Industrial Fibre Creels

Engineered for Precision Fibre Unwinding

At Cygnet Texkimp, we are world leaders in fibre unwinding technology, engineering industrial creels that deliver exceptional performance, reliability, and control. Since 1974, we have designed and manufactured the widest range of bespoke creel systems to support fibre processing and converting operations across industries from textiles to advanced composites.

Our creels are engineered to ensure smooth, consistent unwinding with precise tension control—protecting fibre integrity, reducing waste, and maximising efficiency. Every system is built in the UK to meet your exact requirements, combining robust engineering with advanced automation and tension technologies to deliver performance you can trust.

You can be assured that by incorporating our patented  unique fibre guiding and tension control systems into every creel, you reliably manage the way in which fibres are unwound from the package and seamlessly, where required, feed into downstream processes.

From glass fibre to PAN precursor, carbon to aramid, our solutions support continuous production at scale—driving the world’s most advanced fibre conversion processes with accuracy, reliability, and innovation.

Our team  bespoke plan, design, engineer and build every industrial creel system in partnership with you from our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and Innovation Centre in the UK . Our Creels Product Director, Peter Stephenson  heads our leading-edge portfolio of traditional and composite creels. Contact Peter  to discuss the most efficient and intelligent fibre unwinding technologies in the world.

Why Choose Cygnet Texkimp Creels

  • Proven global leader with 50+ years of innovation
  • Over 18,000 spindles installed worldwide

  • Scalable systems from pilot to full-scale production

  • Precision-engineered for constant, controlled tension
  • Industry 4.0-enabled for process monitoring and automation
  • Proven global leader with 50+ years of innovation
  • Over 18,000 spindles installed worldwide

  • Scalable systems from pilot to full-scale production

  • Precision-engineered for constant, controlled tension
  • Industry 4.0-enabled for process monitoring and automation

Our industrial creels are trusted by manufacturers worldwide to deliver high-precision fibre unwinding—whatever the material, speed, or process requirement.

Every Cygnet Texkimp creel combines decades of expertise with world-class precision engineering. Our systems enable faster setup, reduced maintenance, and greater consistency – empowering manufacturers to achieve stable, predictable supply and maximum production efficiency.

Case Study:

University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC)

At the AMRC, we had invested in a Staubli Unival Jacquard 3D weaving loom as part of our advanced composites research programme. To operate the loom effectively, we required a creel system that could not only accommodate the number of ends needed but also ensure reliable tension and compatibility with the machine’s technical requirements. Off-the-shelf solutions were limited, so we needed a partner who could provide a bespoke, high-quality creel system tailored to our research needs. The AMRC identified Cygnet Texkimp as a company who could build a bespoke creel set capable of doing what we needed.

Our unwind creels handle fibres from synthetics to traditional textiles, aerospace-grade carbon fibre to automotive composites. Designed for precision, stability, and speed, they ensure consistent fibre delivery for downstream processes such as weaving, coating, or prepreg production.

Typical applications include:

  • Aerospace and automotive composites
  • Technical and performance textiles
  • Glass roving, tyre cord, metallic wire, and advanced fibres

Every creel is custom-designed for fibre type, spool configuration, and process layout—offering optimum throughput and minimal downtime.

Precision Fibre Tension & Control Systems

Our patented guiding and tension technologies manage how each fibre is unwound, guaranteeing constant control and consistent results. Whether using mechanical, pneumatic, or fully driven electrical systems, we maintain precise tension regardless of package weight or speed variation—essential for uniform fibre performance and high-quality output.

Our customisable tyre cord creels are used for high-speed unwinding of tyre cord from random or precision cross-wound packages into weaving processes or single cord treatment lines. These robust mobile or fixed-position creels use a mechanical brake system to maintain the yarn under constant controlled tension as bobbins are unwound from full to empty.

Tension can easily be set centrally or individually for each position, and controlled package braking for high speed, single end dipping processes can be activated without applying additional tension to the fibre. Each creel features optimal yarn paths to eliminate twisting, roping and crossing; ergonomic package holders to allow easy loading and doffing ; and ceramic guides to reduce fibre damage.

Automated features can also be combined with the creel system to enhance efficiency and productivity. These include offline loading from a trolley or mobile creel and material traceability and tracking.

Our award-winning unwind creels handle fibers from synthetics to traditional textiles, aerospace-grade carbon fiber to automotive composites, advanced and technical fabrics, poly tape, metallic wire, tyre cord and glass fiber. They play a vital role for thousands of our fibre processing and converting customers to ensure the highest quality production throughput and efficiency whilst always optimising fiber integrity.

We produce creels to suit an ever expanding range of applications and industry sectors , from traditional textiles to aerospace-grade composites. Our range includes Flatline, VHD heavy duty, Driven Unwind High Precision, Glass Roving Unrolling, Wire, Over End Traditional Fabric, Universal Fixed, Flange Bobbin and Carbon Fiber for 3D weaving.

According to the British Textile Manufacturing Association (BTMA) an industrial fiber creel is a frame or stand designed to hold and dispense fiber during manufacturing processes. Industrial creels are used in the manufacturing and handling of textiles, composites, and in other industries.

Creels enable the smooth unwinding of fibres. By preventing tangles and maintaining consistent tension, the correct creel set-up in conjunction with effective and efficient loading and feeding will contribute to consistent product quality and reduce the risk of expensive downtime or scrap for manufacturers.

Cygnet Texkimp creels are renowned for stable and predictable supply for high production speeds and greater overall efficiency

Our Poly Tape Creels feature our unique patented design for the high speed unwinding of yarns, extruded tapes and monofilaments into beamers, dipping lines and other downstream process machinery.

This creel can accommodate a variety of package types and can be customised to offer the right level of control for each application. Each position features tension compensation and quick-stop braking to ensure constant running tension and quick stopping without over-tensioning.

The end break stop system monitors each tape or yarn and sends a stop signal to the downstream process if a lost end is detected.

The central tension system can be set manually or electronically via an HMI unit allowing consistency of tension across the creel for all positions from full to empty.

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.

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.

Our Unwind Creel is a motorised spindle with tension control on each position, by use of a dancer arm. The mechanism is designed for use in applications where tension control is critical to the process. It can also offer lower running tensions than a purely mechanical creel, as required by some specialist downstream processes.

The drive motor is controlled using a signal feed-back from the dancer arm. The design concept is modular, allowing great flexibility over the layout, positioning of spindles and dancer arm. This system ensures the tension control is not affected by the changes in package size, acceleration or process speed.

Our Over End Creel uses a swing arm design to allow for quick and easy loading of packages by an operator. This style of creel is ideal for applications where induced twist in the yarn is acceptable or desirable, and where continuous running or block loading are required. It offers a cost-efficient way of achieving very high processing speeds, quick process stops and the option of low running tensions.

For unwinding tension control the Over End Creel features Cygnet Texkimp’s LD (Large Diameter) tension unit – a self-cleaning unit with the capability to maintain a constant tension and reliable thread path.

With more than 18,000 spindles in operation globally, Cygnet Texkimp’s VHD Creel is the leading technology in the world for the unwinding of PAN used in the manufacture of carbon fibre. This creel is specifically designed to unwind multi-filament, precision-wound packages of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) into a carbon fibre oxidation and carbonisation process.

This electrical driven tension control system ensures that the set running tension via an HMI, remains constant, regardless of the package size, weight or changes in production speed. These large creels are configured over multiple levels to minimise their footprint and are integrated with bespoke manual or automated robotic handling equipment to maximise processing efficiency and eliminate possible fibre damage during package handling.

Unwinding technology for Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) tow into a carbon fibre oxidation & carbonisation process. Our unique VHD CREEL design is the world leading technology for the processing of multifilament precision wound packages into the ox-carb process. Cygnet Texkimp currently has in excess of 15,000 operational spindles installed globally. The layout of these large creels is designed over multiple levels to minimise their foot print and offer bespoke configurations. Integrated robotics and handling equipment is often included to minimise process down time and minimises fibre damage during loading.

We offer both mechanical and fully driven electrical tension control. The mechanical system allows the lowest possible running tension from a non-driven system whilst maintaining full control of the unwinding tow. The fully driven system allows low and constant tensions which are unaffected by package diameter, weight, ‘out of balance’ or process speeds. Another variant of the precursor creel is the Cygnet Texkimp box creel system, which consists of a mechanical guiding and tension system to allow precursors to be unloaded from bulk containers. Cygnet Texkimp maintains a family of creel products to suit a wide range of package sizes. These products are often used for smaller tow count precursors or in pilot scale production and testing facilities.

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