TUFTLOVE
Tufting Gun Re-Design
By Emily McGoldrick
AK-I Tufting machine
What is Tufting?
Tufting is a popular technique used in the textile industry to create various products like carpets and rugs. It involves the insertion of yarn or wool into a fabric backing using a tufting gun. The tufting gun is a handheld device that rapidly shoots the yarn into the fabric, creating loops or pile.
What is a Tufting Gun // Machine ?
A tufting gun is a handheld tool used in the tufting process to insert yarn or wool into a fabric backing. While efficient, tufting guns can be potentially dangerous due to exposed wires and gears on their exterior. These exposed parts can pose a safety hazard to users, increasing the risk of injuries if not handled with care. These machines also require a lot of maintenance and additional tools to make simple adjustments, such as, changing the pile height and small processes become a faff.
Project Summary:
TuftLove is a tufting gun redesign where all the moving components other than needle and scissor tip are housed within the machine (unlike other tufting guns). It does not require regular maintenance and has adopted a ‘clip in and clip out’ mechanism for adjusting the pile height.
This means, the user receives the machine and several pile height cartridges that are manually inserted into the machine when necessary for the user without the use of additional tools.
The machine is also supported with a stand to make the threading process easier and creates a ledge for any bits and bobs the user wants at hand.
Emily McGoldrick
MEng
10 Page Summary