Projectile Design and Gripper Mechanism
topic
The Sulzer projectile is a precision-machined metal body approximately 90 millimetres long and 14 millimetres wide with a spring-loaded gripper jaw at one end that opens to receive the weft yarn presented by the weft presenter, closes to grip the yarn under spring tension during flight, and releases the yarn under cam control at the receiving selvedge, with projectile mass of 40 grams and precise weight uniformity between projectiles in the working set being critical for consistent flight trajectories and shed clearance.
Role
Defines the fundamental weft carrier of projectile weaving whose design determines insertion reliability, weft damage risk, and the maintenance requirements from the precision engineering required to maintain consistent gripper spring force and projectile flight characteristics across the working set of typically 17 projectiles that cycle continuously through the loom, transport system, and propulsion mechanism.