Specifications and Materials of Rapier Tapes

The rapier tape is one of the key parts of the rapier loom. Together with the rapier head, rapier band, rapier wheel and guide devices, it is part of the rapier weft-insertion mechanism. For overseas rapier-tape materials, some use high-quality carbon steel after heat treatment, and some choose carbon-fibre bands or nylon bands, depending on the loom structure. Rapiers are generally made of carbon-fibre tubes. Rapier bands come in two types: flexible rapier bands and rigid rapiers. There is now a trend toward small rapier heads and flexible narrow bands. Rigid rapiers should be made of light and strong materials, and can be aluminium-alloy rods, thin-walled steel tubes, or carbon-fibre/composite rapiers. Flexible rapier bands are now mostly made of multi-layer composites — with multi-layer high-strength filament fabrics as the base, impregnated with resin and laminated, and covered with a wear-resistant layer on the surface. The general thickness is 2.5–3 mm. During operation the rapier tape is subjected to repeated bending and deformation, so it must have good elastic recovery, wear resistance and sufficient strength; within its service life the band edges must not break, the surface must not peel, and the body must not delaminate or break. Some flexible rapier tapes are made of steel bands. Steel bands have good rigidity and elasticity, and no guides are needed in the shed, but they are harder to drill, cannot be driven by toothed wheels, and so the weft-insertion width is limited. Similar to steel bands are rapier tapes made of carbon fibre, which combine the advantages of steel bands with low weight, though the cost is higher.