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The Textile Magazine
DECEMBER 2011
Maestro, the new weft monitoring
system from
ITEMA
technology
Rapier looms have long since
been equipped with a weft detec-
tor based on the piezoelectric ef-
fect. During weft insertion, the
rapid movement of the weft stimu-
lates the piezo crystal to produce a
small signal. Utilizing amplification
and electronic circuitry, the weft
detector causes the rapier loom to
stop in the event of weft breakage.
Today’s weft stop detector systems are
used in such a way that the detector gives
very little information to the micro-processor
of the rapier weaving machine. In very basic
terms, the weft detector signals the loom to
continue to run or to stop. Certain advanced
types of weft detectors allow detection of de-
By Dario Pezzoni and Bernard Cruycke, ITEMA Weaving
Fig 1 shows the Maestro weft detector on the Silver 501 as it was introduced during ITMA 2011 in Barcelona
Dario Pezzoni
Bernard Cruycke