8/31/2015

RawmaterialselectionRieter

Rotorspinningtechnologyoffersconsiderableflexibilityasregardsrawmaterialselection.Rotorspinningmachines
arecapableofprocessingsuccessfullyfiberlengthsbetween10and60mminvirtuallyallnaturalandmanmade
fibers.Rotorspinningthusoffersarangeofapplicationthatnootherspinningprocess,withtheexceptionof
ringspinning,canevenapproach.Thefollowingsectionwillexplainwhichrawmaterialsandrawmaterialproperties
areespeciallysuitablefortherotorspinningprocess,andhowthedifferentcharacteristicvaluesandpropertiesofthe
fibersaffectthequalityoftheyarnandendproductandthespinningprocess.
Fig.67showstheindividualrawmaterialsasaproportionofthetotalvolumeofrotorspunyarns.Evenrecycled
cottonwasteandnoilareprocessedsuccessfullyonrotorspinningmachines.Inmilloperationstherotorspinning
processhasearnedthereputationofbeingespeciallycottonfriendly.Thisisalsothereasonwhypredominantly
cardedrotorspunyarnsof100%cottonorblendsofcottonandmanmadefibersarecurrentlyproducedworldwide.
Table4showsthepreferredcottonqualitiesfortherotorspinningprocess.
Aspecialapplicationisthemanufactureofcombedrotorspunyarns.Althoughthisapplicationhasnotestablished
itselfonabroadbasisduetothemanufacturingcostsfortheadditionalcombingpassagetheresultsthatcanbe
achievedbyusingcombedfeedsliverinmillapplicationsareentirelyconvincing.Theseadvantageshaveanimpact
bothonyarnquality(highertenacity,betterregularity,fewerimperfections),onrunningpropertiesontherotor
spinningmachineandondownstreamprocessing(fewerstoppages,lessfiberflygeneratedinweavingandknitting),
andthusalsoonthequalityoftheendproduct(e.g.softerhandinknittedfabrics).
Inadditiontocotton,manmadefibersand/ortheirblendsaresuccessfullyprocessedonrotorspinningmachines
andhavebeensincethisspinningprocesswaslaunched.Especiallyyarnsmadefrompolyesterfibersandtheir
blendswithcotton(inrarecasesinblendswithwool,bastfibersandangora),areusedinawiderangeofend
products.Thereasonsforthisremarkabledevelopmentareinparticular:
theoutstandingphysicalandchemicalpropertiesofpolyesterfibersforuseinclothing
thelowproductioncostsformanufacturingpolyesterfibersandtheresultingeconomicalrawmaterialcosts
andthelimitedavailabilityofcottoninlightofgrowingglobalfiberconsumptiontheannualincreaseinfiber
consumptionofsome3%isnowaccountedforalmostentirelybymanmadefibers,andheremostlybypolyester
fibers.
Viscosefibers,alsoknownasrayonintheUSandAsia,accountforanappropriateproportionofthetotalvolumeof
rotorspunyarns,eitherpureorinblendswithcottonandpolyester.However,viscosefibersareheavilyexposedto
variationsinfashion,sothattheirshareoftotalyarnvolumecanvaryfromvirtuallyzeroupto10%,dependingon
fashiontrends.
Table5a)showsthemanmadefibersandtheirblendswhichcanbeconsideredforrotorspinning,includingalistof
fibercriteria(Tableb))thathavetobeborneinmindwhenprocessingthemonrotorspinningmachines.
Sincebothwoolandbastfibersdisplaylowinherentstrength,thesefibersareusuallyprocessedinblendswithman
madefibersorcotton,whichactasstabilizingfibers.
TherawmaterialslistedinTable6arerarelyprocessedonrotorspinningmachines.Specialprocessexpertiseis
requiredforprocessingthemandtherawmaterialslistedunder1)2)inTable5andunder3)4)inTable6thishas
beendevelopedbythespinningmillsinquestion,oftenincooperationwiththemachinerymanufacturerorwith
textileinstitutions.Thisstartsalreadywiththeselectionofrawmaterialsandthepretreatmentthatisnecessaryin
mostcases.Processinginthespinningmillusuallycallsforspecificallyadaptedmachinespeeds,deliveryspeeds
andsettingparameters,especiallyatnipandfibertransferpoints,andinmostcasesnecessitatesanappropriate
modificationofthespinningclimate,intermsofbothtemperatureandhumidity.Incertaincasesspecialspinning
elementsareadaptedbyyarnmanufacturersontheirowninitiative,andthesetakeintoaccountthegentletreatment
http://www.rieter.com/de/rikipedia/articles/rotorspinning/applicationsengineering/rawmaterialselection/print/

1/3

8/31/2015

RawmaterialselectionRieter

usuallyrequiredforthesefibers.
Wewillthereforenotdealingreaterdetailwiththesespecialapplications,sinceinmostcasesthefiberandprocess
specificfeaturesarenotrevealed,i.e.areregardedastheintellectualpropertyoftheindividualspinningmills.

Fig.67Shareoffibermaterialsinthetotalvolumeof
rotorspunyarns

Table4Specificationofcottongradeswhichcanbe
consideredfortherotorspinningprocess

Table5a)Manmadefibersusedintherotorspinning
process

Table5b)Fiberpropertieswhichhavetoberecognized
http://www.rieter.com/de/rikipedia/articles/rotorspinning/applicationsengineering/rawmaterialselection/print/

2/3

8/31/2015

RawmaterialselectionRieter

whenprocessedonrotorspinningmachines

Table6Othersustainablerawmaterials

Rieter

http://www.rieter.com/de/rikipedia/articles/rotorspinning/applicationsengineering/rawmaterialselection/print/

3/3