
Carpets
are constructed in different ways out of different materials in
different regions of the world. How the carpet would perform also
depends on the way it is constructed. The carpet may constructed in cut
pile, loop pile or in the combination of the two. Loop pile carpet of
low, dense construction is suitable for corridors, lobbies, offices,
classrooms, hotel rooms, patient care facilities and other public areas,
because it tends to retain its appearance and resiliency and, provides a
better surface for the rolling traffic of wheel chairs or food carts.
For areas like libraries, individual offices and boardrooms, Cut pile or
cut and loop pile carpet should be preferred.
The backing system on the carpet provides extra protection and
durability to the carpet. The backing system adds stability and also
make carpet impervious to moisture. It also protects carpet from edge
raveling. Focus should be on the functional needs of a particular area.
Carpets meant for commercial applications are manufactured using
tufting or weaving techniques. Both process produce quality floor
coverings, but tufted carpet accounts for 95 percent of all carpet
construction. Tufting and manufacturing of commercial carpet involve
efficient advanced technology to provide capability for a myriad of
patterns and floor covering.
Tufted carpet manufacturing
In tufting process carpet is manufactured on specialized multi-needle
sewing machines. Numerous needles stitch hundreds of rows of pile yarn
tufts through a backing fabric called the primary backing. The needles
push yarn through a primary backing fabric, where a loop holds the yarn
in place to form a tuft as the needle is removed. For4 loop pile
carpets, the yarn is caught by loopers and held in place whereas for
loop-pile carpet yarn is cut by blades. At last secondary backings of
various types are applied to render a variety of performance properties.
Woven Carpet Manufacturing
Woven carpets are manufactured on looms by simultaneously interlacing
face yarns and backing yarns into a complete product, thereby
eliminating the need for a secondary backing. Sometimes little amount of
latex-back coating is applied for bulk.
Fiber for Construction
Carpets are manufactured either from natural or from synthetic fibers.
Some of the common fibers used for constructing carpets are Nylon,
Olefin and wool. For commercial purposes 80 to 82 percent of the carpets
are constructed out of nylon, 8 to 10 percent of olefin and 8 percent of
wool.
Facts on Backings
Carpets are generally backed by backing system which helps keep the
tufts in place. Backing systems are made from different materials and
may also come with various kinds of protective treatments (such as
anti-microbial or anti-stain) or beneficial properties (such as
anti-static).

The methods and chemicals used depend upon the specifier's performance
considerations and the manufacturer's recommendations. Performance
considerations are important for demanding environments. The specifier
specify the priority needs for how the carpet will perform, whether that
is wear and tear, moisture-resistance, or heavy foot traffic.
The constituents of carpet backing system include a primary backing, a
chemical adhesive, and often a secondary backing. The yarn is secured
into the primary backing by synthetic latex, and a secondary backing (or
cushion) is attached with a bonding agent or adhesive that helps in the
stabilization of the pile yarn and adds dimensional stability to the
carpet structure.
Depending on the end use, secondary backing is used on the carpet. For
high performance end use carpet usually has a primary backing and a
secondary backing. For low traffic areas, carpet may have only a coating
of latex, a secondary backing or a cushion attached to the primary
polypropylene backing.