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Fibres/​Yarns

New Loepfe tool for more efficient yarn clearing

The contamination of cotton with synthetic fibres is a common concern for spinning mills.

26th March 2019

Knitting Industry
 |  Wetzikon

Knitwear, Knitted Outerwear

By entering the P settings, the P-Matrix shows a clearing curve considering the most common factors to reach optimal and efficient clearing results. © Loepfe

By entering the P settings, the P-Matrix shows a clearing curve considering the most common factors to reach optimal and efficient clearing results. © Loepfe

The contamination of cotton with synthetic fibres is a common concern for spinning mills. Especially white or transparent polypropylene fibres from bale packaging can affect the quality of the spun yarn. If the polypropylene contaminations are not removed properly during production, the spun yarn can cause costly complaints. Contamination clearing improves the yarn quality considerably. But if it is done too strictly, the production efficiency can be adversely affected and the amount of waste increases.

To optimise yarn clearing even further, Loepfe, a leading manufacturer of sensors and monitoring equipment for yarn spinning and fabric weaving processes, has developed the new adjustment tool P-Matrix for its YarnMaster Zenit+, which increases the clearing efficiency substantially. Extensive tests in a spinning mill in India showed impressive results.

Tests at SLP Spinning Mills

SLP Spinning Mills, based in Guntur District, India, produces high quality cotton yarns for local and export markets. The company with a totally integrated production, which has been founded in 2006, employs some 500 staff. The total capacity of 47,520 spindles is used to produce mainly combed compact cotton yarn in the range of Ne 40 to Ne 80.

Contamination of the raw cotton with white and transparent polypropylene fibres is a major concern for yarn quality and may cause many problems in subsequent processes along the production, i.e. broken needles in knitting applications.

SLP and Loepfe conducted extensive tests with the new P-Matrix tool. © Loepfe

SLP and Loepfe conducted extensive tests with the new P-Matrix tool. © Loepfe

To improve yarn clearing, SLP and Loepfe conducted extensive tests with the new P-Matrix tool, which can be used for adjusting Loepfe’s yarn clearer YarnMaster Zenit+. “We use yarn clearer from Loepfe for many years now, and have always been satisfied with the results,” said Desu Suryaprakasa Rao, Managing Director at SLP. The goal of the tests has been a more precise adjustment of the yarn clearer guaranteeing best possible quality, while maintaining overall process efficiency.

Taking full control

In the first phase of test runs, a cotton bale, where the polypropylene has been segregated manually, has been used to spin Ne 60 combed yarn. The subsequent winding has been done on a Saurer Autoconer 6. The yarn clearer eliminated 20 synthetic foreign matter faults on a length of 100 km. The clearing efficiency was above 80%, and there haven’t been any complaints from the customer.

In the second step, the customer utilised the innovative P-Matrix to enhance the control over the clearing process. By entering the P settings, the P-Matrix shows a clearing curve considering the most common factors to reach optimal and efficient clearing results. The operator can easily adjust settings to the individual needs by increasing or lowering the clearing curve, in order to receive optimum results. Other factors, like hairiness, neppiness, and yarn tension have to be taken into account. The settings can be exactly adjusted to meet the requirements of the actual spun yarn.

The P-Matrix visualises the sensor signals and enables an intuitive adjustment of the sensitivity. © Loepfe

The P-Matrix visualises the sensor signals and enables an intuitive adjustment of the sensitivity. © Loepfe

The tests have been repeated as in the first step. Due to the precise adjustment with the P-Matrix the yarn clearer eliminated 42 foreign matter faults/100 km, corresponding to a clearing efficiency of 95%, the company reports

Rewarding results

The YarnMaster Zenit+ combines different sensor principles in one single device. This enables the customer to effectively control the yarn quality. The P-sensor used for the synthetic foreign matter detection is based on the triboelectric effect. The sensor is sensitive to different materials, and is therefore able to distinguish between cotton and synthetic foreign matter, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyamide (nylon) etc.

“The unique sensor principle in combination with the new P-Matrix improves the synthetic foreign fibre clearing substantially,” the company reports. “The P-Matrix facilitates the perfect adjustment of the clearing. The result is not only an effective clearing of synthetic contaminations, but at the same time an optimized overall production efficiency with less waste.”

www.loepfe.com

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