Having just returned from a whirlwind trip to Berlin and Brussels visiting their state of the art Flooring Factories, I am excited to share with you ‘The Making of a Machine Made Rug’.
Machine made, as it’s name refers, are technically very different to handmade rugs. The most prominent difference other than the valuable impression of a handmade rug, is that machine made rugs are glued onto a latex backing which hold the loops in place.
Machine made rugs are not woven by hand, they are loomed on a machine. The fringe is sewn on as an extension rather than traditionally part of the rug. The machine made is also surged on the edges of both sides, as opposed to hand knotted which would be irregular and imperfect. The stitching on the back will be very consistent, as the knots are very regular. Different materials are used whereas handmade usually consists of 100% wool or silk.
These carpets were remarkably quick to make, but one must consider the technology and incredible machinery that makes the efficiency amazing.
Yarn arrives in bulk to the factory and wound onto these spools in it’s natural form.
In this case the carpets have yarns that are dyed first, rather then some situations where the carpet is dyed after. This dying process itself is fascinating and results in the range of colours on these spools.
At this stage the the yarn is behind the tufting machine and fed into a tube that leads to the tufting needle. The needle pushes the backing and pushes the yarn down into a loop.
The fringe has been sewn on one of the edges at this stage, before cuts are made. The carpet is actually continuous before it is cut into it’s appropriate size. At this stage the latex backing is adhered and sealed. This process requires heat and curing. The end fringe is sewn on once cut and sides are surged.
Rugs getting ready for cutting & tagging. Details such as material, production date and retail destination are tag related.
Organization in the warehouse is essential as several thousands of yards are produced in a day. The completed carpets are steamed, brushed, vacuumed and quality control is closely respected as technicians clip any tufts that rise above it’s uniform surface.
Carpets are now rolled and packaged in strong plastic and ready for shipping to either an inventory warehouse or directly to retailers worldwide i.e.alexanian. Although only one very small part of the factory is photographed, the volume is enormous. I was absolutely blown away by how productive the facility is.
An amazing opportunity and I am thrilled to share it with all of you!
Til next time,
