of Setex. "The ideal solution is P2, which has a new shed geometry and higher performance, combined with our experienced weavers and their textile expertise."

The P2 rapier loom is also an integral part of Dornier's Composite Systems® product line (see "Re-introduction of DORNIER's Composite Systems® Suite", TW, this issue).

Tsudakoma Corp. is a manufacturer of air-jet looms and water-jet looms headquartered in Japan. The company recently launched the ZAX001neo air-jet loom and ZW8200 water-jet loom. Both machines use a newly designed sturdy frame structure.

On air-jet looms, this new frame helps reduce vibration by 30% compared to the previous generation ZAX9200i. Among the many functions of the new model, ZAX001neo integrates an auxiliary main nozzle in the ductless system, which can reduce residual compressed air and increase weft feed force, thereby minimizing broken or loose weft yarns. The FDP-A IV electronic free drum system ensures stable weft insertion and enables soft weft insertion of sensitive yarns. The pre-winding direction on the FDP can also be adjusted to take into account the twist direction of the yarn being woven. Tsudakoma also designed a new type of heald frame for ultra-high-speed production.

Tsudakoma reported that compared with the existing equipment, the new ZW8200 water jet loom has a 10% increase in machine speed, a 10% reduction in water consumption, clean operation, and a 70% reduction in grease entering the drainage system. Role model.

The company also offers CR3300 for technical fabrics, such as composite fabrics, or fabrics made of carbon fiber, aramid or glass fiber. CR3300 adopts a single-sided belt rapier mechanism, no guide rail and knife bar operating system; explosion-proof electrical components to prevent carbon flying and fire; positive cam for 1/1 plain or twill weave; conventional or special yarn feeder, depending on Whether to use twisted or flat weft yarn.

Van de Wiele NV, based in Belgium, has been a participant in the carpet weaving market since 1880. The company's face-to-face carpet weaving technology first creates a 3D structure by connecting pile yarns between two ground structures. Then the pile yarn is cut from the middle to produce two symmetrical carpets. Rug & Carpet Expert RCE2 is Van de Wiele's latest generation of double rapier face-to-face carpet looms. According to the company, the technology has fewer mechanical devices and more electronic devices and can be used for high-volume production.

The company also provides velvet and technical fabric looms, finishing machines and bulk continuous filament extrusion lines. Earlier this year, Van de Wiele acquired the Italian-based Savio Group to further diversify its textile portfolio by adding yarn winding and quality control equipment.

Jakob Müller AG Frick, based in Switzerland, has 134 years of expertise in the weaving of narrow fabrics. Its machines are used to make products for countless end products, including those used in automotive, fashion, industrial, medical, and home textile applications.

NFM® is Müller's latest generation of narrow-width looms. This universal series of machines is based on the company's successful NF and NH looms and is designed for light to medium weight elastic and non-elastic narrow fabrics made from all yarn types. The machine has two basic models-NFM 53 and NFM 80.

According to the company, these machines are easy to modify or convert due to their modular design. Customers can easily change the weaving head to change the belt width, replace the complete beam, extend the machine to Müller's NFMJ, and the machine is also ready for MDW®, its multi-directional weaving function and effect yarn placement equipment.

The NFM series has an infinitely adjustable, electronically controlled stepper drive for weft, gutter and lock thread, rubber conveying and fabric take-out. The electronic main drive can also be adjusted at any time. The NFM machine is equipped with MÜDATA M touch screen and the latest MLC control system with network functions.

Müller also offers the MÜGRIP® MBJ8 1/1380 label weaving machine for labels and pictures with trimmed edges. The maximum nominal width of the machine is 1,346 mm. Features include SPE3/SPE3M jacquard head; MLC machine control/network ready; Müdata M touch screen; rapier drive; lightweight universal rapier, extending the life of cutter head and tape; and electronically controlled IRO Luna X3 weft yarn feeder, up to Available in 12 colors.

The Swiss-based Stäubli Group’s US textile headquarters is located in Duncan, South Carolina, and specializes in providing frame and jacquard weaving shed solutions, weaving preparation technology (see "Weaving: Auxiliary Equipment Issues", TW, this issue) and carpets Weaving machines under the Schönherr Stäubli brand.

"Our customers are looking for solutions that fit their needs to stay at the forefront of the market," said Fritz Legler of Stäubli Marketing and Sales. "Due to our long-term experience and cooperation with customers, we provide high-quality high-speed machinery made of first-class materials, combined with clever research and development."

Stäubli offers high-speed S3200 series electronic rotary dobby machines for air-jet weaving and maintenance-free wire harness movement. According to the company, when the highest operating speed and accuracy are required, integrating this combination into the loom is the key to accurate shed formation. Stäubli also offers the S1600 and S1700 series of cam movements for plain weaves on air jet looms and rapier looms, such as denim.

Stäubli is known for its wide variety of jacquard looms, suitable for a variety of applications, including flat fabrics, terry cloths, carpets, velvets, narrow fabrics and technical fabrics. Technologies include:

Customers in the technical weaving field can also take advantage of Stäubli's new TF weaving system series dedicated to the reinforcement of multi-layer fabrics made of carbon fiber or aramid and heavy industrial fabrics. This series can be used with S2688 or Unival 500 for dobby knitting; or LX2493 or Unival 100 plus Stäubli wire harness, suitable for the most complex jacquard applications.