In response to industry
demand, ABB and specialist
textile machinery company,
Tatham, have developed
technology to provide higher
production speeds with
improved product weight
distribution for crosslapper
control.

A crosslapper accepts a
lightweight fibre web from a
carding machine and uses it
to build up a heavier web in
layers (known as a batt). The
crosslapper overlaps the
layers by means of a complex
arrangement of conveyors
and reversing mobile
carriages that turn the
material through 90°. Typical
end-products include
automotive textiles, bedding,
industry felts and filtration
media.

Tatham’s latest TSX
control system utilises ABB
machinery drives and
servomotors. Several panel
combinations are available
depending on the existing
crosslapper configuration.

The system is linked to the
master process control using
Profibus, an ABB AC500 PLC
provides positioning data to
the drives which convert it
into control signals to
maintain the speed of the
servomotors.