Leno Weaving | Leno Woven Structures and Fabrics
Leno Weaving:
In leno weaving, the warp yarns are twisted around one another, locking the filling yarns in place. Leno weave is also called Gauze weave or Cross weave. The leno weave is used where relatively a low number of yarns are involved. This is a construction of woven fabrics in which the resulting fabric is very sheer, yet durable. Leno weave produces an open fabric with almost no yarn slippage or misplacement of threads. In this weave, two or more warp yarns are twisted around each other as they are interlaced with the filling yarns, thus securing a firm hold on the filling yarn and preventing them from slipping out of position. The yarns work in pairs; one is the standard warp yarn, and the other is the skeleton or doup yarn. This is also called as the gauze weave.
Leno weave fabrics are frequently used for window treatments because their structure gives good durability with almost no yarn slippage and permits the passage of light and air. Leno weave improves the stability in “open” fabrics which have a low thread count. Fabrics in leno weave are normally used in conjunction with other weave styles because if used alone, their openness could not produce an effective composite component. The leno weave structure is shown in below figure.
Leno Woven Structures:
Leno weaving is particularly applied where open-effect fabrics are in demand which must have a stable structure. In order to achieve the weave with a nonslip effect, two neighboring warp threads cross over each other. Leno healds are selected depending on the nature of warp yarn to be woven or the desired opening of shed, and we can select suitable leno healds with lifting healds of synthetic material or stainless steel.
In leno weaving, the warp yarns are twisted around one another, locking the filling yarns in place. Leno weave is also called Gauze weave or Cross weave. The leno weave is used where relatively a low number of yarns are involved. This is a construction of woven fabrics in which the resulting fabric is very sheer, yet durable. Leno weave produces an open fabric with almost no yarn slippage or misplacement of threads. In this weave, two or more warp yarns are twisted around each other as they are interlaced with the filling yarns, thus securing a firm hold on the filling yarn and preventing them from slipping out of position. The yarns work in pairs; one is the standard warp yarn, and the other is the skeleton or doup yarn. This is also called as the gauze weave.
Leno weave fabrics are frequently used for window treatments because their structure gives good durability with almost no yarn slippage and permits the passage of light and air. Leno weave improves the stability in “open” fabrics which have a low thread count. Fabrics in leno weave are normally used in conjunction with other weave styles because if used alone, their openness could not produce an effective composite component. The leno weave structure is shown in below figure.
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| Fig: Leno weave structure |
Leno weaving is particularly applied where open-effect fabrics are in demand which must have a stable structure. In order to achieve the weave with a nonslip effect, two neighboring warp threads cross over each other. Leno healds are selected depending on the nature of warp yarn to be woven or the desired opening of shed, and we can select suitable leno healds with lifting healds of synthetic material or stainless steel.
- The leno thread passes through the openings in the guide bar and the stationary ends is drawn into an eyelet in the reed.
- Following weft insertion, the guide bar moves upward and the eyeleted reed downward until the leno thread is over the eyelet of the stationary thread.
- Next, the guide bar is moved sideways until the leno thread is on the other side of the dent in the eyeleted reed.
- Then, the guide bar moves downward and the reed upward, and the shed opens for the next weft insertion.
- As a result of these movements, the leno thread comes to lie over the stationary thread. After insertion of the weft, the motion sequence is repeated in the opposite direction.
Characteristics of Leno Woven Fabrics:
- Leno weave has two warp thread systems: ground (basic) and skeleton ends (gauze). By means of two shaft systems—basic and skeleton ends—the skeleton-end threads are led alternately along the left- and right-hand sides of the group of basic threads.
- Ground threads are threaded in the basic harness only; skeleton-end threads are fed into the shaft of the basic harness and to the half-healds of the skeleton-end harness, with the use of special steel wire healds and half-healds.
- The skeleton-end threads are threaded under the ground and fed into the half-healds on the side opposite to that of the basic harness.
- Depending on the wind, we distinguish between half-wound, whole-wound, one-and-a-half-times-wound, twice-wound, and two-and-a-half-times-wound gauzes.
- The gauze weave construction produces a fabric very light in weight and with an open mesh effect.
- Leno weaves also produce curtain materials, some shirting and dress goods.
- This weave produces such light-weight fabrics with a strength which could not be provided by plain weave.
- The gauze weave is sometimes referred to as the leno weave because it is made of a leno loom.
- On the leno loom, the action of one warp yarn is similar to the action of the warp in the plain weave.
- The doup attachment, a hairpin-like device at the heddle, alternately pulls the second warp yarn up or down to the right or left with each pick passage. This causes the pair of warps to be twisted, in effect, around each weft yarn.
- The leno is sometimes used in combination with the plain weave to produce a stripe or figure on a plain background.
- The fabric weight varies depending on the thickness of the yarns, which could be of spun, filament, or combinations of these yarns.
Problems of Leno Woven Fabrics:
- A characteristic feature of leno fabrics is that the warp ends do not run parallel but are twisted in pairs or groups between the individual picks.
- The crossing of weft and warp yarns is thus fixed, and the fabric becomes slip resistant. This type of interlacing is achieved using special leno harnesses with appropriate heald.
- Manipulating the harness with the leno heald, drawing in, and repairing of broken ends are very time consuming.
- The yarn and especially also the leno heald are under such high strain that the performance of modern weaving machines cannot be fully exploited.
- Fabric production is correspondingly cost intensive.
Uses of Leno Woven Fabrics:
Leno fabrics are mainly used in composite products where the fabric serves as reinforcement and forms a solid basement for the end product. Specialty fabric applications for leno woven fabrics would include some shade cloths and truck cover fabrics, fruit bags, and gauze for wound care.
Leno fabrics are mainly used in composite products where the fabric serves as reinforcement and forms a solid basement for the end product. Specialty fabric applications for leno woven fabrics would include some shade cloths and truck cover fabrics, fruit bags, and gauze for wound care.
- Leno fabrics are extremely tear resistant, of high-quality, easy to process, and applicable in many different areas:
- In the paper and packaging industry, for example, as paper reinforcement for steel packaging products.
- In the building and construction industry as backing material for roofing underlays and for isolation and drainage products.
- As backing fabric in the production of nonwoven and foam products, for example, for molded parts in the automotive industry.
- As spring-interior cover and reinforcement of bolster pieces in the furniture and upholstery industry.
- For laminating applications as backing fabric for different products.
- Structural Textile Design: Interlacing and Interlooping by Yasir Nawab, Syed Talha Ali Hamdani, & Khubab Shaker
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leno_weave
- https://www.ifai.com/2011/02/01/leno-weave/
- https://www.leco-werke.de/en/technical-fabrics/products/leno-fabrics/
