The first DORNIER Rapier Weaving Machine – with positive filling transfer – was installed in a Belgian weaving operation in 1968. This machine completely satisfied the demands of the very creative and fashion-oriented weaver with regard to reliability and flexibility.

The business relationship with the Bekaert organization dates as far back as the 50’s when DORNIER supplied this company with a tenter frame. The first rapier weaving machine for the production of mattress ticking and upholstery fabric was delivered to the company in 1970.

Founded in 1892 as Bekaert Mattress Ticking, the company became part of the international textile group, Gamma Holding, in 1992 and today is recognized as the foremost producer of mattress ticking worldwide. The company offers a very comprehensive range of fabrics in this field, from traditional mattress ticking, piqué and two-way stretch fabrics to knitted mattress ticking fabrics. As a direct result of the operation being vertical, covering spinning, extrusion of polypropylene yarns, beaming, section warping, dyeing, weaving, knitting and finishing, the company is able to develop exclusive fabric collections specific to the needs of an individual customer. This is in addition to the more standard business methods employed in the development and marketing of mattress ticking fabrics.

Even in the broader areas of home textiles, Bekaert has been successful in setting particularly high standards. Under the Saint Hubert label, the company produces a very exclusive collection of decorative fabrics, and from Bekaert Wallcoverings comes a whole range of fire retardant wall coverings. In addition, Bekaert’s velvet weaving operation sets the trend in the production of double velour upholstery fabrics that are marketed for all forms of domestic and automotive upholstered seating applications. Completing the program is a full range of jacquard, piece dyed and printed fabrics for ladies apparel and fabrics for outdoor applications, such as baby carriages and strollers. The Cyr Cambier division is responsible for this range of products. As long ago as 1957, Bekaert increased company activity by starting up a completely new operation, Bekaert Australia, and last year this company became the market leader in mattress ticking in Australia.

The multiplicity of the entire operation and its very diversified manufacturing program stand as witness to the company’s wealth of ideas, creativity and innovation, with its 1400 employees being totally committed to customer service in every respect.

The DORNIER weaving installations, located in the company’s various plants, have been augmented and updated on an ongoing basis over the last 27 years of partnership between the two companies. Thus at this time, these plants are equipped with the most modern rapier and air jet weaving machines. The DORNIER Weaving System constitutes a family of weaving machines symbolizing a very high level of flexibility and productivity. Today, customers are in a position to weave a multiplicity of fabrics, utilizing the most suitable filling insertion system – air or rapier – at optimum economic levels of productivity. Both filling insertion systems are based on one and the same machine frame, utilize the same electronics package, to a great extent the same components, the same subassemblies, and the same user interface. This family of weaving machines thus constitutes the best solution for the producer of fashion-oriented fabrics. On the weaveroom floor, the DORNIER Weaving System does not create any problems for technical personnel, since the operation of both the air jet and rapier weaving machine is the same for weaver and fixer alike. Stocking supply parts is simplified, since a large proportion of parts is interchangeable.

An integral part of DORNIER weaving machines since 1990, the AT-Electronics – utilizing the CAN-Bus system already tried and proven in the automobile industry – in combination with state-of-the-art sensor and stepper motor technology, offers further decisive advantages in handling and maintenance of high levels of quality.

The end user is provided with the capability of making pattern changes on the fly with the machine running. Significant in this respect is the fact that for each individual pattern, 8 different pick densities, the warp tension setting and the weaving speed can be entered automatically. The positive filling transfer system on the rapier weaving machine offers distinct advantages. During an on-the-fly pattern change, the types of filling yarn being inserted can also be changed without stopping the machine. The rapier heads need no adjustment to handle an extremely wide variety of filling yarns and yarn counts. The utilization of stepping motors for leno selvedge devices, filling scissor, color selector and filling tension units eliminates the necessity of manual adjustment or setting. These settings and/or adjustments can be entered on the weaving machine display panel while the machine is still running. Similarly, pick density, warp tension and various machine parameters related with start mark elimination can all be entered in the same way. Thus, DORNIER weaving machines support the endeavors of the weaver in economically producing a wide range of woven fabrics at optimum levels of efficiency and quality.