Textile Process Equipment
A-Frame Fabric Unwinder / Fabric Feeding System
An A-frame fabric unwinder carries the fabric roll and unrolls it into the line in a controlled way. It sits at the start of the line and feeds fabric into printing, pre-treatment or wet process lines.
01 / About the System
What is A-Frame Fabric Unwinder / Fabric Feeding System
In an A-frame design the fabric roll is carried on a shaft from both sides, and the fabric is unwound from the roll into the line. The frame keeps the roll steady and in order at the line entry.
During feeding, the tension and direction of the fabric must suit the operation of the next machine. Unwinders are therefore usually considered together with guiding or tension control equipment.
Roll changes affect the fabric flow of the line. Roll changeover, fabric joining and the storage arrangement are topics handled together when choosing an unwinder.
02 / Applications
Areas of use
- 01
Lines running on fabric rolls
Feeding roll fabric at the entry of printing, pre-treatment, steaming and washing lines.
- 02
Printing line entry
Fabric feed to a digital printer or a printing line.
- 03
Pre-treatment line entry
Supplying raw fabric to a padding machine.
- 04
Buffering at the line entry
Used with accumulators so that fabric keeps flowing during roll changes.
Roll dimensions and fabric type are defined before an unwinder is chosen; suitability is assessed against the line layout.
03 / System Structure
Process flow
- 01Roll Loading
Roll loading
The fabric roll is placed on the shaft of the A-frame.
- 02Unwinding
Unwinding
The roll is turned and the fabric starts to unwind.
- 03Feeding
Feeding
The fabric is fed into the line with suitable direction and tension.
- 04Line Entry
Line entry
The fabric passes on to the next machine (printer, pre-treatment or accumulator).
Unwinding speed and tension settings vary with the fabric type and the line it is connected to.
04 / Process
Supply and Commissioning Process
An A-frame unwinder is considered not on its own but as the first link of the line it feeds. Once the roll dimensions and the line interface are clarified, supply, installation and commissioning steps are planned.
- 01
Needs assessment
The roll dimensions to be used, the fabric types and the line the unwinder will feed are identified.
- 02
System configuration
The unwinder structure and, where present, the guiding and tension control units are defined according to the line it connects to.
- 03
Supply
It is clarified whether the supply scope covers only the unwinder or also guiding and tension control.
- 04
Installation
The roll loading area and the position of the unwinder at the line entry are addressed in the installation plan.
- 05
Commissioning
In trials with fabric, unwinding, feeding direction and tension behaviour are assessed together.
- 06
Technical support
After commissioning, a technical service request can be created for feeding or tension issues.