Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The ‘President’: a revolutionary machine

The ‘President’ was labeled a revolutionary machine very soon after its introduction to the market at the ITMA-exhibition in Lille in 1951 and given all the novelties it included, that label was fully justified. The ‘President’ offered the weaving industry an excellent combination of quality, simplicity and reliability. This new machine could manage a large range of materials, from light, imprinted textiles to technical and industrial fabrics, such as heavy canvas and basic fabrics for car tires. The machine’s success made a strong impression on Picañol’s customers, so much so that the Directors decided to increase production and hire foreign sales representatives. Although the new model was available in but a limited number of weaving widths, its construction allowed for the reuse of a large part of the basic parts upon extension, a feature that dramatically reduced the costs of manufacturing more ‘custom-made’ versions of the basic machine. The machine’s driving mechanism was simplified as compared to the model used for its predecessor, the Omnium. A ‘President’ weaving machine with a width of 188 cm could reach a speed of up to 180 wefts per minute.
Video: Inauguration de la foire des textiles à Lille

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