Beck dyeing is a continuous process used to dye long pieces of fabric, up to several thousand yards. The fabric is loaded open width in rope form, and then passed over a pony reel and through the dye bath in a constant circular motion until the fabric dyeing process is complete.
Dye becks are a more economical piece of equipment found in most dye houses, they are used for wet process atmospheric dyeing of piece goods. A typical function of the dye beck would be to start the dye bath at 120 degrees F., then slowly raise the temperature to 160 degrees F. or higher through steam heat, and dye the fabric for a few hours. The reason steam heat is used rather than by adding hot water is to ensure an exact consistency in the pre formulated dye bath. If you added water, the viscosity as well as the dye bath would change. Used in a multitude of dye houses that offer commercial fabric dyeing services.