Newspapers / The Fieldcrest Mill Whistle … / Sept. 8, 1975, edition 1 / Page 4
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i 4 I Karastan Mill At Forefront Of Rug lndust/% The Karastan Rug Mill at Eden produces a diversified line of rugs and carpets exemplifying elegance and fine quality. Founded in 1928, the plant today is equipped with the most advanced power looms and machinery for quality control. Using yarns produced at the Karastan Spinning and Worsted Mills at Greenville, the Winchester Spinning Mill at Asheville and the Laurelcrest Yarn Mill at Laurel Hill, the Karastan Rug Mill is a self contained plant which carries through the entire rug manufacturing process from the skeins of yarn to the most intricate Oriental design rugs and m 0 d e r n -1 e X t u r e d broadlooms. The Karastan Service Center, also at Eden, performs rug finishing, warehousing and shipping for the Karastan Rug Mill. The first process in the manufacture of a Karastan rug or carpet is that of skein dyeing the yarn. After the raw wool has been scoured, spun into yarn (both of these processes are accomplished at other Fieldcrest locations), and then scoured again, each skein is hung on a pole. Each pole is then individually hung in the lid of the dye tub and each pole must be removed individually after dyeing. The result is streak-free color with uniformly even penetration throughout the dye lot. After dyeing, the yarns are placed in baskets, put into an extractor and then into the yarn dryer where gently blowing hot air completes the drying process. When the color of the dyed yarns has been approved by the Design Department, the yarns are ready to be wound from skeins onto cones or spools. These are taken to the Beaming Department for winding onto huge beams which fit onto the looms. In the Karastan Weaving Department are the most advanced and efficient auto matically powered looms. When the Karastan Rug Mill was started, looms proficient enough to meet the highest goals of carpet weaving were found to be unavailable. After years of experimentation, the famous Kara-Loc loom was developed and perfected by Fieldcrest. Today it is considered one of the great advances in the carpet in- dustrv. The beautiful Oriental design rugs for which Karastan is world-renowned are produced on Axminster looms which have been adapted and improved to weave the rug “through to the back” The Karastan designs are adapted from original hand- macie Oriental rugs. So exact is the adaptation that only an expert is able to distinguish the difference between the original rug and the machine-woven Karastan. From the Weaving Depart ment, the carpet is taken to the Burling Department where it is spread out under intense light for close scrutiny. First the back is inspected inch by inch for unevenness, loose selvages and any other deviations. Then the face of the carpet receives the same minute examination. All corrections are made entirely by band. Both the Karastan broadlooms and the Karastan Oriental design rugs receive from three to five separate shearings during the course of production. Even loop textures are sheared. One of the many highly advanced machines at Karastan is a dual-action shearing machine which can shear twice in one operation. This careful shearing results in a smooth and uniform finish. IVADELL PRATT and LUCILLE CARTER, pattern ters. Pattern Setting Department. BOBBY partment. HOLLIMAN, Axminster weaver. Weaving In the Inspecting Department, the finished carpet is rolled out onto a brilliantly lighted platform. Here expert inspectors examine the carpet un(ier various kinds of light — natural daylight, fluorescent, in candescent, vertical light and side light. And finally under all lighting at the same time. The inspectors judge the finish, the pile height, the color fidelity to sample. If any of these things are not considered up to Karastan standards, the carpet is rejected. After final inspection, the finished carpet is sent to the Karastan Service Center for cutting, binding, warehousing and shipping to the customer. The Karastan operation at Eden, including both the Rug Mill and the Service Center, em ploys approximately 1,053 j ^ pie. The mill uses a 536,025 square feet of while the Service Center uh' an additional 193,571 square fe«' With a history marked ^ significant developments^^ machinery and process''j Karastan stands at the fo'"®!«:! of the rug industry. The m'd* ^ continually expanded improved its operations s'^^, the first Karastan rug jj produced in 1928. Holding enviable position tod Karastan can be expected make further outstan dit' advancement, in future The Karastan Rug Mill at left. In right foreground is Bedspread MiU.
The Fieldcrest Mill Whistle (Spray, N.C.)
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Sept. 8, 1975, edition 1
4
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