The Millitron

Built in 2000

1. Speed: 2 – 20 m/min

2. Capacity: 200,000 m2 per week

3. Colours: 12 + endless mixes

4. Length of unit: 120 m

Facts about the Millitron

White carpet rolls are attached continuously, about 200 lin. metres

(800 m2) at a time.

1. Carpet attachment

The carpet is steamed in order to raise the pile yarn and release tension and creases.

2. Steaming unit 1

Rotating shearers cut off the yarn tips to give an even surface.

3. Tip shearing

Steaming and pre-wetting the carpet improves its ability to absorb pre-treatments and dyes.

4. Steaming unit 2

The foulard treatment reduces the dot gain – so the different colours do not bleed into each other.

5. Foulard

The colours are dispensed through a series of 12 pressure jet bars.

The carpet runs 2 cm under the jet bars and when it passes the first bar, colour 1 is applied, then colour 2… etc. Dye width 4 m.

6. Millitron - Dye unit (ink jet)

Each bar has 1 jet per 1.27 mm or 1/20”.

The colours are applied to the carpet by a total of 38,400 individually controlled jets.

6. Millitron - Dye unit (ink jet)

More colours than the 12 ground colours can be made by using blending techniques.

2 or more colour dots can be placed on top of each other or slightly over-lapping each other, thus creating new shades.

6. Millitron - Dye unit (ink jet)

The designs for the Millitron computer come from the patterns and colours developed or adapted by the ege Design Studio.

6. Millitron - Design input

In the laboratory situated under the fixation chamber, the lab engineers prepare and check recipes before the production starts, and new colour recipes are developed to match the client’s wishes.

6. Millitron - Dye lab

The dye liquid is pumped into the Millitron colour bars from the automatic mixing facility.

Surplus dye liquids are reused.

6. Millitron - Dye mixing facility

Each single jet is controlled by the Millitron computer.

6. Millitron - Dye unit control

The coloured carpet rolls are fixated at ca. 1200 C in the 50 m long steam chamber for 4-5 minutes.

7. Dye fixation

After the fixation, the carpet is washed in order to remove excess colour, if any.

8. Washing

The carpet is driedin the heating unit.

9. Drying

Finally, the result is inspected before the carpet is carried on to the next process.

Any deviations are registered according to ege’s quality control system ISO 9001.

10. Inspection and quality control

Design samples for

- interior design presentations- client’s approval- collection development

are produced in separate 1x1 m Sampling Millitron Units (SamTron)

11. Sample production