What is weaving ?

Hand Loom Shafts

Reed
Warp Fabric
The basic principles ends
of weaving have not
changed from
when weaving
was first invented
Weaving Weft Cloth
Beam pick roll
What is weaving ?
 What is weaving ?
Crossing of two groups of yarns

Warp (Thread)

Filling (Pick)
 What is weaving ?
WARP end

FILLING end
 Warp Yarn Installation
1. Drop wire: warp stop motion
2. Heddle: Eye of the heddle who is fixed on the
harness framecan produce most basic weave
patterns
3. Reed: sley movement beat up inserted filling into
the fabric
Warp Beam and Drop Wires
 Drop Wires and Heddles

Warp yarn through the drop wire

Warp yarn through the heddle

Heddles and shed formation
Warp ends and filling ends

WARP

WEFT
 The Weaving Machine

8
10 11

2 5
4 6 12
9
3
13
7

1
14
 The Weaving Motions
All weaving looms have three primary and two secondary
motions.

Primary Motions
1. Shedding : Raising and lowering of the warp
threads to allow the weft pick to be inserted between
the warp threads
2. Insertion : A weft thread being inserted between the
warp ends.
3. Beat-up : The operation of forcing the weft pick into
the fabric.
Secondary Motions
1. Let-off: Controls the speed in which the warp ends are
withdrawn from the warp beam.
2. Take-up: Controls the winding on of the fabric and
determinate pick density
 Shedding Motions

1. Crank : can only produce a plain weave fabric 1/1

2. Cambox : can produce most basic weave patterns

3. Dobby : weave fancy fabrics, this are designs of

different combinations of basic weaves

4. Jacquard: used for very complex designs.

Cambox
Cambox
Dobby
Dobby
Jacquard Weaving
Jacquard
Jacquard
 Insertion Systems

The weft pick is carried across the

warp during the weaving process.

Types of Insertion systems:

- Shuttle weaving
- rapier loom (Picanol)
- projectile loom
- airjet (Picanol)
- waterjet
 Shuttle weaving

Old Technology
Manufacturers:
 Rapier
Reed Heddles

Rapiers

Transfer point

Fabric
Rapier
 Rapier
Two rods, flexible or ridged carry the pick across the loom. The pick is
transferred from one rod to the other in the centre of the fabric.

Advantages
1. The weft pick can be carried up to a distance of 4 metres.
2. Weave both man-made and natural fibres.
3. Weave light, medium and heavy weight fabrics.

Disadvantages
1. Slower weaving speeds when compared to water and air jet looms
2. Most yarns have to be sized.

Manufacturers:
Picanol Dornier Smit ITMA GROUP (Vamatex, Sulzer)
Projectile
 Projectile
A bullet type object carries the weft across the loom.

Advantages
1. Carry the weft pick up to 8 metres.
2. Weave both man-made and filament yarns.
3. Weave light, medium and heavy weight fabrics.

Disadvantages
1. Slower weaving speeds when compared to other weaving systems.
2. Most warp yarns have to be sized.

Manufacturers:
ITMA GROUP (Sulzer)
Airjet

Air tunnel

Relay Nozzle
 Airjet
A jet of compressed air blows the weft yarn across the loom.

Advantages
1. High weaving speeds (dependent on yarn types).
2. Both man-made and natural fibres can be woven .
3. Weave wider weaving widths, compared to water jets.
Disadvantages
1. Compressors needed to provide the air.
2. Loom speed restrictions on certain types of yarn.
3. Most warp yarns have to be sized.
Manufacturers:
Picanol Dornier Smit ITMA GROUP (Vamatex, Sulzer)

Toyota Tsudakoma
 Waterjet

Yarn+
water

Weft yarn Jet

nozzle
High
Open shed Pressure
warp ends jet of water
Water pump
 Waterjet
A jet of water carries the weft yarn across the warp
Advantages.
1. Weaves at high speeds.
2. Weave without size being applied to the yarn.
Disadvantages.
1. Restriction in weaving width.
2. Fabric needs to be dried after weaving.
3. Restricted to the type of fibres
(mostly man-made).
4. Need a water treatment plant to clean
the water.
Manufacturers
Toyota Tsudakoma
 Types of yarn

textile fibers

Natural fibres regenerated fibres synthetic fibres

vegetable animal cellulose- cellulosic- organic anorganic

fibres compounds

- cotton - wool - viscose - diacetate - polyamide - metal fibre

- flax - hair - modaal - triacetate - polyester - glass fibre
- jute - silk - lyocell - polyacrylic - carbon fibre
- sisal -
- cocos polypropylene
- polyethylene
- elasthane
Natural Fibres
 Cotton

+
- moisture absorption
+/-
- strength
-
- thermal insulation
- wet strength - frame resistance
- elasticity
- heat resistance - light stability
- alkali resistance - resistance to acids
- cost price - biological resistance
- feels comfortable - resistance
- abrasion resistance
 Cotton

- Apparel: underclothing and outerwear.

- Interior/household textile: household linen, towels, table

cloth, bath towels, curtains, furnishing cloth, bed sheets.

- Technical textile: medical textile, sailcloth.

 Flax

+
- moisture absorption
+/-
- alkali resistance
-
- elasticity
- strength - comfortable feeling - resilience
- wet strength - thermal insulation
- abrasion resistance - flame resistance
- heat resistance - light stability
- resistance to acids
- biological resistance
- cost price
 Flax

- Apparel: fashionable outerwear, summer clothing.

- Interior textile: household linen, linen bed sheets, table

cloth, napkins, kitchen towels, textile wall paper.

- Technical textile: ropes, sail cloth, painters cloth.

 Wool

+
- moisture absorption
+/-
- comfortable feeling
-
- strength
- elasticity - wet strength
- resistance - felting tendency
- abrasion resistance - biological resistance
- thermal insulation - light stability
- flame resistance - heat resistance
- resistance to acids - alkali resistance
- cost price
 Wool

- Apparel: outerwear, jerseys, costumes, coats, socks.

- Interior textile: furnishing cloth, carpets.

Regenerated Fibres
 Viscose

+
- moisture absorption
+/- -
- strength
- elasticity
- comfortable feeling - wet strength
- drapability - resilience
- bright colors (after - thermal insulation
dyeing) - frame resistance
- lustre - light stability
- cost price - resistance to acids
- alkali resistance
 Viscose

- Apparel: lining fabrics, shirts, blouses, dresses, intimate wear.

- Interior textile: mattress ticking, curtains, furnishing cloths,

tapestry.

- Technical textile: reinforcement fabric for rubber.

Synthetic Fibres
 Polyamide

+
- thermal insulation
+/-
- moisture absorption
-
- light stability
- strength - resistance to acid - electrostatic charging
- wet strength - heat resistance
- elasticity - comfortable feeling
- resilience - cost price
- abrasion resistance
- biological resistance
- alkali resistance
 Polyamide

- Apparel: nylon stockings, intimate wear, outerwear, sportswear,

raincoats, swimming suits, lining cloths, protection clothing.

- Interior textile: carpets, furnishing cloths.

- Technical textile: sailcloth, airbags, filter cloth, luggage-articles,

parachutes, umbrellas, cables.
 Polyester

+
- thermal insulation
+/-
- comfortable feeling
-
- moisture absorption
- strength - cost price - electrostatic charging
- wet strength - alkali resistance
- elasticity
- resilience
- abrasion resistance
- light stability
- heat resistance
- biological resistance
- resistance to acids
 Polyester

- Apparel: shirts, blouses, costumes, dresses, lining cloths, rain

clothing, fleece fabrics, sportswear, protective clothing.

- Interior textile: furnishing cloths, carpets, curtains, bed sheets.

- Technical textile: hygienic products, medical textile, flags,

sailcloth, filter cloth, safety belts.
Polypropylene

+
- strength
+/-
- resilience
-
- moisture absorption
- wet strength - electrostatic charging
- elasticity - light stability
- abrasion resistance - heat resistance
- thermal insulation - comfortable feeling
- biological resistance - flame resistance
- resistance to acids - dye ability
- alkali resistance
- cost price
Polypropylene

- Apparel: sportswear, protective clothing

- Interior textile: carpets, furnishing cloths, wall covering,

mattress ticking

- Technical textile: geo-textile, agro-textile, construction,

sailcloth, packing material, cables, ropes, filter cloth, hygienic and
medical textile, fishing nets
 Polyacrylic

+
- elasticity
+/-
- strength
-
- moisture absorption
- resilience - wet strength - electrostatic charging
- abrasion resistance - cost price
- thermal insulation
- biological resistance
- light stability
- heat resistance
- alkali resistance
- resistance to acids
- comfortable feeling
 Polyacrylic

- Apparel: sweaters, socks, underwear.

- Interior textile: curtains, blankets, furnishing cloth, upholstery of

garden furniture, carpets.

- Technical textile: sunshades, roller blinds, sunscreens, filter cloth.

 Beam Preparation

Warpen
 Beam Preparation

Sectional Warpen
 Beam Preparation

Sizing of warp beam

 Beam Preparation

Why is sizing needed?

The warp threads are under extreme stresses during weaving because of:
- yarn metal abrasion
- yarn to yarn abrasion
- cyclic stretching.
So the warp threads need protective coating to strengthen the warp yarn.

Non sized yarn Sized yarn

 Beam Preparation

Sizing Machine

Beaming spiting Dryingzone Sizing bad Warpbeams

 Activity around Weaving Loom
The following groups are involved in the weaving process:

1. Weavers: They repair the broken warp ends and filling ends if
the machine is stopped and restart the loom after repair.

2. Bobbin changers: These people change the weft bobbins so

the loom can keep on running.

3. Beam knotters: When the beam is empty it can be replaced

by an identical beam (same fabric with same number of ends).
This is done by knotting the last part of the old beam to the
now beam.

4. Drawing-in: When a complete new style needs to be woven on

the machine the beam is drawn-in through the reed,
harnesses and drop wires. (with or without QSC)
Knotting on a new warp
Knotting on a new warp
Knotting on a new warp
Drawing-in
Drawing-in of the
warp ends through
the drop wires,
heddles and reed

By hand or automatically
Drawing-in
Drawing-in
 Style Change
Normal style change = 4 hours
Quick Style Change (QSC) = 40 minutes
 The Picanol Machines
OmniPlus800 (airjet)

- Successor of the Omni and OmniPlus

Produced in Ypres
 The Picanol Machines
OmniPlus800 TC (airjet)

- Produced in Ypres

For weaving tire cord

(TC)
 The Picanol Machines
TerryPlus800 (airjet)

- Produced in Ypres

For weaving terry (bath

cloth)
 The Picanol Machines

Optimax (rapier)

- Successor of the Gamma and Gammax

Produced in Ypres
 Basic Weave Patterns

Design: The pattern in the fabric after

weaving.

Drawing: The sequence in which the warp

ends are pulled through the healds.

Lifting: The sequence in which the heald

shafts are lifted to achieve the design required
 Representation of a fabric
Each check presents a crossing point of a warp yarn with a filling yarn.
- A coloured (black) check is a warp yarn which is lifted  WARP
YARN ON TOP
- In case of a blank (white) check  FILLING YARN IS ON TOP.
 Representation of a fabric

Rapport = is the representation of the smallest weave pattern that repeat

in length and width

The weave pattern (or pattern), is the smallest expression of a weave,

which repeats itself in the length and width of a fabric.

A weave is mostly represented by its pattern.

 Basic Weaves

Types of Basic Weaves

1. Plain
2. Twills
3. Satin

By using a combination of the basic

weaves will produce fancy designs
in the fabric.
Plain weave 1/1
 How to weave plain fabric ?

• 2 harness frames are theoretically

sufficient because only 2 rows of
yarns have a different movement in a
plain weave.
• In practice, plain weave will need
more than 2 harness frames, as the
heddle density is higher than 10
heddles/cm
 Twill pattern

The smallest twill contains 3 warp ends and 3 picks. The fixation
points run diagonally over the weave pattern. In principle, twill
pattern can be made as large as you like.
Twill fabrics
Sateen Fabric