When electronic fabric weaving speed surpasses 950 rpm, it is no longer just a parameter update but a signal that the race in high-performance fiber weaving equipment has entered a new phase. At the 29th China International Composites Exhibition held in Shanghai in early September, domestic looms responded to long-standing technical doubts in high-speed electronic fabric weaving with actual operational data, a field traditionally dominated by imported machinery.
Event Background
At the exhibition, Zhejiang Rifang Textile Machinery Co., Ltd. became a focal point with four composite weaving machines in dynamic display. Two fiberglass air-jet looms wove 2116-type and 1036-type electronic fabrics at stable speeds of 950 rpm and 900 rpm, respectively. Notably, the 1036-type fabric requires far stricter uniformity and tension control than conventional grades; achieving 900 rpm indicates mature engineering in high-speed vibration suppression, weft insertion, and warp shedding coordination. Additionally, the simultaneous display of a fiberglass rapier loom and a carbon fiber jacquard rapier loom reveals a product strategy extending toward multi-material and multi-structure capabilities. Carbon fiber weaving, with its brittle filaments and fuzzing tendency, demands special path and tension control, so an operational jacquard rapier loom itself signals improved process adaptability in specialty fibers.
Industrial Impact
The speed increase is not an isolated technical event but a reflection of drastic downstream demand shifts. The expansion of new energy, aerospace, low-altitude economy, and robotics is boosting high-performance composite consumption. As the core reinforcement for copper-clad laminates, electronic fabric weaving efficiency directly determines upstream capacity release. For electronic fabric producers, 950 rpm means higher output per unit time; if yield remains stable, annual capacity per loom could rise by 5-8%, directly affecting capital payback and order-taking ability. In the competitive landscape, the high-speed electronic fabric loom market has long been dominated by Japanese (Tsudakoma) and Belgian (Picanol) brands. Stable operation of domestic equipment above 900 rpm offers buyers an alternative, potentially breaking bottlenecks of long delivery times and slow after-sales response. For domestic weaving enterprises, higher localization rates will reduce unit investment intensity for expansion, while technological racing among equipment makers will accelerate industry consolidation, marginalizing smaller manufacturers lacking core patents and process know-how.
During the exhibition, professional visitors from over ten countries including Germany, Japan, South Korea, India, Turkey, and Brazil visited the booth, engaging in discussions on equipment performance and process solutions. This reflects robust global demand for efficient weaving equipment, but also implies that overseas clients demand higher long-term stability and after-sales service systems. Relying solely on exhibition contracts cannot sustain customer loyalty; equipment makers must invest in localized services and spare parts supply.