Until the introduction of Gerriets' Seamless 32'9" (10 m) Muslin in 1985, 10 meter wide muslin was woven folded on a 16' (5 m) wide loom. In order to do this, the shuttle had to travel a U-shaped path and heavier reinforcing threads were required half-way into the cloth at the point where the shuttle changed direction. This "shuttle pack," when backlighted on stage, caused an annoying shadow line throughout the drop. The reinforcing threads also absorbed dye differently, creating problems for scene painters.
Gerriets engineered the first 10 m loom using technology developed by a Swiss firm to weave narrow width cotton. Today, Gerriets has expanded this wide width tradition by developing a 12 m loom. Bullet-like projectiles carry the thread from one side of the loom to the other. They track across the loom within hundreds of metal guides and are trapped at the far side, then drop into a conveyor belt which returns them to be shot across again. Because the material is woven flat, reinforcing threads are unnecessary and the result is a smooth, seamless expanse, 41' (12 m) wide. Translucent sky drops are TRULY SEAMLESS, revealing only what the scenic artist painted.
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