More and more sophisticated materials are being used as the choice of patterns for textiles, varying in density or elasticity. This presents an increasing challenge for textile manufacturers to produce straight weft and straightened patterns.

The alignment according to the design often plays a greater role than the weft insertion. The German company Mahlo GmbH + Co KG solves this problem with its improved Patcontrol PCS-20 system for pattern recognition and warp control.

To ensure that customers receive the quality they want in patterned goods, textile manufacturers must adhere to the tightest tolerances in terms of parameters such as pattern repeat or pattern distortion.

The Patcontrol PCS straightens bow and skew distortions in technical textiles just as reliably as in terry cloth, e.g. towels, printed clothing fabrics or flocked articles. Even goods that cannot be detected with conventional scanning systems, such as lace and rustle curtains or mesh fabrics used for example in sports shoes, do not pose a problem for pattern recognition.

Camera and lighting technology further developed

The system uses camera technology to detect the position of the pattern and automatically and continuously determines the pattern repeat, measures the product width, and – together with a straightener – straightens the product distortion based on the print pattern.

New longlife LED lighting generates the maximum brightness on the market, thereby extending the scanning range for darker goods. Improved cameras allow brightness control by gain and exposure time.

With the Generation 20 system, more than two cameras can also be connected per measuring point. This allows a higher resolution and an even more accurate result to be achieved. A Gigabit connection allows the transmission of large amounts of data.

Using a mounting aid, the exact camera adjustment can be done easily and quickly. A compact interface box at the measuring point integrates the Patcontrol PCS-20 even more easily into the existing plant.

As with all current Mahlo systems, pattern recognition is also integrated into the mSmart digitisation concept. Users, machines and processes are networked with each other and meet the requirements of Industry 4.0.