Government of India

Ministry of Textiles
Textiles Committee

Course Name: Silk Handloom Weaver

Course Code: TC SILK 06

Version: 01
Developed by: Resource Support Agency (RSA), Textiles Committee,
Ministry of Textiles, Government of India
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sr. No. Contents Page No.

1 Basics of Silk Weaving & Terminologies 1

2 Weaving History : Evolution Of Handloom

3
3 Drawing-in and Denting
7
4 Pirn Winding.
9
5 Basic Weaves
11
6 Weaving Process
13
7
Shedding 18
8 Dobby Shedding:
20
9 Jacquard & Jacquard Shedding.
22
10 Soft Skills, Industry Norms & Others
27
11 Job Description and Job Roles and
Responsibility 28

12
Importance of Health And Safety 29
1. Basics of Silk Weaving & Terminologies

Introduction
The art of weaving dates back to prehistoric era of 6000 to 80000 B.C. It is perceived that as
human civilization progressed the art of cloth weaving also flourished side by side. Cotton,
silk, Jute was the earliest fibre used for making fabrics. Silk fibre has its origin in China and
there is an interesting legend behind the discovery of silk fibre. The art of silk fabric making
was kept as a secrete for long by China. It was only after 3000 years after discovery of the
fibre, it was disclosed to outside world. Silk as a natural fibre spun by silkworm has excellent
properties such as luster, sheen, suppleness, elegance, aesthetic appeal, higher strength and
elasticity, hydrophillicity, affinity for dyes which could not be surpassed by any other natural
fibre and for this reason it is highly appropriate to call Silk as queen of textiles.

Though the consumption of silk as compared to other textile fibres is hardly 1%, silk has
carved out a unique position in the field of textiles. It has withstood the competition from other
artificial fibres over the decades and continues to enjoy the position for years to come. Most
of the silk produced in India is consumed domestically and only finished products are
exported. Silk weaving is concentrated in clusters and each cluster has its own identity.
Generally intricate designs are woven on handlooms mainly used as saris. Highlly skilled
labour is engaged in the production of silk saris. Plain weaves are woven on power looms
and high speed automatic looms.
Raw Silk Quality
Quality of raw silk is defined by its performance while processing through different machinery
in making of fabrics. Raw silk quality decides both the performance in various processes of
making silk fabrics as well as the quality of the final product. Quality is a relative term, which
is decided by the kind of end product to be produced. Each kind of raw silk yarn reeled on
different devices has its own applications. Raw silk after reeling comes in the form of skeins
ranging from 70-140 grams in weight, which are made into bundles of 2.5- 5 kg.
Quality of raw silk is judged both by visual examination and by mechanical tests. By visual
examination quality aspects checked are Uniformity in- colour, lustre, handle, Denier
uniformity, Skein finish and also the strength by pulling the threads between fingers. Under
mechanical tests silk are subjected different quality tests by making use of testing equipments
and machinery.
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Quality tests on raw silk
To judge the quality raw silk is subjected to following tests.

1. Winding test
2. Denier/Size test
3. Tenacity & elongation
4. Evenness
5. Cleanness
6. Neatness
7. Cohesion

GENERAL:

 Yarn: A continuous strand of fibers/filament, twisted /non twisted, it is basic raw

material for weaving.
 Type of Yarns: single yarn, double or multi fold yarn, spun yarn & filament yarn
etc.
 Handloom: Frame / Machine operated manually -used to weave fabric by warp
and weft interlacement .
 Yarn count: Yarn count is the numerical expression of yarn, which defines its
fineness or coarseness. (Linear density)
 Yarn count system: Indirect system: English count (Ne), Worsted Count etc., i.e.
Higher the yarn number, finer the yarn. Direct System: Tex, Denier i.e. Higher the
yarn number , Coarser the yarn.
 Note: English (Ne) count system is commonly followed India.
 English Count: No. of Hanks of length 840 yds weighing in 1 pound
 e.g. 40s Ne = 40 hanks of 840 yds weighs 1 lbs.
 20s Ne = 20 hanks of 840 yds weighs 1 lbs.
 Note: Denier (D) - Weight in grams of 9000meters yarn.
 e.g. 26denier = 9000 meters of silk yarn weighs 26 grams.

TYPES OF TWISTED YARNS:

Raw Silk. The silk thread produced by the reeling together of the haves of several cocoons.
Raw silk has no twist.
Pull: A silk yarn formed by twisting raw silk. The twist may be very slight or exceed 3000per
meter
Tram: A silk yarn formed by doubling two or more raw silk threads and then twisting them
slightly generally 80 to 150TPM.

2
Crepe: Silk yarn made by doubling several raw silk threads and twisting them to very high
levels in the range of 2000 to 400TPM.
Organzine: A silk yarn formed by doubling two or more poil yarn and throwing them in the
direction opposite to that of the twist of the individual poil ends. The twist in the poil yarn will
be around 800 TPM “Z” (referred to as primary twist of first stage twist) and the doubled yarn
will have around 700TPM “S” (referred to as secondary twist or final twist)
Grenadine: A silk thread formed by doubling two or more ends of poil, and then twisting them
in a direction opposite to that of the individual poil ends. The composition is like that of
Organzine, but grenadine is 3 to 4 times more tightly twisted.

Silk Handlooms:

Silk handloom weaving is speciality of India and it is cluster based activities mostly
concentrated at : Varanasi, Kanjivaram, Dharmavaram, Mulkalmuru, Paithan, Pochampalli,
Sambalpuri, Chanderi, Santipuri, Sualkuchi , Bhagalpur & Srinagar etc. Each cluster has
specific products and many of these clusters have got their Geographical Indicators (GI).

2. Weaving History : Evolution Of Handloom

Handlooms : Origin & Development Of Handlooms:
Egyptians made woven fabrics some 6000 years ago and in India weaving activities started
around 4000 BC in Indus Valley Civilization. Chinese made fine fabrics from silk over 3000 years
ago. A shedding mechanism was originally invented in China in the 3 r d century and
introduced in Europe. In 12th century, completely wooden hand looms were used as standard
designs in England. The developments in the design and performance of looms have taken
place during the past 850 years. The fly shuttle, invented in 1733 by John Kay, was hand
operated. It was an important cornerstone to improve the productivity. This shuttle, running on
four wheels, was moving over the lower side of the warp sheet. Two wooden tenders
connected to a small cord commanded by the hand were usedto propel the shuttle. The weaver
sitting in the middle of the loom threw the shuttleby pulling the cord very easily.

3
 Horizontal Primitive Loom Primitive Loin-Loom

Hand-Loom Fly-shuttle sley

1. Warping

Prior to weaving the warp is assembled usually on a large bobbin called the weavers beam.
In some cases, however, each warp thread is kept on a separate cone and all the cones are
mounted in a creel, while in other cases; the required number of warp threads is drawn from a
smaller number of cones. The threads are placed parallel to one another in the required
density in relation to the fabric being woven. In some cases, however each warp thread is
kept on a separate cone and all the cones are mounted in a creel, while in other cases, the
required number of war threads are drawn from a smaller number of cones. The former

4
process is referred to as Beam warping while the latter process is referred to as sectional
warping.

Depending on the density of warp ends and the width of the fabric, the number of ends
required for the fabric is decided and accordingly the number of sections required for the
given sort is decided. The sectional warping machine consists of two parts namely the creel
stand and the warping drum. The required numbers of bobbins are mounted on the creel and
the creel capacity limits the no. of ends per section. The length of the warp decides the
number of revolutions of the drum. The sections are laid side by side till the required numbers
of ends are obtained. The ends to be spread across the width of the fabric is as beaming.

Ball Warping Machine

Thus, several thousands of individual warp ends each of which several hundred meters long
are placed parallel to each other on the beam. It is desirable to have equal and required yarn
contents on all the bobbins to facilitate uniform tension and avoid wastage and also knots.

Consider the problem of mass production where beam after beam has to be produced, each
identical with others. Package size is of great importance and it is usual to wind yarn from the
hanks of a large package in order to improve the efficiency of warping. Also, random
replacement of creel packages is avoided since this too diminishes the efficiency.

5
Textiles are at the mercy of changes in fashions and long runs are not always possible, in
consequence, only one warp of a given kind may be required. This means that each creel
package will need to have about the same length of yarn as that required in the warp.
Variation in this length in a single package can stop the whole operation whilst a new one is
pieced in (also introducing an unwanted knot). Too much length will leave excess yarn, which
must be discarded, or rewound and pieced on to another end for subsequent use (yielding a
different sort of waste as well as a knot). The virtues of winding the creel packages to a
specification can be appreciated better, when it is realized that this problem may be multiplied
a thousand fold in a single warp.

One more method of warping viz ball warping is in vogue in the handloom weaving sector.
Here as in the sectional warping required no. of ends in the sections are drawn from a group
of bobbins and required no. of revolutions will be made depending of the warp length. Instead
of cutting the section after the completion of the required length, the direction of rotation is
reversed for the next section and a lease is introduced. After all the sections have been
wound this way, the total no. of ends along with the lease will be turned to a ball form for easy
handling. Later the ends are picked on by one and taken on to the loom by drawing-in
process or just knotting.

Ball to Beam warping machine

6
4. Drawing in and Denting

Before getting into the process of drawing –in and denting, it is required to know the terms
heald, reed, heald count and reed count.

HEALD SHAFT
It is wooden or metal frame holding a number of metallic wires called heal wires. The width of
the heald shaft is slightly greater than that of the warp and is usually between 36 and 48 cm
deep. The heald wires are thin wires with a holes at the center referred to as the “eye” of the
heald wire, through which the warp send is drawn.

HEALD COUNT
It is the number of heald eyes or to say heald wires per inch across the heald shaft in a set.
For example, a 120s count plain set heald means 120/4=30 heald eyes/inch/shaft. The
divisor 4 is used here because a plain set contains 4 heald shafts.

REED.
Reed is a comb like structure made of metal wires, which are regularly spaced. The warp
ends are drawn through the dent.

REED COUNT
Reed count is expressed as the number of dents per unit space. There are two systems of
counting the reed.

1. No. of dents/given space.

2. No. of groups of dents/given space.

The first mentioned system is most widely used and there are 3 kinds viz Stockport, Radcliff
and metric. Stockport is the most commonly used system in the textile industry. In Stockport
system, reed count is measured as the number of dents in 2inches. For example, 120s reed
means that there are 120dents in inches. In Radcliff, number of dents in one inch will be the
reed count while in the metric, number of dents in 10cm will be the reed count.

7
The process of drawing- in is one in which each warp thread is drawn through the eye of a
heald, which are mounted on heald frames. The minimum number of heald frames required is
usually the number of warp ends in the weave repeat. The warp ends from the heald are then
drawn through the reed, which is referred to as the denting process.
The dents are uniformly spaced and the denting of the warp determines more accurately the
width of the fabric and the ends per inch. In order to ensure perfectly uniform density of the
warp ends across the whole width of the fabric it would be desirable to have one dent for
each warp thread. In practice, this is rarely possible because the density of the warp is
usually so high that the reed wires would have to be too close together and too fine. The
common practice is to draw tow or more adjacent warp ends through on dent. The number of
dents per inch in the reed is thus equal to the ends per inch divided by the number of ends
per dent. When the warp has been drawn through the healds and reed, it is mounted on the
loom. The process of attaching the new beam on to the loom is called gaiting.

In weaving plain-weave fabric, only two-heald shaft are theoretically needed, the odds being
drawn through the eyes of the healds on one heald shaft and the even ends being drawn
through the eyes of the other shaft. If there are too many healds per unit length on one heald
frame, there may be insufficient space to allow the ends controlled by the other heald shaft to
move freely up and down as the two heald shafts change position. This may result in
incorrect thread- interlacing ( which is generally known are stitching) and will certainly
increase the friction between the healds and warp threads, the result being and increase in
the end-breakage rate and a reduction in the life of the healds. Also, when one heald shaft
controls too many ends, the forces required to drive the heald shaft from on position to the
other becomes undesirably high.

A general guide would suggest a maximum 12 ends/cm/heald shaft, although higher values
could be more realistic in the weaving of very fine continuous filament yarns, and lower
values are more common in the weaving of fabrics from coarse spun yarns. Thus in weaving
fabrics having more than 20but fever than 40ends/cm, it is more usual to use four heald
shafts, while six heald shafts will be necessary in weaving fabrics having between 40 and
60ends/cm.

8
5. Pirn Winding
A simple machine shown in the figure below is used for pirn winding in handloom.
There is a wheel and a metallic shaft, which are connected with each other with the help
of rope for transferring motion. the hank is mounted on the wheel and the pirn is
mounted on the shaft. then the yarn from the hank is transferred on to the pirn by
rotating the wheel.

Precautions: 1. While winding the care should be taken that, it should be filled in small
bunches throughout its length.

2. Same tension should be maintained till the pirn get filled.

3. The groove of the pirn should be kept empty.

4. The yarn should be filled on the pirn in optimum amount.

Motorised pirn winding machine is also used in handloom industry, single spindle
machines with bobbin creel, thread guides and tension discs are provided as shown in the
fig. given below. It can be placed on side of the loom nearer to weaver so that the weaver
can himself prepare the required pirns.

9
Motorised pirn winding
The yarn on the pirn has to be wound on a long thin package so that at will fit in the
shuttle, and the build has to be such as to permit intermittent high speed over end
unwinding within the confines of the shuttle. This imposes certain limitations for example,
It would not be possible to use a completely parallel package not would it be possible to
use a fully cross-wound package. In the one case, the package would disintegrate and in
the other case, the tension variations would be impossible high. Hence, it is necessary to
use a compromise in which there are overlapping short conically cross-wound sections.

The length of this section is called the “Chase length” and the care angle is usually
maintained at about 30 because this gives reasonable stability and allows clean
unwinding without undue danger of turns sloughing off. However, these factors are
affected by yarn tension and it is necessary to control the tension during winding within
quite close limits, hence it is necessary for these machines to be equipped with suitable
tension control devices.

10
6. Basic Weaves

PLAIN WEAVE:
The simplest and most universal weave. Produced by passing the weft across the warp twice.
On the outward journey it passes over all the odd warps and under the evens: on its return it
passes over the evens and under the odds. Texture can be added by way of textured yarn or
using different colour threads (warp or weft) to produce checks or stripes. [Source: JH]

TWILL WEAVE

Twill weaves can be identified by the marked diagonal movement across the cloth created by
the sequencing of the weft threads which cross the warps at evenly off-set, vertical intervals
(from left to right or from right to left). The sequencing of interlacing can vary - this diagram
shows a 3/1 twill which has three wefts passing behind one warp before it is bound in place
by the fourth front cross of the weft. Denim is the most well known example of a twill weave.

Twill Design
11
SATIN WEAVE

The smooth shiny surface of a satin weave is created by the large surface area of exposed
warp threads which are intermittently bound on only every fourth cross of the weft (four under,
one over). This sequence can be reversed so that the weft threads form the dominant surface
area of the fabric (four over, one under) though this type of weave is called „sateen‟. Satin
weaves are frequently used in combination with other weaves to form „figured‟ cloths.
Figured cloths are woven in one colour with pattern created solely by the use of different
textured weaves, for example damask.

Satin Design

YARN ARRANGEMENT OVER THE HEALD FRAMES

In weaving plain-weave fabric, only two-heald shaft are theoretically needs, the odds being
drawn through the eyes of the healds on one heald shaft and the even ends being drawn
through the eyes of the other shaft. If there are too many healds per unit length on one heald
frame, there may be insufficient space to allow the ends controlled by the other heald shaft to
move freely up and down as the two heald shafts change position. This may result in
incorrect thread- interlacing ( which is generally known are stitching) and will certainly
increase the friction between the healds and warp threads, the result being and increase in
the end-breakage rate and a reduction in the life of the healds. Also, when one heald shaft
controls too many ends, the forces required to drive the heald shaft from on position to the
other becomes undesirably high.
A general guide would suggest a maximum 12ends/cm/heald shaft, although higher values
could be more realistic in the weaving of very fine continuous filament yarns, and lower

12
values are more common in the weaving of fabrics from coarse spun yarns. Thus in weaving
fabrics having more than 20but fever than 40ends/cm, it is more usual to use four heald
shafts, while six heald shafts will be necessary in weaving fabrics having between 40and
60ends/cm.
There are three different methods for the yarn arrangement or distributions over the heald
frames viz.

1. Straight draft.
2. Pointed draft.
3. Skip draft.

The above figures represent both the healds and the warp ends, each vertical row in the draft
represents on end and each horizontal row represents one heald frame. The bottom
horizontal row is normally the first or the front heald shaft. The heald frames capacity of the
loom to be used must be known before the drawing-in draft can be decided. The drawing in
draft must be able to draw broken ends during weaving. If the warp is a new sort different
form the previous run, then drawing and denting have to be carried out and otherwise the
warp ends of the old sort can be knotted with the beginning of the new warp in the existing
set up and this process is termed as piecing.

7. Weaving Process
A woven fabric is produced on a machine called a loom. The starting point for making a fabric
is to get the warp beam (which is a sheet-like assembly of parallel yarns wound on a roll)
ready for transfer to the loom. A schematic sketch of the loom with the warp beam located at
the backside of the loom is shown here. for the sake of clarity. The path of the warp sheet on

13
the loom is worth noting. The actual yarn interlacement goes on in the front part of the loom
and the woven cloth is then wound on the cloth roll.

At this stage it would be instructive to understand how the warp beam is filled with yarn. To
do this the dimensions of the cloth to be made must be known. Suppose 400 metres long
cloth with 2400 threads width-wise is to be produced. Also suppose that the creel stand,
which is installed for making the warp beam, has provision for mounting 200 bobbins at a
time. So the warp will be made by winding 200 yarns (of 400 metre length) in the form of a
sheet on the warp beam. Note that the process will have to be repeated12 times to complete
the warp beam.

Figure- Weaving Process

14
The Weaving Operation

The essential parts of the loom are shown in the figures below.

The warp beam is mounted at the back of the of the loom and is connected to a let-of Motion
which either allows or actively initiates the rotation of the warp beam and hence the delivery
of the warp at a rate consistent with the rate of fabric production.

The heald frames are connected to the shedding motion which serves to lift on heald frame
while lowering the other, thus dividing the warp and creating on open space viz the shed, for
the insertion of the weft.

15
The weft yarn is place in the shuttle in the from of a small bobbin or pirn. The shuttle is
propelled through the shed by means of the “Picking motion” and as it travels through the
shed it inserts the weft into the warp.

The reed is mounted on the sley, which carries out an oscillating movement in the warp
direction. I is towards the back of the loom while the shuttle inserts the weft, and then travels
forward to press the new thread into the fabric which has already been woven. The latter
process is called the „Beat-up of the weft‟. The sley also carries the race board which
supports the shuttle and the two shuttle boxes which accommodate the shuttle during beat-up
completes the process of cloth formation. The borderline of the woven fabric is called the
„cloth fell‟.

The woven fabric passes round the take-up roller, which is driven by the take-up motion at a
rate consistent with the desired rate of fabric production. The absolute circumferential speed
of the take-up roller is of little practical significance. The important factor is the ratio between
that speed and the rate of picking (weft insertion). The higher the rate of cloth take –up in
relation to the picking rate, the lower will be the weft density in the fabric. After passing over
the take-up roller, the fabric is coiled up on the cloth roller. The actual sequence of
operations, which constitute the weaving process, is somewhat variable, but in principle it is
as follows:

As the sley with the red moves from its front to its back position, the shedding motion divides
the warp and creates the shed. While the sley passes through its back position., the picking
motion propels the shuttle through the shed and inserts the weft. As the sley moves forward,
the shed is closed and when the sley reaches its front position, the weft thread is beaten up
into the fabric. The addition of the new weft thread increases the length of woven fabric and
as the sley moves again towards its back position, the take-up winds up that length of fabric.
Simultaneously, the let-off motion unwinds the required length of warp.

The weaving cycle is now complete and the next cycle begins: this is identical with the first
cycle but involves a reversal of the position of the two-heald frames. Since the position of the

16
two heald frames cannot be identical, the configuration of the shed on alternate weaving
cycles is different and it is more accurate, therefore, to regard the consecutive cycles of weft
insertion as constituting one weaving cycle.

The basic mechanisms necessary in order to interlace warp and weft threads to produce
fabric on any type of weaving machine are categories as primary and secondary motions.
The primary motions of weaving must occur in a given sequence, and their precise timings in
relation to one another is of extreme importance.

The three primary motions are:

1. SHEDDING
Separating the warp threads, which run down the fabric into two layers to form a tunnel
known as the shed.
2. PICKING
Passing the weft thread, which traverses across the fabric, through the shed.
3. BEATING –UP.
Pushing the newly inserted length of weft, known as the pick into the already woven
fabric at a point known as the fell.

The secondary motions are:

1. WARP LET-OFF.
The warp let-off motion either allows or actively initiates the rotation of the warp beam
and hence delivers the warp at a rate consistent with the rate of fabric production.
2. CLOTH TAKE-UP.
Cloth take-up motions winds up the length of the fabric being woven, at rate consistent
with the desired rate of fabric production.
Warp stop and weft stop motions are categorized as the auxiliary motions of the loom.

17
8. Shedding

One of the two cams mounted on the bottom shaft depresses a bowl and treadle. The
treadle is fulcrumed towards the back of the loom so that its front end will move down and
pull its corresponding heald shaft down because they are joined by a series of
connections. Further connections above the heald shafts cause the roller motion to rotate
partially so that the other heald shaft and its treadle will be raised. As the cam unit
continues to rotate, the second cam will cause the whole motion to be reversed.

Shedding

The three main types of shedding mechanisms are tappet, dobby and jacquard. In the
simplest type of tappet-shedding motion, the shedding cams or tappets are mounted on
the bottom shaft, and the motion is suitable only for weaves, repeating on two pick, such
as plain, weft rib etc. By mounting the tappets on a counter shaft driven by gearing from
the bottom shaft at the appropriate speed, the repeat can be extended up to eight or ten
picks. Further more, since it is practicable to use up to 8 or 10 tappets, weaves with
repeats up to 8 x 8 or 10 x10 ends and picks can be woven with a straight draft. By using
fancy drafts, certain weaves repeating on a much larger number of ends (eg. pointed and
herringbone twills) can be woven on tappet looms.

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Dobbies are much more versatile and usually control at least 16 and sometimes as many
as 36 heald shafts. Since the lifting of the shaft is controlled by some form of pattern
chain, there is virtually no limit to the number of picks per repeat. This together with the
use of fancy drafting, is sufficient to produce any structure, weave or combination of
weaves arranged to give stripes, checks, or designs of a geometrical character.

For designs that require the reproduction of freely drawn shapes, it is usually necessary
for each end in the repeat to be separately controlled. This is provided for by a Jacquard
machine, 100 to 2000 or more ends per repeat. A common size controls 600 ends, which
in a cloth with 30ends/cm, gives a repeat of 20 cm wide, within which the designer has
complete freedom. The lifting of the ends is controlled by a chain of punched cards or by a
loop of punched paper, and the length of the repeat is limited only by the cost and
inconvenience of very long pattern chain Jacquard machines are used for a wide variety
of purposes.

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9. Dobby Shedding

The terms positive and negative occur with dobby shedding too, but the distinction is
perhaps more clear here, than it is for cam shedding. In negative –dobby shedding, the
shafts are raised by the dobby and lowered by some form of spring under motion. In
positive-dobby shedding, the dobby machine both raises and lowers the shafts. Negative
Dobbies tend to be simpler and because they are satisfactory except for heavy fabric and
high loom speed, they are more common than positive Dobbies.

NEGATIVE DOBBY SHEDDING.

Several types of negative e Dobbies have been used in the past, but nearly all-modern
negative Dobbies and some positive ones, are derived from the original „Keighley‟ dobby.
One reason for its success is that its cycle occupies two picks, and hence most of its
motions occur at half the loom speed, which enables it to operate at relatively high speeds.
In passing through various stages of evolution, it has been gradually refined and
developed as a result of experience and improvements in engineering techniques. Its
action can be understood from the line diagram in figure , which represents the main parts
of the Keighley dobby in one of its early forms.

Figure- Dobby Shedding

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For each heald shaft, there are a bulk B, two hooks H1 and H2 and two feelers F1 and F2.
The stop bars S1 and S2 extend the full depth of the dobby as do the knives K1, and K2,
which reciprocate in slots. The knives complete one reciprocation every two picks and in
this case they are driven from a crank on the bottom shaft. The heald shaft is connected
indirectly to the center of the baulk B. In the diagram, the heald shaft has been raised by
moving the top end of the baulk B away from its stop bar S1, this action causing the baulk
to pivot about the point of contact between its lower end and the stop bar S2.

The knife K1 was able to engage the hook H1 because a peg in the lag forming part of the
pattern chain had raised the right-hand end of the feeler F1, which thus allowed the rod R
to lower the hook H1, onto the knife K1. In the diagram, there is no pet to support the right
hand end of the feeler F2, which has there fore fallen, this fall allowing its upturned left-
hand end to raise the hook H2 clear of the knife K2.

As the action continues, the top end of the baulk will be returned to its stop bar, and at the
same time the bottom knife will move to the right without disturbing the bottom end of the
baulk. The shaft will therefore be lowered and will remain down for the next pick. In the
absence of a peg, the shaft is lowered or remains down. A peg will lift the shaft, and a
succession of pegs will keep the shaft raised. Some form of spring under motion, acting
through the shaft and its connections to the baulk, keeps one end of the baulk in contact
with its stop bar while the other end is being displaced. Alternatively, it keeps both ends of
the baulk in contact with the stop bars when the shaft is not being raised.

21
 10. Jacquard & Jacquard Shedding

For designs that require the reproduction of freely drawn shapes, it is usually necessary for
each end in the repeat to be separately controlled. This is provided for by a Jacquard
machine. Jacquard machine are made in a variety of sizes to control from 100 to 2000 or
more ends per repeat. A common size controls 600 ends, which in a cloth with 30
ends/cm, gives a repeat of 20cm wide, within which the designer has complete freedom.
The lifting of the ends is controlled by a chain of punched cards or by a loop of punched
paper, and the length of the repeat is limited only by the cost and inconvenience of very
long pattern chain. Jacquard machines are used for a wide variety of purposes.

The simplest of these is the single-lift, single cylinder jacquard. In this machine, we have
one needle and one hook for every end in the repeat. Common sizes have 200, 400 or 600
needles. A 600-needle jacquard, for example, would have twelve horizontal tows of
needles with 50 needles in each row, plus a few extra needles, which need not concern us.
Each needles is linked round a vertical hook, which it controls. Coil springs press the
needles towards the right. There is a lifting knife for each long row of hooks, so that, in a
600-needle machine, there would be twelve knives. The knives are fixed in a frame called
a griffe, which reciprocates vertically once every pick and is normally driven by crank or by
chain and sprocket from the crankshaft. The knives are shown end on in figure below.

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 Single lift –single cylinder jacquard

The design is punched in pattern cards, one for each pick in the repeat, and the cards are
laced together to form a continuous chain. The cards are presented to the needles by a
card cylinder, which has a square section in the diagram, but which may be pentagonal or
hexagonal. After presenting a card to the needles, the cylinder moves away from the
needles a distance sufficient to allow it to be turned to present the next card. If there is a
hole in the card opposite a particular needle, the needle will enter the hole (the cylinder
being perforated to receive it), and the needle spring will cause the hook to engage its
knife. This particular hook and the ends it controls will therefore be lifted when the griffe
rises. If there is no hole opposite a particular needle, it will be moved out of the path of its
knife, so that the hook and the ends it controls will not be lifted.

The single-lift, single-cylinder (SLSC) jacquard generally forms a bottom closed shed.
There is therefore much wasted movement, together with a tendency for the whole
harness to swing. Moreover, the cylinder must reciprocate and turn, and the griffe must
rise and fall every pick. These considerations drastically limit the speed at which loom can
be run.

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The double-lift, single cylinder jacquard has two sets of knives, each mounted in a griffe.
The two-griffe move up and down in opposition over a two-pick cycle. A 600-needle
machine has 1200 hooks, and each needle controls two hooks as shown in fig-8, which
represents (on the left) the situation when a harness card has been lifted by one hook. It
might equally well have been lifted by the other hook. The situation when neither hook has
lifted its harness cord is shown on the right. The sequence of events when a harness cord
is required to remain up for two or more consecutive picks is as follows:

Imagine that the hook D is about to descend and that the hook C is about to rise. The
harness cord it controls will be lowered to the center position as hook D descends. When it
reaches the center position, it will be taken over by the hook which will return it to the
raised position. The result is that an end required to remain up for two or more consecutive
picks is loweere half way between the picks. The machine produces a semi-open shed
(Fig-7). There is less unnecessary movement than with the single lift, single cylinder
jacquard and less tendency for the harness to swing. The cylinder must still reciprocate
and turn every pick, but the rate of reciprocation of the knives is halved. The net result is
that the machine is capable of somewhat higher speeds than it single lift counter parts.

Double cylinder jacquards

The double –lift, -cylinder machine represents a further development. In this machine,
each harness cord and each end in the repeat are controlled by two needles and two
hooks. There are also two cylinders, one carrying the odd-numbered and the other the
even number cards. If it is assumed that the left-hand cylinder in Fig –C carries the odd-
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 number cards, it will be presented to its needles on add picks, the right hand cylinder being
presented on even picks. Apart from this, its action is the same as that of the doublee-lift,
single cylinder machine, and it forms a semi-open shed. It is, however, fully double left,
single cylinder machine, it is capable to running at somewhat higher speeds than the latter.
For many purposes, it has largely replaced the other two types. The weaver must take
care to keep the two sets of cards in step, especially after pick finding or unweaving.

Jacquard machines that produce an open shed have been introduced recently.
Comparative merits and demerits of :

Tappet Shedding:
Simple. Inexpensive, easy to maintain, reliable. Imp ses no limitations on loom speeds.
Normally limited to 8 or 10 shafts and 8 or 10 picks/repeat. Inconvenient for frequent
pattern changes.

Dobby Shedding
More complicated, higher initial and maintenance cost, slightly more liable to produce
fabric faults. Normally built to control 2028 shafts. Picks per repeat virtually unlimited.
Some limitation in loom speed, but the most advanced types can run at speeds of up to
500picks/min.

Jacquard Shedding
Simple in principle, but involves the use of a multiplicity of duplicate parts and is therefore
costly to install and maintain. More liable than dobby shedding to produce faults. All except
the most advance types of jacquard, which can run at speeds up to 300picks/min, tend to
limit loom speeds. Patterning possibilities virtually unlimited.

WEAVERS KNOT: Practice on different types of weavers knot will be part of practical
training exercises.

FABRIC DEFECTS: Defect is an unwanted structure on the fabric due to many reasons.
The following are the some of the type of the fabric defects e.g. missing ends, missing

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picks, reed mark, double end, weft crack, weft bar, temple mark, starting mark, float,
slubs etc. Identification of these defects will be part of practical training exercises.

Remedial measures for controlling the defects: Defects can be reduced by using good
quality of yarn, good weaving preparations; proper loom settings at various stages of
fabric manufacturing.

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11. Soft Skills, Industry Norms & Others

Subject specialists will handle classes for covering the following aspects in this sector as:
 Soft Skills to improve behavior, hygiene, attitude, and safety
 Comply with industry and organizational requirement
 Other need-based specific inputs felt appropriate and desired.

Job description of the occupation:

 To operate Silk Handloom efficiently so as to get maximum output with minimum
defects, giving due importance to safety & environmental aspects.

Job Role & Responsibilities:

 A silk weaver should have Knowledge on varieties of silk and silk fabrics of different
clusters and its identification.
 About hand loom and its parts.
 Silk weaving preparatory process.
 Weaving calculation and Drawing in and denting process
 Knowledge of different weaves, draft and peg plan.
 Knowledge of installation of loom and mounting of dobby and jacquard.
 Knowledge on fabric defects and its remedies
 Knowledge about repair and maintenance of handloom.
 Process of silk Weaving mechanism on handloom.
 A silk weaver is responsible for achieving quality and production targets of fabric
Weaving.
 He has to plan the production accordingly seek raw material, jacquard punched
cards/ Electronic jacquard so that the targets are met.
 The job requires executing process plan steps in strict sequence of silk weaving and
designing conditions.
 Also should follow SOP and safety standards maintained by the company

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12. Job Description and Job Roles and responsibility

SOFT SKILLS, INDUSTRY NORMS & OTHERS

Subject specialists will handle classes for covering the following aspects in this sector as:
1. Soft Skills to improve behavior, hygiene, attitude, and safety
2. Comply with industry and organizational requirement
a. Other need-based specific inputs felt appropriate and desired

Job description of the occupation:

1. Creation of Textile designs (Free hand designer) for weaving on silk fabrics and
screen/digital printing using CATD.
2. Creation of designs in computer as per the requirement.
3. Production planning of manual / Automatic Jacquard card punching and lacing for
handloom and power looms

Job Role & Responsibilities:

1. A CATD designer is responsible for the creation of Textile designs using CATD
software and accurately interpreting and representing clients' ideas
2. Preparing / Editing sketches, designs and making up sets of sample designs for
presentation to customers
3. A Designer- gets work (program) allotted by his supervisor and is responsible for
Designing for Dobby / Jacquard / Jala / Tie-dye (Ikat) Design and check the design
pattern with actual design.
4. These created designs are transferred through pendrive / CD Drive for Electronic
Jacquard, Graph sheet for Manual Punching also punched cards through Automatic
card punching machine.
5. The punched cards are laced manually / automatic lacing machine.
6. If any, corrections rectify the reasons. He/she should know functions of various parts of
the machine.
7. Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of new design and production techniques.
8. Keeping up to date and spotting fashion trends in fabric design by reading forecasts in
trade magazines and using internet resources

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 9. Developing a network of business contacts if self-employed, managing marketing and
public relations, finances and business administration and maintaining websites.
10. Working independently if self-employed, or liaising closely with colleagues as part of a
small team
11. Experimenting with colour, fabric and texture, developing new design
12. Concepts
13. Attending trade shows, as a delegate or as an exhibitor -this may involve representing
the company with a display or stand, or appraising the work of competitors.
14. Also should follow SOP and safety standards maintained by the company.

13. Importance Of Health And Safety

Health and Safety Instructions:

 To minimize exposure to hazardous chemicals appropriate personal protective
equipment, such as Hand Gloves, Safety Glasses, Gum Boots, Masks, Head cap, etc.,
should be used.

 Never handle chemicals with bare hands

 Training should be provided on handling of solvents and other harmful chemicals, and
how to deal with accidental spills, contact with skin and eyes, and ingestion of chemicals.

 Report any service malfunctions in the machine that cannot be rectified to the supervisor.

 Store materials and equipment at their designated places.

 Minimize health and safety risks to self and others due to own actions.

 Monitor the workplace and work processes for potential risks.

 Do not carry any metallic parts during machine running as there are chances of fire and
damage to machine parts.

 Take action based on instructions in the event of fire, emergencies or accidents,

participate in mock drills/ evacuation procedures organized at the workplace as per
organization procedures.

 Hazardous waste must be disposed of properly in accordance with manufacturer’s

guidelines (MSDS) and national policies.
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 Exit passageways and stair cases must never be blocked with obstacles and all stairs
should have hand rails.

 Employees should be given access to safe drinking water as well as a clean area for
meals.

 Emergency exit doors should never be locked.

 Proper lighting and ventilation need to be ensured and machinery must be well
maintained to avoid accidents.

 Sufficient fire extinguishers should be made available and signs should be placed in
prominent places so that people are aware of their presence.

 There should also be signs saying “No Food and Drink’ in areas such as the laboratory,
store room and factory floor, and any other areas where it is not safe to consume food.

 Hazardous chemicals should be clearly marked in an appropriate language and with clear
symbols that people have to be trained to recognize and understand.

 Sins should be placed near inflammable substances stating that it is not permitted to
smoke or have open fires.
Safety Precautions :

 Always clean the machine before each and every production

 Check the machine conveyor path for any tools/ any objects before starting the
machine.
 Do not touch the moving parts while machine in running condition.

 Avoid frequent handling of facemask until necessary.

 During cleaning ensure the machine is in off condition.
 Do not run the machine with choking material/facemask.
 Don’t run the machine with the ultrasonic horn in high temperature.

 Avoid touching the belt or moving parts while running.

 Wear gloves, shoes, ear plug, face mask, caps and aprons during machine operation.
 Do not blow the air while machine is running.
 Avoid frequent handling of sanitary napkins until necessary.

 During cleaning to ensure the machined is turne doff.

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 Do not run the machine with choking material/napkin.
 Keep the SAP container remains close always.

 During cleaning the machine remove the SAP and Raw materials from the machine.

 Use the emergency exit to get outside from the work place
immediately when the conditions are going out of control.
 Use the correct type of fire extinguisher based on the fire type by the trained person.

Figure: Proper usage of Personal Figure: Emergency exit sign

protective equipmentboard

Figure : Fire extinguishing equipment used in the industry

Safety Gloves Safety Shoes

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