The textile manufacturing industry has a special place in the national economy, providing consumers of various levels with one of the most common types of material goods in the light industry segment. Depending on the direction of activity of the participants in this market, we can talk about the production of fabrics, knitwear, carpets, etc. As it develops, weaving production was complicated and supplemented by new functions and capabilities. But first, it’s worth getting acquainted with the historical stages of the formation of this industry in Russia.
History of weaving
Weaving in Russia as a full-fledged technological process for the manufacture of textile materials should be considered starting from the reign of Peter I, when the army needed a new outfit. High-quality manufacturing of old Russian cloth was possible only with the organization of the work of weaving factories, which was the beginning of 1706, when the first linen production was opened. Next, the process of launching cloth, silk and linen manufactories was launched, the production of which was not limited only to sewing products and fabrics. By the middle of the XVIII century, domestic industry could provide the domestic market not only with the simplest fabrics, but also with special art paintings for church use, as well as special upholstery for furniture.
At the same time, until the beginning of the 20th century, the history of weaving in Russia was closely connected with the industry of more developed European countries, as well as many other industries. A sharp decrease in dependence on foreign experience and technologies occurred in the first half of the 20th century against the backdrop of intensive mechanization of textile enterprises, which positively affected both the quality of products and the level of productivity. By the way, in 1928 it was recorded that the Soviet textile industry uses about 4,000 modern at that time looms with a high degree of mechanization.
Along with this, the process of enlargement of factories with woolen workshops was actively underway, shuttleless machines were introduced, and in general, the organizational structure of production was reconstructed. In the future, the tasks were set to increase capacities with increasing production volumes within the framework of the established planning principle. However, the idea of modernization was no longer on the list of priorities, which was reflected in the quality of new products. For a long time until the 1990s, the same technical fund was operated without updating, which led to the need to satisfy the needs of the domestic market due to more attractive imported products in terms of consumer qualities.
The structure and directions of production
The textile industry has several industry areas. The main ones include the following:
- Cotton.
- Flaxseed.
- Woolen.
- Silk.
Next, the textile industry is highlighted, including the weaving sector along with coconut, spinning, dyeing and primary (basic processing of raw materials). At the same time, each of these sectors cannot be considered strictly separately, since in most cases they include combined technological operations, which is especially evident in the example of full-cycle enterprises. The basis of the overall technological process is spinning and weaving, which can be represented as a combination of pneumatic and mechanical operations. As part of this process, yarn is formed from natural and chemical fibers. Then, fabric with one or another characteristic is formed from prepared threads. But even within the narrow view, purely weaving operations can be classified by the type of materials used. Typically, factories specialize in the production of products from specific raw materials - flax, wool, cotton, etc.
Weaving processes are complemented by finishing operations. In a single cycle, weaving and finishing production provides the preparation of yarn, thread and fabric, which is subjected to special processing, printing and dyeing. It is worth noting the full-fledged dyeing and finishing workshops, which are organized within the framework of weaving factories and comprehensively provide the procedures for thermal, chemical and mechanical preparation of the material.
Weaving technological map
It is impossible to ensure a sufficient level of productivity while maintaining the proper quality of products without preliminary development of the production infrastructure of the enterprise with all the logistics stages and mechanical processes of processing raw materials. In the form of initial data for the development of the technological map of the production process, the following are used:
- Forms of forgings.
- Type of raw materials used.
- Characteristics of weft and warp threads.
- Purpose of fabric.
- The configuration and structure of the fabric.
- Requirements for the organization of work processes.
On the same basis, a specific set of operations is determined. In the full cycle mode of production of the main threads, the weaving technology provides for the following working processes: rewinding, warping, sizing, wading, tying, etc. For weft threads, another group of processes is used, such as rewinding, oiling, moistening, steaming or emulsification.
The main threads that are sent to the spinning packages are wound into bobbins. Some enterprises exclude this process, since the yarns initially come to spinning or twisting equipment in bobbins. When warping on special machines, a certain number of threads of a given length are wound onto a package. At this stage, a weaving pile or warp shaft may be used. Prepared threads are impregnated with a dressing - this is a solution, due to which the material's resistance to mechanical stress is increased.
Processed by sizing, the threads are sent to the weaving workshop. At this stage, the parting department is connected, where the sneaking of the threads in the lamella is performed. This operation is performed on a parting machine or using a knotter. Along with tying, wading can be considered as the final operation of preparing the threads for the manufacture of the product.
Materials
Weaving products are made from textile materials that enter the final stages of production in different forms. The basis for the preparation of such raw materials is represented by fibers, yarn, threads and derivatives thereof, such as fabric, felt, felt and knitwear. In a broad sense, textile material means durable flexible bodies with a limited length and small transverse dimensions. The main requirement for the use of textile raw materials in weaving is suitability for the manufacture of yarn or finished textile products. This suitability is determined by a wide range of properties and characteristics of the raw materials.
All textile fibers are conventionally divided into elementary and technical. The first are single fibers that do not allow separation. We can say that this is a small raw material unit from which more complex blanks are formed. Technical fibers, in turn, are formed by a group of glued elementary fibers in one or another combination. According to the technology of weaving, both elementary and technical fibers must have a limited length in the range from ten to hundreds of millimeters. The longest elementary fibers are formed from silk or chemicals that have undergone special processing.
To create textile products, yarns are used, which also represent a group of fibers longitudinally interconnected. In this case, the primary and secondary threads are separated. Primary ones are obtained as a result of a chemical operation of spinning or spinning from fibers. To prepare the secondary threads, texturing or torsion techniques are used. This is a more complex raw material procurement, which gives more opportunities for changing the shapes and technical and physical properties of the product.
Applied Equipment
In modern production conditions, it is impossible to do without the use of high-tech machines and auxiliary mechanisms that ensure the mechanical performance of weaving operations. The general working process of this equipment is aimed at the formation of tissue with predefined parameters and properties. This process can be mechanized by a loom or a group of machines equipped with the following devices:
- Shedding mechanism - provides movement of the main thread in the vertical direction.
- The combat unit - paves a weft thread through the pharynx.
- Batan device - performs the operation of nailing the weft thread to the fabric edge.
- Brake - releases the warp thread from the Navoi and sets its sufficient tension.
- Commodity regulator - performs several operations, among which the movement of the main thread in the longitudinal direction and the removal of the accumulated fabric.
Depending on the conditions of a particular production, various auxiliary units and technical units can be used. Mandatory safety devices are used at weaving mills, which reduces the risk of defects. For example, in the event of a break in the thread, they automatically stop the workflow by sending the appropriate signal to the control panel. The master of weaving production restores the process, also tracking the working parameters of the machine in the normal mode.
Produced materials
In Russia, the total weaving market includes about 4,000 types of textile products. The basis of this assortment is formed by fabrics made from the fibrous composition of linen, cotton, woolen and silk threads. In addition, fabrics are distinguished according to several criteria that determine the presence of a standard, trade and accounting classification. Each type of fabric receives an article in the form of a numerical designation that reflects the characteristics of the product, for example, its performance and structural parameters. Even at the planning stages of weaving, an enterprise determines a basic set of properties that products will focus on. At a minimum, this should be the number of threads used, linear density, fabric width, etc. A clear definition of the product’s characteristics will allow for the formation of efficient production logistics and focus on it a balanced supply of energy capacity of the enterprise.
Application of new technologies in production
The future of the industry, from the point of view of technological development, can be associated with the active introduction of developments that improve the quality of work processes. Already today, the production lines of advanced weaving mills are comprehensively transferred to an electronic control platform with robotic elements. Particular attention is paid to the use of sensors and control mechanisms in areas of probable rupture, which reduces the percentage of marriage and fiber damage. At the same time, improving the technology of weaving is not without economic factors. Like all industrial equipment, weaving machines require significant energy costs. New technologies can reduce the energy consumption of machines from 5-10% to 35-50%, depending on the principle of operation of the unit. Just innovative control systems make it possible to combine electric power supply with pneumatic traction, achieving high optimization of energy consumption. Structural changes also give positive properties to the organization of the production process. In this direction, one can note an increase in the flexibility of the drive when opening the pharynx, an increase in the shaft life and a reduction in the size of the equipment.
Weaving professions
Broadly understood, textile workers are introduced as weavers. However, there are many separate specialties within production. Today, most of them are associated with the tasks of the operator, controlling the work of a particular group of equipment. So, the following are the main weaving professions:
- The operator of the carding machine. Ensures the functioning of the carding machine, performs its loading, and also eliminates cliffs when exiting the machine.
- Spinner. Serves the spinning machine, checking the quality of the roving and yarn that goes to the equipment. The spinner’s tasks include quality control of the final yarn.
- Winder. It controls the process of rewinding the yarn, adjusting the optimal tension and eliminating breakages.
- Weaver. Directly the basic profession in weaving, the activity of which is associated with a wide range of activities. He must remove the wound fabric, identify defects in the fabric, perform equipment maintenance, etc. The representative of this profession can generally control the production process at different stages.
- Quality controller. Specialists of this type work on reject-measuring units, revealing the marriage of tissue, as well as evaluating its compliance with the established characteristics. They carry out product labeling.
Defects
The appearance of marriage in the manufacture of fabric can be associated with various defects of weaving - from the initially low quality of raw materials to the improper use of machine tools when performing this or that operation. The following are standard problems of this type:
- Close - a break of the main thread, which entails a violation of the weave and the formation of a longitudinal spine.
- Podpletina - a break in the group of warp threads, entailing a change in the design of the fabric in a particular area.
- Nick - sealing weft thread that goes beyond the permissible norm. Defects of this kind in the weaving industry often occur when machine malfunctions occur and are especially evident in uneven dyeing.
- Sewing is the lack of one or more weft threads, due to which a transverse lumen is formed on the fabric.
- Nedoseka - rarefaction of threads caused by violations in the setup of the machine. This defect contributes to the weakening of the structure of matter and the appearance of visible striation in stained tissues.
Conclusion
Despite the rich history of formation and technological development, the textile industry continues to be one of the most labor-intensive and complex sectors of the national economy. This is due to the fact that even large factories strive to work in one particular niche, providing consumers with a limited range of products. Nevertheless, weaving production in Russia is also represented by enterprises with a wide field of activity. These include KamyshinLegProm LLC, which is engaged in spinning cotton fibers and in the production of fabrics from its own raw materials. And on the contrary, Bryansk Worsted Plant LLC specializes in the manufacture of fabrics specifically for suits, uniforms and corporate clothes.