Weaving methods
Traditional woven carpets such as axminster and wilton have been manufactured for over 200 years. The looms on which the carpets are woven have altered considerably over the years but the construction principal of interlocking the pile yarns with backing yarns is little changed.
Axminster construction
In an axminster gripper weave, cut tufts of yarn are inserted at the point of weaving by means of grippers. For each tuft to be inserted along the width of the carpet, there is a corresponding metal gripper which rises from the bed of the loom to grip the appropriate coloured end of yarn from the vertical yarn carrier. A knife blade slices the tuft to the correct length, the gripper then returns to the bed of the loom and places the tuft in the appropriate position, the weft shots of the backing yarns then bind it into place.
A beater bar pushes each row of tufts and weft shots tightly
against one another to form the carpet. The “beatup” (rows) can vary from as low as 5 to 14 rows per inch, or even higher if required. Different coloured ends of yarn (according to design) can be selected from the yarn carrier, which is raised or lowered by means of a jacquard (punched card) mechanism. Many different colours can be used in this weaving method. More modern looms have electronic jacquards which enable them to produce very complicated designs with almost infinite pattern repeats.
Wilton construction
A traditional wilton weave carpet is one in which the pile threads run continuously into the carpet and are raised above the surface of the integral backing by means of wires or hooks. Wilton carpets are often cut or loop products and different yarn types can be used to produce different surface textures. Wilton weaving is not as versatile as axminster for the production of patterned carpets, due to continuous yarns that create waste yarn on the back of the carpet.
Brintons wilton carpets are woven on looms designed and built by our own engineers in our own factory. They differ from traditional wilton looms as they have no “dead” or wasted yarns in the back. These advanced design looms weave two carpets as a sandwich, know as "face to face", which is then sliced into separate rolls. As with traditionally woven wilton carpet, Brintons face to face looms produce a durable woven product, which is hard wearing and dimensionally stable. The carpet does not suffer from the delamination and stability weakness often associated with tufted carpets.
Tufted construction
A number of needles arranged across the width of the machine stitch yarns into a primary backing cloth, which is fed through the machine. Once the pile has been created, it is held in place by a latex backing. Secondary backings can be applied to add weight and handle to the product. Both cut and loop can be produced in the same carpet.
