Van de Wiele has succesfully introduced it's new Innovator-range of carpet weaving machines on last ITMA. Now the range has been extended with the Handlook Carpet Innovator HCi X2, using 3 rapier technology, producing 50% more than double rapier machines, very nice carpets with a hand-knotted look backside. The maximum reed density has even been extended to 1,000 d/m with 8 colour frames, being the most dense machinemade handlook carpets available on the market, with more than 2.000.000 points/m². Samples of this innovation are displayed at the Van de Wiele booth. The HCi X2 is the reference for handlook carpets in Iran, Turkey, Belgium, China, in reed densities from 240 up to 1,000 d/m.

The Rug & Carpet Innovator range is now available in a 5 m weaving width execution (Fig 1), for optimised combinations of area rug dimensions. Studies have proven that the 5 m wide carpet weaving machine of the Innovator range compared to the traditional 4 m wide has a payback of less than 2.5-years. This is valid for traditional design carpets and modern rugs with loop and cut pile, up to 10 colours, sisal look carpets, outdoor carpets and shaggy carpets.

Many Van de Wiele MAX91 Axminster carpet machines are already equipped with a Smart Creel, replacing the labour intensive and unflexible traditional bobbin creel. This robotised creel is now also available for the AWi01 wire weaving machine (Fig 2).

The Velvet Tronic VTR is manufactured in a plain/dobby execution - VTR23 - and a Jacquard execution - VTR33 (Fig 3). The applications of velvet are numerous: upholstery, automotive, bus and train, curtain, chiffon dress, artificial fur, … For the interior fabrics, there is a fashion towards the Italian Velvet with pile design combined with Jacquard ground effects. Van de Wiele is giving a new life to this Italian velvet by creating a new quality with 3 pile colours in center draw and 2 x 4 backing yarns per reed dent. The design possibilities become unlimited, especially when combined with a filling selector. The LJVi3 jacquard is equipped with 11,520 solenoïds. The Velvet Tronic VTR42 is a special execution for technical fabrics such as distance fabrics and paintbrushes.