Abstract: According to the special requirements to rapier loom’s weft-insertion system for weaving three-dimensional fabric, a new rapier weft-insertion system is present. Based on the requirements of three-dimensional fabric, the weft insertion system with computer-controlling and servo-cylinder driving is applied to control the rapier’s movement on the three-dimensional loom. This method not only greatly simplifies the weft-insertion system, but also achieves weft-insertion with variable travel, and improves the flexibility and reliability of weft-insertion system. It is introduced that the general design of three-dimensional loom’s weft-insertion system, including the driving systme’s hardware configure and its software’s controlling principle. The weft-insertion system designed has been applied in a three-dimensional loom prototype successfully.

Key words: three-dimensional loom, servo-cylinder, weft-insertion, rapier