Lengthwise Threading
Arrangement of lengthwise yarns held under tension on a weaving loom establishes the foundation for high quality linen fabric. In the textile mill, the flax warp represents these longitudinal yarns, which must withstand the cyclic stresses of shedding and beat-up. This component is prepared during the warping stage, where yarn is wound onto the warp beam under controlled tension and registered on the beam warp sheet.
Sizing Enforcement
Unsized yarns of natural linen are prone to abrasion and fiber shedding when passing through the loom harness. To mitigate this risk, the flax warp receives a protective layer of starch or synthetic sizing agent before it is mounted on the loom. This treatment strengthens the yarn, preventing hairiness and reducing the coefficient of friction as the healds rise and fall.
Size pick-up is measured and logged on the sizing machine protocol to meet the mill’s warp weave standards.
Tension Control
Excess tension on the yarn beams leads to warp breaks and machine downtime. Standard mill tolerance guides for a flax warp specify tension variations of less than five percent during operation. Keeping the tension within these limits ensures that the resulting fabric has a straight, defect-free selvedge.
