With the advancement in technology, development of new machinery and equipment is constant in the global textile industry. The year 2022 too was no exception and saw the introduction of various new machines, technologies, services and the required support systems, aimed at helping the industry become more efficient. This feature captures some of the latest developments in textile machinery.

Company: Lindauer Dornier GmbH (Germany)

Machine: Protos & Tritos production systems

The world-renowned aircraft manufacturer Dornier switched to building textile machinery after WWII when the Allies prohibited the company from building aircraft in Germany. In 1950, Lindauer Dornier GmbH was founded in present day headquarter building at Lindau-Rickenbach. Today, with corporate divisions – weaving machines and speciality machines, Dornier has established itself among global technology leaders.

At the JEC World in May 2022, Dornier presented end-to-end approaches to thermoplastic composites and three-dimensional preforms. With its PROTOS and TRITOS production systems, Lindauer Dornier presented comprehensive solutions for the economic production of high-quality customised thermoplastic composite structures at the event. In order to provide a solution for the low level of availability of suitable unidirectional fibre reinforcement (UD tapes) and prepreg semi-finished products, Lindauer Dornier has developed the PROTOS Line (Polymer and Roving to Sheet). The integral solution allows tailored manufacturing of high-performance intermediates, products easy to be further processed. First, the Tape Production Line PROTOS TP produces either dry or fully impregnated tapes and afterwards processes them with the Tape Weaving Machine PROTOS TW into high-performance semi-finished thermoplastics.

In high-performance applications, 3D fabrics are superior to layered fibre composite structures due to their good damage tolerance and high dynamic load capacity. The Dornier TRITOS Line (Textile Roving into Three-dimensionally Oriented Structure) combines this material superiority with highly productive, industrial production. With fabric thickness of upto 100 mm and the patented Dornier Welt Saver (DWS), the preform production line TRITOS PP is ideally suited for the use in areas with high-cost pressure.

Machines: P2 Mono & Roving Rapier Machines

From roving fabric made of heavy tow to special fabrics made of ceramic fibres, where many special solutions have been used so far, Dornier has now launched a highly flexible machine platform with the P2 Mono. The new mono rapier weaving machine is available in different versions, enabling customers to produce many special products on one platform. In combination with the Dornier Zero Twist Feeder, even two weft colours can be inserted twist-free at high speed and with a wide variety of patterns.

On the other hand, Dornier has acquired the know-how for customised solutions for the composites industry over the course of more than 50 years in which the company’s roving weaving machines have set the international industry standard for the production of high-performance fabrics made of carbon, glass and aramid fibres. P2 Roving is their successor only. Thanks to its higher frame stiffness, improved filling insertion performance, the maintenance-free, patented Dornier SynchroDrive concept and an optimised positive centre transfer, it is already considered as the most flexible rapier weaving machine in the world. Its improved shed geometries ensure an absolutely symmetrical warp thread path which means that carbon fabrics for high-end applications can now be produced even better and more reliably. Additionally, innovative waste saving devices reduce weft waste and allow an efficient production with optimal use of material.

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