Indian Journal of Textile ResearchVol. 7. December 19X2:pp. 121-125

Effect of Preparatory Process Parameters and Machine Conditions onWeaving Performance

I C SHARMA & R C D KAUSHIK

Technological Institute of Textiles, Bhiwani 125022

Received 26 June 1982; accepted 4 September 1982

The Barbar Colman (BC) high speed spooler and the BC high speed warping machine have been compared with theRotoconer winding machine and the Cimmco high speed warping machine respectively in respect of their effect on weavingperformance by carrying out large scale mill trials. The BC spooler shows better weaving performance than the Rotoconerwinding machine due to the higher clearing efficiency of BC snick plates. The type of warping machine does not influence theweaving performance.

It has been observed by experience in the industry thatthe use of automatic super-high speed preparatorysystem in place of non-automatic high speedpreparatory system improves the loom shedperformance markedly. The quality of yarn, preparedat different preparatory machines, affects the weavingperformance. It has been a common experience thatout of the winding and warping processes, windingplays a major role in indicating the loom shedefficiency. The contribution of various parameters aswell as of the Barber Colman (BC) preparatory systemtowards the improvement of loom shed efficiency isnot well defined. To understand the relativecontribution of winding and warping processestowards the improvement in weaving performance, itwas considered worth while to compare the BCpreparatory system with the conventional high speedpreparatory system and to find out the merits anddemerits of the systems and their features andparameters.

It has been observed that BC snick plate isresponsible for the better weaving performance.Further, in winding, the type of slub catcher used foreliminating thick places from the yarn is of majorimportance, as it directly affects the loom shedperformance. Thus, the effectiveness of slub catcher inremoving the objectionable faults is of primaryimportance in ensuring good performance at weaving.

BC spooler removes more weak places thanRotoconer winding machine, as the breakage rateduring the subsequent process, i.e. warping, is found tobe lesser with yarn wound on BC spooler than onRotoconer winding machine. It has also been observedthat weak places manage to escape during winding onBC spooler even with very close setting, but break at

the next process, i.e. warping, where the majority ofbreaks are due to weak places rather than yarn defects,which are effectively removed during spooling. Thus,the improved working during warping, sizing andweaving may not be due solely to the increasedremoval of weak places by BC spooler but also to otherreasons, such as effective removal of yarn defects andbetter quality knots.

I t is difficult to define a Singling 1 or weak place. Theterm is, however, relative and it is extremely difficult tosay that higher average unwinding tension on BCspooler would necessarily break all the so-called weakplaces in yarn. It has also been observed that BCspooler fails to remove weak places", which invariablybreak during warping.

Materials and MethodsBC high speed spooler and BC high speed warping

machine were compared with Rotoconer windingmachine and Cirnmco high speed warping machinerespectively in respect of their effect on weavingperformance. The speeds at BC spoorer and BCwarping machine were 1000 and 590 m/rninrespectively, while the speeds at Rotoconer windingmachine and Cimmco warping machine were 610 and410 m/min respectively. Several large scale trials weremade at Hindon River Mills, Dasna, to compare theconventional high speed Rotoconer winding machine(modified to prepare Be type of cheeses) with super-speed Be spooler using high speed Cimmco warpingmachine and high speed Be warper for each windingsystem. The experiment was performed in twodifferent stages. In the first set, half side of the creel ofBe warper was creeled with cheeses prepared onRotoconer (modified to prepare BC type of cheeses),

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INDIAN J TEXT RES, VOL. 7. DECEMBER 1982

while the other half was creeled with cheeses preparedon BC spooler. In the second set. BC spooler cheesesand Rotoconer cheeses were creeled at each half ofCimmco high speed warping machine. After preparinghalf the number of beams for each set, the cheeses fromRotoconer and BC spooler were interchanged on twohalves of warping creels. Special precautions weretaken while adjusting uniform desired settings onwinding machines. The optimum setting for slubcatcher with fixed blade was kept about twice the yarndiameter and for oscillating serrated blades of lightweight it was around five times the yarn diameter. OnBC slub catcher, setting was 34/1000 in and onRotoconer winding it was adjusted to 12/1000 in fixedblades. Alignment of the package at the creel wascorrected on the warping machine. Tension weightswere also adjusted to impart 9-12 g tension in the yarnat head-stock. The above two warp sets were sized onWest Point sizing machine, maintaining approx. 150

0

size pick up and 1.1/0 stretch at a speed of 44 m/rnin for40' cotton yarn. Six weavers' beams were preparedfrom each set. Sort was 40'/40' poplin with 110 endsand 72 picks per inch. Six weavers' beams from each setwere worked on six looms (RUTI-B-AZ-N.M.M.Jrunning at a speed of 185 rpm and at 840

0RH.

In the first trial, the two preparatory systems werecompared with normal gauge settings:' in winding. Inthe next two trials, the effect of more or less equalizednumber of breaks at BC spooler and Rotoconerwinding machine was studied, once by narrowing thegauges on the latter and next by widening the gaugeson the former.

Two thousand and five hundred ring bobbins wereobserved at each winding machine to reach at thewinding breakage rate. Approx. 6000 m warp wasobserved at the warping and sizing machine. Thebreakage rate at loom was found by observing about400 loom hr for each system of preparation.

Results and Discussion

The results of the first trial are given in Tables I and2 for comparing BC preparatory system with theconventional high speed preparatory system. It isobserved that breakages at BC spooler are approx. 1.5times those at Rotoconer winding machine. Fig. Ishows the detailed cause-wise breaks.

It is observed that the higher breaks at BC spoolerare due to slubs and spun-in-lint. Rotoconer cheesesgive comparable or slightly higher breaks at warpingthan BC cheeses on BC warper. However, nosignificant difference is observed when the yarn fromthese two winding machines is worked on Cimmcowarping machine. BC cheeses give significantly lowerbreaks at weaving than Rotoconer cheeses,

122

irrespective of the warping machine on which the yarnis processed.

It is clear from Tables I and 2 that with satisfactorymaintenance of mechanical conditions. the differencein the type of warping machine does not influence theloom shed performance. The incidence of lappers atsizing is. however. always much less for BC warper.The warps processed on Cimmco warping machinegive more lappers in sizing.

Effect of equalizing winding breakages at 1\'{I/'PiIlR andloom-shed perf ormances-: The effect of more or lessequalizing the breaks at Be spooler" and Rotoconerwinding machine. once by narrowing the gauges on thelatter and next by widening the gauges on the former.

---------------------

Table l--Comparative Study ofBC Preparatory System andConventional High Speed Preparatory System

(At normal gauge settings: Unequal breaks at winding)

BC spooler RotoconerGauge (0.001 in) 34 (Light blade) 12 (Fixed parallel

blade)Winding tension level, g 30 (28-40) 27 (20-35)Winding breaks/IOO

bobbins 45 28BC warper Cimmco warping

machineTension level, g 9 (6-10) 10 (9-12)

Preparation of cheeses BC Roto- BC Roto-spooler coner spooler coner

Warping breaks/400ends/IOOOm 0.9 1.6 0.8 0.9

Sizing lappers/3000ends/IOOOm 0.7 0.5 5.2 6.4

End breaks/loom hr/half beam (2000 ends)Loom shed actual breaks 1.3 2.8 0.9 1.9Loom shed multiple breaks 0.4 0.9 0.3 0.7Warp fault 0.5 0.8 0.4 0.8

Table 2 --Process-wise Comparison (Based on Data inTable I)

Process Winding Warping Sizing Weavingbreaks/ breaks/ lappers/ breaks/

100 400 ends/ 3000 ends/ 2000bobbins 1000 m lOOOm ends/hr

(A*+Mt)BC spooler 45 0.85 2.95 1.10+0.35Rotoconer 28 1.25 3.45 2.35+0.80BC warper 1.25 0.60 2.05+0.65Cimmco warping

machine 0.85 5.80 1.40+0.50*A, actual breakstM, multiple breaks

SHARMA & KAUSHIK:EFFECTOF PREPARATORY PROCESS PARAMETERS & MACHI s co DITIO. SON WEAVI G

45·t)

28'3

16·2

ec. ROTO

Gauge 34(1/1000)

12

A

65'3

E::::3 51ubs andf::::::::3 spun-in-liQt

21 n Foreign matterand loose lint

II Others~'1

39·2

16-1 14'8

It-I

·1

B.C· RcrT'O

40 12

C

B.c.

34

RcrT'O

10

B

Fig. (-Cause-wise breaks at winding: (Aja; normal gauge settings.(B) at narrow gauge setting on Rotoconer. and (e) at wide gauge

setting on Rotoconer

was studied. The results are given in Tables 3 and 4. Itis observed that BC cheeses give significantly lowerbreaks at weaving than Rotoconer cheeses even withequal breakage rate on BC spooler and Rotoconerwinding machine. The breaks at Cimmco warpingmachine are lower for Be cheeses than for Rotoconercheeses. However. at Be warper. the difference inbreakages of BC cheeses and Rotoconer cheeses is notsignificant. In the next trial. by widening the gauges onthe Rotoconcr winding machine and narrowing thegauges on BC spooler, the performance of Be cheesesand Rotoconer cheeses at both the warping machinesis same.

Further. it is also observed from Tables 3 and 4 thatthere is no difference in the weaving performance ofwarps processed on two different warping machines.The warp processed on Cimrnco warping machinegives more lappers in sizing compared to thatprocessed on BC war per.

On narrowing the gauge at Rotoconer windingmachine. the breaks are increased. primarily becauseof foreign matter and loose fluffs. The proportion ofbreaks due to slubs and spun-in-lint is much higher onBC spoolcr than on Rotoconer (Fig. I).

From the data presented in Tables 5 and 6. it isobserved that BC cheeses give significantly lowerbreaks at weaving than Rotoconer cheeses" This is so

Table 3-Comparative Study ofBC Preparatory System andConventional High Speed Preparatory System

(At narrow gauge selling Oil ROIOl'Oncr: Equal breaks at winding)

Gauge (0.001 in)

BC spooler

34 (Light blade)

Rotoconer

10 (Fixed parallelblade)

32 (24-40)Winding tension level. gWinding breaks/IOO

bobbins

32 (28-40)

62BC warper

65Cimmco warping

machineII (8-15)Tension level, g 12 (10-14)

Preparation of cheeses BCspooler

Roto- BCconer spooler

Roto-coner

Warping breaks/400ends/lOoo m

Sizing lappers/3000ends/IOOO m

1.8 1.0 2.2

0.8 LI 1.4 2.6

End breaks/loom hr/half beam (2000 ends)

Loom shed actual breaksLoom shed multiple breaksWarp fault

0.70.20.2

0.70.10.1

1.6

0.30.4

1.50.40.4

---_._-- .__ ._--

Table 4 =Process-wise Comparison (Based on Data inTable 3)

Process Windingbreaks/

100bobbins

Weavingbreaks/

2000ends/hr

(A* + Mt)

0.70+0.t51.60+0.351.10 + 0.25

Warpingbreaks/

400 ends/1000 m

Sizinglappers/

3000 ends/1000 m

Be spooler 62Rotoconer 65BC warperCimrnco warping

machine

• A, actual breakst M, multiple breaks

LlO2.001.50

1.101.850.95

2.00 1.10+0.251.60

even when the breaks at Be spooler are made equal tothose on Rotoconer winding machine by widening thegauges on Be spooler. The proportion of breaks due toslubs and spun-in-lint is higher on Be spoo1er than onRotoconer. The breaks on account of foreign matterand loose fluffs are higher on Rotoconer windingmachine. Such type of breaks are often not due to anyfault in the yarn. They occur on account ofaccumulation of fluffs at gauges, slowly forming abead around the yarn. As this bead becomes tighter.even a slight irregularity in yarn causes a break.Practically, such breaks contribute nothing towards

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INDIAN J TEXT RES, VOL. 7, DECEMBER 1982

Table 5-Comparative Study ofBC Preparatory System andConventional High Speed Preparatory System

(AI wide gaugc setting on Rotoconer)

BC spooler Rotoconer

Gauge (0.001 in) 40 (Light blade) 12 (Fixed parallelblade)

Winding tension level, g 32 (24-40) 29 (22-40)Winding breaks/IOO

bobbins 42 39BC warper Cimmco warping

machineTension level, g 10 (9-13) 14 (II-IS)

Preparation of cheeses BC Roto- BC Roto-spooler coner spooler coner

Warping breaks/400ends/I 000 m 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3

Sizing lappersj3000ends/1000 m 0.6 0.4 1.3 1.2

End breaks/loom hr/half beam (2000 ends)

Loom shed actual breaks 0:8 1.4 0.9 1.8Loom shed multiple breaks 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.4Warp fault 0.3 0.6 0.2 0.4_. --_ .. -~.-.--.

Table 6· Process-wise Comparison (Based on Data inTable 5)

Windingbreaks/

100bobbins

BC spooler 42Rotoconer 39BC warperCimmco warping

machine

*A, actual breakstM, multiple breaks

Warpingbreaks/

400 ends/1000 m

1.151.251.15

Sizing Weavinglappers/ breaks/

3000 ends/ 2000 endshr1000m (A*+Mt)

0.95 0.85 + 0.250.80 1.60 + 0.400.50 1.10 + 0.35

Process

1.25 1.25 1.35 + 0.30

the improvement of weaving performance. The betterweaving performance is attributed primarily to theremoval of more slubs and spun-in-lint from yarn,which seems to be more important than foreignmatters and loose lints in governing the breakage rateat weaving. The clearing efficiency at normal as well asat a wide range of gauge setting is much higher for BCspooler snick plate than for the conventional fixedblade slub catcher" 7. BC spooler snick plate is moreefficient in eliminating such yarn faults and thisappears to be the major cause of the better loom shedperformance of the yarn from BC spoo.er even whenthe winding breaks are equal at both the windingmachines.

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The values for warping breaks, sizing lappers andweaving breaks at different settings, given in Tables 2,4 and 6, are the estimated mean values obtained usingthe following relationships:

Processperformed

BsBw + Bse w (when cheeses prepared2 from BC spooler are used)

RwBw + RwCw (when cheeses preparedor ---'r-- from Rotoconer are used)

where B, and R; stand for cheeses prepared on BCspooler and Rotoconer winding machines respectively,while By. and Cw stand for BC warper and Cimmcowarping machine respectively.

It appears from Tables 2, 4 and 6 that the differencein type of warping machine does not influence theweaving performance significantly. It is also observedthat there is no difference in the performance of thetwo machines at warping, though it is expected that thebreakage rate at BC warper is much lower than that athigh speed warping machine. It is clear from thecombined results of three trials that winding amongthe two preparatory processes before sizing has moreeffect on the weaving performance, and the type ofslubcatcher plays a major role III technologicalconsequences.

Conclusions

(I) With normal gauge setting on Barber Colmanspooler and Rotoconer winding machine, BC spoolergives substantially lower breaks at weaving. This is soeven when the breaks of BC spooler are equalized tothose of Rotoconer winding machine either bywidening the gauges on BC spooler or by narrowingthe gauges on Rotoconer. This improvement inweaving performance is attributed mainly to the betterclearing efficiency of BC snick plates.

(2) With satisfactory maintenance of mechanicalconditions, the type of warping machine does notinfluence the weaving performance. Keeping in viewthe weaving performance, high speed warping machineappears to be comparable to BC warper.

(3) The clearing efficiency at normal as well as at awide range or gauge settings is much higher for BCspooler snick plate than that for the conventional fixedblade slub catcher.

AcknowledgementThe authors are thankful to Shri S.P. Vidyarthi.

General Manager, Hindan River Mills, Dasna, forextending the facilities for this study.

SHARMA & KAUSHIK: EFFECT OF PREPARATORY PROCESS PARAMETERS & MACHINE CONDITIONS ON WEAVING

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