Yarn Manufacture I: Principle of Carding & Drawing

Prof. R. Chattopadhyay
Department of Textile Technology
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

Lecture – 05
Sliver Formation

So today’s topic is Sliver Formation.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:23)

Now, for forming the sliver what we need is a doffer. Doffer in association with the
cylinder actually helps in forming a sliver. So, first of all let us know what is doffer? A
doffer is a cast iron cylinder, it has a diameter of around 27 inch and the surface of the
doffer is filled with lot of pins or wire points typically the speed of a doffer is around 10
to 60 rpm.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:02)

Now, the fibers which are there on the cylinder they are already separated because of the
action between the cylinder and the flat. Now once this separation is over they need to be
transferred and transform into a sliver. So, we need to transfer the separated fibers from
the cylinder surface to the doffer and doffer is placed very close to the cylinder, the gap
between cylinder and doffer is very low and much less than a millimeter. So, as soon as
the fibers from the cylinder surface come close to the doffer, the fibers will be
transferred to the doffer surface because they will come into contact with the doffer.

Now what are the mechanism of transfer of slivers from cylinder to doffer there are two
possibilities of transferring fibers from cylinder to doffer, it could be in a carding mode
of transfer or it could be in a stripping mode of transfer.
(Refer Slide Time: 02:22)

Because we have seen that fiber transport from licker-in to cylinder is through stripping
mode. Now, let us see here so we should follow carding mode of transfer for fibers from
cylinder to doffer or a stripping mode as it is practiced on for transferring fibers from
licker-in to cylinder. The deposited fibers on doffer should be thick enough to form a
coherent web which can be stripped off and handled easily for further processing. See the
fibers which will be deposited on the doffer must be sufficiently thick so that there is
some coherence and we can handle them without breaking.

(Refer Slide Time: 03:20)

The difficulty in stripping action is in the case of stripping action, the lap which was fed
is thinned down to the extent of almost 2000 times on the cylinder surface and now if
this thin ribbon of fibers which is there on the surface of the cylinder has to be
transferred to the doffer. It is two things to be handled properly because there is hardly
any coherence between the fibers.

Since the thickness of the fiber on the cylinder surface is too low almost 2000 times then
what would be the thickness of a lap sheet. Now if we immediately transport it through a
stripping mode then this thin sheet will not have much coherence, not much strength
besides high doffer speed would have resulted in throwing off the fibers due to very high
centrifugal force because in that case the doffer speed should have been more than the
speed of the cylinder to make the transfer of fibers from cylinder to doffer through
stripping mode and therefore, doffer speed would have been little more than the cylinder
speed and hence high centrifugal force would have acted on the doffer on the fibers
which are on the doffer and they would have thrown off by high centrifugal force.

The third problem would be that it would be very extremely difficult to transform the
web into a coherent sliver at a very high speed because there were lot of resistance of the
air as the web has to pass through the medium of air at the time of transforming them
into a sliver. So, these are the difficulties that we would face if we go for stripping mode
or transfer from cylinder to doffer.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:43)

And hence we have to think of some other mode of transfer. The other mode is carding
mode of transfer and let us first understand the disadvantages that we have when we try
to transfer the fibers from one surface to the another surface through carding mode like
fibers are also getting transferred from cylinder surface to the flats and the mechanism of
transfer is basically a carding mode of transfer.

So, through carding action we are not only separating out fibers but we can also transfer
fibers from one surface to the other. Now in the case of transfer from cylinder to doffer
in carding mode there will be sudden deceleration as the speed will reduce from around
26 m/s to which is typically now a days for doffer is almost 1.3 m/s and such a huge
reduction in speed will result in disorientation of the fibers on the doffer surface and the
fibers will be completely disoriented from each other and there will be lot of deformed
fibers that will found on the surface of the doffer.

So, this is what is expected when we see that we go for carding mode of fiber transfer
from cylinder to doffer because of deceleration the orientation that we had achieved on
the cylinder surface of the fibers that orientation will completely destroyed as soon as
they land on the doffer surface because of change of speed. So, this is what we have to
accept if we go for carding mode of transfer. The other problem is the transfer being not
100% efficient lots of fibers are retained by the cylinder and carded again along with
newly fed fresh fibers from the licker-in side. This result in building up a thick residual
fiber layer on the cylinder, this residual layer in steady state may become too thick to
deteriorate the quality of carding.

In the carding mode, there is another problem that many fibers may not be transferred to
the doffer, some of them will go back along with the cylinder and as a result many fibers
will circulate on the cylinder surface many times and therefore, a thick layer of fibers
will be formed on the cylinder surface, this is called fiber load on cylinder and this
residual fiber layer may cause a quality deterioration of the fibers and if it is too thick it
can lead to formation of neps also.
(Refer Slide Time: 09:12)

So, these are the two different problems that we will face with carding, but even then this
is the only way we transfer the fibers from cylinder to doffer.

The advantage that we get in this mode or transfer is the fractional transport of fibers
from cylinder to doffer provides an opportunity of mixing of fibers belonging to different
returned fiber layers on cylinder. So, cylinder also acts as a mixer, whatever fibers are
not transferred to doffer they will go back and they will join the fibers which are fed
from the licker-in side and therefore, these fibers will get an opportunity to be mixed up
with the fibers being fed from the licker-in side and hence a lot of mixing that occurs on
the surface of the cylinder is the advantage we get by having this mode of transfer and
the other advantage is the fiber received repeated carding action between the cylinder
and flat.

Since everything is not getting transferred hence they get an opportunity to be carded
again between cylinder and flat. So, if there are any fiber clusters which are left, there is
a possibility that this clusters will be opened out when the cluster goes to these cylinder -
flat region. So, repeated recycling of the fibers has this great advantage of repeated
carding actions on the fibers and therefore, better opening and better individualization of
the fibers and we have actually gone for carding mode of transfer of fibers from cylinder
to doffer.
(Refer Slide Time: 11:21)

So, the action here is carding here is a diagram which is a velocity profile of the different
organs of the carding machines and the linear density profile of the material on the
different organs of the card. What we see here is that at the feed point the velocity of the
feed material that is the lap is only 0.013 m/s and the typical lap linear density could be
490 ktex as soon as the lap is acted by the licker-in teeth, the licker-in surface rotates or
moves at the speed of 13 m/s.

So, there is a draft of almost 1000 between the feed roller, and the licker-in and we can
say that the lap sheet is thin down 1000 times by the time they reach the licker-in surface
from there as soon as the fibers are picked up by the cylinder, the cylinder surface speed
typically is 26 m/s. So, there is a draft of around 2 between licker-in and a cylinder.
Therefore, by the time they reach the cylinder surface the sheet is further thinned down
two times hence the lap is thinned down to thousand times as was told earlier by the time
is reaching the surface of the cylinder.

So, it produce a very thin sheet of fibers on the cylinder and now on these thin sheet the
carding action is going to take place. Since the sheet is very thin the gap between the flat
and the cylinder surface also has to be very narrow and because of this very narrow gap
between the two surfaces there is intense opening action on the fibers when the fibers are
traveling the carding zone.
That is the zone which contains the working flats and after passing over the carding zone
as soon as they approach the doffer there is a certain drop in speed, typical speed up to
doffer could be around 1.3 m/s. So, there is a huge change in speed from 26 m/s to 1.3
m/s because of these differences the draft could be of the order of 0.19 much less than 1.

So, draft being less than 1 would basically mean there is a condensation of fibers i.e.
there is no real stretching of the fibers. Therefore, as the fiber lands on the doffer surface
they get packed and a large fibers from a larger surface area of the cylinder will be
transferred on a smaller surface area of the doffer and therefore, there will be
accumulation of fibers on the doffer surface hence the web of fibers which will be
deposited on the doffer which will be thicker than the web thickness that we get on the
surface of the cylinder.

This is how the velocity of the fibers as well as the linear density of the fibers is
changing as they move from feed to the delivery point of the machine.

(Refer Slide Time: 15:25)

We will now discuss the fiber transfer mechanism that is how the fibers are getting
transferred to doffer as we are already stated that the basic mechanism of transfer is
carding action. So, the action between cylinder and doffer is basically a carding action,
the action between cylinder and flat is also carding action, but the action between
cylinder and licker-in or taker-in is basically a stripping action.
Now, here what we see in the diagram “a” on the x-axis we have distance from the
cylinder surface and on the y-axis we have fraction of fiber protruding from the cylinder
surface. So the fibers are gripped at the front end by the cylinder wire points and the
cylinder rotates at a very high speed, most of the trailing end of the fibers will be
projecting out and this length of the protruding part of the fibers from the cylinder
surface will vary depending upon the length of the fibers and the way it will vary is
shown in diagram “a” i.e. there are many fibers which would be protruding to a lesser
extent, their numbers are more and as we go on the long fibers ends protruding for
cylinder surface will be much less in number. From here as we move to figure “b” shows
the length of the doffing arc. The doffing arc is the arc of the doffer which participates in
transport of fibers from center to doffer, the entire doffer surface is not participating part
of the doffer surface which is facing the cylinder is only participating in accepting the
fibers which are being thrown towards it by the cylinder.

Now the distance ‘e’ indicates the gap that exists between the doffer and the cylinder. So,
if e is the gap from there the doffing arc is increasing as it is shown in the diagram. So,
the fibers which are long they are traversing the zone between cylinder and doffer they
will swept past the long arc fibers which are shorter in length or that projecting in short
they will swept past a smaller length.

So, this diagram shows the length of the doffing arc which will be swept past by the
fibers which are projecting out from the surface of the cylinder. The third diagram is a
doffer-cylinder fiber contacts and on the x-axis we have distance from cylinder surface.
Now the fiber projecting ends which are lesser than the length e these fibers will not
have any chance to be transferred because their projecting out ends is much less than the
distance e and hence there is no possibility of such fibers to be transferred, the other
fibers whose length is projecting out much more than e only they have a possibility to get
transferred.
(Refer Slide Time: 19:20)

Fiber transferred from cylinder to doffer is basically a stochastic in nature, that basically
means that we are not very sure that a fiber which is coming from cylinder side and
lessening on the doffer not necessarily would get transferred at the very fast instant it
may get transferred may not get transferred it can go back without getting transferred and
comes back again and again it meets the doffer. So, a typical fiber may repeatedly come
into contact with the doffer before it gets finally transferred to the doffer.

Therefore, there is no guarantee that a fiber when it is encountered into doffer for the
first time will be transferred to the doffer and hence we call it the transfer process of a
fiber from cylinder to doffer is stochastic in nature is highly random the chances of
transfer would be proportional to the fraction of fiber protruding ends at a certain
distance from the cylinder surface which has been shown in the previous diagram and the
length of the doffing arc there is number of doffer arc points with which the fibers may
come into contact.

Therefore, the chances of fiber transfer occurring at different distance from the cylinder
surface can be stated as the chances of transfer is equal to the fraction of fibers at a
particular distance from the cylinder surface and the potential arc of contact of those
fibers. So, therefore, if you go back to the diagram again then we see that the diagram ‘c’
is basically a multiplication of ‘a’ and ‘b’; very short fibers or fibers whose ends are
projecting distance less than ‘e’ are not getting transferred.
So, doffer-cylinder contact points for those fibers will be basically 0. Hence, there is now
chance of that getting transferred. The very long fibers which are there, their numbers are
less and the potential arc of contact is very high.

So, number being less potential arc of contact being very high you multiply these two the
doffer-cylinder fiber contact points for these fibers will be much less mainly because the
numbers are much low and therefore, for this fiber the potential contacts for transfer is
going to be less and in between we will find a maximum mainly because fibers
projecting out ends, number of those fibers are very large and somewhere in the middle
we get the maximum value.

When the fibers are coming towards the doffer as soon as they land on the doffer surface
the fibers are pushed towards doffer surface and the doffers keeps on accepting the fiber
as long as a particular area of the doffer is causing the doffing arc. So, a particular area
of the doffer may take certain time to cross the doffing arc during this journey through
the doffing arc this zone of the doffer surface will keep on receiving fibers and the fibers
are pushed by the cylinder wire points towards the doffer surface.

If we increase the speed of the doffer then what we can expect that even though the
speed the doffer is increased the cylinder speed is much larger in comparison to the
doffer speed. Cylinder speed could be almost 20 times more than the surface speed of the
doffer. Therefore, even though the doffer speed is increased little bit by 10 percent or 15
percent or 20 percent there is hardly any change in the transport of fibers, the transport of
fibers still remains more or less similar.

In fact, it may increase on the contrary because more surface area of the doffer will be
made available to the cylinder for fiber transfer one can always argue that the time to
cross the doffing arc will be less if you increase the doffer speed and therefore, one can
expect that the fiber transferred will be less.

However at the same time fresh doffer surface represented more and more for fiber
transferred, if we increase the doffer speed and therefore, the net result that we see is that
by steadily increasing doffer speed by 10, 15, 20 percent actually the transport of fibers
from cylinder to doffer increases that is the transfer efficiency will increase if we
increase the doffer speed and the reason is that clean fresh doffer arc points are presented
to the cylinder for transport of fiber from cylinder to doffer that is what actually happens.
The important thing about this process of fiber transfer is the length and size of the
doffing arc.

(Refer Slide Time: 25:22).

So, we will study the geometry of this region in order to find out how the dimension of
the doffing arc is related to the geometrical parameters of cylinder and doffer. Now the
diagram what we see there is a cylinder and there is a doffer, only part of it i.e. a sector
of cylinder and doffer is shown in this diagram and you will see from the diagram itself
that this cylinder area let us say is R, the doffer area is r, the thickness of the fiber layer
is a. If I join the centers of cylinder and doffer we get the line OOˈ.

The setting between cylinder and doffer is represented by e from here we will draw a line
from O to C, where this fiber layer is touching the doffer though in the diagram it is not
so clear but if we draw it here this layer it is thicker and is touching at the point C is the
point where the fiber layer on the cylinder surface comes into contact with doffer. So,
like OC similarly we connect OˈC, now this is the doffing arc is basically this arc from
here to there or from here to there this is the doffing arc as shown in the diagram.

So, let us look at this;

x = (R + r + e) – r cos β ………. (1)

AC2 = (R + a)2 – {(R + r + e) – r cos β}2 ……… (2)

AC2 = r2 – (r cos β)2 ………. (3)

Combining equation 2 and 3

(R + a)2 = r2 + (R + r + e)2 – 2(R + r + e) r cos β ……………. (4)

……………. (5)

(Refer Slide Time: 28:11)

……………. (6)

Arc AC = rβ

……………… (7)

So, the length of the arc AC that is the doffing arc this length will increase with increase
in cylinder areas because r is coming on the numerator with the doffer radius and with
the thickness of the fiber layer so there will be decrease in doffer radius the purpose of
understanding this doffing arc is that if the doffing arc is longer that basically means that
the cylinder wire points will get more opportunity to comb the fibers on the surface of
the doffers once they are transferred and they will be able to orient those fibers on the
surface of the doffer is once the fibers are transferred to doffer.

Now, the fibers are held by the doffer, but at ends are combed by the wire points of the
cylinder and hence the orientation of fibers on the doffer surface depends how long the
cylinder wire points are combing the fibers that have been transferred to the doffer
surface for a given speed of cylinder and doffer it all depends upon the length of this arc,
if the arc length is more than more time cylinder gets to comb the ends of the fibers
which have been transferred to the doffer surface and therefore, longer doffer arc would
basically mean that better orientation of the fibers on the surface of the doffer that is the
thing that we will get.

(Refer Slide Time: 30:31)

Now, once the fibers are transferred to doffer the next thing is stripping of the doffer
surface that is how to remove or peel off the fibers from the surface of the doffer.
Doffer’s surface is full of lots of pins the fibers are embedded there. Now how do we
remove the fibers from the doffer? That is the next job to be performed and here the
diagram shows that here is the doffer and there is one typical wire point being shown
here and let’s say there is a single fiber also being shown in this diagram which is being
pulled by two rollers.

Let us say Q is the force which counteracts stripping of web from the doffer wire. Fibers
are embedded and they are also to some extent entangled with the wire points. So, Q
represents this force which counteracts the stripping of the web from the doffer wire. So,
Q depends upon basically on orientation of fibers on the doffer surface, thickness of the
fiber web, the coefficient of friction between the fibers and the wire points of the doffer
this all determines the value of q.

Next F is the force of friction between doffer wire points and the fiber. α as shown here
is the stripping angle at which P is directed P is the tension on the fiber as the fiber is
being pulled. The fiber is shown by this black line; θ is the inclination of the doffer wire
point as shown in the diagram. So, from this we can write

Q + F = P cos α and F = P cos α - Q …………. (1)

N = P sin α ………….. (2)

So, Q + F is contradicting P cos α and therefore, F = P cos α - Q and the normal force N
is going to be P sin α.

(Refer Slide Time: 32:49)

So, F = μ N = μ P sin α (μ = coefficient of friction) ………… (3)

P cos α – Q = μ P sin α

So, Q = P cos α - μ P sin α = P (cos α - μ sin α)

or …………… (4)
The stripping force is the P since the stripping force depends upon the value of Q the
stripping angle α and the coefficient of friction μ. These three things will decide the
value of the force that we need to peel out the web from the surface of the doffer.

Now the strength of the web must be less than the stripping force P if it is not less than
this the web is going to break. So web is made of large number of fibers is very thin,
fibers are entangled between each other and there is some strength of the web, but
stripping out force must be able to overcome the strength of the web then the web will be
pulled out from the surface of the doffer.

So, you have to ensure that the stripping force P is more than the strength of the web and
that is why it can come out easily.

(Refer Slide Time: 34:32)

Doffer speed being in the range of 25 to 60 rpm the oscillating doffing comb cannot be
used for stripping action from doffer we have to strip it. So, how do you strip the fibers
earlier we used to have oscillating comb, but when the speeds of the machines have gone
up, this oscillating comb is no more can work now and we have replaced this comb by
draw-off rollers and draw-off rollers are therefore, used for the purpose of continuous
stripping of the doffer surface.

Earlier when the speed of the machine used to be very low, doffers were also used at
very low maybe 15 rpm, 10 rpm or so on. Those days we could use an oscillating comb
to strip the fibers from the surface of the doffer, but today’s cards are generally high
production card the speeds are much more and at certain high speed the comb is not
going to work the comb will going to fail. So, all the machine manufactures therefore,
have given up the oscillating comb and they have gone for draw-off rollers.

Now there are three methods of web removal which can be seen in the machines made
by different machine manufactures one is stripping by flexible straight or rigid covered
wire rollers, pulling by combination of fluted draw-off rollers and a blade, or lifting
action by the wire covered rollers.

(Refer Slide Time: 36:24)

They are three different types of feature which can be seen and in the carding machines
made by different manufacturers the first one looks like this is the doffer. There is a
flexible roller with flexible wire points so these wire points are basically peeling off the
web here this is the web and moving the web in these directions and the web is removed
from the doffer by this flexible draw-off roller, from there it is guided forward and it is
pulled out by a pair of rollers. These are basically heavily loaded rollers which can also
crush some of the trash particles will discuss about them.

So, they are helping in pulling the web which has been removed by the flexible straight
draw-off rollers. This one type is another type where the flexible wire on this roller
draw-off roller has been depressed by this type of roller, this difference is here it is
flexible here it is rigid, you have rigid teeth that is the only difference and rest remains
more or less similar there is no much change, the third technique is with the help of a
fluted roll this is the fluted roller and this one is a blade here is our doffer.

So, the fluted roller in combination with the blade will be able to pull the web out. The
roller is pressed against the web by a spring pressure, and in the combination of these
two the web is removed from the surface of the doffer, and the third one and the last one
is covered roller where if you look at these wire points these wires can penetrate the
doffer wire points.

So, these wires are on this surface this is the draw-off roller, draw-off rollers will be
having wire points which can penetrate the doffer some extent and the wire points are
also flexible in nature. So, they do not damage the wire points of the doffer and they will
be able to remove the web from the surface of the doffer and once they are removed they
are guided forward and they are pulled out these are the redirecting rollers and this is
pulled out by these rollers and then it moves forward.

So, these are the different ways of removing the web from the doffer surface.

(Refer Slide Time: 40:00).

So, at once the web is removed the next job that is left is we have to consolidate the web
to form a sliver now web comes out in the form of a thin sheet. So, the sheet needs to be
transformed into a round sliver. So, web which is thin and two dimensional sheets has to
be converted into a round rope like assembly known as sliver. The sliver form is
necessary, since it possesses the necessary coherence for the storage and subsequent
handling that is the form you want to give to the sheet.

More important is its characteristics which is close to the yarn in terms of arrangement of
fibers within, it the method of transforming a web into a sliver or with the help of a
trumpet and calendar roller combination or with by the help of traverse belt.

(Refer Slide Time: 41:06)

We will discuss these two now the trumpet and calendar roller condensation process.
Now let us see that the doffer surface is here we have placed a trumpet which is here and
a calendar roller which is here and this is the distance the web has to travel, in the case of
trumpet and calendar roll condensation process, doffer surface to the trumpet this
distance is roughly 30 to 50 cm it is a long distance the web has to travel.

The calendar rollers moved slightly faster than the doffer so that there is a little tension
on the web and the web does not sag or does not fall back. So, surface speed of calendar
roller will be little more than the surface with the doffer generally the speed difference
will be to the order of 1.0 to 1.01 or 1.05. That is what we keep as the web passes
through the trumpet sufficient lateral pressure is generated their transform the two
dimensional sheet into a round shape sliver.

So, we are forcing the web to converge at this point through a trumpet, a trumpet is
nothing but basically a conical shape piece through which the sheet is made to pass
through. So, space is very narrow and is gradually becomes smaller and smaller and
therefore, the entire sheet is transformed into a round shape product, at the same time a
lot of transverse pressure which is generated on the sheet and therefore, will be able to
consolidate the sheet as it is passing through the trumpet.

The calendar rollers are pulling the sheet forward and because they are heavily loaded
they are also applying pressure on the fibers hence the consolidation is because of the
narrow bore of the trumpet as well as the weight that we keep on the calendar rollers.
The bore size therefore is very important and the pressure on the calendar roller these are
the two parameters which we change depending upon the consolidation that we need in
this sliver.

Normally the trumpet and the calendar rollers are placed at the middle or at the center of
the doffer and we call it symmetric condensation of the web.

(Refer Slide Time: 43:52)

The other possibility is asymmetric condensation of the web there everything is same the
only difference is that that the trumpet and calendar roller locations is not at the center of
the doffer, but little away from it.

Now, what is the reason for this it causes unevenness present in the web to be distributed
over a larger length of the sliver that is the purpose here this length of the web is longer
than this length of the web from here to here this distance and if we see this distance they
are different. So, if there is any thick region which is coming on the web due to some
unknown reason suppose I say there is a thick region here as this moves towards the
trumpet it gets inclined because of this inclination because this end will move faster than
this end and hence a band which appeared here parallel to doffer surface in the web that
same band will be getting inclined more and more as it is approaching the trumpet.

So, by the time it will pass through the trumpet therefore, a thickness variation which
was there in the web will be distributed over a larger length of the sliver and hence the
intensity of the thickness variation will be reduced that is the very purpose of asymmetric
condensation of the web as stated here the calendar roller most slightly faster and the
speed ratio between the calendar roller and the doffer surface is 1.01, 1.05 all depends
upon the type of fibers we are going to process.

(Refer Slide Time: 45:54)

The other thing that we need to know is the differential draft on the fibers at the time of
condensation.

Here we see that this is the web which is coming out from the doffer and moving
forward. Let V is the velocity of ejection of the web from the doffer; D is the mechanical
draft between the doffer and the calendar roller. So, calendar roller is here. Mechanical
draft is the draft that we get through calculations from the gearing diagram of the
machine. So, the component of ejection velocity along the edges AL or B L will be V cos
θ. So, here they are called moving forward at their speed of V, but at the edges this
velocity is going to be V cos θ.

Similarly, here also it will be V cos θ, the velocity of the calendar roller which is here
this is my calendar roller the velocity of the calendar roller is DV because D is the
mechanical draft. Therefore, the draft D* along the edges of the fiber is going to be DV
by V cos θ and hence his V and V will cancel which will be D by cos θ.

So, draft here at the edge is going to be for this fiber. So, as we go towards from B

towards C, if we go from B to a C, θ is going to be less and less. So, when we come to

point C, θ is going to be 0.

(Refer Slide Time: 48:03)

So, the draft at any point along B to A or A to B is going to vary, it is not going to be
constant. The draft is minimum and equal to the mechanical draft D at the center. Here, it
is exactly same to the mechanical draft that we have set on the machine but the
maximum draft at the edges. So, these fibers at the edges will experience maximum draft
or the fibers at the center will experience the minimum draft.
So, there is a difference in the draft that the fibers are going to experience as they are
moving towards the trumpet and hence what one can see is the rugged selvedge
sometimes it can be seen in some machines. So, we get rugged selvedge of the web may
be noticed if the draft of the edges become too excessive and in some cases especially in
the older machines we could see this.

In the modern machine this zone is completely covered by lot of rollers nothing is visible
we do not see what is happening there also. If we try to find out what is tan θ,

Therefore, angle θ if we look at this as angle θ goes down CL will increase or the other
way round as CL increases angle θ will go down. So, if you want to reduce or play the
draft, you want to reduce the draft we can either change θ. So, how do we change θ.

So, θ is a function of two parameters BC and CL. Now BC depends upon the length of
the doffer AB indicating the length of the doffer. So, length of the doffer is decided by
some other factors. So, we cannot change the length BC or AB, but we can always play
with the length CL or C L is basically the distance from the doffer to the calendar roller
or to the trumpet point. So, angle θ will decrease as CL increases.

So, if we move the calendar roller further from here to there then angle θ is going to
decrease. So, that is one way and therefore, one can say that it will reduce θ and
therefore, that will reduce the possibilities of rugged selvedge, but a long distance CL,
may cause the web to break due to its own weight for traveling too long a distance this
web is very thin. So, if it has to moves without any support a long distance the web may
sag and that means the web may break also.

On the contrary, if the distance is reduced too much θ will increase and if I move this
point then θ is going to increase causing the draft D* at the edges to cross the critical
value resulting in rugged selvages. So, the location of the calendar roller with reference
to the doffer surface is very important machine parameter too close is bad because
rugged selvedge will be generated and therefore, the web going to be the sliver is going
to be non uniform.

Similarly, if I move it too far then the web might break as it may sag so it is another
problem and hence one has to find out optimum distance of the calendar rollers from the
cylinder surface. So, we have machine manufactures who through trial and error has
found out what is this optimum distance.

(Refer Slide Time: 52:35).

Let us discuss traverse belt condensation now you know that high production cards i.e.
all the modern cards the delivery rate of the web is very fast and therefore, it is difficult
to consolidate the web when it is moving through the air at very faster rate the web is
likely to disintegrate due to air resistance since it has to travel a long distance.

Therefore we have to find out some solution now what could be the solution the web is
to be condensed immediately and close to the detaching or stripping device i.e. we
should not allow the thin and very flimsy web to travel a long distance especially in high
speed cards or today’s modern cards and therefore, we need to condense as quickly as
possible and therefore, what we do if traverse belt is placed close to the crush rollers or
the stripping device and as the traverse belts as shown in the diagram moves transversely
the web moves laterally and get condensed while passing through the nip of the belts.
Two counter rotating bands or a single circulating band carries the web to the middle or
in the case of single band, it will go to the side of the machine and it will get condensed.
This is the way how we stripped and then condensed in the modern card, but the
difficulty of such device is that the web cannot be visually seen for judging its quality in
the older version of the cards since the web was always visible to the engineer therefore,
one could easily see the quality of the web whether the web is cloudy whether a web
contains lot of trash particles or not whether the selvedge is breaking. So, there was a
possibility to inspect the way to study the quality of the carding machines.

But in the modern cards since the web is no more visible such kind of inspection is not
possible with this system.

(Refer Slide Time: 55:12)

Now, we go to another important part of the machine which is known as crush roller.
Crush rollers are basically two precision ground, hardened steel rollers positioned one
above the other as you can see in the diagram there are two crushed rollers one at the top
one at the bottom and these two steel rollers are pressed against each other the pressure is
15 N/cm a typical pressure.

Now, purpose of this crush roller is to crush out all foreign particles in the web and also
to break the bond between the particles and the fibers. So, whenever the web will pass
through these two precision ground rollers the trash particle will get crushed and what is
the net effect of this. The particles will fall out either immediately or during subsequent
operations that is during drafting operations on breaker draw frame or on finisher draw
frame so the possibilities will be there that the slivers may not necessarily look always
clean, but the yarn will always look clean, but this device is suitable for low grade
cottons since low grade cottons contain more trash particles.

In the case of very fine grade cotton this may not work properly because the fibers may
get damaged.

(Refer Slide Time: 56:55)

So, for fine long clean fibers you may not need crushing at all on the contrary the fiber
might get damaged and we may not use the crushing rollers in processing or for
possessing very fine grade fibers. The other important things to remember is the cotton
with too much of seed coats should not be crushed in order to avoid roller lapping since
oil may get extracted from the crushed seed particles.

So, in case we know that a particular variety of cotton contains lot of seed coats, in that
case it is better not to use the crushed rollers because as stated that the oil may get
extracted and this oil will be acting as a medium to attract the fibers, the dust particles
and it cause lapping on the drafting rollers, on the aprons, these problems could be there.
So, with this we stop it today.

Thank you.