How is the weaving process done? What is the weaving process, step by step?

Now, let’s break down the process and understand step by step weaving process in more detail. Forming a woven fabric requires five basic loom motions: shedding, weft insertion, beat up by reed, let-off, and take-up. The first three motions shedding, weft insertion and beat-up take place in a set time interval and follow one another sequentially. Because these motions cannot happen simultaneously.

The warp yarns are coming from the warp beam. The warp beam holds the warp yarns, which are then threaded through the loom and held under tension. Tension on the warp is necessary in order to form a clear opening of warp yarns, or shed, for insertion of the weft yarns. Warp yarns experience stress, strain, and abrasion as they move up and down when they forming the shed.

After the yarn is passed from the warp beam in weaving, the process involves threading the warp ends through the loom’s heddles and reed, then raising and lowering warp threads to create a “shed” for the weft to pass through, followed by beating the weft into place. These raising and lowering process called the shedding.

Shedding is one of the most important principles of weaving process. Shedding is the process of separating the sheet of warp into two layers one at the top and another at bottom making a V-shape opening for the filling (weft) yarn to pass through. This opening is called a shed. Different mechanisms are used for the shed formation. These shed formation machines include shaft, cam, dobby, servo drive and Jacquard (Read more here in our other Blog).

Weft insertion is the second important motion after shedding in the weaving process. Weft insertion is the process of inserting the weft yarn in between the top and bottom layers of warp shed. This can be achieved by means of a shuttle in shuttle weaving and by means of a different weft insertion technology such as projectile, rapier and a jet of air or water in shuttle less weaving.

After the shedding and weft insertion process, the beat-up process takes place. Beat-up is the process of pushing the newly inserted weft yarn into the fell of the cloth by means of reed. Reed is a rectangular closed comb of fat metal strips placed closely with small spacing. The reed pushes the newly inserted weft against the fell of the cloth. This spacing corresponds to the spacing between the warp yarns. The spaces between two metal strips are called dents. The fell of the cloth is the meeting point of the warp yarn and fabric.

When the reed beat up the newly inserted weft yarn, a warp let-off mechanism releases the warp yarn from the warp beam at uniform tension as the weaving proceeds. The let-off mechanism controls tension in the warp yarn by controlling the rate of flow of warp yarn. This let-off process is done by positive off motion and negative let of motion. After the let-off process, the fabric is completely weaved and now it has to take-up or rolled it to the fabric beam. Fabric take-up is an important function in a loom because it controls the quality of the fabric in terms of picks per unit length, which is also referred as pick density.

This is how the weaving process is done from starting the weaving preparations to the weaved grey fabric. For more information and practical experience, we would like to invite you to visit our company GAJERA IMPEX personally. Do not hesitate to reach us for more information or any inquiry.