Deep in rural Duplin County, N.C., lies the heart of Guilford Mills Inc.s Worldwide Automotive
Business Unit. The Kenansville plant is both a major manufacturing site and division headquarters.
It houses manufacturing, design, research and development and product development functions.

Warp knitting machines at Kenansville produce flat and pile fabrics. Dyed yarns also give
pattern flexibility. The automotive division also has a marketing and sales office in Detroit;
a headliner and bodycloth lamination plant in Greensboro, N.C.; and a newly opened weaving
operation in Wallace, N.C., about 25 miles from Kenansville.To service the needs of multinational
auto makers, the division also has major manufacturing operations in England, Mexico and
Brazil.Since the Kenansville plant is both a headquarters location and a manufacturing site,
ATI had a unique opportunity to discuss the vital forces shaping the automotive fabrics
business with Guilford executives and then immediately see the results on the plant floor.The three
major challenges facing this segment today include reducing cost, shrinking development time and
developing global resources. Leaving Cost BehindLike most textile market segments, automotive
fabric makers are working to reduce costs, while meeting increasing customer demands. Guilford has
discovered a way to use screen printing to gain styling flexibility and reduce product development
costs.Prints reduce costs by allowing proven fabrics to be touched up with new designs without
having to go to all of the trouble to develop and test a completely new fabric.There is a lot of
cost in proving out prototypes, said Robert Nolan, executive vice president, Automotive Business
Unit, Guilford Mills Inc. Once you get a prototype base fabric in that works, you can reuse the
core fabric and change the print. You eliminate all the engineering and prototype costs.The company
has been working with prints in automotive applications for about five years, with their first
placement in the 1996 Ford Taurus. General Motors launches its first prints this year in the
Camaro, Monte Carlo and Impala vehicles using Guilfords print technology. Automotive designers work
three years out, so Guilford is just now seeing its new printing technology take off in the
automotive marketplace. The design team is currently working on fabrics for the 2002 and 2003 model
years.This three-year time cycle is beginning to be trimmed. There has been a tremendous change in
timelines, Nolan said. We are taking the development time for cars down from 36 months to 30 months
to 24 months. There is a constant drive to shrink the timelines. Moving Toward World CarsA
trend toward producing world cars the same model built and sold on a worldwide basis by auto makers
like Ford and Fiat, has pushed companies like Guilford to develop global resources. The most recent
example is the Ford Focus, said Alan Mackinnon, vice president and Ford Global Sales Director,
Worldwide Automotive, Guilford Mills Inc.One of our fabrics is in the worldwide bolster
application. We manufacture in the United Kingdom for European production, in the United States for
U.S. production and were looking at how we are going to service the cars that will be built in
Argentina.You have to be able to manufacture and support Ford in each of the areas that it is
producing the cars. Now, youve got the logistics problem of satisfying that market place at the
same price. Grand TouringThe Kenansville plant is a multi-technology vertical operation. Its
manufacturing processes include warp knitting, circular knitting, weaving, dyeing, finishing and
printing. It has 800 associates and occupies 650,000 square feet.We are a multi-technology
operation all within the same facility, which is unique, Nolan said. Youve got all of your
technical forces working as a team. Thats a plus. The only negative is the complexity it can raise.
Its more positive than negative, if youve got the facilities to manage the flow.ATIs tour began
with the design department. Here product placement boards showcase Guilfords many automotive
successes. These include current and future automotive fabrics.The plant has a large, well-staffed
and well-equipped design area. Design is critical in this market because the point of sale is
designer to designer. This is a very targeted design process. Auto makers have a kick-off meeting
with the Guilford staff before serious design work can begin.The days of making a thousand samples
and having them in a new line is gone in automotive fabrics, said John Pierce, director of design,
Worldwide Automotive, Guilford Mills Inc. Fabric ProductionFrom the design area, the tour
moved to the warp knitting area. The plant has 2-, 3- and 4-bar tricot machines, which gives it
good styling capability. Solution-dyed yarns expand patterning possibilities in this process.
Kenansville does not have warping equipment, so warps are shipped in from other Guilford plants.
Pattern changes here are steady, giving a diverse mix of styles.

Jacquard circular knitting machines give Guilford style flexibility. The next process
was velvet weaving. Here two pile fabrics are made simultaneously on each weaving machine. Some of
the styles in this area run for a considerable period of time. Others come and go in a few
weeks.Just a few yards from the weaving machines, Jacquard circular knitting machines are producing
fabric. It is truly unique to see three entirely different fabric forming processes at one
production facility. DyeingandFinishingThe first finishing area
ATI visited was headliner napping. A typical production sequence for knit headliner
fabrics would be something like knitting, dyeing, drying, napping, heatsetting, splitting and
inspection. This is a good example of the level of complexity that each of the plants products
require. There are four napping lines two for polyester and two for nylon.The plant is heavy in
surface finishing including napping, shearing and tigering. The dyeing operation uses both
jet-dyeing machines and beam-dyeing machines. All dye processes are controlled from a central
control room. An automatic dye and chemical system provides good dyeing consistency.The newest
section of the plant is the screen printing area. Here a five-head rotary screen printing machine
is used to print patterns on dyed fabrics. Guilfords investment in screen printing is beginning to
pay off. Pierce estimates that prints are about 10 percent of Guilfords automotive offerings.Inline
with the printing machine is a new four-chamber washing machine. The washer simplifies the process
greatly. Before it was installed, the plant used a jet dye machine to wash the screen-printed
fabrics.The final stop in the tour was the shade room. Lot-to-lot shade changes are checked to make
sure each lot stays within tolerances. Shade control is vital in automotive applications.

September 1999

Mount Vernon Mills Inc., Greenville, S.C., and Nisshinbo California Inc. recently announced that
they have signed a definitive agreement for Mount Vernon to purchase Nisshinbos textile
manufacturing facility and related assets in Fresno, Calif. The Fresno operation employs more than
150 people and is a leading producer of greige cotton fabric for apparel.This acquisition will
enable our Apparel Fabrics Division to significantly broaden its ring-spun offerings, particularly
those fabrics that require additional strength and superior surface treatments, said Roger W.
Chastain, president of Mount Vernon. We also will achieve greater capacity utilization in our
dyeing and finishing operations as a result.

September 1999

Italian manufacturers from the finishing sector were among the leading lights at the ITMA 99
fair in Paris.In order to achieve the important results shown at ITMA, as well as hefty investments
in research and development, a number of companies have called in expert partners from allied
sectors: fiber producers or manufacturers of dyestuffs and auxiliaries.This kind of synergy was, in
fact, one of the biggest developments apparent at the ITMA show. Other successful partnerships,
already tried and tested, still include those that are established with specialists operating in
the fields of electronics, pneumatics, robotics and automation. This is the continuation of a trend
which first emerged in October 95 at the last ITMA fair held in Milan. Brazzoli and Cimi, in
collaboration with Clariant, have developed a new class of sulfur dyes (for dyeing processes in
inert atmosphere) and auxiliaries for the Lavableach process (combined, continuous, for desizing,
preparation and bleaching).Meanwhile, Sperotto Rimar, in close collaboration with Australian
technologists from CSIRO, has developed a revolutionary application for the continuous decatisting
of quality wool fabrics. (DECOFAST).Others, in a number of application sectors, have worked with
DuPont specialists to resolve the any problems associated with the processing of stretch fabrics
containing Lycra®.The Prato-based company Tecnorama has been able to supply manufacturers like
DyStar, Ciba and Bayer with new, fully automated laboratory systems. Meanwhile, Biancalani has with
the second generation of the famous AIRO machine, managed to solve a number of problems relating to
the finishing of Tencel. Brazzoli’s Nitro ProcessWith the Saturno Vacuum machine, the
Lombardy-based company has launched the revolutionary Nitro Process for dyeing, which is carried
out in an inert nitrogen atmosphere using a new class of sulfur dyes (the Diresul dyes) recently
developed in the United States and marketed in Europe by Clariant.These dyes are characterized by
minimum contamination levels as well as high technical fastness properties. Furthermore, their
application cycle operates on low energy and water consumption levels and process times are
considerably reduced, thus making this process extremely cost-effective even in comparison with
well-known dye classes such as reactive dyes.The vacuum dyeing process developed by Brazzoli is
based on the creation of an inert atmosphere inside the machine, obtained by creating a vacuum and
then introducing nitrogen. Sperotto Rimar’s DecofastIn the final stage of the treatment of
quality wool fabrics, finishers carry out a setting treatment aimed at getting a suitable hand and
make-up properties, together with obtaining the desired fastness characteristics before the
making-up stage.These processes, characterized by different intensities and carried out using hot
water or steam, naturally lead to variations in the physical and mechanical properties of the
fabric. This affects fabrics reaction to tensile, cutting, flexing and bending stress.At ITMA 99
Sperotto Rimar presented its Decofast model, a continuous decatising machine that works with
pressurized steam to guarantee appropriate fabric dimensional stability and ensure performance
levels roughly between those reached by the classic discontinuous atmospheric decatising process
and those reached by the kier treatment.Decofast also improves the appearance of materials, giving
it the so-called finish decatising effect which improves surface appearance and make-up
performance.  Cimi/Clariant ParntershipCimi has made its relations with customers and (more
recently) with a supplier like Clariant, the basis for its further development and success. Already
a well-known and established brand thanks to its continuous washing system for open-width woolen
fabrics (the Lavanova range, which even outperformed its famous German rivals), Cima exhibited the
Lavableach model for the treatment of cellulose fabrics at ITMA. Lavableach is also the name of the
processing technology incorporated into the machine.As far as Clariant is concerned, the
application has allowed the Swiss company to obtain all the necessary expertise (and obviously
develop the whole range of specific auxiliaries) for tuning the process chemistry.  MAIBO’s
TMB/SV/trOn the exhibition space shared with OBEM in Hall 3, the Biella-based firm rolled out one
of the most striking novelties of ITMA 99. It is the first time that automation in yarn dyeing has
been extended to skeins. This revolutionary technology has been applied to the star-frame dyeing
machine, mainly used for very fine and luxury materials, such as silk, viscose, acetate, superfine
wools and mohair.The new model, TMB/SV/tr, is equipped with triangular rotating arms and runs with
a very harmonious rotation movement which ensures a delicate shift of the textile substrate. In
comparison with previous versions, it offers significant operational and qualitative advantages.The
most important technical advances are the following: smaller overall space occupied by the machine,
lower liquor ratio, greater loading capability, possibility of coupling two machines and full
automation with shuttle.According to MAIBO, an automatic plant of this kind has been purchased by
Botto Poala of Lessona. PMT’s UniversalPMT, a subsidiary of Cubotex, exhibited its Universal
model, developed by PMT for dyeing delicate garments. It is a fully automatic machine, fitted with
an on-board industrial PC with PLC programmable logics. It features advanced ancillary technologies
including color kitchen adjustable to specific needs and a patented sampling device with revolving
cylinder, which allows the user to withdraw samples without the need of stopping and opening the
machine.Also the final hydroextraction is very efficient. According to the company, it has an
internal material basket is divided into three parts with or without staves for material shaking.
Upon request, the Universal can be supplied without internal divisions. Dye liquor can be
circulated outside of the basket and/or through the central sector to increase the dye penetration.
The Universal can also be connected to a centralized PC and with the software for production
management in line with machines equipped with the same automation, according to the
company. Comet’s PolaraComet showed the Polara, an electronic combined raising/shearing
machine. The Polaras major features include: an operator control panel with touch-screen PC; an
industrial PC for machine control; programmed maintenance control; recipe storage; drum with 14
pile raising rulers; two contact areas of the drum, adjustable by touch-screen; shearing cylinder
with spiral blades; variable fabric speed from 9 to 30 meters per minute by three-phased motor and
inverter; seam detection by electronic sensor for the displacement of shearing table and velveting
comb; velveting unit consisting of a brush and its rest for the pile preparation to shearing; and
shearing height and velveting brush depth adjusted by a PC. CROSTA’s MC-10/24 XXLOne of the
most significant novelties that Crosta showed at ITMA was the raising machine model MC-10/24 XXL.
The machine is a single drum raising machine with 24 raising rollers for processing special
fabrics. It has a working width of 4,500 mm. Its main technical features include: raising rollers
driven by synchronous belts, electronic control of the cleaning brushes, remote assistance via
modem and a control panel with touch-screen color display. Loris Bellini Shows RobodyeThe
company showed its Robodye 2000 integrated robotised installation for dyeing hydroextraction and
drying of yarn in bobbins.According to Loris Bellini, the Robodye 2000 has been designed for fully
automatic functioning. The idea in studying the system has been to realize a line receiving the
yarn bobbins in modular columns in which the bobbins number can be varied in function of the actual
needs, which permits to process automatically in order to obtain at its exit the same columns of
bobbins dyed and dry, the company says.With Robodye 2000 the only intervention consists in filling
the columns with the greige yarn bobbins, and in unloading the dyed and dry material from the same
columns at the end of the process. This phase can also be fully automatic. Loris Bellini has been
producing for years the largely tested Hydrocolumn system, which allows the handling of the yarn
bobbins from dyeing carriers to centrifuge and from centrifuge to drying carriers.The dyeing
machine, based on the well known RBNV system, has been optimized in its shape and volume so to
obtain the ideal liquor ration. Termoelettronica’s U.R.The U.R. is the latest innovation in
the field of powder dyes transfer and dissolving units, developed by Termoelettronica.According to
the company, a patented vacuum process applied to the system allows the direct transfer of powders
from the weighing bucket to the mixing tank.No robots or automated handling systems are needed on
this purpose. The transfer phase does not involve any powder floating or fumes emission, so much so
that no hoods or exhausters are mounted on the equipment, which yet meets all safety and
environmental requirements. Powder transfer speed ranges from 150 to 300 g/s, depending on product
chemical-physical characteristics. The complete absence of mechanical movements and the units
operational simplicity guarantee total reliability and a user-friendly approach. Lawer’s Color
KitchenLawer was at ITMA for the seventh time, celebrating at the same time 29 years of activity
and experience in the field of textile automation, mainly oriented in the field of color kitchen
equipment.Lawer production is based on a wide range of plants and systems, manufactured in a
customized way, according to the specific customers needs, in order to achieve a total automation
in the metering and dispensing of all the products used in textile dyeing and finishing cycles.At
ITMA 99, Lawer was showing a modern automatic color kitchen for dyeing and finishing departments,
equipped with the latest Lawer Systems. It had an automatic weighing system for powder dyestuff.A
dissolving and dispensing system for powder dyestuff was also shown at the ITMA show.In addition
Lawer exhibited new systems, especially designed for small-medium size companies. These include
semi-automatic weighing system for powder dyestuff. This system is capable of the measuring liquid
products, and the dissolving and dispensing of powder dyestuff. New Dispensing
SystemColorService showed an entire automatic production system for the dosing, disolving and
delivery of all the products used in the dyehouse. The system handles the dosing and dissolving of
powder auxiliaries and chemicals.It has storage up to 35 cubic meters, dosing, dissolving and
delivery to the dyeing machine for 300 kilograms of salt in eight minutes.The evolution of the
powder dyes dissolving system has doubled productivity and less water consumption. Dosing and
dissolving of dark powder dyes can be done easily. The unit has been purposely studied to dose,
dissolve and deliver big amounts of dyes.An innovative system for laboratories with a powder dye
dosing machine called SuperLab is also available.

September 1999

ITMA 99 can be described as the electronics, automation and refinement show. There were no
major new breakthroughs compared to previous shows. Most manufacturers showed wider machines or
faster machines or machines that were capable of conducting additional functions. Sulzer again
attracted a great deal of attention with the M8300 machine, which was weaving a twill fabric.
Picanols new drive system, referred to as Sumo or the Super Motor, was also very popular. All
manufacturers offered less of the new, but more of the improved.The merger of Benninger Holding AG
and Moenus Textile Machinery, a subsidiary of Babcock Borsig AG, was announced. The announcement
declared that the merger will open up positive prospects over the long term. The marketing and
service network will be extended and strengthened worldwide and will facilitate closer customer
contacts. Weaving On DisplayBenninger showed a wide range of warping and sizing machines. A
number of creel configurations for sectional and direct warping were also shown. The BEN-V-CREEL
for direct beaming with low thread tension was shown. Its major feature was assembly beaming with
perfectly regulated tension control offering more flexibility through width adjustment. Reliable
process monitoring via an abrasion-proof infrared touch screen was new for ITMA.Benninger also
showed several sizing approaches. Included in the new developments was pre-wetting, which is
claimed to generate 20- to 40-percent savings in size material. Impregnating the warp yarns with
hot water and prewashing the yarns simultaneously has been shown to assure more size pick-up with
better encapsulation thus reducing yarn hairiness.Another development, which was shown for the
first time at ITMA but has been available for about a year, was cold sizing. Two-sided cold sizing
application by splashing has long been a familiar alternative to waxing. What was new was the use
of cold size with high adhesive power. In this process, size application is followed by cylinder
drying. The Teflon-coated cylinders are steam-heated and operate at temperatures below 100 C°.Bonas
showed four models of electronic Jacquards: the iBJ2, the CSJ, the SSJ, and the high-speed model
called the DSJ. The iBJ2 and the CSJ come in two frame sizes: 1,344 and 2,688 hooks. The SSJ model
comes in sizes up to 6,272 hooks. The DSJ comes in three sizes: 1,344; 2,688 and 3,200 hooks with
only one moving part. This head is particularly suited for high-speed, air-jet operation up to
1,000 picks per minute. The unit also features easy shed change and a balanced mechanism that
produces low torque on the loom. All Bonas heads are supported with the new design series 500
controller.Grosse showed three models of high-speed, electronic Jacquard machines featuring
quick-change technology for expedient harness change.The ESJ-2000 is available in sizes from 896 to
5,376 hooks. A 2,688-hook head was shown over an air-jet weaving machine running at a speed of 950
picks per minute. The EJT is specially designed for terry weaving, with one end per hook for
maximum pattern flexibility using 5,376 hooks.The EJH model is designed for weaving heavy loads at
high speed over rapier and air-jet weaving machines. This model is available in sizes from 1,344 to
13,440 hooks.Dornier showed several rapier and air-jet weaving machines with many new refinements.
One of these was permanent control on timing of all nozzles. If a valve malfunctions one time, a
message is relayed to the main control panel to indicate which valve needs adjustment.Another
refinement shown was the Mobile Tandem Booster Nozzles (TMD) for up to eight colors, all of which
are moving with the lay.An air-operated tucking motion with fully electronic control for flat,
terry and tire cord fabrics was shown. Its operating speed is up to 1,000 picks per minute. A disc
leno operated by a motor, which is integrated with the disc, is available for both air-jet and
rapier machines.Other refinements shown included a triple filling sensor with stretch nozzle to
sense the arrival of the pick; improved start marks prevention program and a 1,500-millimeter
diameter warp beam placed above the machine.Dornier has extended the range of yarns that can be
used for filling on air-jet machines. For filament yarns, these range from 20 to 2,000 denier and
for spun yarns from Ne 5 to Ne 71.The company also showed a 430-centimeter air-jet machine weaving
from two beams with Jacquard at a speed of 600 picks per minute. For rotary dobby with 20 harness
frames, Dornier showed a machine running at 700 picks per minute.The most noted improvement in the
rapier machine is the increased speed to 550 picks per minute for 190-centimeter width. One of the
machines was shown with a Staubli Jacquard head having 10,000 hooks. This machine is capable of
changing the fabric design while it is running. One was shown weaving screen glass fabric, which is
an indication of the wide range of yarns that can be woven on Dornier rapiers.Fimtextile, the
Italian shedding motion manufacturer showed its positive cam motion series ME2000, positive dobby
with mechanical control and positive dobby with electronic control. These machines are available in
three models: RD840, RD860 and RD3000. All are designed to use a maximum of 20 harness
frames. Design ImprovementsNuova Vamatex showed several improvements at the Paris show
including a free transfer system, a motorized leno device and an electronic weft selector.The FTS
(free transfer system), has no guide teeth in the shed to control the tapes. This was shown on two
Leonardo machines: one weaving tie fabric and the other weaving industrial fabric. FTS is available
on loom widths of up to 230 centimeter.Vamatexs electronic weft selector with converging arrows was
demonstrated on the 9000PLUSes. It is a new modular filling selector in which each arrow is driven
by a linear motor. It was shown on an eight-color system.The company also showed its fulltronic
color display, a 10.4 inch VGA color display with TFT technology. It is an option on the Leonardo
machine. The speed range for the Vamatex machines at the show was over 600 picks per minute for the
190-centimeter width and 400 picks per minute for the 360-centimeter version.Picanol showed its
Gamma rapier machine for the first time at ITMA 99. It incorporates several new improvements.One of
these is the free flight system, which has no guide teeth for the rapiers, reducing warp damage for
filament yarns.Another is the SUMO super motor that is capable of changing machine speed in one
cycle while running over a wide range. The drive is maintenance free, since there are no belts or
clutch. A filling tension sensor indicates the filling tension during the weaving cycle.The Gamma
is also capable of double-pick insertion with the possibility of inserting more than two picks
based on the yarn size. The machine has a maximum speed 600 picks per minute for 190-centimeter
width and 350 picks per minute for 380-centimeter width.The Picanol Omni air-jet machines had
on-loom fabric inspection in collaboration with Elbit Vision Systems (EVS). This system can stop
the machine when a major defect is made.  Somet featured several rapier and air-jet machines.
The company showed two different rapier machines: the Thema Super Excel and the Super Excel HTP.The
Super Excel HTP is for high textile performance rather than high speed.The Thema machines maximum
width is 360 centimeters. A Super Excel machine was weaving heavyweight fabric from three beams
behind each other. An electronic weft selector and a fully electronic leno device are also new.

Somet demonstrated the capability of its Clipper air-jet looms in applications from heavy
denim to eight-color jacquard fabrics. The Clipper air-jet machine was shown weaving
14.5-ounce-per-square-yard denim at a speed of 1,000 picks per minute. Another Clipper with a
Jacquard was weaving a complex fabric with eight colors at 580 picks per minute with a
340-centimeter width from one beam. The machines maximum width is 360 centimeters. A new backrest
with low inertia reduces stop marks for very delicate fabrics.The Somet Telesystem Service (STS)
was another new development. It allows machines in Italy to be connected to Somet facilities
through the internet.Staubli showed all three types of shedding systems: cam, dobby and Jacquard.
The company showed a new positive cam motion series 1700 for weaving heavy fabrics at high speed.
It comes in two versions: the 1751 with no shed leveling device, and the 1761 with a shed leveling
device.A new positive dobby was also introduced. It is designed for high speed. It also comes in
two versions: the 2861 for 16, 20, 24 and 28 harness frames, and the 2871 only for 16 harness
frames. Both heads can be mounted low or on a superstructure. Staubli exhibited electronic Jacquard
heads in sizes from 72 to 12,288 hooks. The LX60 with 896 hooks was shown for the first time. Also
new for ITMA was the LX 1600. Its features include double lift with cam drive and coaxial shaft for
3,072; 4,096; 5,120 and 6,144 hooks.The company also showed heads with linear motion and integrated
understructure. These included the LX 3200 for 5,120; 6,144; 8,192; 10,240 and 12,288 hooks. All
these machines can be coupled together for wide looms. The LX 1690 and LX 3290 are designed to
weave all types of velvet. These machines can mix for two or three positions. The shed can be
adjusted to separate the shed for the ground from the shed for the pile.Another new machine is the
LX 2490 for carpet weaving. The same principle of the previous two machines is used here with the
exception of larger shed opening. This head can have 3,042; 6,720 and 8,064 hooks.One of the new
concepts Staubli is developing is the Jacquard head of the future in which no drive shaft from the
loom is needed. The Jacquard head has its own drive. A prototype version was shown.Sulzer Textil
recently announced its name change to indicate the unification of all different divisions of
Sulzer, Ruti and Nuovo Pignone.The G 6300 rapier machine is the first product after the merger
combining some of the features from Sulzers G 6200 and Nuovo Pignones FAST rapier machines. The G
6300 machine has a new drive system, that gives an industrial speed of up to 700 picks per minute.
The G 6300 has a maximum width of 360 centimeters and a maximum speed of 430 picks per minute at
that width.The companys G 6250 rapier machine represents a further development of the proven G 6200
concepts with a 10-percent increase in speed. Refinements were made in the filling yarn path to
reduce friction. It also has new electronics and a touch screen terminal. Other features include
new programming features for filling feeders and filling sensors, and a new electronic color
selector with eight colors for dobby and 12 colors for Jacquard machines.In projectile machines,
Sulzer showed the P 7150, which represents a speed improvement of approximately eight percent
(1,300 meters per minute for 390 centimeter width) due to a newly designed picking unit. A new
electric terminal is used to control filling breaks, projectile identification and basic
information.The P7MR3 (S360-N4-SP-D12) is a heavy-duty projectile weaving machine with increased
warp tension capability. The machine shown had a total warp tension of 6.5 tons weaving a filter
fabric with only a 6.5 kW drive motor.The P 7250 projectile machine was shown weaving a curtain
fabric with four different filling yarns. The machine has a special constant tension cloth take-up
system and a redesigned four-color unit.The P 7300 projectile machine was demonstrated as a
prototype to show its speed potential. The machine width was 390 centimeters weaving at a speed of
360 picks per minute. A new electronic and redesigned drive system with touch screen terminal was
shown on this machine.The L5300 air-jet machine was shown with a host of new features. At
190-centimeter width, the machine had a show speed of 1,200 picks per minute weaving high stretch
fabric and 1,100 picks per minute weaving 14.5-ounce-per-square-yard denim.The T4300, is the
air-jet version for terry weaving using swing reed. It has up to a six-color capability, and a
maximum speed of 540 picks per minute for a reed width of 250 centimeters.Sulzer showed two M8300
multiphase machines. The first was weaving print cloth with a show speed of 3,230 rpm (which is
equivalent to a 6,088 meters per minute rate of filling insertion). The second was shown weaving a
2/1 twill at a speed of 2,430 rpm (which is equivalent to 4,180 meters per minute). Both machines
were 190 centimeter in width. New Name For Water JetsToyoda Textile Machinery Inc. (U.S.A.)
for the first time at ITMA offered water-jet machines, under their name, as it succeeded Nissans
water-jets since April 1999.Toyoda showed three water-jet machines of the LW-600 series. These
machines had greater machine rigidity and reduced vibration, hence improved filling insertion and
fabric quality. Machine speed was increased by as much as 22 percent. The machine has a maximum
width of 210 centimeters at a top speed of 1,000 picks per minute. Improved nozzle design gives
better water concentration for critical styles such as polyester taffeta.Fabric quality is improved
because of the use of a feeder system with brake to reduce filling related defects such as kinky
filling. A double-pump system allows a wider range of filling yarns to be used. Start marks are
also reduced by the use of electronic let-off and electronic take-up.The design of the LW-600
series machines offers wider versatility to weave medium and heavy weight fabrics. This is made
possible by the multi-supported slay sword shaft, rigid machine structure, and higher warp tension
capability of up to 800 kilograms. Four color pick at will capability was shown for the first
time.Toyoda also exhibited air-jet looms with enhanced versatility of the JAT610 series, but they
will not be marketed in the United States. New DevelopmentsTsudakoma, the well-known Japanese
weaving machine manufacturer, showed both air-jet and water-jet machines.There were many new
developments for the air-jets. Highlights for these machines included air-operated, needleless
tuckers which eliminate mechanical parts; electronically activated filling cutter on the insertion
side; eight colors filling insertion with eight feeders; relay nozzles with a tapered hole; and
improved automatic pick removal system.Maximum width for these machines was 390 centimeters weaving
from one or two beams. The fastest machine exhibited by Tsudakoma was a 190-centimeter machine
running at 1,800 picks per minute weaving pongee fabric.Van De Wiele showed four types of carpet
and velvet weaving machines. The Carpet and Rug Tronic is a new generation of carpet weaving
machines with either two rapier (CRT82) or three rapier (CRT83) execution. In the double rapier
execution, this machine with a reed density of 320 dents per meter weaves carpets on a width of 4.2
meters at a speed equivalent to 300 picks per minute. The three-rapier machine increases the
production by 50 percent compared to the two-rapier machine.Van De Wiele also developed the
Plietronic PTX8400 Jacquard machine capable of weaving carpets with up to 12 color frames for these
machines. The Sisal Look Carpet weaving machine SLC83 is a three-rapier machine capable of weaving
sisal look carpets. These carpets have a structured pile surface with few colors.The Velvet Master
VMM22 is a double rapier face-to-face velvet weaving machine for plain and dobby velvet. The
harness frames are controlled by the Dobbytronic Dtr12. Van De Wiele showed their newest technology
in pile delivery; the servo-driven pile delivery. A servomotor drives each separate pile delivery.
This eliminates the use of gear wheels, which usually have to be changed. During weaving the pile
delivery can be changed to weave new designs with high-low effects or Jacquard-look designs. The
Velvet Master VMM32 is equipped with an electronic jacquard machine which controls both the pile
and ground yarns for weaving Italian velvet. More Than EverWest Point Foundry and Machine Co.
introduced and displayed more new products in Paris than at any show in company history. Products
for pre-wet sizing, filament sizing and large diameter beam winding capabilities were
emphasized.The Model 863-PW Size Box with accompanying size concentration control system displayed
the companys solution for precise pre-wet sizing. The concentration control system is applicable to
both pre-wet and non pre-wet.West Point also introduced its new Model 998 filament size box.
Features of the box included a new loading system for a larger immersion roll, independent
adjustment, load-cell monitoring on each end of the loaded rolls, Teflon-coated vat, and both PLI
and PSI loading display.The Model 950-A beam winder featured a delivery roll section and beam
winding section that provides the capability to wind up to 63-inch (1,600 mm) diameter loom beams
while having convenient waist-high access to the comb.

September 1999