Indian Journal of .

Fibre & Textile Research

Vol. 36, September 2011, pp. 211-214

Novel technique for improving yarn quality and reducing hairiness in

conventional ring frame
R Murugana & C Vigneswaran
PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore 641 004, India
and
Anindya Ghosh
Government College of Engineering & Textile Technology, Berhampore 742 101, India

Received 21 September 2010; revised received and accepted 25 May 2011

An attempt has been made to produce condensed yarn using mingling chamber fitted in the front drafting zone in the
conventional ring spinning machine. Three combed cotton yarns of 60s, 80s and 100s Ne have been spun on the existing and
modified ring spinning systems. A test of significance at 95% level confirms that the condensed yarns produced by the
proposed system are much better in strength, elongation, hairiness and imperfections as compared to the yarns produced on
existing system. The proposed method of yarn condensing has great potentiality to be used as an alternative method of
compact spinning as it is capable of producing optimum quality yarns at lower cost.

Keywords: Condensed yarn, Compact spinning, Mingling chamber, Ring spinning, Yarn quality

1 Introduction embraced by an indirectly driven perforated lattice

Although new spinning technologies solved the apron. The tubular profile has a small slot, which
problem of production and automation to a greater ensures the air suction through the lattice apron. The
extent, ring spinning still dominates over the others and air current seizes the fibres after they leave the front
will continue in the future as a dominant technology, roller nipping line and condenses the fibre strand,
because it exhibits significant advantages in terms of which is conveyed by the lattice apron and
yarn quality and flexibility in comparison with the new transported to the delivery line.
spinning process. The spinning triangle is the most In Rieter Comfor Spin, the delivery roller of the
troublesome and weakest zone in the yarn formation drafting system is replaced by a perforated drum,
process in ring spinning as it increases end breakage, which is fitted with a suction system. There is a
fibre loss and yarn hairiness. The introduction of stationary diagonal slot inside the drum to allow the
compact spinning has minimized the negative influence passage of air. A subsequent second top roller also
of the spinning triangle in ring spinning. presses the drum. The fibres supplied from the
Compact spinning has been generated through re- delivery nip line of the drafting system are held firmly
engineering the established ring spinning process by on the surface of the perforated drum and move with
attaching a condensing device which ensures the the circumferential speed of the drum. The fibre band
compaction of fibre band issuing from the drafting emerging from the drafting system is thus condensed.
system1, 2. The compaction of the fibres can be Compact spinning realizes a noteworthy
accomplished either by using mechanical condenser enhancement in yarn quality through better
or pneumatic condenser. There are two major exploitation of fibre length3-7. However, the compact
manufacturers for compact spinning, namely Sussen spinning has some practical problems8. As a
Elite Spinning and Rieter Comfor Spin. consequence, it has been deprived to gain commercial
The attached condensing device of Sussen Elite acceptance on a large scale in India. Some
Spinning consists of a tubular profile, which is closely technological problems associated with the aforesaid
compact spinning systems are discussed below.

a
To whom all the correspondence should be addressed. As far as the Sussen Elite Spinning is concerned,
E-mail: [email protected] the maintenance cost is very high because of the
212 INDIAN J. FIBRE TEXT. RES., SEPTEMBER 2011

frequent cutting of perforated aprons and profile tube. ring spinning systems. Yarns of 60s count (4.05 TM)
This may be attributed to the contact pressure gradient were spun from MCU5 cotton and DCH cotton was
resulting from the apron passage over different radii used to spin 80s (4.08 TM) and 100s (3.93 TM)
of curvature of the tubular profile. Moreover, the counts. The process parameters employed for each
rubber embraced delivery top roller which negatively machines were those that are considered appropriate
drives the apron in the condensing zone is very by commercial spinners based on their experience.
smooth and thereby makes the apron more prone to The specifications of the cotton fibres are given in
slippage and causes speed variation, which results in Table 1.
deterioration of yarn quality8. For the condensed yarn production in the ring
In the context of Rieter Comfor Spin, the diameter spinning system, the conventional ring spinning
of bottom perforated roller is much larger than the machine (Laxmi LG 5/1) having SKF PK 225 drafting
diameter of ordinary bottom roller which restricts system with 3/3 drafting arrangements (Fig. 1) was
minimum setting for short fibre processing. Further, modified. The mingling chamber with pneumatic
the absence of tension draft between front top roller pipeline was designed for individual spindle. The
and delivery top roller may cause disturbance in fibre mingling chamber was made out of aluminum bar
orientation since the condensing forces act normal to with two holes on either side and was fitted with
direction of fibre movement. Moreover, the absence pneumatic pipe line of group connections. The
of flutes on the perforated bottom roller may assist medium size cradle was replaced with a shorter cradle
slippage of top rollers leading to deterioration in yarn in the drafting system (Fig. 2). The mingling chamber
qualities. In addition, the diameter of hole of was fixed between the front and the middle drafting
perforation is very large in comparison to the fibre rollers with suitable air connections. Mingling
diameter. Consequently, there is a strong possibility chamber ensures the condensation of drafted fibre
that some amount of fibres may get sucked through strand by means of intertwining the jet of compressed
the perforation of the bottom roller8. air in anticlockwise direction. The air pressure of
In the wake of current economic slowdown, it is pneumatic pipe line was controlled with the air
always advisable to look for cheaper alternatives. In regular. A pressure of 4.5 bar was chosen after several
view of the supra, there appears a need for developing
an alternate method for yarn compaction which is free Table 1Quality particulars of cotton fibres
from the aforesaid problems associated with the Parameter MCU5 cotton DCH cotton
existing compact spinning systems. The present 2.5% Span length, mm 32.67 34.27
investigation is endeavored to design a mingling 50% Span length, mm 15.78 16.45
chamber as a means for yarn compaction and Uniformity ratio, % 46.79 48.00
hairiness reduction. A comparison has been made Tenacity, g/tex 23.31 24.63
between the quality of yarns spun with modified and Elongation, % 6.22 6.35
existing ring spinning systems. Trash, % 3.45 2.53
Maturity coefficient 0.77 0.79
2 Materials and Methods
The MCU5 and DCH cottons were processed
separately on a Laxmi-Rieter blow room line and
carded on LR C 1/3 card. The carded slivers were
given two passages through sliver lap former and
ribbon lap former and then processed on Laxmi LK
250 comber. The combed slivers were again given
one passage of drawing on Rieter RSB-851 to
produce finisher slivers of 0.18s Ne. The roving
samples of 2.3s Ne with 1.2 twist multiplier (TM)
were prepared from MCU5 cotton on a Lakshmi
LF1400A speed frame. Similarly, from DCH cotton,
roving samples of 2.8s Ne with 1.12 TM were
prepared. The yarn samples of 60s, 80s and 100s Ne Fig.1Existing drafting system arrangement in conventional ring
counts were spun using both existing and modified spinning machine
 MURUGAN et al.: NOVEL TECHNIQUE FOR IMPROVING YARN QUALITY & REDUCING HAIRINESS 213

trials for trouble free processing. Figures 3 and 4

show the pneumatic pipe arrangement with mingling
chamber attached in the front drafting zone. The roller
settings of front and back zones for existing and
modified drafting arrangements are given in Table 2.
The experimental samples were conditioned in a
standard atmosphere of 65 2% RH and 270C 20C
temperature for 24 h. The Uster tester 3 was used to
measure yarn unevenness (U%), imperfections and
hairiness index. The yarn samples were subjected to
the tensile testing in an Instron universal tensile tester
with standard time to break (20 2 s). Each sample
was subjected for 30 tests to determine the average
value of tenacity and breaking elongation. Fig. 3Pneumatic pipe arrangement with mingling chamber

3 Results and Discussion

Table 3 depicts the test results of various quality
parameters corresponding to 60s, 80s and 100s Ne
yarns spun on both existing and modified spinning
systems. The statistical t-test has been conducted to
find out the significance difference between the
results at 95% confidence level. The significant

Fig. 4 Pneumatic pipe with mingling chamber attachment in

drafting system

Table 2Roller settings of existing and modified drafting systems

Roller Roller setting, mm
Existing system Modified system
Front zone Back zone Front zone Back Zone
Fig. 2Modified Drafting system with mingling chamber Bottom 54 60 57 60
arrangement Top 58 58 61 58
Table 3Comparison of existing and condensed yarns
Parameter Existing yarn Condensed yarn
60s Ne 80s Ne 100s Ne 60s Ne 80s Ne 100s Ne
Tenacity, cN/tex 16.76 16.41 14.61 18.09 (S) 18.46 (S 15.44 (S)
Strength CV% 8.40 9.13 8.21 7.58 (S) 8.41 (S) 7.85 (S)
Breaking elongation, % 4.10 4.07 3.84 4.35 (S) 4.27 (S) 4.09 (S)
Elongation CV% 10.51 12.04 11.34 9.72 (S) 10.96 (S) 9.75 (S)
Hairiness index 4.95 4.76 4.67 4.31 (S) 4.13 (S) 4.05 (S)
U% 11.97 11.89 13.06 11.94 (NS) 11.56 (NS) 13.10 (NS)
Thin place (-50%) 34 21 88 28 (S) 12 (S) 82 (S)
Thick place (+50%) 98 142 214 85 (S) 106 (S) 190 (S)
Neps (+200%) 232 338 280 212 (S) 256 (S) 216 (S)
Total imperfections 364 501 582 325 (S) 374 (S) 488 (S)
SDifference is significant and NSDifference is not significant (at 95% confidence level) .
214 INDIAN J. FIBRE TEXT. RES., SEPTEMBER 2011

differences are observed between all the quality in the front drafting zone show better quality in
parameters of yarns produced on these two systems, comparison to the existing ring-spun yarns for all
except U%. A reduction in yarn hairiness index is three yarn counts. There is a significant improvement
observed for all yarns using the modified system, in yarn strength, elongation, hairiness and
when compared with the existing system. For imperfections for the condensed yarns spun on the
instance, percentage improvement of 12.9, 12.8 and modified system. The proposed method of producing
13.3 in hairiness index is observed for 60s, 80s and condensed yarns may substitute the compact spinning
100s Ne yarns respectively. The reduction in yarn in textile industry as it produces the optimum quality
hairiness can be ascribed to the better binding of the yarns with reduced cost of production. This study is
edge fibres in the drafted ribbon due to the mingling rather a preliminary trail for producing the condensed
action at the front drafting zone. yarn by adopting mingling chamber in the front
A significant improvement in yarn imperfection is drafting zone in the conventional ring spinning
also noticed in the condensed yarns when compared machine. More studies need to be conducted for
with the existing ring-spun yarns. The percentage improving the process and optimization of yarn
improvement of the condensed yarns is found to quality using the proposed method of yarn
be 17.6, 42.8 and 6.8 in thin places, 13.3, 25.3 and condensation.
11.2 in thick places, and 8.6, 24.2 and 22.8 in neps
level respectively for 60s, 80s and 100s Ne yarns. The References
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