Heimbach

Heimbach is a German company which forms plastic fabrics for paper mills. i was lucky enough to go and take a look, as i was interested in how lumes work and how large scale fabrics are made. Lumes are machines which weave treads to make fabrics. They currently have 6 lumes which are 10,12 and 14 meters wide, 3 at 10, 1 at 12 and 2 at 14. the lume which is 14 meters wide is currently the widest and fastest lume in europe, it runs at 115 picks per min (picks= every time the weave goes across) and the smallest lume runs about 75picks per min. which in about 24hours the company could produce up to 20meters of fabric. Because the company only produces large scale fabrics there is a down side to it, if a client was to ask for 30meters of fabrics and there was a damage after 20meters the weaver would then have to make to decision to start all over again or if the damage is small and can carry on weaving, the problem with that then is the client who is then using the fabrics could also then get damages in the paper they are producing, which wouldnt be good on the company's behalf as they supply the fabric worldwide. if the weaver was to make the decision to start again it would cost the company thousands, as a meter of fabrics weaved costs £100. The damages can be anything from getting tinys bits of trapped dust to the pattern getting wove wrong, there are many different types of patterns that can be used which is in a computer but the most popular is 7.17 which when looked under a microscope is tiny squares, were theres a bottom layer and a top layer giving it a 3d like effect but the pattern is that tightly woven you can see it by eye. The way the fabrics are checked is the weavers constantly have to go back and fourth feeling the fabric and checking it by eye. it was great to have the chance to see the lumes as i was so suprised how big they are and how much they produce, it was definitely a good experience!

(The lume- Widest and Fastest in Europe)
(Threads getting woven)
(The bobbins)

(The cans)
(The lume Weaving)