Bale Opener

Related terms:

Machine Components, Bag Filter, Natural Fibre, Micronaire

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Belts and rope drives

N. Gokarneshan, ... C.B. Senthil Kumar, in Mechanics and Calculations of Textile
Machinery, 2013

1.3 Applications of belt and rope drives in textile industry

(a) Drives in blow room: motor to mono-cylinder, ERM beater, mixing-bale-open-
er and stripping and take-off rollers in unimixer.
(b) Drives from top coiler to base coiler plate of modern carding machine.

(c) Main drives in all spinning, texturing machines and compressors.

(d) Motor to licker-in and cylinder.

(e) Cleaner roller of stripper roller at the delivery side.

(f ) Motor to flat-stripper roller.

(g) Crossed-flat-belt drive from cylinder to a pulley from where further drive
(consisting of clutch, worm/worm gear) to the driving-shaft of flat in a modern
card.
(h) Drive to drafting rollers and other rolling elements in a single delivery draw
frame. The use of flat belts instead of timing belts or gears reduces periodic
faults. The fibre, dirt accumulation on the teeth of toothed wheels used in
timing belt drive increases the periodic faults.
(i) Drives to opening rollers, friction drums, and take-off rollers of DREF spinning
machine.
(j) Drive to rotor in a rotor-spinning machine.

(k) Main drive from motor in draw-texturing machine.

(l) Drive to creel-rollers of a modern draw frame.

(m) Tape drives used in driving spindles in a group at ring spinning, ring doubling
and TFO.
(n) Flat belt drives used in driving spindles in a group at ring spinning and TFO.

(o) Variator pulley drives at ring spinning and more.

> Read full chapter

The use of nonwovens as filtration ma-

terials
S. Zobel, T. Gries, in Applications of Nonwovens in Technical Textiles, 2010

Raw material preparation

For both dry and wet processed nonwovens, bales of natural or synthetic staple fibres
are opened on an opening line. The opening line normally includes bale opener,
fibre flock cleaners, mixers and fine openers. Depending on the fibre material type
and quantity of production, machines can be added or removed from the processing
sequence for the staple fibre nonwoven opening line. The aim of this is to provide
an appropriate fibre opening line for the opening of fibres that can then be further
used for the manufacture of mechanical and aerodynamic formed nonwovens.

In the case of the wetlay process, the opened fibres need to be further processed to
form fibre water slurry by using additives. For the extrusion processes, the polymers
need to be dried and prepared for the extrusion to fibres.

> Read full chapter

Processes for Nonwoven Filter Media

Irwin M. Hutten, in Handbook of Nonwoven Filter Media, 2007

5.1.2.2 Bale opening, feeding, and blending

A number of steps are necessary to process fibers on their way to the forming
process. This includes bale opening, blending, and feeding. Figure 5.9 is a diagram
of the head of a bale opening device called an OPTIMIX® bale opener. It traverses
over the top of a lay-down of bales of fiber and picks up the fibers with two opening
rolls that create an air vacuum. The picked fibers are aerodynamically guided to a
pneumatic plenum and channeled to a blending hopper.

Figure 5.9. OPTIMIX® head.Reproduced with permission of TAPPI Press, Atlanta,

Georgia, USA(13), p. 156.

The blending hopper feeds to a blend roll which opens the tufts of fiber and
aerodynamically feeds them to a fine opener. The blend roll diagrammed in Figure
5.10 is a Kirschner beater type that has a three lag pin beater. There are also roll type
beater rolls, which are fully metallic clothed.

Figure 5.10. Blend roll.Reproduced with permission of TAPPI Press, Atlanta, Georgia
USA(13), p. 156.

The fine opener is depicted in Figure 5.11. This is a Micro-Tuft Opener (MTO) that
uses carding roll principles in further reducing the tuft size. The carding occurs
between rolls A and B and between rolls B and C, all of which are metallic clothed.
Depending on the degree of tuft size reduction required, more openers may be
added in line.
Figure 5.11. Micro-Tuft opener, FS/52, KD condenser.Reproduced with permission
of TAPPI Press, Atlanta, Georgia USA(13), p. 157.

Once the fibers are satisfactorily opened, they are fed to the former. There are two
types of feeding devices: a chute feeder and a hopper feeder. A chute feeder called the
MASTERCHUTE® is depicted in Figure 5.12. Opened fibers blown into the transition,
located at the top of the chute are fed into a feed roll and feed plate arrangement.
This arrangement meters the fiber into the nip point of the pin beater roll and feed
plate, which provides for gentle opening of the fiber. Air introduced at this point
carries the fiber down into the forming chamber of the chute. A spanker plate at
this point helps to distribute the fiber uniformly and evenly in both the MD and CD
directions. A feed mat of uniform consistency is created to feed the web former.
Figure 5.12. MASTERCHUTE®.Reproduced with permission of TAPPI Press, Atlanta,
Georgia USA(13), p. 158.

> Read full chapter

Fibre to Yarn
I.A. Elhawary, in Textiles and Fashion, 2015

9.2.1 Opening and Cleaning

Figure 9.1 shows the various operations that occur in the blowroom. The term
‘opening’ refers to the process whereby the high-density bale is broken down into
large clumps or tufts of fibres; these tufts are subsequently further broken down
into smaller tufts (‘tuftlets’). At this stage the individual fibres are not separated.
In modern production mills, numerous cotton bales are unwrapped and arranged
in lines in the blowroom for the start of processing. The automatic bale opener,
which consists of sets of opposing points or spikes, then works its way along a
line of bales (termed ‘bale lay downs’), plucking tufts from each bale. The tufts are
then transported pneumatically to the next stage, which is the cleaning operation.
At this stage a ‘pre-mixing’ operation is also carried out in which bales of different
cotton grades or even fibre types (cotton + viscose, etc.) can be positioned in the bale
lay-down to achieve a certain blended specification.
FIGURE 9.1. Blowroom operations.

Natural fibres such as cotton will inevitably contain impurities such as leaf, seed,
trash and dust, which must be removed if high-quality yarns are to be produced.
The opening and carding operations of the blowroom machines disentangle these
impurities from the fibres, which can then be removed using air currents that simul-
taneously transport the cotton tufts. Figure 9.2 shows a typical opening/pre-cleaning
machine that uses a complex system of beaters, suction and inter-fibre friction to
remove further dust and impurities.
FIGURE 9.2. Opening/pre-cleaning machine.

> Read full chapter

Reinforcements and General Theories

of Composites
Luisa A. Medina, Jovana Dzalto, in Comprehensive Composite Materials II, 2018

1.11.6.1.2 Aerodynamical mat manufacturing

Despite the mechanical mat manufacturing process, the aerodynamical process has
the advantage of producing mats with only one layer. This prevents separation of
individual layers. For the aerodynamical processes, shorter NFs (also wood fibers)
with lengths from 5 to 40 mm are used. As the name suggests, the mat is produced
by using air as means of transport. Similar to the mechanical process, the NF bales
are first opened in a bale opener and in some applications, a carding roll is used
before the mat formation. This ensures a better opening of fiber bundles up to single
fibers. After the opening roll, several systems exist in order to transport the NFs to a
perforated screen drum: free fall, overpressure system, subpressure system, closed
air circuit, and overpressure/subpressure system. They are shown in Fig. 25.

Fig. 25. Aerodynamical mat manufacturing processes.Reproduced from Lünen-

schloß, J., Albrecht, W., 1982. Vliesstoffe. Stuttgart; New York, NY: Georg Thieme
Verlag.

With increasing area weight, the NFs are increasingly oriented in the thickness
direction of the mats, which affects their mechanical performance with regard
to compression elasticity. Moreover, the fiber orientation can be more isotropic
than in mechanical mat manufacturing processes, which ensures almost constant
mechanical performance in all in-plane directions of the mat. The fiber orientation
is influenced by air flow conditions, for example, air speed and laminar or turbulent
air flow at the screen drum.

However, due to different air flow conditions, especially over the entire width of
the screen, the uniformity of fibers is lower than in carded mats. Therefore, the
larger deviation in area weight is a disadvantage of the aerodynamical process. On
this account, the processing of mats with low area weights <100 g/m² is limited.
Aerodynamical mat manufacturing is more efficient for mats with area weights
>150 g/m².

> Read full chapter

Calculations in the spinning process

N. Gokarneshan, ... C.B. Senthil Kumar, in Mechanics and Calculations of Textile
Machinery, 2013

16.3 Blow room

The main object of the blow room is to open and clean the material. The opening
action enables reduction of the fluff of fibres into smaller tufts and the cleaning
action separate the impurities such as trash, dirt etc. from the fibres.

16.3.1 Calculations in opening and cleaning

16.3.2 Lap calculations

Weight of a given length of lap:

Weight in lbs = Length in yard × 840 × Hank

16.3.3 Draft calculations

Actual draft and mechanical draft of a finisher scutcher

16.3.4 Production in a scutcher

16.3.5 Waste
The blow room waste excluding gutter loss is about the same as the trash in cotton
for good cleaning efficiency. The cleaning efficiency (%) and lint in waste (%) in
modern blow room lines is given in table below:

Trash in cotton (%) No. of beating points Cleaning efficiency (%)

5, 0 & above 5 60–65
3,0 to 4.9 4 55–60
1.0 to 2.9 3 50–55

Gutter loss will vary between 0.5% (fine mixing) to 1.0% (coarser mixings). The lint
in waste of the individual beating points will be in the range of 20 to 30%.

Mixing bale opener 400 kg/h (with opener and cleaner)

600 kg/h (without opener and cleaner)

Mono cylinder 500 kg/h
Uni mix 400 kg/h
ERM cleaner 400 kg/h
Aero feed 80 kg/h/chute
400 kg per feeding machine
Scutcher 350–400 kg/h for two scutchers

16.3.6 Production data (Reiter line)

Mixing bale opener 400 kg/h (with opener and cleaner)

600 kg/h (without opener and cleaner)

Mono cylinder 500 kg/h
Uni mix 400 kg/h
ERM cleaner 400 kg/h
Aero feed 80 kg/h/chute
400 kg per feeding machine
Scutcher 350–400 kg/h for two scutchers

16.3.7 Technical specifications of modern blow room line

(A) Bale plucker or super blender

Plucker in carriages 2 sizes 1700 and 2250 mm

Length of machine carriage 15000 to 45000 mm
Width of machine 3145 and 6200 mm double blade
Weight of the machine 1700 mm – 3500 kg; 2250 mm – 3700 kg
Beater speed 1400 rpm
Production For 1700 mm – 800 kg; for 2250 mm – 1100 kg.
Power required 5.18 for 1700 mm; 6.18 for 2250

(B) Blending feeder

Length 7380 mm; 9380 mm; 11380 mm

Weight 2813 kg; 3045 kg; 3300 kg
Width: Working width 1000 mm; Frame width 1500 mm
Production per hour 200 kg
Main motor 2.2 k W
Beater motor 1.5 kW

(C) Transport lattice

Length 6020 mm to 14020 mm (depending on sections)

Frame width 520 mm; working width 420 mm.
Conveyor speed 75 m/mm.
Geared motor 0.75 kW or 1.0 kW

(D) Two beater opener

Length 1360 mm
Frame width 1370 mm
Working width 1280 mm
Production 800 kg/h
Beater diameter 610 mm
Motor 2.2 kW
Weight 1090 kg

(E) Cage condenser

Air capacity 3500 m3/hour to 4500 m3/hour

motor for cage 0.75 kW
fan motor 3 kW
weight 300 to 450 kg

(F) Step cleaner (six cylinders)

Length 3320 mm
Width 1670 mm frame; 1000 mm - working
Production 600 kg/h
Main motor 2.2 kW
Beater motor 1.1 kW
Geared motor 0.25 kW
Weight 2420 kg

(G) Horizontal opener (porcupine or clothed type)

Length 1500 mm
Width 1700 mm frame; 1200 mm - working
Production 600 kg/h
Main motor 3 kW
Geared motor 1.1 kW
Weight 1850 kg

(H) Dust separator

Length 1500 mm
Width 1700 mm frame; 1200 mm - working
Production 600 kg/h
Main motor 3 kW
Geared motor 1.1 kW
Weight 1850 kg

(I) Auto mixer

Length 2500 mm
Width 1500 mm - frame; 1200 mm - working
Production 20–40 kg/cell
Cage motor and lattice drive 1.1 kW
Opening roll 2.1 kW
Geared motor 0.15 kW conveyor drive
Motor fan 4.15 kW
Air capacity 4500-7500 m3/h
Weight 3500 kg

(J) Card chute feeding system

Motor fan 4 kW

Fan diameter 425 mm
Speed 2500 mm
Air capacity 5000 cubic m/h
Working width 900 mm
Geared motor for feed 0.25 kW
Blowing motor fan 0.75 kW
Opening roller drive 0.75 kW
Weight 630 kg

16.3.8 Gearing calculations in blow room line

Step cleaner

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

Mixing bale opener

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)
16.1. Gearing plan of a step cleaner
16.2. Gearing plan of mixing bale opener
16.3(a). Gearing plan of monocylinder.
16.3(b). Gearing plan of two bladed beater and Kirschner beater.

Mono cylinder

Condenser

(i)
(ii)

(iii)

Two bladed and kirschner beater

Two bladed beater

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

Kirschner beater

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

Cage

Hopper feeder and scutcher

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

(vii)

(viii)

(ix)
(x)

(xi)

(xii)

(xiii)

(xiv)

(xv)

(xvi)

16.4. Gearing plan of a hopper feeder and scutcher.

> Read full chapter

Control points and check points

B. Purushothama, in A Practical Guide to Quality Management in Spinning, 2011

8.2.1 Mixing

Control points
(1) Selection of bales considering the parameters such as length, strength, fin-
eness, colour, trash, maturity, neps, etc., and their variation to meet the quality
of the yarn proposed.(a)Average micronaire of the mixing should be same for
the entire lot. The difference in average micronaire of different mixings of the
same lot should not be more than 0.1.(b)The micronaire CV% of a mixing
should be less than 10%.(c)The micronaire range should be same. Cottons
with too wide micronaire range should not be mixed.(d)Cottons with too wide
reflectance value (Rd) and yellowness value (+ b) should not be mixed.
(2) Deciding the proportion of different components in the mixing considering
their properties, cost, age and stocks.(a)Immature fibre content should be as
low as possible as it will affect dyeing and will result in white-specks.(b)Cottons
with two different origins should not be mixed as far as possible, unless it is
required to get a specific end result.
(3) Deciding the quantity of mixing to be done at a time.(a)If automatic bale
openers are used, bale lay downs should be done properly, so that bales with
different micronaire and colours are getting mixed up homogeneously even if
small quantity is being checked.(b)If manual mixing is carried out, bales should
be arranged and mixed properly so that bales with different micronaire and
colours are getting mixed up homogeneously even if small quantity is being
checked.(c)For manual mixing, the tuft size should be as low as 10 g.
(4) Issuing mixing in time.

(5) Thorough opening and homogeneous mixing.

(6) Deciding the addition of spin-finish, hygroscopic and/or antistatic agents,

tinting colours, etc., depending on the materials being used.
(7) Adequate conditioning of mixing before feeding to the blow room.

(8) The work allocation for employees.

Check points
1. Whether the bales received are as per the plan or not?

2. Whether the floor is cleaned properly before laying the mixing or not?

3. Whether bales are opened gently or not?

4. Whether the Hessians and Bale hoops are removed and kept at designated
place properly or not?
5. Whether surface of bales are cleaned before opening or not?

6. Whether cotton is opened and broken into smallest tufts as explained or not?

7. Whether the contaminations are removed by proper checking or not?

8. Whether the antistatic agent/spin finish/tint, etc., are properly prepared or not
as per plan and applied uniformly?
9. Whether the layers of opened material are put properly or not in the stack to
have a homogeneous mixing?
10. Whether the identification board is updated or not?

11. Whether the temperature and humidity are as per the requirement or not?

12. Whether the required time is allowed for conditioning or not?

13. Whether the men employed are as per plan or not?

14. Whether the required quantity of mixing is prepared or not?

15. Whether the usable wastes are received with proper identification or not?

16. Whether the wastes are properly checked and cleaned before adding in the
mixing?
17. Whether the quantity of useable wastes added is maintained uniformly in all
mixings or not?

> Read full chapter

Normal problems and non-conformi-

ties
B. Purushothama, in A Practical Guide to Quality Management in Spinning, 2011

5.1 Blow room

5.1.1 Low cleaning efficiency

There is a feeling that if the cleaning efficiency is good in blow room, it is doing a
good job. The managements are worried about lower cleaning efficiency of blow
room lines in recent days and are insisting the technical persons to increase the
cleaning efficiency of blow room. However, it should be noted that the cleaning
efficiency of a blow room line depends on the trash content in cotton. If the cotton
has more trash, the cleaning efficiency in blow room shall be more. In recent days,
due to various steps taken in improving the ginning practices, the average trash
content is reducing. Therefore, it is natural that the cleaning efficiencies of blow
rooms are coming down. It is essential to concentrate on the trash remaining after
blow room rather than the cleaning efficiency.

Check the trash content in mixing and the material delivered, by running at least
200 kg of cotton. Check the blow room wastes collected at different beaters and
verify whether it is inline with the norms based on trash%, and also check the lint
content in wastes taken out. Increase the wastes if the lint in the wastes is negligible
or nil.

If the beater speeds are lesser than required, we get lower cleaning. Therefore, check
the beater speeds before taking further steps. Also the ratio of fan speed to beater
speed is another important factor to be considered. If the fan speed is more, the
cotton misses the beating and the cleaning shall be less. If the fan speed is low, the
movement of cotton shall be slow and they get more beatings, and also might result
in jamming.

Check the sharpness of the beaters and the beater settings. Correct them if needed.
Increase the space between the grid bars so that heavy trash particles can fall down.
If the grid bar setting is less, there are chances of blocking of the gaps in the grid
area. By choosing a suitable fan speed, even with wider grid bar setting, there shall
be no chances of good fibre falling down along with the trash and we can get good
cleaning. Close slightly the air inlets under the grid bars towards the cotton entry
side, and open those on the delivery side.

If the cottons are moving very fast and because of that cleaning is found less, reduce
the fan speed following the beaters by 100–200 rpm.

If the grip of the feed roller is less, we shall get low cleaning efficiency. Therefore,
check for the grip.

Check the synchronisation of the machine working. The blending bale openers
should work for 80–85% of the time of working of the final machine. If the back
machines are running continuously, it is an indication of lower feed to the next ma-
chine, but it cannot reduce cleaning efficiency; on the contrary if the back machines
are stopping for more time, there is a scope to improve cleaning efficiency by
closing down the settings.
If there is a back draught because of not cleaning the wastes under the machines,
the cleaning efficiency shall come down. Therefore, ensure that the wastes are
removed from time to time.

The cleaning efficiency shall be low if the tufts are not opened properly. Therefore,
check the tuft size being fed to the blow room. The problem is greatly reduced by
the introduction of bale pluckers which pick very small tufts of cottons of 20–25 mg
in place of very big lumps of over 50 g in case of normal hand opening and around
25 g in case of mixing bale openers.

5.1.2 High nep generation and fibre rupture

Nep generation and fibre rupture are mainly due to excessive beatings, rubbing of
fibres on a rough surface, entangling of fibres, jamming of fibres in the machines
and damp fibres fed in blow room.

Check for blunt beaters, burrs in grid bars, bent nails on beaters, beater speed, fan
speed and the feed. A higher beater speed shall give more neps, if the material is
not moved out of the beating area effectively. So check the setting of leather flaps,
stripper knife, etc.

Excessive of soft wastes fed and cottons with more immature fibres also contribute
significantly for neps in opened material. It is therefore necessary to put a limit on
the soft wastes added in the mixing. Selection of cottons considering the maturity
coefficient and the micronaire values are very important where the presence of
neps is critical for the end use.

Longer length of conveyor pipes and bends in pipes are also responsible for genera-
tion of neps. Further the smoothness of surface inside the pipes is an essential factor
for getting nep-free yarns. The inner surface of pipelines gets rough because of wax
coating and trash getting embedded with the wax. Therefore, periodic cleaning of
the inner surface of the pipelines using rough cloth like Hessian is essential.

5.1.3 High variability in the delivered hank

The variations in delivered material are directly linked to the variability in feed and
improper synchronization of the machines in blow room line. Improper levels in the
hoppers, improper action of feed regulators, viz., cone drums, pedals, photocells,
direct driving gear motors, etc., need to be checked and rectified.

5.1.4 Formation of cat’s tail

If material movement is less and cottons are over beaten, we get this defect. By
controlling the feed, sharpening beater edges, increasing fan speeds, increasing the
air inlet below the grid bar area of cotton entry, closing the striping knife and beater
setting shall avoid cat’s tail. The very important step in avoiding cat’s tail is to avoid
chocking of materials in beaters.

Wet material if fed to blow room results in cat’s tail. It may be due to excessive use of
cotton-spray oil or water, not allowing for complete conditioning, dropping of water
particles from Bahnson fans, leakage from roofs or dropping of steam condensates
in cold season. It is essential to check the condition of mixing before feeding to blow
room and prevent any water leakage in the department.

5.1.5 Conical lap

Conical laps are due to either higher quantity of cottons coming on one side of
the lap or due to unequal calender and rack pressures in scutchers. Ensure equal
opening of air inlets under grid bars, replace torn leather lining at the cage, clean
the cage thoroughly with emery paper, make the pressure on lap spindle uniform on
both the sides, remove the pedals and clean thoroughly and check the pedals where
it rests on fulcrum and also pedal fulcrum bar.

5.1.6 Lap licking

Lap licking can be due to excessive addition of soft wastes in mixing, higher rack
pressures, lower compacting of laps and excessive dampness in cotton. In case of
polyesters, this problem shall be mainly due to static charges and higher bulk of
fibres. The problem of lap licking can be reduced by increasing the pressure on
calender rollers, reducing the pressure on racks, increasing the quantity of antistatic,
use of roving ends or lap fingers behind the calender roller nip, blocking of top cage
and by reducing the length of lap.

5.1.7 Patchy lap

Patchy lap is a result of unopened tufts. Ensure that the mixing is opened thoroughly
and increase opening points if feasible. Check tuft size at the delivery of each beater
and adjust the setting between feed roller and beaters, reduce the gauge between
evener roller and inclined lattice, clean the cages and increase effective suction at
cages.

5.1.8 Holes in lap

Damaged cage surface and blocking of the perforations in the cage are the normal
reasons for a hole in the lap. Check the cages for damage and reduce tension draft.
5.1.9 Soft laps
In order to overcome the problem of soft laps increase the calender roller pressure.
Very dry climate can also contribute for the soft laps. Check the humidity and
maintain around 55% R.H.

5.1.10 Ragged lap selvedge

Check for the rough spots on the sides of the feed plates, leather linings for the cages
and keep the edges of the scutcher clean.

> Read full chapter

Normal problems and nonconformities

B. Purushothama, in Training and Development of Technical Staff in the Textile
Industry, 2012

15.1 Blow room

• Low cleaning efficiency – Lower extraction of wastes than required for that
mixing considering the trash content is one of the main reasons for low
cleaning efficiency. Increase the wastes if the lint in the wastes is normal or
nil. If the beater speeds are lesser than required, we get lower cleaning. Check
the beater settings and correct them if needed. Increase the space between the
grid bars. Close slightly the air-inlets under the grid bars towards the cotton
entry side, and open those on the delivery side. Reduce the fan speed following
the beaters by 100 to 200 RPM. If the grip of the feed roller is less, we shall
get low cleaning efficiency. Therefore check for the grip. Also check the
sharpness of the beaters. Check the synchronisation of the machine working.
The blending bale openers should work for 80 to 85% of the time of working
of the final machine. If there is a back draught because of not cleaning the
wastes under the machines, the cleaning efficiency shall come down.
• High nep generation and fibre rupture – The main reasons are blunt beaters,
burrs in grid bars, bent pins on beaters, higher beater speed, lower fan speed
and excessive feed. A higher beater speed shall give more neps, if the material
is not moved out of the beating area effectively. If materials return back to
beaters, neps shall generate, hence check the setting of leather flaps, stripper
knife etc. Excessive of soft wastes fed, and cottons with more immature fibres
are major reasons for neps in opened material. Therefore have a control on
the issue of soft wastes to mixing and spread them uniformly throughout the•
mixing.
High variability in the delivered hank – Improper levels in the hoppers, improper•
action of feed regulators viz, cone drums, pedals, photocells, direct driving
gear motors, etc are the normal reasons for variability in delivered hanks.
Formation of cat’s tail – If material movement is less and cottons are over •
beaten, we get this defect. By sharpening beater edges, increasing fan speeds,
increasing the air in-let below the grid bar area of cotton entry, closing the
striping knife and beater setting shall avoid cat’s tail. The very important step
in avoiding cat’s tail is to avoid chocking of materials in beaters. Excessive use
of cotton-spray oil, water etc., also causes cat’s tails.
Conical lap – Conical laps are due to, either higher quantity of cottons coming•
on one side of the lap, or due to unequal calendar and rack pressures in
scutchers. Ensure equal opening of air-inlets under grid bars, replace torn
leather lining at the cage, clean the cage thoroughly with emery paper, make
pressure on lap spindle uniform on both the sides, remove the pedals and
clean thoroughly, and check the pedals where it rests on fulcrum and also pedal
fulcrum bar.
Lap licking – Lap licking can be due to excessive addition of soft wastes in •
mixing, higher rack pressures, lower compacting of laps and excessive damp-
ness in cotton. In case of polyesters, this problem shall be mainly due to static
charges and higher bulk of fibres. The problem of lap licking can be reduced
by increasing the pressure on calendar rollers, reducing the pressure on racks,
increasing the quantity of antistatic, use of roving ends or lap fingers behind
the calendar roller nip, blocking of top cage and by reducing the lap length.
Patchy lap – Patchy lap is a result of unopened tufts. Ensure that the mixing •
is opened thoroughly, and increase opening points if feasible. Check tuft size
at the delivery of each beater, and adjust the setting between feed roller and
beaters, reduce the gauge between evener roller and inclined lattice, clean the
cages, and increase effective suction at cages.
Holes in lap – Holes in the lap can be due to different reasons. Check the cages•
for damage, and reduce tension draft.
Soft laps – Lower calendar pressure makes the laps soft. Increase the calendar•
roller pressure.
Ragged lap selvedge – Ragged lap selvedges are mainly due to uneven spots
at the edges. Check for the rough spots on the sides of the feed plates, leather
linings for the cages, and keep the edges of the scutcher clean.

> Read full chapter

Spin finishes for textiles
I.A. Elhawary, in Advances in Yarn Spinning Technology, 2010

16.6.1 Cotton and wool fibres

The surface of cotton fibres is covered by a 0.3–0.6% layer of natural wax. The role of
the wax is to protect and to give elasticity and flexibility to the fibre. When the cotton
fibres are processed inside the blow room of a cotton spinning mill, the quantity of
natural wax decreases. The addition of a spin to the cotton fibres compensates for
this loss. It facilitates the drafting process inside the roller drafting systems of the
drawframes, the flyer frames and ring spinning machines. In addition, static charges
decrease and the moisture content of the cotton fibres is retained. The number of
ends-down decreases on both the speed frame and the ring spinning machine.

The quantity of spin finish required varies from 1 to 8% by mass of the fibre,
depending on whether the cotton is being blended with other fibres. The finish can
be applied in the first stages of processing either by spraying on the feed lattice of
the bale opener or during mixing box formation. It can also be applied during the
transport of the fibrous materials via the transport duct (pipe). The moisture content
of delivered cotton bales to the spinning mill dictates whether the finish is applied
as an oil or as an emulsion. For a normal moisture content of 8–9%, the finish is
applied as an oil at a value of 0.2–0.4% of the cotton fibrous material’s mass. For a
low moisture content (5–6%), it is necessary to use an emulsion quantity of about
2% of the cotton tufts’ mass.

A great deal of emulsification is required for processing of wool fibres (Lipenkov,

1983). Proper emulsification of the wool fibre blends leads to less fibre breakage
during carding as well as low amounts of static electricity, dust and fluff. The quantity
of waste produced during carding and spinning is considerably reduced. At the same
time, the flexibility, elasticity and cohesion properties of the fibres are improved. The
roving produced from the emulsified blend is more uniform and has higher density.
In addition, the breakage rate of the roving in the spinning process can be reduced.

The wool fibres are treated with an emulsion. The water contained in the emulsion
increases the moisture content of the fibre, improving their flexibility. The emulsion
should not contain any free acids that could spoil the needle card cloth of the carding
working parts, or alkalis that could impair the wool fibres. The quantity of emulsion
used is typically 10–12% of the total fibre mass. If wool is blended with synthetic
fibres, the synthetic fibres are emulsified separately from the wool.

The oily (fatty) materials used in the emulsion include oleic acid (olein), coriander
oils and mineral oils. The stability of the emulsion is created by adding differ-
ent ingredients such as soda ash (0.74%), contact ammonia spirit (0.4–1.1%) and
 triethanolamine (0.76%). The mixture forms a soap solution which surrounds the
fine droplets of fatty materials with a thin film. The fatty droplets cannot join
altogether and so remain suspended and uniformly distributed in the total water
mass. Depending on the percentage of fatty substances in the emulsion, the quantity
used varies for woollen blends from 16 to 31% of the blend mass, and for worsted
blends from 5 to 16%.

To minimize static electricity in the production line for wool fibres and their blends
with nylon staple fibre, a 4.5% solution of common salt (1.9%) is added to the
emulsion. To avoid self-combustion of the mixture, 0.31–0.53% of -naphthol is
added to the olein emulsion. Sometimes, certain types of glue can be added to
the emulsion in an amount of 3% to increase the cohesion of the fibres. Some
manufacturers provide ready-made pastes which can be mixed with water to create
the emulsion.

In the spinning of worsted wool, smaller quantities of lower-concentration emul-

sions are applied compared with those used for wool spinning. This is true not
only for the application of the emulsions before carding but also at subsequent
stages (drawing frames for producing combed tops and drawing frames for roving
manufacture). Emulsifying at different stages of the worsted yarn production process
is required because of the long period of application during which the emulsions dry
and their efficacy is lowered.

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