Water-Jet Loom

A water-jet loom is a high-speed weaving machine that propels the weft thread across the loom using a jet of pressurized water instead of a mechanical shuttle, well suited to weaving synthetic filament yarns that are not damaged by water. Water-jet weaving technology was developed around the same period as air-jet weaving, during the mid-twentieth century, by textile-machinery manufacturers seeking faster alternatives to shuttle looms for synthetic fabrics, and the source consulted for this entry names no single inventor or exact origin date, so none is recorded here. Because water can damage natural fibers such as cotton or wool, water-jet looms are used mainly to weave synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon.