Weaving consists of making textile from yarn. The yarn can be made of various materials, such as wool, cotton, silk or glass fiber. In the weaving process the threads are stretched parallel on the weaving machine. These stretched threads are known as warp threads (wound on the warp beam). Other threads, known historically as the woof or weft but now referred to as the filling, are inserted one by one through a gap (the shed) in the warp threads, at right angles to them. As each filling thread is inserted it is pressed up against the previous ones, in a process known as beating up.

This basic principle has remained unchanged throughout the centuries. A textile is formed by weaving the filling threads one by one between the warp threads.

In the loom the warp threads are led through eyes in metal rods known as a heddles, one for each thread. Alternate heddles are joined together in a frame. There are at least two frames, together making up the harness. The purpose of the harness is to move the warp threads up and down. By moving one frame up and the other down, an opening (the shed) is formed in the warp threads, through which the filling thread is inserted. The frames are then moved in opposite directions, binding the filling thread into the warp. Each time a filling thread is inserted, it is pressed against the previous ones by a reed. The reed is a long, rectangular frame consisting of fine iron wires that keep the warp threads parallel to one another.

In a conventional loom, the filling threads are inserted by a flying shuttle. In modern weaving machines, however, they are inserted by rapier (gripper), airjet, waterjet or projectile technology. The type of weaving machine, the technology used and the filling threads are determined by the type of textile to be produced. The Picanol Group manufactures airjet and rapier weaving machines exclusively.

Airjet and rapier technology