Cygnet Texkimp’s state-of-the-art composites creels are used to unwind carbon fibre, aramid, glass and other high-performance multi-filament fibres under constant tension and at optimal speed into a range of downstream processes including weaving, prepreg, coating and beaming.

Each creel is specifically designed and configured to accommodate packages of precision cross-wound fibre weighing up to 22kg and measuring up to 450mm in diameter. The layout of the creel and design of the yarn path ensure all tows remain separate from package to process to eliminate damage caused by touching and crossing.

Uniform tension – which is essential in the successful processing of composite fibres and fabrics – is achieved using a mechanical or pneumatic braking system, managed using simple manual or electronically controlled open- or closed-loop systems.

Flatline Creel

The Flatline Creel is a self-calibrating fibre unwinding creel which uses patented pneumatic technology to achieve constant tension and is ideally suited to manufacturers of high-end carbon fibre prepregs and other composite processes.

This creel uses low-friction pneumatic cylinder technology to apply a consistent load or tension to each fibre tow as it is fed into a downstream process. It has been designed to be extremely easy to operate with no mechanical calibration or high-level operational expertise required to set up, run or maintain the system.

Tension can be set manually or via an HMI and controlled electronically to maintain a constant tension from full to empty packages. The combination of electronic controls and air pressure to set a uniform running tension means that users can take advantage of a quick changeover option and switch between running and reserve creel modules while maintaining repeatable, accurate tension set points.

Each cylinder also forms part of an enclosed module, which eliminates the potential for fibre debris to enter the tension system.