Wilcom AutoTuft (Sydney): robotic single-head tufting machines for custom rugs

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Research notes

Wilcom, an Australian maker of CAD/CAM software for embroidery, carpet and rugs, sold AutoTuft robotic tufting machines with pneumatic or mechanical heads. In July 2012 Textile World reported a pneumatic-head option with a rotating needle for full-speed cornering, automatic cut/loop switching tuft by tuft, varied pile heights ('3-D tufting') and a guillotine cutter for multiple yarn ends. Wilcom presented these as patented features that hand tufting cannot match. In August 2012 Textile World reported new AutoTuft agents in India and in China (distributor Shun Long Machinery), describing machines that make custom rugs and wall hangings with a 'hand-tufted' look for less than hand tufting. Patent line: US5503092 (filed 1994), US5829372 (1998), EP1674605 / US7218987 (AU priority 2004), and US8225727 'Tufting machine' (filed 3 Dec 2008, granted 24 Jul 2012; inventors William Brian Wilson, Mile Jez, Joseph Van Woerkom). Google Patents shows US7218987 and US8225727 later assigned to Perpetual Machine Co., a Dalton, Georgia maker of carpet-handling and custom equipment, so the Australian robot-tufting patents ended up in Dalton. Why it matters: Wilcom was the main early commercial maker of CNC 'hand-tufting' robots, and it was selling into India and China by 2012. Gaps: the founding date of Wilcom's tufting arm and AutoTuft's first sale were not found, and current status is unknown. Sources: https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/textile-news/2012/08/wilcom-autotuft-adds-representatives-in-india-china · https://patents.google.com/patent/US8225727B2/en · https://business.daltonchamber.org/list/member/perpetual-machine-co-dalton-6033 Research note (Oct 2026): from search results; pages not opened.