60 years of Loepfe WeftMaster

Loepfe Brothers Ltd started business 60 years ago in 1955. Solutions for weaving mills significantly increased the efficiency of the production systems in the 1960s. WeftMaster provides components for weaving machines such as weft stop motions, short weft detectors, weft thread brakes, projectile brakes, knot detectors, weft feelers, fusible fabrics cutters and yarn stop motions for different applications. The first yarn clearer was produced in 1963 with basic clearing options. The subsequent focus was more on developing and manufacturing optical yarn clearers. From the 1990s onwards, Loepfe played a leading role in providing innovative solutions for spinning mills. Loepfe made a huge step forwards in 1991 with the yarn clearing generation YarnMaster. Loepfe set new standards in quality control with this pioneering first ever yarn clearer for conventional yarn faults.

YarnMaster spinning solution
A new yarn clearer generation YarnMaster ZENIT+ introduced in 2014, focused on state-of-the-art and fastest processors and measuring technology. These innovative technical components allow even more precise yarn clearing and a multi-layered evaluation of the measuring results. 100 per cent online quality assurance no longer implies expensive and lengthy laboratory measurements. The easy to service and easy to operate central unit LZE-V provides a clearly structured user interface. The possibility of allowing experienced LOEPFE technicians to use remote control to check the status of the central unit and to perform software updates when needed improves reliability. Loepfe provides an extremely reliable tool to safely detect even the finest yarn irregularities. Just one sensing head covers the range of yarn counts from Nec 2.4 to Nec 320.

YarnMaster3N1& 1N1 (Open end)
Loepfe’s new YarnMaster 3N1 (open end), integrated with three sensors, combines conventional clearer functions for diameter, an F-sensor for detection of foreign matter and a P-sensor for detection of synthetic foreign matter irrespective of the yarn color. Loepfe YarnMaster 1N1 has a sensing head integrated with one sensor for diameter measurement. The 3N1 & 1N1 can communicate with any type of OE machine control and the Graphical User Interface provides comfortable access to all functions and reports. We provide long-standing and successful experience in optical measuring processes and ensure absolute precision in the detection and elimination of faults. About 100 per cent online quality assurance no longer implies expensive and lengthy laboratory measurements. Yarn clearing is activated by setting classes within the clearer matrix using the touch screen. The length and deviation limits of the classes can be set individually within certain limits. Repetitive quality stops or longer faults can be blocked for particular rotors. This covers the range of yarn counts from Nec 3 to Nec 60 with maximum spinning speeds up to 400 m/min. The desired quality can be achieved with the maximum possible machine efficiency. Detection of yarn contamination by polypropylene, polyestre and other synthetic matter is possible irrespective of the yarn color. Foreign matter detection is performed from all sides allowing permanent detection of all foreign fibers.

WeftMaster weaving solution: FALCON-i yarn defects sensor
The new WeftMaster Falcon-i introduced in 2014 is an optical yarn defects sensor and an important innovation contributing to knotless weaving fabrics. All conventional knot detectors have limitations in terms of size of yarn defects or knots to be detected. Installing the FALCON-i yarn defects sensor solves the problems faced in manufacturing high-tech fabrics, such as elimination of smallest knots, fluff or even filamentation from the weft yarn.

Applications