Australia-based Wilcom International Pty. Ltd. — a developer of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing software for embroidery, carpet and rugs — reports the Pneumatic Tufting Head option on its AutoTuft automatic robotic tufting machine enables full-speed, nonstop tufting of a range of pile types, pile heights and stitch lengths using any mixture of horizontal, vertical, angled or spiral fills and outline tufting.

According to Wilcom, the device includes patented features that enable special tufting effects not possible via hand tufting. Features include a rotating tufting needle offering fast, smooth, full-speed cornering with high reliability and low wear; automatic cut/loop capability allowing the machine to switch between cut pile and loop pile on a tuft-by-tuft basis as specified in the design; and 3-D tufting enabling the machine to automatically tuft different pile heights tuft-by-tuft according to design.

The AutoTuft Pneumatic Tufting Head also features a guillotine system for consistent cutting of multiple ends and a range of yarn types and thicknesses. The system automatically cuts the ends of loop pile areas before moving to the next area. 

July 24, 2012