Picanol has marked the production of its 400,000th weaving machine at its plant in Ieper, Belgium, where the very first was produced in 1936 based on a design by Spanish engineer Jaimé Picañol, after whom the company was named.

The 400,000th weaving machine, an OmniPlus-i Connect airjet, is to be delivered to a customer in India.

“We are extremely proud of this achievement, which once again highlights our position as the global leader in weaving machines,” said Johan Verstraete, vice president of Picanol’s Weaving Machines business. “Over the past decades, we have continually pushed our boundaries, always working in close partnership with customers. At the same time, we have remained true to our core mission – to design and manufacture innovative, high-tech weaving machines. This is the moment to thank all of our employees who have contributed to this milestone achievement. It is purely due to their commitment and dedication that Picanol has grown into the world leader it is today,”

Since producing its first machine in 1936, Picanol has introduced more than 20 new loom generations to the market, and most recently launched its new digital platform, PicConnect.  In June the new Ultimax rapier weaving machine was also presented at ITMA 2023 in Milan.

Today, Picanol is the technological leader in both airjet and rapier weaving machines, with production taking place in Ieper and in Suzhou, China.

Weaving machine speeds have evolved dramatically. The first shuttle weaving machine achieved a speed of approximately 140 weft insertions per minute. Today, the Ultimax rapier weaving machine is able to reach industrial speeds of more than 800 weft insertions per minute. The OmniPlus-i Connect airjet weaving machine excels at speeds of up to 1,350 weft insertions per minute, which makes it the fastest airjet weaving machine in the world.

Picanol’s weaving machines are used daily in some 2,600 weaving mills, spread across more than 100 countries.

www.picanol.be