Industry Background Flashcards
What are UK carpets made from?
Wool, cotton and synthetic fibres
Give some examples of synthetic materials used to make carpets, and what they are?
Nylon
Polypropylene
They are high-volume plastic by-products of the petroleum industry
Are wool carpets more expensive than synthetic?
Yes, much more expensive
How much of the UK carpet market is made up of wool carpets
10% by value of the UK CARPET MARKET
How are most carpets manufactured?
On a large scale by lunching a threat (known as yarn) into a backing material - known as tufting
What is tufting?
How most carpets are made - done on a large scale by lunching a threat (known as yarn) into a backing material - known as tufting
How are tufted carpets manufactured?
In long wide rolls
How much carpet can a single commercial tufting machine produce in 1 day?
More to 10km of carpet roll a day
How many metres 2 of carpet can large commercial carpet manufacturers produce in a day?
millions of square metres
What else can tufted machines be used to produce other than carpets?
Other tufted products, such as artificial lawns
How flexible are the tufting machines between different types of product production?
In principle, a variety of tufted products could be made by the same manufacturer on the same day, subject to suitable reconfiguration of the machine
What is the standard carpet roll size? and why?
4m or 5m wide
This allows a large single piece to be fitted to a particular rooms’ dimensions (hence term fitted carpet)
How much waste is there usually from a piece of fitted carpet?
Often 5-20%
What has become the solution to the high amount of wastage for fitted carpets?
Carpets being sold as tiles (modular carpets)
Provides a more efficient and sustainable carpeting solution
Where is modular carpet most often used?
Commercial settings
What is an alternative carpet construction technique to tufting?
Needle-felt
Typically made from synthetic materials
What are the benefits of needle-felt carpets?
They are resistant to moisture and sun, so they are suitable for external applications
What are the other uses for needle-felt textiles?
Industrial filtration
Garment manufacture
What is the annual revenue for the UK carpet manufacturing sector?
Almost £1bn
How many carpet manufacturers are there in the UK?
Approx 100 - most of which are small to meidium unquoted businesses that focus of high quality carpets
Describe most UK carpet manufacturers
Mostly small to medium sized unquote businesses that focus on high quality carpets
Who is the largest UK carpet manufacturer?
AIM listed Victoria plc - international flooring conglomerate
Is there international competition in UK carpet manufacturing business?
Yes - mostly imported carpets from the EU which tend to be focused on lower -priced segments of UK market