In This Type Looms, weaving is the process of interlacing warp and filling yarns with each other to create fabric. A shuttle-less loom produces fabric at a very high speed without making use of the conventional shuttles. The weft insertion may be by using a projectile, rapier, air jet or water jet. Shuttle-less looms play a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for woven products.
These advanced looms offer numerous advantages, including high operational speed, less picking energy, higher design flexibility, enhanced multi-colour weft insertion and the ability to handle wider fabric widths. Those are the main reasons that shuttle-less looms are suitable as present-day weaving machines. Many top design colleges in Nashik offer comprehensive programs in product design to help students understand the concept of shuttle-less looms.
Advantages of Shuttle-Less Loom:
▪ Weaving production is high due to the high speed of the machine.
▪ It facilities defect free cloth during weaving.
▪ Shuttle-less looms creates less noise.
▪ It reduces the labour cost due to higher allocation of loom and productivity.
▪ Pirn winding process is eliminated in shuttle less loom.
▪ It keeps better fabric value.
▪ Used to high scale production.
▪ Efficiency of shuttle less is higher than shuttle loom.
▪ Easy maintenance and less work load for workers.
▪ The accident percentage is low.
Disadvantages of Shuttle Less Loom:
▪ The price of a shuttle-less loom is higher than a shuttle loom.
WATER JET LOOMS
In this, a pre-measured length of weft yarn is carried across the loom by a jet of water. These looms are very fast with speeds up to 600 ppm and very low noise. Also, they don’t place much tension on the filling yarn. As the pick is tension less, very high quality of warp yarns is needed for efficient operation. Also, only yarns that are not readily absorbent can be used to make fabrics on water jet looms such as filament yarn of acetate, nylon, polyester. However, it can produce very high-quality fabrics having great appearance and feel.
Features of Water Jet Loom:
1) In the case of water jet looms, weft yarn package weight varies 3.6 to 4.1 kg.
2) Higher number of weft insertion in water jet looms than air jet looms (normally 600ppm).
3) Here, treated water is used by pump nozzles.
4) It consumes less power than others.
Advantages of Water Jet Loom:
1) Here, the production rate is higher.
2) Water jet loom machines consume less power than others.
3) This type of loom is suitable for producing synthetic fabric.
4) It creates less noise than rapier looms and missiles.
Disadvantages of Water Jet Loom:
- By using hard water, there may form rust on the yarn.
- It is not perfect for absorbent fibre such as cotton.
AIR JET LOOMS
In the air jet weaving looms, a jet of air is used to propel the weft yarn through the shed at speeds of up to 600 ppm. And the Uniform weft yarns are needed to make fabrics on this loom. Also, heavier yarns are suitable for air jet looms as the lighter fabrics are very difficult to control through shed. However, too heavy yarns also can’t be carried across the loom by air jet. Because of these limitations, air jet looms can produce a wide variety of fabrics. Air-jet looms are capable of producing standard household and apparel fabrics for items such as shirts, denim, sheets, towels, and sports apparel, as well as industrial products such as printed circuit board cloths. Heavier yarns are more suitable for air-jet looms than lighter yarns. Air-jet looms are capable of weaving plaids, as well as dobby and jacquard fabrics.
Advantages of air jet looms:
1) In case of air jet looms, the noise level is lower than rapier looms and missiles.
2) Normally, the standard width of an air jet loom is 190cm.
3) It consumes very low power.
Disadvantages of air jet looms:
1) Broken pick or miss pick has occurred due to excess air pressure of main nozzle.
2) In the case of an air jet loom, the pile up and buckle tip of yarn formed due to air resistance.
3) Double pick may occur in an air jet loom.
4) Loom of weft yarn along the weft direction formed due to variation of air pressure.
RAPIER LOOM
Rapier loom is a shuttle-less loom machine. Here, filling yarn is carried through the shed of the warp yarn into another side of the loom by finger-like carriers. This type of looms are competitors to the missile looms. Rapier loom is classified into two types mainly, where one is long rapier and another one is single rapier or double rapier. In the case of a single rapier, it carries the weft yarn across the fabric width from one loom to another. One rapier feeds the filling yarn half way through the shed of warp yarn to the arm on the other side, which reaches in and takes it across the rest of the way.
Features of Rapier Loom:
1) Higher production cost in rapier looms.
2) In the case of the rapier loom, standard rapier width stands at 190 cm.
3) This type of loom machine is suitable for weft patterning.
4) Fancy fabric is produced by using rapier looms in the weaving sector.
5) Normally, rapier looms have a simple mechanism.
6) The rapier loom machine consumes moderate power.
Advantages of Rapier Loom:
1) This type of loom machine consumes more power than others.
2) The rapier loom has a simple mechanism.
3) Higher production cost than other loom machines.
4) Fancy fabric is produced here.
5) Production speed of rapier loom machines varies from 200-260 ppm.
6) Rapier looms are too perfect for weft patterning.
Disadvantages of Rapier Loom:
1) Here, production speed is less than jet looms.
2) In the case of a rapier loom, the noise level is higher than a jet loom machine.
PROJECTILE WEAVING MACHINE OR LOOM:
A projectile weaving machine is used as a shuttle-less loom method for filling yarn insertion using a small metal device resembling a bullet in appearance with a clamp for gripping the yarn at one end, which is then propelled into and through the shed. Among the different types of modern looms, projectile loom is one of them. Shuttle less weaving machine. In this weaving machine the weft insertion is carried out by small clamp projectiles, which number depends on the weaving width and which with their grippers take out the weft yarn from big cross-wound bobbins and insert it into the shed always in the same direction.
Advantages of Projectile Weaving Machine:
The projectile weaving machines offer the following advantages:
- Low power consumption
- Long machine life
- Mechanical and operational reliability and ease of use
- Quick warp and style change
- Reduced waste of filling material due to unique clean, tucked-in selvages
- Low spare parts requirement and easy maintenance
Disadvantages of Projectile Loom:
- High initial investment.
- Noisier, compared to jet and rapier loom.
- Skilled personnel needed for initial setup.
CONCLUSION
These are the different kinds of shuttle-less looms available today. If you want to pursue a career in product design, a B.Des. in Product Design can amplify your knowledge and skills in the field. Do some research and find the top colleges that offer this program for a successful career in the field. Good luck!