The world's finest rugs and carpets are almost inevitably knotted by hand. Thus the ultimate challenge for machine-based manufacturing has always been to get as close as possible to hand-crafted quality. The Belgian weaving machine specialist Van de Wiele has now come a huge step closer to achieving this elusive aim with its innovative three-rapier technology - based on a patented process that promises crystal-sharp designs and a hand-knotted appearance on the reverse. Van de Wiele has chosen DOMOTEX 2019 for the trade fair premiere of its further improved Handlook Carpet Innovator HCi X2.

After launching the original HCi X2 six years ago with a reed density of up to 1,000 dents per meter, and subsequently boosting the quality up to 1,200, the latest version now boasts an extremely impressive density of 1,500 dents per meter. The company calculates that this produces up to five million points per square meter, which comes a great deal closer to reproducing hand-knotted quality than ever before. In fact, such a stunningly high "resolution" also means that patterns of almost photographic quality can now be achieved using the Handlook Carpet Innovator HCi X2!