PROCESS CONTROL IN SPINNING

Raw Material Selection

Fibre Quality Index (FQI
In view of the large number of infuencing quality parameters
and their unpredictable correlations, it is always helpful if an index
based on all major parameters is calculated to give an overall idea of
cotton quality. This is done by fnding !ibre quality Index", a common
single parameter giving idea of fbre quality. The !#I should correlate
well with spinnability and important yarn properties if it has to serve
as a quality index of fbre.
There have been e$orts to develop !#I and one developed by
%outh India Textile &esearch 'ssociation is as follows(
FQI !
f
m s u l
"
where lu ) *+, span length in mm- s ) stelometer fbre bundle
strength at. mm gauge in g per tex- m ) maturity coe$icient and f )
micronaire value /air fow0.
1owever no universally established formula of !#I" is developed.
Control o# $bre len%t&
2hile blending of di$erent varieties, it is common practice not
to blend cotton types di$ering in staple length more than 34356. 'll
spinners usually understand the requirement of maintaining
uniformity in length. 7nless fbre lengths are matched it is rather
impossible to optimi8e settings particularly in drafting. 2ide variation
in length can create havoc in spinning.
Control o# 'icronaire ran%e and a(era%e
9icronaire variation between bales within the same varieties often
refects variation in maturity. The variation in average maturity
between mixing of the same lot therefore results in serious defects
particularly, dyeing defects. :ye absorption depends on cellulose
content in fbre and variation in maturity is therefore responsible for
variation in dye penetration. In case yarns of same lot from di$erent
mixings with wide variation of micronaire, then that can be one of the
causes of barriness in fabric.
If cotton of di$erent varieties are used then micronaire variation
usually indicates variation in fneness rather than maturity. The
variation in fneness may results in following problems(
;ossible drafting defects as drafting behaviour depends on
fbre fneness
:yeing defects as dye absorbency depends on fbre
fneness
%egregation particularly during air transport through
ducts if fneness range is very large resulting above two
problems.
Therefore it is important not only to maintain fneness and
maturity average between mixings but also to maintain a narrow
range between bales within a mix. 1owever often spinners forget
about micronaire range in a mixing. In all mixings, micronaire range
of bales used should be <ept minimum and constant.
It is advisable to use a mixing with very low 9icronaire range
preferably .5 to 3.+. !or yarn used for <nitting, it is often
recommended to have 9icronaire range within +.=. >etween mixing
variation in average micronaire in such case should not be more than
+.3 to have a perfect control over fabric barre.
Control o# Colour ran%e and a(era%e
&ange of colour of cotton bales used should be same for all the
mixings of a lot
'verage of colour of cotton bales used should be same for all the
mixings of a lot
The control of colour is very important to maintain uniform shade and
avoid to dyeing defects due to variation between and within mixings in
a lot.
Control o# Maturity coe)icient ran%e and a(era%e
In general, maturity is indirectly measured by micronaire and so in
mill, maturity is not directly measured. 1owever, in case of mixing
fbres of di$erent origin4variety, micronaire variation does not
necessarily indicate maturity variation. Therefore it is always
advisable to measure maturity coe$icient directly from each bale if
such a facility exits. 'vailability of cotton fbre fneness maturity
instrument such as 9icromat tester now allow mills to include
maturity as one of the parameter to consider while mixing.
I'*ortant *oint+ #or &o'o%eneou+ 'ixin%
The following points are worth considering to maintain minimum
variation and to obtain a homogeneous and uniform mix.
!eeding of thin layers from each bale should be preferred.
9aximum number of bales should be used in a mix as this
increases the number of layers in a mix.
?rouping of >ales(
%uppose there are fve di$erent micronaires and fve
di$erent colours in the mix and *+ bales are used in the mixing.
9ore groups should be made by grouping the bales in a mixing so
that each group will have average micronaire and average colour
as that of the overall mixing. The position of a bale for micronaire
and colour should be fxed for the group and it should repeat in the
same order for all the groups.
Le(el o# Moi+ture
,i%& le(el o# Moi+ture
The higher level of moisture in fbre results in di$iculty in
opening and therefore cleaning. @xcessive moisture may often be a
cause of increase in neps particularly in fne fbres.
Low le(el o# Moi+ture
Aow level of moisture in fbre results in poor strength as cotton
gains strength with increase in moisture regain. Therefore, with low
moisture, there is chances of excessive brea<age in various stages of
processing particularly in blowroom and card. This reduces
spinnability and yarn quality.
-ariation in Moi+ture
Bariation in moisture is often more serious than the level of
moisture. It is important to note that if two lots are exposed to
di$erent &elative 1umidity /&1 ,0 and temperature in mixing then
due to di$erence in moisture levels, there will be di$erence in dry
cotton content. 's such, when the two lots are subsequently
processed under same controlled conditioned atmosphere, with time,
moisture levels will become nearly same but there will be variation in
linear density. This will result variation between lots. %imilarly
variation in moisture level within a lot may also result in serious
within lot variation of count. %uch variations may seriously a$ect
fabric appearance particularly after dyeing. 9oreover most of
mechanical properties of fbre are infuenced by moisture and hence
variation in moisture also infuences variation in properties.
Proce++ Control in .low Roo'
Cleanin% and /a+te in .low Roo'
The following fndings regarding the cleaning and waste in blow
room are based on studies of a number of blow room lines processing
various types of cottons.
The cleaning e$iciency increases as the trash content increases
and reaches it maximum value at a trash content of 3+,. This trend
has to be attributed to the fact that unto a certain extent the number
of beating points or machines employed in the blow room sequence
increases with increasing trash content.
The collected waste /droppings0 in the blow room increases with
the trash content in the mixing.
@xtensive research on the e$ect of nature of trash on the
cleaning e$iciency has shown the following(
/a0 The trash in mixings consists essentially of two types the seedC
coats with fbres adhering to them, and the leafy matter and
sandC dust.
/b0The cleaning e$iciency of blow room machines for seed coats is
much less than for leafy matter and sandCdust ta<en together.
/c0 >oth, the total trash as well as the proportion of seed C coats in
the trash, thus determines the cleaning e$iciency of the blow
room.
/d0The excess of waste over total trash is more with greater
number of machines used in the blow room.
' sequence of blow room machines responses to the type of cotton
feed to it almost entirely in terms of the amount of trash in the feed.
The fbre prperties such as length and its variation have almost no
e$ect on the amount of waste that falls down at each machine.
If a blow room that has been found to be optimum performance at
a particular level to trash is fed with a mixing containing as much as
=*, more trash the blow room responds to it by a corresponding
increase in the waste extracted and a slight increase in cleaning so
that it maintains its optimum performance. %imilarly, if the trash in
the mixing decreases, the optimum performance is maintained. It is
important to note that the performance remains optimum even in the
absence of and changes in the settings and speeds, or in the number
of machines in the blow room line. 's a result, once a blow line is
adjusted to give optimum results, its performance remains optimum
over a su$iciently wide range of trash content. !requent adjustments
on the machinery are not necessary.
If two widely di$erent mixings, say a medium count mixing with
*, trash and a superfne mixing with about =, trash are wor<ed on
the same blow room line byC passing one or two machines for the
superfne mixing, the blow room responds appropriately to the level of
trash in the mixing and gives appropriate levels of waste and
cleaning. 'djustments in settings and speeds are not necessary.
The important aspects of process controlling the blow room are
waste extraction, cleaning achieved and neps created.
0++e++in% t&e Per#or'ance o# .low Roo'
In order to assess whether a blow room is in fact doing adequate
cleaning without ta<ing out more waste it is necessary to carry out a
special survey. The following steps involved in conducting a waste
and cleaning survey of the blow room.
Ste* 12 9ix di$erent cottons and soft waste proportionately to
prepare a lot of about =++ <g similar to the mixing normally used by
the mills. >esides this lot, <eep aside for trash analysis a *++ g sample
of each station of every variety of cotton used in the mixing and also
of the thoroughly mixed soft waste. ;articular attention must be paid
to endure that very sample is representative of the lot from which it is
drawn.
Ste* 32 Dlean the blow room line thoroughly by removing all waste
from and under all the machines. %pread large brown papers under
each machine for collecting the waste. ;rocess the =++ <g lot through
the blow room. 'ccumulate for trash tests *++ g samples from the
cotton delivered by each accessible blow room machine /whether
opener, cleaner or beater by name0 by ta<ing out tufts at regular
intervals. 9achines such as bale brea<er, hopper feeders, and
equipment line condenser caages, distributors, etc., may be omitted
when collecting samples for trash testing. Identify each sample by
mar<ing it appropriately and <eep for eventual use for trash analysis,
if needed. &ecord beater and fan speeds.
Ste* 42 'fter the entire lot has run through weigh carefully the
waste collected at each point. @xpress the waste as percentages of
material fed to the blow room /weight of lot ta<en0 and add the values
to get the total collected waste in the blow room.
Ste* 52 Dalculate the cleaning e$iciently of the entire blow room.
The trash content in the mixing is the weighted average of trash
contents in the components.
Ste* 62 Dompare the total collected waste and the blow room
cleaning e$iciency with the respective norms for the level of trash in
mixing calculated in step E. !or the purpose of judging the di$erences
in waste, a di$erence of about 3+, of the norm may be considered
tolerable.
Ste* 72 Test the trash content all the samples of cotton collected
from di$erent machines in the blow room and determine the cleaning
e$iciency of each machine.
Ste* 82 Aocate the machines which give subC standard
performance when cleaning and waste are judged together and then
ta<e corrective actions on the basis of data on beater and fan speeds,
settings etc.
Control o# Ne*+ in .ow roo'
2hile processing immature cottons with seed coat fragments, it
would always be benefcial to provide gentle blow room treatments
even at the cost of cleaning, since whatever is lost in blow room in
terms of cleaning could be compensated during carding.
@limination of rough and blunt beater edges, blades and blunt
pins on beaters minimi8e F@; formation. :amaged and rusty grid
bars are potential causes of neps- polishing grid bars will help to
reduce neps. >eaters must be set with correct clearance to prevent
damage to fbres and consequent formation of neps. Aong and curved
conveying pipes with rough inner surfaces and vends are to be
avoided to reduce napping potential of cottons. 1arsh treatments with
cleaning points li<e porcupine should be avoided while processing low
micron ire immature cottons. They damage the fbres causing them to
become matted. 'ir currents should be controlled and no winds
should be allowed to form during the passage of cotton from on
machine to another. The use of same type of cleaning point in
sequence can increase neps signifcantly.
Gne of the major reasons in blow room for the creation of
excessive neps is the repeated treatment of fbres that are stic<ing
with the beaters due to the failure of the stripping rail /due to the
limitation in minimum possible sittings0 in removing the fbres from
the beaters and sending them with the cotton that is delivered. In
modern bow room lines, because of the facility to maintain a very
close beater to stripping rail setting /to the tune of 3.* mm0, nep
generation is very much reduced.
C&ec9 *oint+
Ne* For'ation in .low Roo'
Dottons with too high or low moisture .
@xtremely fne cottons with high trash content.
&eprocessing of mixing of soft waste.
&ough or blunt blades and bent pins on beater .
:amaged and rusty grid bars.
Farrow sittings between the feed roller or beater.
Aong , curved and 7Cbends in conveyor pipe lines.
Inappropriate ratio of fan to beater speed.
Too high or low beater speeds.
'ir lea<age and obstruction of cotton fow through pipe line.
7se of more number of beaters than the requirement.
Poor Cleanin% E)iciency
>lunt stri<ing edges of beaters.
'ir lea<age at beater chamber and dust receptacle.
Improper adjustment of angle of grids and space between
grids and grid bars set
too close of beater.
1igh variation of trash content in the di$erent cottons used
for the mixing.
!an speed too high and bac< draft from gutter fue.
2ider setting between evener roller and inclined lattice.
@xcessive feed to the beater.
Proce++ control in Cardin%
The average level of waste and variation between individual cards
are important factors that a$ect the quality as well as cost of
production of yarn. Dards being the last point in the process combed
counts excluded Cwhere neps and foreign matter are e$ectively
controlled particular emphasis should be given to the control of there
characteristics in cards.
It has been observed that mills generally to not use correct type
of wire suited to a given quality of mixing. Gne inevitable reason for
this is that multiple counts are produced in a mill. %imilarly, di$erent
types of fbres are processed in the same card. 9ills are generally
indi$erent to the type of feed plate used in spite of the fact that it has
considerable bearing in yarn quality. !eed C plate to ta<er C in setting
being one of the very critical settings in cards, mills should ensure
that the type of feed plate as well as the settings are well suited to the
quality of cottons used.
It is also important to control the shortCterm variation in card
sliver, since a high unevenness can lead to excessive within C bobbin
count variation. The sliver 7,, neps or waste may be plotted in the
form of a histogram and the card number may also be indicated in
boxes. This would facilitate corrective action.
The next step is to chec< the quality of the web delivered, the
quantity and quality of waste. If the results are poor, the settings
between the wor<ing parts should be chec<ed and altered.
Proce++ Control in :raw Fra'e
:rawing is one of the <ey points from the point of view of
controlling yarn count variation. 7nder good wor<ing conditions, the
variation in draw frame sliver contributes about half of the lea count
variation. Dontrol of average count can also be e$ectively done at
drawing.
The use of auto levellers at draw frame helps to produce yarns
with a count D .B. of 3.= to 3.E,. 'uto levellers at draw frame also
helps to reduce strength variation and end brea<s in ring spinning
.2hile using auto leveller at draw frame, the sliver variation are
reduced in almost all the wave lengths within the range of wave
lengths covered !inisher drawing is the <ey point of control of
count since the variations in * m weight if fnisher sliver is fairly low
at a D.B., of 3.+ and consequently an accurate estimate of han< can
be obtained with a small number of readings. !urther, because of
small number of deliveries in a mill, the samples drawn can be made
more representative. 'nother advantage is that the change pinion is
normally large at about *+ to H+, so that even a deviation in weight
less than 3, can be rectifed by changing one tooth.
If the draw frame cans are flled with a constant length of sliver,
control of long C term variation in count can be exercised by weighting
the full cans. This may help to do away with the wrapping at drawing
stage besides providing a more reliable estimateIt of the han< of draw
frame sliver.
The shortCterm irregularity /7,0 of the brea<er draw frame
sliver and long Cterm variation of the fnisher sliver at about +.=* to
+.H+m lengths depending on the count spun are the factors a$ecting
within bobbin count variation. Bariation in longer lengths of about 3.*
to =.*m in brea<er head and 3+ to =+m in fnisher head infuences the
between C bobbin count variation. 7nder good wor<ing conditions the
D.B. , of fnisher draw frame sliver for +.* m lengths should be about
3.J and the D.B. , for * m lengths should be less than 3.+.
'lthough doubling has the e$ect of reducing the variation
in the card and combed slivers, this gain is partly o$set by the process
of drafting since a given length of sliver. The coCe$icient of meterCtoC
meter weights of the card or combed sliver does not exceed a
maximum of 5, whereas the fnisher draw frames sliver variation for
corresponding length is rarely lower than 3.J.
In many mills draw frames introduce much higher variation
because of one or more of the following causes(
- &oller slippage
- 1igh tension draft
- Gver Cparallelisation of fbres
- Improper pinion changes
- Improper roller settings.
%ome of the causes for short C term irregularity of the draw
frame sliver include bent or eccentric rollers , weight hoo<s or pins
not acting properly, hollowness of front roller, wrong settings,
incorrect si8e of trumpet, improperly meshed or worn gears, excessive
creel draft, bro<en or loose slides, eccentric pinions gears bored
eccentrically , gear wheel brac<ets bro<en or improperly secured etc.
:e#ect+ and Cau+e+
,i%& drawin% +li(er (ariation
Improper pressure on top roller due to defective parts or defect
in weighting system.
2rong settings, improper roller coverings , and eccentric top
and bottom rollers. Incorrect trumpet si8e.
Improperly meshed or worn gear wheels, gear wheel brac<ets
bro<en or improperly secured.
@xcessive creel draft and web tension draft.
%top motion ine$ective.
Incorrect sliver guide setting at feed.
?ood fbres drawn due to high air suction.
Bariation in top roller diameter.
2orn top roller end bushes4saddles.
Improper settings in the sliver condensing plate at the creel.
Improper use of brea< draft in brea<er and fnisher passages.

Roller La**in% in :raw Fra'e
Dhannelled or worn roller covering.
Incorrect setting of top roller clearers , or worn clearers.
:amaged futes in bottom rollers.
%cratches in calendar rollers.
Improper humidity .
@xcessive top roller pressure.
7se of varnishes to the top roller cots. .
Inadequate suction in the pneumatic.
&oller settings too close or too wide for the type of material
processed.
@xcessive trash in the feed material.
End .rea9+ in :rawin%
Improper piecing at bac< process.
:oubled sliver in feed.
Thin card sliver due to web falling at cards.
Incorrect trumpet si8e.
Dottons having excessive honey dew content.
Inadequate top roller pressure4brea< draft.
:amaged surfaces i drafting4 calendar rollers.
Gver flling of cans, and poor material handling practices.
Bery wide setting between drafting rollers.
:eeply meshed gears.
Improper ambient conditions in the department.
Proce++ Control in Co'bin%
I'*ro(e'ent in Fibre len%t& a#ter Co'bin%
The average fbre length is expected to increase after combing
due to the removal of short fbres. The following table gives the
expected increase in mean length as determined by a sorter diagram
process.
Nor'+ #or i'*ro(e'ent in Mean Len%t& a#ter
Co'bin%
Dount /F
e
0
Aevel of comber
waste,
Increase in mean
length
/mm0
=+s K .+s
H K L 3.+ K 3.=
3+ K 3= 3.= K 3.J
.+s K E+ 33 C 3. =.+ K =.*
5+s 3= K 3E =.* K ..+
J+s 3. K 3* =.* K ..+
3++s 3E K 35 ..+ K E.+
If a mill has fbrograph instrument to measure the fbre length
characteristics, the improvement in mean fbre length can be assessed
quite fast and more objectively. The following guideline could be used
to assess the improvement in the fbre length.
Dombing e$iciency ) (%) 100 *
% noil Comber
length span 50% in t Improvemen %
'n improvement of 3.H,, 3.*, and 3.., is considered to be
good, average and poor. 2henever these norms are applied, one
should also ta<e into account the type of fbre distribution. !or
MtriangularN staple diagrams, the improvement will be linear and for
fat Mtrape8oidalN staple diagrams, there will be improvement in the
mean length upto a point and then it fattens out.
Gne of the major objectives of combing is to reduce neps and
eliminate foreign matter such as seed coat fragments and the li<e. '
mill has to routinely conduct nep count studies on the combed sliver
and evolve their own standards.
Control o# /a+te
The amount of waste extracted is an important cost element and
any unnecessary increase in waste means increase in yarn cost.
Therefore, it is a usual practice in the mills to conduct waste studies
in combers on a regular basis. The waste studies could be conducted
in two di$erent ways depending on the requirements.
The standard method consists of feeding full laps for all the
heads after cleaning the machine and removal of waste from the
machine. 'll the laps are fully run in the comber. The laps fed, the
sliver fed and the waste removed are all weighed to obtain the waste
,. This is quite a time consuming process, but the results are quite
reliable.
In the short method, the test is conducted only for fve minutes
of comber running. The machine is cleaned of the waste and the laps
are weighed and the test is started. 'fter fve minutes, the lap weights
and the waste collected and /sometimes, the sliver produced0 are
measured and calculations are done to fnd out the waste ,.
2hen an overall waste , is required for machine setting, the
second method could be followed. 2hen the quality improvement is
the objective where factors such as head to head variation are
required to be studied in detail, the frst method would be
appropriate.
Proce++ Control in Fly #ra'e
Fly Fra'e End brea9a%e
' total brea<age rate of about . K E per 3++ spindle hours at
roving can be considered satisfactory. ?enerally, the creel brea<s
constitute between 3* K =*, of the total brea<s and most of the
remaining brea<s occur within fyer.
If the creel brea<s are excessive,
Dhec< the diameter of the condensing trumpet at the fnisher
draw frame. If it is larger than normally recommended for the
han< of sliver or excessively worn out, replace it with narrower
trumpet
@nsure proper coiling at the fnisher draw frame and test spring
plates for smooth functioning because they result in
entanglements of the sliver during withdrawal from the can and
cause brea<s
@nsure that the draw frame tenter pieces bro<en sliver ends in
the can
Dhec< the tension draft in the creel of the fy frame, i.e., draft
between the lifting rollers and bac< rollers and <eep it not more
than 3.+=.
The end brea<s within fyer depend mainly upon the mechanical
conditions /such as tendency to vibrate and lac< of smoothness of the
fyers0 and the unevenness of the rove. 7se of fyer top inserts
/having notches0 for increasing the twist in the rove between the front
rollers and the fyer top is <nown to reduce end brea<s /other than
creel brea<s0 by =+ K *+,.
Proce++ Control in Rin% S*innin%
Control o# End .rea9+ in Rin% S*innin%
The frst major process control activity for any spinner is
perhaps the control of end brea<s in ring spinning, as it has the
maximum e$ect on wor< assignments, productivity, costs and similar
important factors. Gne could venture to say that once the end
brea<age rate is controlled within reasonable limits, almost half the
job of the spinner is almost over, of course without the loss of
productivity.
%ome of the most important factors that have infuence on the
end brea<age are outlined below. It is assumed that a good quality is
roving is supplied to the ring spinning department, after controlling
the process in the preceding sections and the raw material quality is
appropriate.
's a broad guideline, the production per spindle, the spindle
speed, T9, the spindle lift and ring diameter, the wor< assignments
and the allowable end brea<age rates for various counts are listed in
the following table.
S*indle +*eed" S*indle Li#t and Rin% dia'eter+
Dount
/Fe0
Aift x
&ing
:ia
/mm0
%pin
dle
spee
d
/rpm0
3+s
=+. x
E*
L+++
=+s
=+. x
E*
3=*+
+
.+s
3HJ x
E3
3.*+
+
.+s c
3HJ x
E3
3E++
+
E+s
3HJ x
E3
3E++
+
E+s c
3HJ x
E3
3E*+
+
*+s
3HJ x
E3
3E*+
+
5+s
3HJ x
E3
3E*+
+
5+s c
3HJ x
E3
3*++
+
The choice of spindle lift and ring diameter is an important
factor a$ecting the end brea<age rate, energy consumption,
productivity of do$ers etc. %ubstantially higher spindle speeds than
those shown in the above table are possible, if shorter spindle lifts and
smaller ring diameters are chosen for the same level of end brea<age
rate. Aarger spindle lifts and ring diameters are defnitely a
disadvantage in this respect.
1igh speed ring and traveller combination permits high
traveller speeds /upto .* metres per second0- for counts above .+s,
rings of !lange Fo. 3 are found to be generally suitable and for counts
coarser than .+s, !lange Fo. = is considered appropriate.
:ual motor drive to the ring frame permits the spindle speed at
the beginning and at the end of do$ to be lowered su$iciently, and at
the same time to increase the speed during the rest of the do$, thus
ensuring almost the same level of end brea<age during the entire
build of the bobbin. This is generally accompanied by an increase in
production rates also.
>alloon control rings should be used to reduce the tension of the
yarn that is being twisted, which thus reduces the end brea<age rate.
Individual pulley drive /in place of long tin rollers, which was
common in old ring frames0 reduces the machine vibration leading to
reduced end brea<age rate.
Inadequate suction pressures for the collection of bro<en ends
generally result in multiple adjacent brea<s and this necessitates the
chec<ing and setting right of suction pressures on a routine basis.
The spindle gauging needs to be done as accurately as possible
to reduce the end brea<s. It has been observed in various studies
conducted that substantial reduction in end brea<age is possible with
accurate spindle gauging.
Gbservation of the balloon formed at various heights of the build
of the ring bobbin brings out the accurateness of the spindle gauging.
The profle of the balloon should not touch the pac<age top edge,
which could happen when the yarn is being wound at the last stages
of bobbin build. If necessary, the lappet gauging should be correctly
carried out.
Bibration and wobbling of spindles lead to high level of end
brea<age. &ings and travellers should be correctly matched to obtain
high performance. 2orn rings should be replaced periodically /the life
of rings is generally about . years0. Traveller clearer settings should
be regularly chec<ed and set right, to avoid brea<age due to
accumulation of fu$ on the traveller. The lappets should be changed if
they are found to be with grooves, which are li<ely due to the abrasion
of the yarn over long periods.
The spindle tapes should be ensured to run with correct and
even tension on all spindles. 'ny slac<ness will mean loss of twist
which could result in end brea<s apart from loss of yarn strength.
@ccentricity of bottom rollers, apart from being the source of
periodic variation in the yarn produced, would also result in end
brea<s. The condition of top roller rubber cots and the aprons also is
an important factor- hard cots produce uneven yarn- worn and
damaged cots and aprons are sure sources of more end brea<s.
Dorrect levels of relative humidity and temperature are
essential- the recommended level of relative humidity in spinning
room is around E* to **, and a temperature of .+ to .*O D.
The mechanical condition of the ring frame is considered to be
of prime importance on its e$ect on end brea<s- any e$ort on
improving the mechanical condition of the ring frame will lead to
reduced end brea<age rate. !or instance, eccentric rollers, worn out
arbours, under si8e cots, inadequate pressures on top rollers, worn
cradles, grooved aprons, eccentric spindles, worn and tilted rings,
vibrating bobbins, worn and eccentric gears, improper setting of
gears, vibration of tin rollers and joc<ey pulleys are frequently
observed to be major causes for the ring frames. In this context,
installation of a machinery audit system to locate and correct the
mechanical defciencies will be highly pertinent.
Control o# ;arn E(enne++ and I'*er#ection+
'ny spun yarn is composed of fbres which are themselves of
very short lengths. In a perfectly uniform yarn, the number of fbres
should be the same, and also the mass per unit length of the fbre
should be the same over the length of a fbre and from fbre to fbre.
Dotton fbres obviously vary in mass per unit length, both within a
fbre and from fbre to fbre. 'lso it is impossible to assemble the
fbres into a yarn in such a way that their number remains the same at
any crossCsection of the yarn over the length of the yarn. The utmost
that can be done is to ensure that the variation in the number of fbres
per crossCsection is the barest minimum. The variability of mass per
unit length, both within and between fbres and the minimum
conceivable variability in the number of fbres per crossCsection in a
yarn set the minimum limit for yarn irregularity. This limit, expressed
as the coe$icient of variation is ) 3+54 N , where F is the average
number of fbres per cross section. ?iven the yarn count, the average
number of fbres per crossCsection is inversely proportional to the
average fbre mass. The minimum attainable coCe$icient of variation
/DB ,0 can be shown to be +.J5*P
inch per g * Ne
, where Fe is the
count of yarn spun. >ased on this, one can calculate the theoretical
minimum DB , for various counts of yarn and they are given in Table
..
Table 42 T&eoretical Mini'u' Irre%ularity o# ;arn+
Qarn
count
/Fe0
DB, of yarn spun from fbres of
.
inch per g
E
inch per g
*
inch per g
=+s 5.H H.H J.5
E+s L.* 3+.L 3=.=
J+s 3..E 3*.* 3H..
The above table clearly brings out the e$ect of fbre fneness on
the minimum achievable yarn evenness for a given count in terms of
coe$icient of variation. The irregularity considered above is Mrandom
irregularityN.
:rafting on ring frames is carried out by means of rollers and
aprons, where the rollers are <ept rotating by a train of gears. 'ny
defciency in the rollers or gears that will a$ect the constant speed of
them will introduce mass variations in the yarn which will be refected
as periodic variation in the yarn, as these defciencies are repetitive in
nature. @xamples of this type are roller eccentricities in ring frames,
fy frames, draw frames, roller slip in fy frames and draw frames. The
yarns having periodic variations will exhibit defects such as weft bars,
diamonds etc.
There are two characteristics of a periodic irregularity K the
amplitude and the wave length. The amplitude refers to the di$erence
in mass between the thic<est or the thinnest place and the average
mass per unit length. The amplitude is expressed as a percentage of
mean mass per unit length. The distance between any two successive
pea<s is termed as the wave length. The wave length of a periodic
irregularity decides what type of cloth defect the yarn is li<ely to give
rise to. The amplitude decides the seriousness of the fault. The wave
length is useful in locating the source of the irregularity. >y dividing
the wave length of an irregularity in the yarn by the drafts introduced
onwards of a particular stage, one can chec< whether the particular
stage is li<ely to be the cause of the periodic irregularity in question.
?enerally, the periodic irregularities do not occur on all machines
simultaneously. Gnly a small portion of the entire production is usually
a$ected and though the deterioration in theses pac<ages is
substantial, the average values do not show it. The periodic
irregularity comes to be noticed as a result of complaints regarding
fabric defects. 2hen the wave length of a periodicity is between = cm
and 3* cm, it possible to detect its presence by winding the yarn on a
trape8oidal blac< board, about .+ cm long, and 3* cm and =* cm
wide at the two sides. %ince the successive lengths of yarns are
wound side by side and closely, any periodicity present in the yarn is
shown up as a 7 shaped pattern formed by the thic< or thin places.
The wave length of the periodicity is given by
2ave length )
dth at that i board the of sides both on patterns ! of Number
shape ! the of "iddle at the #oard of $idth * %
.
The presence of periodicities beyond the wave length of 3* cm
can be detected with the use of the spectrograph equipment of the
electronic yarn evenness testers. The spectrograph shows a single
pea< at the appropriate length when the irregularity is periodic.
>etween the two extreme types of purely random and purely
periodic lies another type of periodicity which is called as quasi
periodic. ' quasi periodic variation has a varying wave length and
amplitude. #uasi periodic variation is inevitable with the current level
of technological development and only its magnitude has to be
controlled within reasonable limits. The source of this inevitable quasi
periodic variation is roller drafting. In roller drafting, the fbres which
are shorter than the nip to nip distance foat in the drafting 8one
without any control during their stay and they are pulled out of order
by the front nip leading to production of thic< and thin places
alternately. The wave length varies from about 5 to J cm and the
amplitude of the variation depends on the amount or proportion of
short fbres. These variations do not show as pea<s, but as humps, or
as pea<s spread over many wave lengths. This type of irregularity if
excessive would be immediately refected in the test results of yarn
evenness of all bobbins4spindles, say for instance the choice of a wider
nip to nip setting than is advisable for a given raw material quality.
The stages of processing that contribute largely to the yarn
unevenness are ring frames, carding, combing and fy frames. The
processing parameters and machine conditions at these stages play a
major role in deciding the level of unevenness of the yarn.
Imperfections li<e thic< places, thin places and neps are less
severe in nature but occur more frequently than faults such slubs, bad
piecings and loose or spunCin lint. 2hile successive faults may be
separated by lengths of the order of several thousand metres,
imperfections can occur as frequently as once a metre. The presence
of imperfections as well as faults may cause di$iculties in subsequent
processes and can lead to poor appearance of the fabric. 2hile faults
can to some extent be removed in winding, the imperfections are so
small and so numerous that to extract and replace them by <nots is
neither technologically advantageous nor economically justifable. It is
therefore important to be able to assess the nature and frequency of
imperfections in yarns so that control over these may be exercised in
spinning.
The incidence of thin and thic< places increases with increasing
7 ,. The good association of thin, thic< places with 7, implies that
the factors which infuence 7, are also li<ely to infuence the thic<
and thin places. @xtensive mill studies have also shown that short
fbre percentage in the mixing, the type and condition of drafting
system, drafting parameters, the quality of carding and combing are
the major factors infuencing 7, as well as thin and thic< places.
The incidence of neps does not show such a high correlation
with 7,- this implies that the factors that a$ect these two parameters
are li<ely to be di$erent. In fact, the incidence of neps is more due to
the quality of carding, combing and the presence of seed coat
fragments.
' chec< list for the control of yarn unevenness, thic< and thin
places is given in the following table and the next table gives the
chec< list for the control of neps.
C&ec9 li+t #or t&e control o# <= " t&ic9 and t&in *lace+
Sta%e
o#
Pro>
ce++in%
C&ec9
*oint
General
reco''endation
Re'ar9+
3. &ing
frames
:rafting
paramete
rs
Total
draft
@qual to count for 5s
to 3Es,
3E to 3L for counts 3*s
to =+s
=+ to =* for counts ==s
to .5s
and =* to .* for counts
E+s to 3++s
Dhanges in
twist, spindle
speed, traveller
count and
mechanical
condition of
rings, travellers
have no
infuence
>rea<
draft
'bout 3.. for drafts
upto =*, about 3.* for
higher drafts
'pron
spacer
E.* mm for counts upto
3Js, E.+ mm for =+s to
=5s, ..* mm for counts
=Js to E+s, ..+ mm for
3. &ing
frames
/Dont.0
counts EEs to J+s, and
=.* mm for counts
3++s and above
:rafting
Dondition
s
!ront top
roller
condition
'void wobbling, greasy
top rollers- bu$ every
5 months- minimum
diameter =* mm- for
polyester blended
yarn, bu$ more
frequently
Top roller
condition critical
Traverse
9ust operate- cover twoC
thirds if the roller width-
do not let the roving to
slip outside drafting 8one
on any spindle.
&oller
pressure
@qual on all arms and as
recommended by
manufacturers- top arm
setting important
%hould not go
below =+, of the
recommended
value on more
than =+, of the
spindles
=. Dards
=. Dards
/Dontinu
ed0
Dylinder
speed
9aintain the maximum
possible as
recommended by
machinery
manufacturer /1;
;roduction cards( .++
to *++rpm depending
on the technology level
of the cards0
;roductio
n rate
Aowest commensurate
with availability of
cards
7se of low
production rates
helps in
reducing the
neps- trials
needed to decide
the level of
production- over
5+, reduction
may be
necessary to
process
immature fbres
with large
length variability

:o$er
speed
1igh do$er speed with
light han< for any
given production rate-
adjust han< at the frst
head of drawing by
reducing the draft
DylinderC
do$er
setting
E thou- as uniform as
possible
Dondition
of wire
points
9aintain the wire
points sharp by regular
grinding
Dritical factor
..
Dombers
Improve
ment in
mean
length
's per standards-
Timing of
piecing
@nsure that is as per
machinery
manufacturerNs
recommendations
%etting of
front 8one
in draw
box
9aintain minimum
possible distance
without causing fbre
brea<age- e$ective
length R . mm
Donduct trials to
obtain low 7 ,
9achine
condition
Dondition of combing
segment, top comb,
nipper assembly,
detaching rollers
critical
E. !ly
frames
7 ,
roving
5 to J , for carded
counts and * to H , for
combed counts- ta<e
trials with bac< draft
and apron spacers
!ollow up trials
upto ring frame
stage before
choosing a draft
or spacer as
optimum
*. :raw
frames
7 , of
sliver
's per standards-
maintain minimum
possible nip to nip
distance without causing
fbre brea<age- use fbre
control devices li<e
presser bars at optimum
levels
Fo infuence on
yarn thin and
thic< places
C&ec9 li+t #or control o# Ne*+ in yarn
Sta%e o#
Pro>
ce++in%
C&ec9
*oint
General
reco''endation
Re'ar9+
3. Dards
#uality of
grinding
7se a low power
microscope to ensure
that grinding wire
points is proper
!lat strips
waste
1igher than 3.*,
sometimes helps in
reducing the neps
;roductio
n
paramete
rs and
condition
of wire
points
%ame as in previous
table
Dleaning
e$iciency
Doncentrate on the
removal of seed coat
particles- sliver may be
tested for number of
trash particles per
grams similar to neps
per gram to reduce
trash neps
;ressure
on cross
rolls
%elect maximum
pressure
Fot e$ective for
seed coats
because of
attached fbres
=.
Dombers
9achine
condition
%ame as in previous
table
Gptimum
comber
waste
1igher levels of wastes
generally result in
reduction in neps- cost
and considerations
If card sliver has
high level of
neps and if the
yarn quality
requirements
are stringent,
assumes more
importance
.. >low
room
!an
speeds
?enerally =++ to =*+
rpm more than the
beater speed
Gmission
of beaters
'void usage of harsh
beaters unless
inevitable
9achine
condition
Dondition of beating
points, grid bars,
opening elements
critical
Dleaning
e$iciency
Doncentrate on
opening in blow room
and achieve highest
possible combined
blow room and carding
cleaning e$iciency
9odern blow
room lines
concentrate
more on
opening- high
cleaning
e$iciencies are
not generally
achievable in
modern lines.
Proce++ Control in Rotor S*innin%
E(enne++
The evenness of the rotor yarn is infuenced by the following
factors(
fneness of fbres
evenness of feed sliver
accumulated dirt and dust in the rotor groove
damaged or worn out opening roller
deposits in the transport channel
damaged or worn out navel
damaged or worn out draw o$ roller
The rotor spinning system has an inherent advantage of
nullifying very short term unevenness of slivers. This is achieved by
the intensive doubling obtained at the rotor groove at the level of
individual fbres. 1owever this levelling is e$ective only to the extent
of yarn lengths equivalent to the circumference of the rotor- any
further unevenness in the sliver is faithfully reproduced in the fnal
yarn. Therefore, feed sliver evenness needs to be controlled with
7ster DB, between =.* to ..*. 'chieving this level of evenness
depends on the proportion of short fbres in the raw material, setting
of drafting rollers, availability of draft control elements such as
pressure bars, selection and distribution of draft etc.
1igh rotor speeds in general result in more uneven yarn- with
increase in rotor speed, the throughput rate increases, which a$ect
separation of fbres by the opening roller. The fbres released on the
rotor may not slide down in a smooth fashion to the groove and thus
may a$ect arrangement of fbres in the groove.
The deposition of dirt and dust in the rotor groove interfere with
the transformation of fbre band into yarn through twisting and a$ect
the yarn evenness.
The wear of the rotor groove can also increase the unevenness
as it disturbs the fow of torque and deposition of fbres in the groove.
Gpening roller individualises the fbres and feeds them into the
rotor groove. 2rong type of opening roller, damaged teeth of opening
rollers need attention here. The speed of the roller should be adjusted
according to the sliver han< and the feed rate. ' higher opening roller
speed /not being too excessive0 would in general be more conducive
for producing even yarn.
:eposition of waxy materials or spin fnishes in the transport
channel causes hindrance to the free fow of fbres through the
channel and thereby into the groove. &egular cleaning action as part
of routine maintenance is a solution to this problem.
The navel in the rotor assembly acts as a false twist generator
by its abrasive action on the rotating yarn. The rubbing action of the
navel may become too aggressive if it gets damaged or worn. This
could lead to high unevenness and faults in the yarn.
The draw o$ roller should ensure a steady and smooth
withdrawal of yarn from the rotor at a constant rate. If the rollers are
damaged or eccentric, the withdrawal of the yarn will be jer<y leading
to uneven pic<ing of fbres from the rotor and hence more uneven
yarn.
;eriodic variations are possible in the case of rotor yarn as in
ring yarn. The reasons for the periodicity are
periodic mass variations in the feed sliver
wrong presser and feed plate alignment
defective drive to the feed roller
damaged or worn opening roller
dirt or dust accumulations in the rotor groove
damaged rubber drive to twin disc rotor drive
'ny periodicity present in the feed sliver is refected in the yarn
with the wave length getting extended by a factor of the draft
employed in the rotor spinning machine.
The presser and the feed plate alignment ensure how the fbres
are gripped and released by the feed roller when opening roller teeth
act on the fbres. ;eriodic change of feed roller pressure on sliver will
result in periodic release of fbres.
'ny mechanical fault of the driving assembly with regard to the
feed roller will also cause periodic variation in the yarn. :amaged
teeth of the opening roller may cause fbre lumps to be released
periodically into the rotor groove. >ig trash particles within the
groove will hamper the fow of twist and uniform deposition of fbres
in the groove where the trash is present leading to periodicity of yarn.
The damaged rubber covering of the twinCdisc drive to the rotor
causes the rotor speed to vary in a periodic and jer<y manner and
a$ect the uniform deposition of fbres in the groove.
The wave length of the periodicities and the possible sources
are listed below(
3+cm K =+ cm CCCC problem with the rotor
5+ cm K 3 m CCCC problem at the rotor bearing
3+ cm K .+ cm CCCC problem at the winding on traverse
motion
= m and longer CCCC problem in the feed sliver
3+ m to =+ m CCCC problem in the feed roller
7neven, split or damaged slivers would lead to generation of
faults in the yarns as they disturb the uniform deposition of fbres into
the groove, which in turn leads to imperfections. >ad sliver joints
could be a source of long thic< places.
&esidual trash level in the sliver is an extremely important
factor in rotor spinning. The more is the residual trash the more will
be its quic< deposition into the rotor groove. 'ny contaminants or
undrawn fbres would be potential fault generator. %ome amount of
dust and dirt generally fnd their way into the rotor groove and fll
them up gradually. The rotor needs to be cleaned periodically
depending on the rate of build up of deposit. 2hen the grooves are
not cleaned at regular intervals, the grooves get gradually cho<ed up
leading to the production of uneven yarn /moirS yarn0.
Table 62 Factor+ a)ectin% ;arn Quality
Quality c&aracteri+tic Factor+
7nevenness /7,, DB,0 @venness of feed sliver
:irt and dust in rotor groove
:amaged4worn opening roller
:amaged4worn navel
:amaged4worn do$ing o$ roller
;eriodic variation :irt and dust in rotor groove
:amaged or worn opening roller
:rive to feed rotor
7nevenness of feed sliver
;resser and feed plat
arrangement
Tensile property &aw material characteristics
!eed sliver
Twist
Gpening roller
&otor /speed, diameter, groove0
Control o# Count and Count -ariation (C-

Sa'*lin%
Dollect a suitable number of bobbins every day from each group
of ring frames wor<ing the given count so as to accumulate, over a
period of about 3+ days, *+ C 5+ bobbins. :raw a random sample of .+
bobbins from this lot and test . consecutive leas from each bobbin for
lea count /and strength also, if an estimate of variability of strength is
also desired0. The entire testing should be done by the operator, in
one day and on the same balance /and lea strength testing machine0.
Recordin% o# Te+t :ata
&ecord the test results separately for each bobbin. It is a good
practice to number the bobbin for any identifcation that may be found
necessary later. :o not reject any readings of count
Co'*utation o# -ariability
Dompute the values of D.B. within and between C bobbins by the
range method or by the direct method of analysis of variance.
Reducin% wit&in > bobbin count (ariation
Cau+e+ o# ,i%& -ariation(
The most important single cause of within C bobbin count
variation is defective draw frame drafting. ;oor drafting introduces
pronounced di$erences in the weight of J cm pieces of frst leas sliver
of EJ cm pieces of fnisher sliver which leas to variations in count
between consecutive leas of the yarn form the same bobbin.
The contribution to within C bobbin count variation from fy
frames can be from two sources( irregular drafting and irregular
stretching. Gf these the e$ect of irregular draft is not much.This is
because irregular drafting will introduce variability between small
lengths of roving. %uch variability will be averaged out in a * m piece
of roving which roughly corresponds to a lea of yarn. The e$ect of
irregular stretching caused by improper regulation of bobbin speed
can introduce di$erences in the weight of roving over di$erent layers
of the roving bobbin. To the extent that di$erent leas from a ring
bobbin originate from di$erent layers of the creel roving bobbin,
therefore, the e$ect of irregular stretch can a$ect the within C bobbin
count variation. The frst and last lea of a ring bobbin is normally
separated by about J to 3+ layers for roving. This means that irregular
stretch at fy frame can a$ect within C bobbin count variation if such
irregularity is li<ely to introduce weight variation in consecutive J to
3+ layers of roving.
Gn the ring frame the sources that are li<ely to introduce
within C bobbin count variations are stretch between creel and bac<
roller, and irregular movement of self C weighted bac< top rollers
wheel these are present. The e$ect of these has been found to be an
increase in the within C bobbin D.B from roving to yarn by about +.*.
Gnly rarely is this increase more than +.* in that case an investigation
may prove worthwhile.
Control o# Sli(er E(enne++
The unevenness of card sliver is generally between = C.,
which increases to around * CH, after the frst passage of drawing.
The second passage of draw frames, used invariably for spinning
carded yarns, reduces this value to between . C*, depending upon
the fbre length characteristics of the mixing being processed and the
type of draw frame.
In the case of carded material, the two contributes to the
unevenness of the drawing sliver are the drafting waves and the roller
slip waves. The drafting wave has a variable wavelength even in any
given layers ranging between = and . times the staple length.
'part from these specifc measures for controlling the
unevenness of the carded and combed slivers on conventional and
modern draw frames, it is necessary to pay close attention to two
other factors which are often ignored in mill practice. These are the
creel draft between the lifter rollers and the bac< rollers, and the web
draft between the front rollers and the coiler calendar rollers. >oth
these are essentially tension drafts which are normally not ta<en
account of in calculating the total draft at the draw frames but can
together account for as much as *, di$erence in the average
wrappings of otherwise identically set draw frames. 'part from this
expected e$ect on the average han<, these drafts have been seen to
infuence the unevenness of the sliver substantially.
>esides improper choice of processing parameters and poor
mechanical- conditions of the machine, the behaviour of the raw
material can , contribute signifcantly to high within C bobbin count
variation although this is extremely rare. Two examples of such
problematic behaviour are ( roller lapping and fbre shedding.
.etween > bobbin count (ariation
:i$erence in the average han< of inter bobbins can originate
from(
Cdeference in blow room lap weight
Cdraft di$erences between groups of cards or combers,
Chan< di$erences between draw frames slivers, draft
di$erences between fy
frames-
Cexcessive han< di$erences between front and bac< row of
bobbins in fy frames-
This list of causes immediately suggests also the remedies for
high between C bobbin count variation
't ring frames, it is necessary to ma<e sure that the draft
constant of a group of frames considered identical is <ept the same .
2here this is not possible it is necessary to ma<e sure that suitable
pinions are used ta<ing into account the di$erences in draft
constants. Intermittent slippage of bac< top rolls where these are of
the self C weighted type has to be avoided .
Stren%t& and Stren%t& -ariation
!actors '$ecting Qarn %trength
The factors which a$ect yarn strength will now be listed in the
order of their importance.
- #uality of drafting at ring frames
- #uality of carding
- #uality of combing
- #uality of mixing
- Gther processing factors
The control of the variability of lea strength can serve a number
of useful purposes. ' low level of strength variability is indicative of
uniform performance of the yarn. !urther it helps in reducing the
amount of testing required to ensure the conformity of the average
strength with standards.