GUIDELINES FOR AFIS TEST RESULTS

1 Sampling at Different Process Stages

In order to utilize the USTER® AFIS for process control, samples need to be taken at different processing
stages in the spinning mill. It is also necessary to test the incoming and the out coming material of a
process that is evaluated. For example, for the carding process, samples need to be taken and tested from
card mat and card sliver. It is useful to randomly check your incoming raw cotton for nep, seed coat nep
and excessive trash content.

Table 1

Process Stage Materials

Opening & Cleaning (BLOWROOM) Opened cotton in different stages of Cleaning
Carding Card Mat & Card Sliver
Combing Comber Lap & Sliver
Finisher Drawing Draw frame Sliver
Roving Roving

1.1 Opening & Cleaning (BLOWROOM):

 Samples of the opening and cleaning line should be collected in the ductwork leaving each critical
piece of cleaning equipment.

 Samples should be taken while at a normal flow rate. For safety reasons, machine manufacturer’s
recommendations have to be followed for sample collection.

 Samples should not be collected from inside or at the bottom of a machine, where excessive trash
and foreign matter is accumulated. This can bias the test results, since the sample does not
represent the regular cotton after cleaning

 Blow room line samples should be collected after 50% of the Laydown for homogenous of sample

1.2 Carding:

1.2.1 Card Mat

 Collect samples either after the chute feed or after the picker for lap fed cards

 Do not mix samples that are fed to different card lines

 Samples taken after the last reserve condenser are sufficient as a average for regular card lines of
8-10 cards

 Do not change your sampling technique once it is established (be consistent).

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  If you have a larger amount of cards per line, test card mat after the chute feed in the beginning, in
the middle and at the end of the entire card line. Average the results.

 If you want to have 100% control, test the chute feed material in front of every card.

 It is important not to mix card mat samples that go to different card lines.

 Once a sampling technique has been established within a plant, it should not be changed for
reasons of consistency

1.2.2 Card Sliver

 It is preferable to collect samples while the card is operating at full speed

 Card sliver samples should not be collected when the card slows for doffing and can changing

 High-speed cards allow for samples taken from the top of the can

 Do not damage sliver when taking it from the card or can

 Take a sliver sample by gently pulling it apart at a distance of app. 2 inches or 5 cm.

 Do not change your sampling technique once it is established (be consistent).

1.3 Combing

 Follow machine manufacturer’s recommendations

 Do not change your sampling technique once it is established (be consistent).

 Comber samples should be collected from sliver the same way as card sliver mentioned above

1.4 Finisher Drawing

 Draw frame samples should be collected from sliver the same way as card sliver mentioned above

 Finisher Draw frame testing is must and top priority. If any deviation or abnormality found in finisher
test results then all back process to be checked and conclude the problem

1.5 Roving

 Roving of flyer samples should be taken randomly from finished bobbins or packages before going
to the ring spinning frame.

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2 Frequency of Testing

After establishing general procedures for obtaining the samples, it is necessary to tested do on a regular
basis. The following table shows our recommendations for the frequency of USTER® AFIS testing:

Table 2

Process Stage Materials Testing Frequency

Opening & Cleaning Monthly Once
Carding Weekly or Twice in Month
Combing Weekly or Twice in Month
Finisher Drawing Monthly Once
Roving Monthly Once

3 AFIS Test Parameters

Table 3

Test Parameters Abbreviation Test Parameters Abbreviation

LENGTH PARAMETER NEP PARAMETERS
Mean Length by Weight L(w) Nep Count per gram Nep Cnt/g
Length Variation by weight L(w) CV% Nep Size [micron] Nep Size [μm]
Upper Quartile Length UQL (w) Seed Coat Nep Count SCN Cnt/ g
by weight per gram
Short Fiber Content by weight SFC (w) % Seed Coat Nep Size SCN Size [μm]
<12.7 mm [micron]
Mean Length by Number L(n) TRASH PARAMETERS
Length Variation by number L(n) CV% Total Count per gram Dust + Trash Cnt/g
Short Fiber Content by SFC (n) % Mean Size (micron) Mean size of Dust &
number <12.7 mm Trash [μm ]
5% Length by number 5.0% mm Dust Count per gram Dust Cnt/g (<500 μm)
2.5% Length by number 2.5% mm Trash Count per gram Trash Cnt/ g (>500 μm)
MATURITY PARAMETERS Visible Foreign Matter [%] VFM [%]
Fineness [millitex] FINE [mtex]
Immature Fiber Content [%] IFC [%]
Maturity Ratio MAT

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424, Shivalik Satyamev, Ambli – Bopal Junction, Near Vakil Saheb Bridge, S P Ring Road, Bopal ,
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4 AFIS TEST RESULTS – QUALITY RANGE

 We have analyzed our last 5 years AFIS Test results (more than 40000 testing) and removed
outlier data to conclude the Quality range for each process stage

 These data contribute more than 90 customer’s (all in GUJARAT) regular testing samples

 Proposed these analysis is to help the customer to understand the optimum quality level at
every stage

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Table 4 LENGTH / MATURITY MODULE TEST RSULTS

Min – Minimum reading observed in total testing

Max – Maximum reading observed in total testing
Mean / Average – Average reading observed in total testing

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Table 5 NEPS / TRASH MODULE TEST RSULTS

Min – Minimum reading observed in total testing

Max – Maximum reading observed in total testing
Mean / Average – Average reading observed in total testing

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424, Shivalik Satyamev, Ambli – Bopal Junction, Near Vakil Saheb Bridge, S P Ring Road, Bopal ,
Ahmedabad – 380 058. Gujarat PH: 095107 26053 Mobile: 09825060309 Email.:
[email protected]
4.1 LENGTH PARAMETERS

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424, Shivalik Satyamev, Ambli – Bopal Junction, Near Vakil Saheb Bridge, S P Ring Road, Bopal ,
Ahmedabad – 380 058. Gujarat PH: 095107 26053 Mobile: 09825060309 Email.: [email protected]
SSM Tex LAB
424, Shivalik Satyamev, Ambli – Bopal Junction, Near Vakil Saheb Bridge, S P Ring Road, Bopal ,
Ahmedabad – 380 058. Gujarat PH: 095107 26053 Mobile: 09825060309 Email.: [email protected]
4.2 MATURITY PARAMETERS

SSM Tex LAB

424, Shivalik Satyamev, Ambli – Bopal Junction, Near Vakil Saheb Bridge, S P Ring Road, Bopal ,
Ahmedabad – 380 058. Gujarat PH: 095107 26053 Mobile: 09825060309 Email.: [email protected]
4.3 NEPS PARAMETERS

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424, Shivalik Satyamev, Ambli – Bopal Junction, Near Vakil Saheb Bridge, S P Ring Road, Bopal ,
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4.4 TRASH & DUST PARAMETERS

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4.5 APPLICATION TIP:

 Variation of Nep counts between cards should not exceed 10% of the average Nep count of all
cards. Critical yarn counts may need tighter control

 Variation of SFC between combers should not exceed 10% of the average SFC of all combers.
Critical yarn counts may require a tighter control

 Seed Coat Neps (SCN) in CARD Sliver should be less than 10 and in Comber Sliver should be
less than 2

 SFCn Removal Efficiency in Comber should be more than 70%

 SFCn RE% = ((Comber Lap SFCn- Comber Sliver SFCn) / Noil ) x 100%

 Visible Foreign Matter (VFM%) in CARD Sliver should be less than 0.10 and in Comber Sliver
should be less than 0.02

 Nep Removal Efficiency (NRE%) in the CARD should be more than 70%
NRE% = (( Neps in Card Mat – Neps in Card Sliver) / Neps in Card Mat)x 100%

 Nep Removal Efficiency (NRE%) in the COMBER should be more than 70% (depends on
Noil% extraction)
NRE% = (( Neps in Comber Lap – Neps in Comber Sliver) / Neps in Comber Lap )x 100%

NEPS REMOVAL EFFICIENCY MAX MIN AVG

CARD NRE% 86% 42% 73%
COMBER NRE% 88% 48% 75%

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  Seed Coat Neps Removal Efficiency(SCN – NRE%) in the CARD should be more than 55%
SCN – NRE% = ((SCN in Card Mat – SCN in Card Sliver) / SCN in Card Mat) x 100%

 Seed Coat Neps Removal Efficiency(SCN – NRE%) in the COMBER should be more than 80%
SCN – NRE% = ((SCN in Comber Lap – SCN in Comber Sliver) / SCN in Comber Lap) x 100%

SCN -NEP REMOVAL EFFICIENCY MAX MIN AVG

CARD SCN - NRE% 100% 27% 58%
COMBER SCN - NRE% 100% 58% 84%

 CLEANING EFFICIENCY (CE%) = ((VFM in Input – VFM in Output) / VFM in Output ) x 100%

 VFM CE% - In Card Sliver should be more than

92% and In Comber Sliver should be more than
80%

 Dust (less than 500 Microns) – Should be below

800 in Lot sample and below 90 in Card Sliver
and below 35 in Comber Sliver

 Trash (more than 500 Microns) – Should be

below 80 in Lot Sample and below 10 in Card
Sliver and below 2 in Comber Sliver

SSM Tex LAB

424, Shivalik Satyamev, Ambli – Bopal Junction, Near Vakil Saheb Bridge, S P Ring Road, Bopal ,
Ahmedabad – 380 058. Gujarat PH: 095107 26053 Mobile: 09825060309 Email.: [email protected]