The low weft insertion is achieved by having a minimum of deflections, optimally co-coordinated motion sequences and low acceleration values. Minimal warp loading is ensured by flexible shed geometry setting (which also permits a symmetrical shed), by the adjustable shed angles, the reliable warp separation and by positive control of the warp tensioning systems.
In G6500, two wefts can be simultaneously inserted, which ensures high productivity and patterning effect. The rapier head inserts any kind of weft. With the "RotoCut", electronically controlled weft cutter, the timing of weft cutting is optimized. The "RotoCut" always cuts the weft at the best possible moment, irrespective of yarn type and material.
Electronic yarn tension control
In Picanol GamMax rapier weaving machine, each prewinder is equipped with Programmable Filling Tensioner. This PFT is microprocessor controlled and ensures optimum yarn tension during the complete insertion cycle. Reducing the basic tension is an important advantage when piecing up weak yarn, while adding tension is an advantage at transfer of the yarns and avoids the formation of loops. This ensures weaving of strong or weak yarns at even higher speeds and also drastically reduces the amount of filling stops and reduces the waste length.
Weft colour selector
The weft colour selectors of todays rapier weaving machine are microprocessor controlled, compact sized ones and can be available in 12, 8, 4 or 2 colours.
Picanol developed the Quick Step filling presenter, operates with independent module, each consisting of an electronically controlled stepper motor with presenter needle. The colour and weave pattern are microprocessor or jacquard controlled. After the left gripper has taken the presented yarns, the Quick Step needle returns to an intermediary position, so the course of the filling yarn is straight and the tension of the yarn is low and remains constant. The Quick Step filling presenter has several advantages. It is monitored by the machine microprocessor, so the timing for the presentation of the filling yarn is perfectly synchronised with the machine speed and the weave pattern. The filling presenter also provides the ideal position for rethreading. The modules of the Quick Step are interchangeable and there are no mechanical drives, so no maintenance or lubrication is required.
Dornier offers the Electronic Colour Selector (ECS), and the electronic filling tension device with integrated filling stop motion (EFC), are based on state-of-the-art stepping motor technology and are controlled by an external CAN-BUS.
Filling monitor
A piezo electric filling detector stops the machine in case of a filling brake. Picanol offers PSO (Prewinder Switch off) system. The machine continues weaving even in case of a filling brake occur on the packages or the prewinder. The prewinder signals the filling brake and simply switches to the single channel operation instead of two channels.
Picanol developed FDEI (Filling Detector End of Insertion) system. When weaving lively yarns, FDEI checks the presence of filling at the end of insertion. This system detects short pick or rebounding fillings and prevents faults in the fabrics at the right hand side.
At the filling breaks the machine stops and only the harnesses are moved automatically to free the broken pick for removal by the weaver. The requirements that pick finding position is reached with a minimum of reed movements through the beat-up line. In GamMax, the pick finding is simply done by the Sumo motor at slow speed.
Rapier cleaning device
Leonardo offers a special blow system with solenoid valve control to the rapier cleaning devices that ensures cleaning of the rapier when the left hand rapier passes this every time. It produces a modulated blast of air to guarantee better cleaning and thus improve weaving performance.
Shed formation
Today rapier weaving machine can be equipped with a tappet motion with upto 10 healds; positive cams, maximum 8 harness frames, 12 mm pitch; electronic rotary dobby for 12,20 or 24 frames, 12 mm pitch; or an electronically controlled jacquard machine.
Modern rapier weaving machine offers shed opening free from setting and optimisation of the shed geometry.
The shed opening is easily adjusted to suit the style in production. The symmetrical shed geometry and very small shed offer lower stress on both the warp threads and filling. Automatic shed leveling on dobby and jacquard prevents starting mark due to yarn stretch caused by a stop at open shed.
Picanol offers direct driven of the main shaft and the shedding motion through the main motor. This results in reduced noise levels and consumes less energy. In GamMax, the shed opening offers optimum geometry combined with a wide range of backrest position. Small or large shed opening can be easily set to suit the article being woven.
The electronic setting of the closed shed position - a unique Picanol feature using AKM allows the weaver to control the aspect and hand of the fabric without even touching the drive chain. A few simple keystrokes on the display are all it takes to let GamMax reset its crossing points. The fabric quality can be checked and the setting copied to another machine within a short time.
In Suizer G6500, the variable shed geometry; variable shed opening angles and setting options result in unprecedented precision of the shed geometry. The shed closure timing is easily set at the touch-screen terminals.
Let-off and take-up motion
The let-off and take-up motion are electronically controlled and guarantees absolutely constant warp tension and weft density together with exact adherence to the set cloth weight.
The let-off motion is electronically controlled with load cell for different setting. Warp tension can be set by digital system. Warp beams with 800, 1000 and 1200 mm with following configuration can be available:
· Twin beam with differential drive.
· Twin beam with bilateral let- off.
· Double simple beam or double twin beam.
Somet Thema Super Exel offers electronic warp let-off and fabric wind-up by means of an electronic gear system. The precision of the electronic gear system synchronizes with the fabric take-up.
A double warp let-off for heavy fabrics ensures microprocessor controlled constant warp tension. This guarantees easy let-off of both half-beams. The reading system of the warp tension is independent for the two beams.
In Leonardo, the warp let-off is optimized by a unique and extremely versatile backrest support ensuring significant advantages even in the case of heavy weight fabric. Leonardo is also equipped with a twin beam version, with independent drive system for the two beams, ensuring constant warp tension.
The take-up motion is also electronically controlled and synchronised with let-off motion. Inside the machine the cloth is wound on to a 600 mm diameter cloth beam. External cloth beam on to batching motion upto 1800 mm cloth roll diameter is also available.
The required pick density can be programmed on the microprocessor keyboard or the jacquard control unit. The accuracy of the setting ensures easy to adjust of the pick density of the fabric for optimum fabric weight and minimum yarn consumption. The electronic take-up also makes it possible to weave fabric with variable pick densities.
Rapier and reed drive
The rapier drive system is derived from positive cams, manufactured from a single piece of steel, which also incorporates the cams for the sley drive. High speeds are possible due to the special profile of the cams governing the movement laws of the rapier. The profile is designed to transmit the lowest possible acceleration to the filling yarns.
In Dornier rapier weaving machine, type PS, the rapier and reed are driven through gearboxes with complementary cam assemblies with exceptionally precise control. Two high-precision synchronised gearboxes, one at each side of the machine, provide the drive for the filling system and reed beat-up. The compact construction and massive drive dimensioned components create little vibration and a high degree of functionality, thus achieving a secure centre transfer of the filling.
A continuous lubrication system provides for increased performance, low maintenance, and high longevity of the new gearbox generation.
Picanol has developed the oscillating rotational motion of the rapier wheel generated by a simple, robust, three-dimensional crank system, ensuring reliability, and requiring no maintenance or adjustment.
The sley is driven by a set of complementary cams with cam followers on both sides of the machine. They run in an ion bath connected to the central lubrication system. The sley with the reed holder is perfectly balanced and provides a powerful beat-up over the whole weaving and ensuring less vibration.
When weaving heavy and densely beaten fabrics, the machines sley system has a strategic role. For this reason, Leonardo developed several sley drive units (two for narrow loom and three for double-width machine) fixed on the main cross bar and coupled to the connecting shafts. The optimized geometry of the kinematics, strengthening of the camshafts in the balancer and cam-reading shaft, centralised lubrication for the drive units all these help to guarantee big advantages in terms of stability, lower noise levels and low maintenance requirement.
Selvedge
Todays rapier weaving
machines are available with tucked or leno, with 2 or 4 leno threads. In multi-panel weaving, maximum of 5 panels can be woven.
Dornier offers revolutionary selvedge formation device with decisive advantages. The, 2-end full-turn leno type Moto Leno, controlled in direct relation with weave requirements, variations in pick density and fabric construction, is freely programmable. Warp end breaks in the selvedge area are significantly reduced. Based on Moto Leno, the modular designed Moto Eco double-disc leno is also available. While one leno forms the fabric selvedge, the second leno replaces the catch selvedge. All the functions are easily set directly on the machine display.
The inexpensive alternative to tucked selvedge - the 2-end full turn leno type Moto Leno with synchronous motor drive. Picanol has developed the unique ELSY full leno selvedge motion, electronically driven by individual steeper motors. The selvedge crossing can be programmed or the microprocessor independently of the shed crossing even while the machine is in operation. The earliest position for rethreading can be set by a simple push of a button, when the machine starts the selvedge system automatically returns to its original position.
In Suizer G6500, the electronically controlled selvedge-forming unit can be adjusted at the terminal while the machine is running. The selvedge forming units are separately driven and ensure clean selvedge formation. The timing of the shed closure for the left and right selvedges is freely programmable via the terminals.
Quick style change
The quick style change system, developed by several rapier weaving machine manufacturers in their own versions ensures quick style change (less than 30 min). This ultimately increases the productivity of the loom shed. The quick style change system is not just a machine set-up but also an integrated system that allows the movement of the preparation room of some operations normally done on the weaving machine. The knotting operations and the drawing-in of the warp can be done in the preparation department, thus improving the workload and avoiding longer machine downtime.
Leonardo is integrated with the "VQSC" Quick Style Change System, which ensures reduced machine downtime and the extra time needed to unload the machine, to adjust the setting and to load the new style as far as possible. Also the warp stop motion, frame, reed, and beam unloading/loading operation have been made far easier with the introduction of rational and reliable technical solution.
Picanol developed QSC, Quick Style Change System in which the style change is achieved by swapping the whole back part of the split frame, with the warp beam, the back rest and the supporting warp stop motion, the harnesses, and the reed. Additionally this unique system makes it possible to carry out the entire article related setting on the warp side, outside the weaving shed before the style change. This ultimately reduces the labour requirement and thus increases the loom efficiency.
Electronic control technology
The electronics of modern rapier weaving machine are based on multiprocessor architecture with 32-bit technology. Data transfer between the various sub units of the machine is via a CAN- BUS, permitting fast and reliable exchange of data both internally and externally. The terminal has a graphic display in which various functions of the warp let-off, cloth take-up, weft feeder, etc, can be programmed easily and. clearly. The modern electronics give the following advantages:
· Ease of operation.
· High fabric quality irrespective of speed.
· Pick density alterable while the machine is in operation.
· Immediate help trouble-shooting problem.
· Self-adjusting stop position of the machine.
· Microprocessor controlled central forced lubrication system.
· Storage and monitoring of all the production data, efficiently.
· Machine function control, pattern weave, warps tension, pick density.
· Pick finding control and the elimination of stop marks by means of pro-set programs.
· Control and report of style change timing.
· Quick control of the electronic functions (self diagnostics and auto check up) and monitoring of the machinery functions for protection.
· Bi-directional communication between the weaving machine and the central production computer.
· Speed set-up.
· Electronic weaving speed variation depending on the characteristic of the yarn being used.
· Control of warp let-off and fabric take-up.
· Electronic control of the filling tension.
· Transfer of setting and production parameters of a fabric style, to other machine with the help of memory cards.
In Picanol GamMax, most of the machine functions are digitally controlled. All the machine settings can be digitally stored and transferred. The electronic terminal on GamMax monitors and controls all machine functions. Its LCD screen has self-explanatory menus and enables the weaver to set the weaving parameters in a very user-friendly way. GamMax is also Internet- enabled. The GamMax terminal features wireless communication through a USB memory stick or key tag, permitting robust, flexible, handy and reliable operation.
Suizer G6500 offers "Smart Weave" - intelligent pattern data programming. "Smart Weave" offers fabric designer intelligent support in the preparation of weaves design and pick repeats. The G6500 control interface is a user-friendly, Internet-ready touch screen terminals. The logical structuring with self-explanatory Pictogram guides the operators to the desired function simply and with a minimum of keying.
In Leonardo, the computer system is based on the CAN-BUS system. This drives and controls all the main textile and mechanical function. With the CAN-BUS in mind, a new controller has been developed, called the FULLTRONIC. This co-ordinates all loom functions instant by instant, from the operating conditions of the various mechanisms to each individual response: heald movement, colour to be selected, warp tension, density of the weft in the fabric, plus the messages describing the status of the lubrication circuit. Monitoring takes place at a frequency of more than 700 messages/sec.
The Dornier rapier-weaving machine, type P5, has control cabinet with integrated CAN-BUS and various modules for start, stop, warp let-off and fabric take-up as well as start mark prevention. The Dornier Customer Service Department can directly access machine displays - trouble shooting online. The DoNet Global Communication Network offers quick location and transportation of setting instructions, remote diagnostics. Dornier offers Automatic Start-mark Prevention ASP: preventing starts mark at the source.
Machine main drive
The Dornier rapier-weaving machine is driven with a continuously running motor over a magnetic brake-clutch unit. Intelligent electronics monitor the acceleration time and control the exceptionally short brakes time. This guarantees the full dynamics of reed beat-up on the first pick, thus eliminating start mark.
Picanol has developed the Sumo main motor. It drives the weaving machine directly, without belt transmission or clutch and brake. The machine speed is controlled electronically, which considerably reduces the setting time. With the Sumo motor it is possible to continuously adapt the machine speed pick-by-pick to match the strength of the filling yarn. With the help of |
