Replacement of the Stäubli Jacquard control system

Call

Mileta, a traditional manufacturer of luxury textiles, approached us with a request to replace the floppy disk drive on a Stäubli CX860 Jacquard loom from the early 1990s. The original system stored patterns on floppy disks that were not only slow, but increasingly difficult to find and failing. However, during the initial analysis we found that simply replacing the floppy emulator would only be a temporary solution. The entire control electronics were obsolete and threatened the smooth flow of production.

Our solution

Instead of replacing individual components, we proposed a complete modernisation of the control:

• Complete new control system – replaces the original electronics and allows control of up to 13,000 warp threads.
• Touch screen control panel with LCD – displays current pattern, machine status, diagnostics and offers convenient pattern selection from network or USB.
• Embedded Linux + Python – for a modern interface, flexible customization and easy extension.
• Realtime control using STM32H7 + FreeRTOS – ensures precise timing and reliability in production operation.
• FRAM memory – resistant to power failures, stores the weaving state.

In addition, we converted existing designs from floppy disks to a new digital format and created a system that allows for easy backup and archiving.

The device now has a network connection (Ethernet) to upload patterns in bitmap format directly to the control system, and an LCD display with pattern preview and direct access to service functions. Even the operator loved the new controls – a big improvement over floppy disks!

Result

By modernising the control system we have achieved:

• Significant simplification of machine operation.
• Increased operational reliability and accuracy.
• Significant savings – compared to buying new looms, it was a fraction of the cost.
• Quick return on investment by reducing downtime and speeding up maintenance.

After the successful installation on the pilot machine, the new system was deployed on 9 other Jacquard looms. The project has shown that even with technology that is more than 30 years old, a smart upgrade can provide a reliable and efficient tool for today’s production. The machines (e.g. Stäubli CX860) have gained at least an extra ten years of life with this upgrade.