After a review of the tufting industry’s development, and a brief introduction to available systems for producing patterned
tufted carpets, the principle of ICN (Individually Controlled Needle) and the related advanced tufting technology Colortec
are presented. Finally, Colortec machine, Axminster weaving machine, and Wilton loom are compared. It is believed that the
Cobble Colortec machine is a significant jump forward in the tufted carpets industry as it now allows access to all major
carpet markets in a competitive fashion.
Key words Tufting - Patterning - Sliding needlebar - Colortec - Creel - Scroll