Ax Vs Printed

1. Patterned Woven Axminster vs. Printed Machine Tufted
We could go into lengthy elaboration on Wool vs Nylon fibre (flammability, yarn strength, abrasive
performance etc), but most is ‘argumentative’ and to be honest both a 'Jacquard (patterned) woven
Axminster' and a 'printed Machine Tufted' construction may select to use either a 100% Nylon OR 100%
Wool OR a combination fibre blend, such as 80% wool/20% Nylon for example.
Therefore, the two real issues that one should compare are colour impregnation (longevity of colour
enhancement) AND the difference between a WOVEN AXMINSTER vs. MACHINE TUFTED construction
relative to dimensional stability, performance and ability to install/align professionally. Allow me to point out
the fundamental differences as follows:
1. Colour Impregnation
Carpets woven from pre-dyed yarns, whereby each individual yarn is dyed prior to being woven into an
Axminster construction, create very precise pattern definitions. This patterning is permanent all the way
through to the backing of the carpet such that until a carpet becomes worn to the back the coloured pattern
is still visible. The most sophisticated printing machines which effectively either roller or jet 'over-print' a
pattern onto a white tufted carpet (greige goods) can only achieve dyed impregnation to a depth equivalent
to 45 > 65%. This leaves the base of the pile above the back undyed (White), such that in heavy traffic
areas, as the pile will naturally bed down (flatten), the colours actually appear to lighten-up as the base
fibre becomes exposed. Once this happens housekeeper’s natural reaction is to perceive that the carpets
are looking soiled so they will clean and clean again as such accelerating the colour deterioration.
2. Performance Relative to Construction of Carpet
2.1. Woven carpets retain their appearance longer than an equivalent tufted product (same design, same
total pile weight), when compared on a like-for-like basis. A woven construction is basically 3
dimensional and as many as 10 backing yarns anchor each individual tuft helping to retain them in a
more upright position and increasing their overall resilience to flattening. A woven carpet will
therefore absorb considerable stresses and strains during use, which is a very important consideration
for heavily used public areas from both foot and trolley traffic.
2.2. The higher volume of ‘buried’ pile fibre in the backing of tufted carpets creates a weakness in the
laminated backing structure and as a result inconsistent tuft anchorage.
2.3. Woven carpet backings are an integral part of the whole construction of the carpet with the following
benefits:
2.3.1. They are not subject to delamination of a secondary backing used to anchor the pile in tufted
products. A major disadvantage of some tufted is that when worn or cleaned, delamination can
buckle the detached primary back and warp the installed product. In addition tufts become loose
and fall out.
2.3.2. The lattices used on woven carpets contain less 'fillers' (calcium carbonate), which give them
better tuft anchorage and fray resistance
2.3.3. They perform better with castor chairs/trolleys than a tufted carpet, again as tufted may
delaminate in use.
2.3.4. They have a greater dimensional stability in both wet and dry conditions and this is particularly
important in areas of heavy use, such as wheeled traffic and when the carpet is required to be
frequently washed.
2.4. Woven Axminster carpets generally have a higher proportion of the pile weight above the backing
(EPW) compared to patterned tufted of the same total pile weight (TPW) and this gives the woven
carpets longer life expectancy.
2.5. The tufting process is geared to efficiency of running which requires yarns which are less likely to
break during processing, stopping the machines. This leads to a requirement for softer pile materials,
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2. which tend to give poorer appearance and less durability in wear. The weaving process allows harder
wearing yarns to be used with a resultant increase in performance.
3. Installation:
3.1. Pattern matching from edge to edge with woven carpets is precise compared to methods used in
tufting which slit through the design to produce a joint edge.
3.2. Pattern matching from edge to edge with woven carpets is precise compared to methods used in
tufting which slit through the design to produce a joint edge.
3.3. Pattern match along the length is more consistent, because of the inherent stability of an integral
woven structure and controlled processing compared to a less stable tufted construction.
3.4. Sewn seams require selvedges, which are only available on woven carpets.
3.5. Woven carpets are far more efficient install in contract situations, due to their better pattern match
and stability; the secondary backing used on tufted products make them stiffer and harder to stretch,
pattern align and install.
It is interesting to note that manufacturers of printed carpets pertain that users should adopt a 'dry foam'
cleaning system to negate high levels of moisture/detergent adversely affecting the product. (Miliken brand
their 'capture' dry-foam system). This is because the applied (dyed) colours of an overprint and/or jet print are
prone to 'bleeding' into one another on the overlap, such a red next to a white may become in time separated
by a fine pink faded line and as such the clarity of the pattern design definition may become less defined. In
reality hoteliers are habitually using wet cleaning systems regardless and after treating their Printed Machine
Tufted carpets in this way, resulting in deterioration of the design clarity, have no 'claim' to the printed
manufacturers who will claim that wet cleaning is not the recommended cleaning system and as such any
guarantee/warranty is null and void, so be careful!!
So the question remains why use a printed Machine Tufted vs. woven Axminster? The answer is quite simply
PRICE and affordability on the initial procurement, however based on an awareness of long-term investment,
a woven Axminster carpet using pre-dyed yarn would offer better return or 'value for money'.
Oh and by the way, we at Tai Ping manufacture both constructions here in Asia, so these statements are
unbiased.
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