2.4.

3 Classification of Modern Weaving Machines

Modern Weaving machines are classified according to their filling insertion mechanism.
The classification is as follows:

Airjet
Rapier
Projectile
Water-Jet
Multiphase Loom

2.4.4 Air Jet Loom

Weft insertion by means of air jet has made a major breakthrough in the early 70s and its
importance is increasing further because of its ability to weave a wide range of fabrics at a very
high speed weft insertion rate of about 2000 mpm. The first attempt to use a compressed air
steam instead of shuttle is made by Brooks in 1914.

Scope of Air Jet Loom

To insert the weft threads here used compressed air.

Not suitable for the coarser count or heavier fabric.

The timing of jet activity should be controlled in such a way that the main nozzle is
supplied with compressed air from the beginning of the weft insertion phase and the relay
nozzles also receive compressed air.

High maintenances is needed.

Fig 5. Airjet loom.

Features of Air Jet Loom

1.

Air jet weaving machine is high speed machine having good quality

2.

For instance on a weaving machine having a speed of 600 rpm the weaving cycle is
100m/s.

3.

Cam control valves have the advantages of high speed precision of action whilst the
electrically controlled solenoid valves permit easy setting.

4.

Finer count of yarn is used as the weft thread to produce fancy type of fabric.

Advantages of Air Jet Loom Over Conventional Loom

The conventional loom requires shuttle or shuttle like substance to insert the weft yarn,
comparatively in air jet loom there is no need to any kind of shuttle instead of shuttle here
the compressed air force is used.

In the conventional loom the pick insertion rate is very low compare to the air jet loom.

The weft stop motion is machine controlled over the differ from conventional loom

In conventional loom the mechanical or hand shuttle reach the weft thread to the fell of
the cloth, but in air jet through air force this is done, here uniform let up, take up, uniform
picking, uniform bet up is possible.

It has the automatic weft repair device.

Disadvantages of Air Jet Loom Over Conventional Loom

Short or buckle pick

Loose pick

Snarling

Excess dynamic pressure

Weft stop problem

Tip problem

Timing of shed may not be proper

Too high or too low main nozzle pressure

Left side warp yarn is loose.

2.4.5 Rapier Loom

Insertion of weft by rapier is a mechanically modern & refined version of the primitive method
of fabric production in which the weft was secured in a slot of a stick. At present version of the
gripper head which are attached to rapiers which are flexible tapes or rigid rods. Mr. John Gabler
can be regarded as the father of modern rapier technology he has built a rapier device on a cotton
weaving machine in 1922.

Fig 6. Rapier loom

Scope of Rapier

Single rapier loom can insert weft only on alternate rapier traverse.

In many cases this is modified to achieve a higher rapier velocity in the early and late
parts of the movement and thus a over maximum velocity halfway through the
movement.

Due to high rate of insertion the possibility of yarn breakages rate may increase.

Additionally, it is necessary to control the weft by passing it trough an effective tension

arrangement so that the weaving tension will be more uniform, this can also occurred
weft break.

Features of Rapier Loom

1.

A useful feature of rigid rapiers is that they can be simultaneously inserted in two sheds
one above the other, for producing double plush and certain carpets.

2.

Rapier loom may have various types according to the weft insertion mechanism
& number of pick such as insertion of double pick, insertion of single pick, two phase
rapier etc.

3.

In all rapier looms to-and-fro-movement of the rapiers is derived initially either from a
linkage mechanism or from a cam. The use of linkage mechanism has the advantages of
simplicity reliability & is cheap, quite and consumers less energy than a cam mechanism
but it does not provide any dwell to the rapiers.

4.

The only two phase rapier in commercial operation is the saurer of width 2 x 185 cm or 2
x 220 cm having weft insertion rate is about 1200 mpm.

5.

The rigid rapier is driven from the centre and has a rapier head at each end.In one cycle
of 360 degree the rapier inserts one pick alternately in the right hand and the left hand
fabrics, the picks being inserted and beaten up in opposite phase .

6.

In gabler system of weft insertion the rapier system is combined with air jet picking
system.

7.

Gabler system rapier may be single sided or double sided. The machine include on gabler
system Draper DSL, Guskenetc.Those operating on dewas system include dornier,
picanol, Novo pignon SACM, Gunne, Smit, Sommet, Sulzer-Ruti etc.

2.4.6 Projectile Loom

Sulzer brothers, Winterthur, Switzerland, Who are pioneer in the field of projectile method of
weft insertion, have been able to convert a brilliant concept Roshman into a viable commercial
weaving machine. It is introduced in the market in 1953.The main feature of this machine is weft
insertion system. A bullet like shuttle 90 mm long & weighting about 40 g, technically named as
gripper projectile is used here to insert the weft thread into the warp threads.

Fig 7. Projectile loom.

Main Features of Projectile Loom

1.

The picking are projectile receiving units are separated from the moving sley. The sley
carries the reed & gripper guides.

2.

The gripper projectile made of fine steel, 90 mm long 14mm wide and 6 mm thickness
weight is 40 g. It carries the weft thread into the warp shed.

3.

The weft is drawn directly from a large stationary cross wound package. There is no weft
winding.

4.

The gripper projectile is picked across the warp shed at a very high speed ,the picking
energy being derived from the energy stored in a metal torsion bar which is twisted at
predetermined amount of released to give the projectile a high rate of acceleration .

5.

Picking always takes place from one side, but several projectiles are employed and all of
them return to the picking side by a conveyor chain located underneath the warp shed.

6.

During its flight through the shed the projectile runs in a rake likes steel guides, so that
the warp threads are touched neither by the projectile nor weft thread.

7.

Every pick is cut off at the picking side near the selvedge after weft insertion, leaving a
length about 15 mm from the edge. Similar length of weft also projects from the selvedge
on the receiving side.

8.

The ends of weft thread projecting on both sides of the cloth are tucked into the next shed
by means of special tucking device and woven in with next pick, thus providing firm
selvedges.

9.

The reed is not reciprocated as in a shuttle loom, but rocked about its axis by a pair of
cams.

10.

The reed & projectile guides are stationary during pick insertion.

11.

The sley which carries the reed & projectile guides is moved forward &
backward through a saddle carrying two follower bowls, which bear against the surface
of two matched cams.

12.

A sley dwell of 25 degree at back center enables the projectile to travel through the warp
shed without being unnecessary reciprocated by the sley.

13.

Whenever the reed width is reduced for weaving a small width cloth from the standard
reed width, the projectile receiving unit is moved inward on the telescope shaft, to the
new selvedge position, and so the projectile travel distance is reduced.

14.

Smaller shed opening because of the smaller size projectile. This might result in lower
warp breakage rate.

15.

Weft insertion rate up to 900-1500 m/min is possible depending up to the width of the
weaving machine.

16.

The color changing mechanism is less complicated.

17.

In case of weft breakage the take up beam & heald frames can be driven in reverse by a
pick finding mechanism.

Advantages of Projectile Loom as a Modern Loom

1. Two or three cloths can be woven simultaneously.
2. It is possible to achieve weaving performances with breakage rate per square meter of cloth.
50% of the number of breaks that would occur on a conventional loom.
3. The lower warp breakage rate in a projectile weaving machine may be due to:

Smaller warp shed

Reed with higher ratio of air to wire (70:30)

Beat up line being nearer to the centre of the reed between the two baulks.

Smaller warp shed will reduce the warp threads tension to some extent. However care should be
taken to maintain uniform tension to ensure that the warp shed is of same depth from one end to
another. Otherwise a few slack warp threads at the top shed will result in stitching and end cut of
the projectile.
4. Since the projectile is passing through guides there is no reed to projectile or projectile to yarn
contact.
5. With the introduction of four/six colors weaving machine all the mechanical problems of
the conventional pick & pick multicolored loom are eliminated.

2.4.7 Water Jet Loom

The first loom to make use of a water jet for insertion of weft was developed by Satyr. The loom
was first shown at the Brussels textile Machinery Exhibition in 1995.

Scope of Water Jet Loom

Weft and warp yarn must be insensitive .i.e. hydrophobic in nature.

Weaving of the water attractive fabric is not possible by the water jet loom,

Thermoplastic yarns offer the advantages of severance of weft by a heated blade and the
provision of a heat selvedge by fusing.

It has required miniature pump to feed water under pressure to the nozzle.

Fig 8. Water Jet loom.

Water Jet Loom Advantages

Water jet propulsion has many advantages over other forms of marine propulsion, such as stern
drives, outboard motors, shafted propellers and surface drives. These advantages include...

Excellent Maneuverability

Precise steering control at all boat speeds

"Zero Speed" steering effect provides 360 thrusting ability for docking and holding
stationary.

Sideways movement possible with multiple jet installations.

High efficiency astern thrust with "power-braking" ability at speed

High Efficiency

Propulsive coefficients as good or higher than the best propeller systems achievable at
medium to high planning speeds

Flexibility when using multiple water jets may allow operators to continue to operate
efficiently on fewer drives

Low Drag and Shallow Draught

Absence of underwater appendages reduces hull resistance

Shallow draught - the water jet intake is flush with hull bottom to allow access to shallow
water areas and beach landings with no risk of damage to the drive

Low Maintenance

No protruding propulsion gear eliminates impact damage or snags

Minimum downtime and simple maintenance routines

Smooth and Quiet

No hull vibration, no torque effect and no high speed cavitations gives

maximum comfort levels on board

Low underwater acoustic signature

Total Safety

No exposed propeller for complete safety around people in the water and marine life

Maximum Engine Life

Jet unit impeller is finely matched to engine power

Power absorption is the same regardless of boat speed

No possibility of engine overload under any conditions

Simplicity

Single packaged module

No heavy and expensive gearbox required for many installations. Simple driveline from
engine to jet coupling

Easy installation

Complete factory tested package, ready to bolt in

No difficult engine alignment problems.

2.4.8 Multiphase Loom

The phase number of a loom is defined as the average number of shuttles or weft
carriers inserting weft simultaneously. It is shown that existing multi-phase looms must have

high phase numbers to compensate for their low shuttle velocity. The analysis suggests
that looms with high-velocity flying shuttles would achieve equally high weft-insertion
rates with moderate increases in the phase number. Such moderate increases in the phase number
can be obtained by dividing the shedding and beat-up motions into a comparatively small
number of sections. The suggested alternative would avoid many of the textile and engineering
problems arising in existing multi-phase looms.

Fig 9: Multiphase loom

Features of Multiphase Loom

1.

A multi-phase loom with magnetic shuttle features that the spiral reed blade with shuttle
path is used for beating-up.

2.

The linear motor is used for wefting, the heald wheel or electromagnetically excited heald
needle is used for opening, and the weft opening with off-line multi-path asynchronous
weft replenishing is used.

3.

Its advantages include high efficiency, high speed and low weaving cost.

4.

The multiphase loom can form many different sheds at different places, thereby enabling
insertion of number of filling yarns, one behind the other.

Advantages of Multiphase Loom over Conventional Loom

1.

An analysis of the factors determining the weft-insertion rate of weaving machines shows
that these factors are essentially the same on all looms in which shuttles or weft carriers
are used, such as conventional shuttle looms, gripper- shuttle looms, and multi-phase
looms.

2.

Its advantages include high efficiency, high speed and low weaving cost.

3. The multiphase loom can form many different sheds at different places, thereby enabling

insertion of number of filling yarns, one behind the other.