Q. What is flexible rapier?

Answer

Large working widths of up to 5 m are achieved by withdrawing a flexible rapier band outside of the shed and winding it on wheels or placing it in a semi-circular channel. It's next to impossible to weave with fancy yarns in the warp direction. The rapier housing may consume as much room as the entire machine itself. Looms with bendable rapiers have been developed to address this issue. However if the rapier is too rigid it won't coil and if it's too pliable it'll buckle. Weft yarn usage can reach up to 1300 meters per minute in rigid and flexible rapier machines which work at speeds of roughly 200 to 260 ppm.