Towel Looms

Picanol

New "TERRYplus 800" Loom Launched Into Market

Picanol has launched its new airjet terry loom, "TERRYplus 800", which is based on the same highperformance weaving technology as the "OMNIplus 800" air-jet loom. Picanol developed the "TERRYplus 800" for the production of high-quality

Getting the Most out of Weaver's Talent

With the "TERRYplus 800", Picanol created the space and possibilities weavers need to deploy and realize their outmost creativity. Special attention has been paid to fabric quality, by implementing a direct driven cloth movement, without mechanical settings.

The "TERRYplus 800" offers full flexibility in design. The pre-beat-up is independently driven by the pile height motor, and all settings can be electronically set on the microprocessor; no mechanical settings are required. With the pile height changing device, it is possible not only to change the group beat-up rate, but also to weave structured patterns such as waves, thus permitting options in designing the products without limitations. The prebeat-up distance can be set up to 24 mm, so easily allowing pile heights of 12 mm. Fabrics with a weight of more than 1,600 g/sqm can be produced without any problem.

Fabric quality is guaranteed by the stability of the cloth movement, which is driven from both sides by a torsion-free shaft. The cloth movement is directly driven, without mechanical settings, simultaneously with the backrest movement. The ultra-light compensation rollers in combination with the robust structure of the loom make sure the pile is formed smoothly, with completely even pile height. Fabric quality is further ensured through the minimal distance between cloth formation and take-up and through the care for constant yarn tension, as the construction is designed to keep an equal yarn length during the whole pile formation process. The pile height measuring device gives continuous feedback on the woven pile height.

The "TERRYplus 800" is unusually low at the front, with all parts easy to reach. The pushbuttons are conveniently located, and all manual operations are carried out above the fabric line. Connecting the harness frames to the drive system is done in a single movement, thanks to the quick connections, and setting the frame heights is done at the top of the frames.

"Picanol PC Suite" is a collection of PC software applications to monitor the design, setting and production data of the weaving shed in a very easy way.

Getting the Most out of Market

In the new "TERRYplus 800" concept, each machine consists of an identical, standard platform designed to accommodate future extensions or conversions. This modularity safeguards investments: no other loom is so easy to adapt in order to take advantage of new market opportunities.

The "PiCAN" (Picanol CAN) system is based on the CAN data bus, which enables the loom to communicate with devices mounted on or connected to it, and for the movements of these devices to be synchronized with the machine movements.

The "TERRYplus 800" can be equipped for up to eight different colors or filling yarns. The filling insertion system is modular, with two channels per module. The air supply components for the fixed and movable main nozzle are identical. This modular concept with its unique configuration for the air supply channels makes it possible for the machines to be converted to more colors in next to no time.

The "TERRYplus 800" can be fitted with an electronic positive dobby or electronically driven jacquard. The basic machine structure for the dobby and jacquard versions is identical, making it possible to change the shed formation system at any time in the future.

Getting the Most out of Material

Material waste has been reduced to the minimum by inventing, developing and providing the necessary technology to achieve this. The mechanical components and advanced electronics of the "TERRYplus 800" are designed for optimum fabric quality and minimum waste.

Thanks to the electronic controls, the machine settings for improving the fabric quality are easy to adjust, even while the machine is running. In addition to the many diagnosis screens, the terminal screen gives the weaver access to a whole series of pre-programmed values for shed formation, insertion, pick density and warp tension.

The frame of the "TERRYplus 800" has an entirely new design, with extra-heavy side frames, reinforced intermediate frames and a redesigned crossbar, to ensure vibration-free operation.

Getting the Most out Energy

Energy saving technologies have been developed and implemented, taking into account the rules and regulations concerning the environment. The "TERRYplus 800" is equipped as standard with the energy efficient "Sumo" motor and with highly effective main nozzles, relay nozzle and valves.

The combination of the highly energy efficient "Sumo" motor with the direct drive (patented) of the main shaft and shedding motion results in power savings of more than 10% in comparison with conventional clutch and brake configurations. Moreover, the energy cost for air conditioning is also reduced as the "Sumo" motor dissipates less heat in the weaving mill.

The air supply system and highly efficient main nozzles permit higher performance. The position of both the fixed and the movable main nozzles is simple to adjust. Moreover the air pressure and timing can be adjusted separately for fixed and movable main nozzles, giving reduced air consumption.

The electronically-controlled Low Continuous Airflow (ELCA) system holds the filling yarn at a lower pressure in the ideal position during the non-insertion period. The digital setting for each channel prevents the yarn unraveling.

The "TERRYplus 800" relay nozzles are optimized for more efficient use of air. The shape of the nozzles and the position of the holes give a higher Pitot value (more pressure for the same amount of air) and enable maximum use to be made of the available insertion time.

The new Diamond-Like Coating (DLC) on the relay nozzles ensures a long lifetime.

The electro-magnetic valves on the relay nozzles have been redesigned and are easy to reach, so that changing the width can be done quickly and easily. The air tubes between valve and relay nozzle have been made as short as possible, thus further reducing air consumption.

The unique adaptive relay valve drive (ARVD) system is a further development that automatically adapts the relay nozzle settings to the behavior of the filling yarn throughout the insertion, making use of the advanced integrated electronic controls. This results in an absolute minimization of air consumption.

Getting the Most out of Time

The "TERRYplus 800" is based on the "OMNIplus 800", an entirely new concept, as a future-oriented platform whose components are designed for high operating speeds and top productivity. The frame of the "TERRYplus 800" and all moving parts are perfectly balanced and robustly built to permit the very highest machine speeds. The "TERRYplus 800" has many unique features that reduce downtime to the absolute minimum.

The oil-cooled "Sumo" main motor drives the loom directly, without belts or clutches and brakes. The very short drive train is simple and compact, and the machine is up to full speed right from the very first pick.

The speed of the motor is controlled electronically without a frequency converter, thus reducing power consumption and permitting greater flexibility. The shed crossing time is set entirely from the display. This combination of "Sumo" motor with electronic settings makes it easy to obtain the highest possible industrial speeds, taking into account the yarn quality, number of harnesses and weaving pattern, and considerably reduces set-up time.

The machine has a fully automatic pickfinder driven by the "Sumo" main motor. Pickfinding is done using a sliding gear on the "Sumo" motor, so that no slow motion motor and clutch are required.

With the patented Prewinder Switch-Off (PSO) system, the machine carries on weaving even if a filling break occurs on the bobbin creel or one of the prewinders; the prewinder signals the break and the system switches to one of the remaining channels.

The harness frames, connections and guides (DRC-30) have been entirely redesigned for weaving at high speeds.

Tsudakoma

The Pioneer of the New Era of Terry Weaving

Tsudakoma Corp. introduced the "ZAX9100-Terry" air-jet loom at ITMA ASIA 2005, and revealed a further improved model at CITME 2006. As a pioneer in the new era for terry-weaving, the "ZAX9100-Terry" weaves specially designed towels, such as multi-pile height towel and multi-pile cycle towel, with excellent quality.

The most advanced "ZAX9100-Terry" loom was developed by uniting the ZAX9100's superior features with Tsudakoma's accumulated terry-weaving know-how, and can weave various complicated towel designs.

The "ZAX9100-Terry" features the "Versa-Terry System", which is Tsudakoma's state-of-the-art technology for terry weaving. Each system that was developed for terry weaving by Tsudakoma has been improved, and new techniques which can weave various complicated towel designs are included in the "Versa-Terry System". High-speed operation, excellent versatility, high quality, energy saving and easy operation are combined with true user-friendliness in the "ZAX9100-Terry".

A completely new robust frame structure, stable filling insertion system, optimized shedding motion, well-balanced beating motion and let-off motion with a superiority in responding to high speeds achieve 10% higher productivity than conventional models. In addition, the Programmable Speed Control (PSC) makes it possible to set the loom rpm independently depending on the fabric construction and realizes even higher productivity.

A stable cloth fell enables weaving specially designed towels and border construction. The Electronic Terry System (ETS), a part of "VersaTerry System", can change the pile height and switch the pile cycle easily, so specially designed towels, multi-pile cycle towels (3 up to a 7pick cycle) and multi-pile height towel can be woven with ease.

The Terry Motion Control (TMC), a pile tension control system, has made developed further. The stable pile tension control prevents unclear warp shedding even at low pile warp tension, resulting in higher quality piles and towels with better touch and feel. The weight of towel is more accurately controlled.

The "Weave Navigation System" is mounted on the "ZAX9100-Terry". By setting the minimum data on the "Naviboard", this system will guide the loom to the best operating conditions and observe its own operation. The pile height and pile cycle can be changed on the "Naviboard", and the style changes become simpler.

Careful attention is also paid to energy saving. Fillings are successfully inserted at low air pressure without damaging the yarn. The twin nozzle valve and optimum air route contribute to air consumption savings of 10%.

Promatech

The Success of "Silver DynaTerry"

In the last few years, the terry towel sector has shown a resolute and constant growth, as many weavers all around the world have been attracted by the higher profitability of this particular textile product.

Looking back at the past years, the major investments in this sector were oriented toward increasing the volume, but it seems that demand is recently more for high-end production, where the higher quality of richer and more valuable products can help increase business in new and more demanding markets.

This trend had, of course, a deep impact in demand for particular weaving machines: the air-jet loom in the last few years has been chosen for its great productivity, and in 2005 more than 700 machines (about 55% of the total) were sold.

Today, this trend is rapidly changing. The request for higher quality products from all over the world allows rapier looms, thanks to their well-known superior capacity to produce more diversified and valuable towels, to become again the most demanded machines.

In this scenario the new "Silver DynaTerry", the Vamatex brand rapier looms for terry, with more than 450 units sold this year, represent the most requested machine, covering 30% of the whole terry loom market.

This new machine officially introduced at the last ITM exhibition in Istanbul (June-July 2006) has been able to impose itself from the very beginning thanks to its advanced technology and well-proven terry system.

To produce terry cloth successfully nowadays you need, more than ever before, to combine perfect mass production and excellent quality: "Silver DynaTerry" is a loom with extraordinary abilities, developed to guarantee sure success in this sector.

"Silver DynaTerry" offers far superior performance, plus unbeatable low-cost operation: low consumption, low running costs and low yarn preparation costs: these are some of the features of this machine, profits guaranteed.

The quality is truly special, thanks to the rapier machine technology that this loom guarantees, no matter what the weaving conditions: perfect loops every time and an extraordinarily full "feel" are the basics for a soft, embracing and delicate sensation on the skin.

New important technological solutions have been adopted on the "Silver DynaTerry", and allow for the production of a wider range of terry cloth and max quality under all conditions.

The new warp feed control system, which has been completely redesigned, guarantees max regularity of the loop, thanks to the special geometry and reduced inertia, the new dancing roller with its load cell guarantees direct, repeatable reading of the warp tension. The resulting extreme sensibility of the system guarantees ultra dynamic variations in tension to suit the warp movement, guiding it in perfect time with the reed beat-up during the loop formation.

The overall strength of the structure of the machine and the robustness of the sley system, driven by drive units allow for really easy weaving of even the heaviest of fabrics (1550 g/sqm and more) in widths of up to 3.6 meters.

Recent installations in Europe have highlighted the fact that the "Silver DynaTerry" output capacity is comparable to that of air-jet looms, a problem when it comes to the need to weave borders. Furthermore, the higher costs of yarn preparation reduce the profitability of air-jet technology.

These are the main reasons for the success that the new "Silver DynaTerry" is achieving in many countries. In addition to traditional markets such as Turkey, Pakistan, India and Europe, this machine has recently been requested in a number of Middle East countries (Syria, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc.), in the Far East (not only China but also Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, etc.) and in Latin American countries.

This is a clear demonstration that weavers worldwide recognize the great opportunity offered by this new superior rapier machine.