The production of pure cotton towels is a complex and meticulous process that combines traditional textile techniques with modern technology. A high-quality towel is crafted through dozens of carefully executed steps. This explanation focuses on the weaving stage:
Weaving is the key to forming a towel, creating its distinctive loop structure, and is typically carried out on rapier looms or air-jet looms.
1. Ground Warp Yarn:
- Purpose: Acts as the “skeleton” or “foundation” of the towel, interweaving with the weft yarn to form a sturdy plain-weave base fabric that secures the loops.
- Requirements: Typically high in strength to ensure the towel’s durability and dimensional stability.
2. Pile Warp Yarn:
- Purpose: Forms the soft, fluffy loops, which are the essence of a towel.
- Requirements: Usually softer and fluffier to ensure excellent absorbency and feel.
3. Weft Yarn:
- Purpose: The horizontal yarn that interweaves with the ground warp yarn, acting like “nails and cement” to secure the loops formed by the pile warp yarn.
- Requirements: Moderate strength with good softness.
Principle: The loom controls the delivery speed of the pile warp yarn in coordination with the ground warp and weft yarns to form a looped structure.
Special Device: Weaving towels requires a specialized loop-forming device. During weaving, this device periodically lifts the pile warp yarn to create loops, while the ground warp and weft yarns secure the base of these loops, producing dense, three-dimensional terry loops. The height and density of the loops directly affect the towel’s softness and absorbency.
1. Double-Sided Terry Towel: Features loops on both sides, making it thicker and more absorbent.
2. Jacquard Towel: Uses programmed control of the pile warp yarn to create intricate patterns or logos, which are integrally woven into the towel and will not peel off.
3. Cut-Pile (Velour) Towel: After weaving the loops, an additional cutting process trims the tops of the loops, creating a velvety, silky texture. These towels are very soft but slightly less absorbent than terry towels.
