Multi-Colour Weft in Projectile Weaving
topic
Projectile looms accommodate multi-colour weft insertion using 2 to 4 weft colour selector systems that present different weft colours to successive projectiles in the programmed sequence, with colour selection mechanically constrained by the single projectile per pick architecture that limits practical colour selection to the 2 to 4 range available from mechanical selector systems, compared to the 16-colour capability of rapier looms with electronic multi-selector systems.
Role
Provides the multi-colour weft capability required for striped and colour-patterned fabric production on projectile looms while acknowledging the colour number limitation that makes projectile technology less suited than rapier for complex multicolour designs such as Jacquard upholstery, restricting projectile multi-colour applications to relatively simple stripe patterns and two-tone designs where the 4-colour maximum is adequate for the design requirement.