Heathcoat Fabrics Limited was established in 1808 by John Heathcoat, the inventor of the bobbinet lace making machine. It relocated from the English Midlands to its present site in Tiverton, Devon, 200 years ago this summer.

Due to the use of silk for bobbinet Heathcoat became involved in the production of some of the earliest parachutes and actually manufactured parachutes as well as fabric from the early 1930s until the late 1960s. The company then ceased parachute manufacture so that it could concentrate on the production of parachute fabrics for its customers around the world. Modern parachute fabrics are made with high-tenacity nylon 66 rather than silk. Some more challenging uses demand exotic fibers such as para-aramid.

“Over the past 10 years we have embarked upon a plant refurbishment and upgrade program as part of our World Class Manufacturing project,” explains Peter Hill. “Following extensive trials we selected Picanol as our key partner for airjet and rapier weaving looms and have installed a total of 31 Picanol looms to date. We have been very pleased with the after-sales service from Picanol. We weave very complicated technical fabrics with demanding yarns and structures. Picanol has worked closely with us to optimize the weaving of these technical fabrics and together we are pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved for the future.”