link 2 /2007

03 TECHNOLOGY  Report on experience with the Rieter C 60 card 13 PRODUCT NEWS  Current combing record with the new E 66 / E 76 combers 19 RIETER INSIDE  ITMA Munich – A success for Rieter 24 INFO  1 000th THE VISION SHIELD at Rishab Spinning Mill, Ludhiana, India

The customer magazine of Rieter Spun Yarn Systems

Vol. 19 / No. 51 . December 2007 / EN

2 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

TECHNOLOGY03  Report on experience with the Rieter C 60 card     In this article an Indonesian customer reports on his

experience with the C 60 card in ring spinning mill operations.

07  Rieter – partner for nonwovens   

10  COM4® yarns in weaving and fabric design 

PRODUCT NEWS 13  Current combing record with the new E 66 / E 76 

combers    74 kg/h – the highest output ever achieved on a comber.

This is normal operation for Rieter’s new E 66 / E 76 combers.

15  Quality spinning mills rely on Rieter roving frames   

RIETER INSIDE16  Rieter writes spinning history  

19  ITMA Munich – A success for Rieter  With four world records, Rieter fulfilled the claim of the

ITMA 2007 in Munich to be “A place of innovation.” Alongside new machines for yarn manufacturing, Spunjet demonstrated innovation in nonwovens manufacturing.

INFO23  Matesa, a successful spinning mill in Turkey  

24  1 000th THE VISION SHIELD at Rishab Spinning Mill, Ludhiana, India

Success for THE VISION SHIELD (TVS) DIRECT in India.

CONTENTS

Publisher:  Marketing Spun Yarn Systems,

Heiner Eberli

Editor-in-chief:  Marketing Rieter Textile Systems,

Edda Walraf

Copyright: © 2007 by Rieter Machine Works Ltd.

Klosterstrasse 20, CH-8406 Winterthur

Switzerland

www.rieter.com, rieter-link@rieter.com

Reprints permitted, subject to prior approval;

specimen copies requested

Design and production:  Marketing Rieter CZ a.s., Pavel Bielik

Printing Ringier Print s.r.o., Czech Republic

Cover:The Rieter Spun Yarn Systems booth

at the ITMA 2007 in Munich.

� Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

CARDING – THE PREREQUISITE FOR QUALITY YARNS.  Carding is the most important process which helps both to open the tufts into single fibers and to re-move impurities and neps. The carding process also orients the fibers for the subsequent spinning proc-esses. After this kind of preparation, high efficiency in the subsequent spinning process stages and out-standing yarn quality are achieved. Textile experts are therefore convinced of the accuracy of the fol-lowing statements: “The card is the heart of a spinning mill” and “Well carded is well spun”. High card output, which should contribute to the economy of the process, often results in losses in

 In this article T. Vijayakumar, an Indonesian customer, reports on his experience with the running perfor-mance and quality of the Rieter C 60 card in ring spinning mill operations. 

TECHNOLOGY

REPORT ON EXPERIENCE WITH THE RIETER C 60 CARD 

yarn quality. The higher the production rate, the more sensitive the carding process becomes and the greater the risk of a negative impact on quality. The latest technological developments in the carding process are striking. Modern machines achieve pro-duction rates of 60-220 kg/h, compared with output of 5-15 kg/h in 1970. This study is concerned with the quality standards of a producing spinning mill and possible explana-tions for the results achieved.

YARN STANDARDS WITH THE C 60 CARD. Until 2005 we held the view that card output of 75-85 kg/h with 1 1/8” cotton for combed counts on the one hand and spinning yarns to meet the highest standards (with IPI values of less than 5% and Classimat faults in line with USTER Standards) on the other were mu-tually exclusive. This view was based primarily on our experience with carding surfaces 40” (1 meter) wide. With these cards we achieved a maximum of 60-65 kg/h while ensuring our required yarn qual-ity. Our experience with the C 60 card for producing combed cotton yarns in counts of Ne �0 for knitting operations changed the views we had held to date. It is apparent from Table 1 that the USTER IPI values are well below the 5% curve of USTER Standards. Table 1 also shows corresponding yarn quality data for June and October 2006, although the cards pro-duced some �50 tonnes with the same clothing dur-ing this period. The nep rate in the carded sliver measured with AFIS is regarded as an informative variable for de-cisions on grinding and replacing clothing in a spin-ning mill. It has also been observed in some cases that yarns with a high nep content have been spun from carded slivers containing very few neps, and yarns with a low nep content have been spun from slivers containing a large number of neps. Howev-er, it can generally be regarded as useful to analyze carding performance in terms of nep reduction. We calculated nep removal of approx. 85% for a card on which the clothing has already produced more than �50 tonnes of carded sliver.

Rieter wishes to thank T. Vijayakumar for this interesting article.

Fig. 1 The cards at PT Indahjaya Textile Industry have been thoroughly tested by spinning mill manager T. Vijayakumar.

4 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

RAW MATERIAL DETAILS. The yarn values recorded in Table 1 were achieved with cotton in staple lengths of 1 1/8” and 1 �/�2”. The USTER HVI values shown in Table 2 are average values from � batches with a total of 156 bales. It is important to point out that almost all the cotton is saw-tooth ginned. Saw-tooth ginned cotton contains more neps and seed trash; it is also very difficult to remove this seed trash in the blow-room. Most of it therefore has to be removed in the carding process. The average number of neps in the raw material is approx. �00-�50 per gram of cotton. The nep count of the material in the card chute and thus fed to the card is approx. �90-450 per gram.

OPTIONS FOR ACHIEVING BETTER QUALITY AT THE SAME  TIME  AS  HIGH  CARDING  OUTPUT. Various carding and opening elements in the card, such as flats, cylinders, lickers-in, doffers and fixed flats, are responsible for the quality achieved by the carded sliver. In addition to these elements, special fea-tures of the C 60 card also improve sliver quality. The following elements and special features are only a selection of the reasons for achieving outstanding quality at the same time as high card output.

FLATS AND CYLINDERS. All textile technologists will agree that the flats make a major contribution to-ward reducing neps and seed trash in the yarn. With this knowledge, quality-conscious technicians re-place flats twice as frequently as cylinder clothing. This means that the flats are already replaced after processing a volume of 500-600 tonnes of cotton. Cylinder clothing that has already processed 500 tonnes very often produces better yarn quality with new flats than if both – cylinder clothing and flats – are replaced. This illustrates that the flats are ex-tremely important for carding quality.

The degree of nep reduction generally depends on the following: 1. Clothing sharpness (flats and cylinders) 2. Distance between cylinders and flats �. Point density of the clothing 4. Speed of the cylinders 5. Speed of the flats 6. Direction of motion of the flats relative to that of the cylinders 7. Cylinder clothing profile

Output can be increased with the same point densi-ty and the same distance between cylinders and flats by increasing the surface area of the flats alone by 50%, while all other parameters remain unchanged.

Period VI. 06 VI. 06 VI. 06 X. 06 X. 06 X. 06

Test CA 19 CA 20 CA 21 CA 19 CA 20 CA 21

Count (Ne) �0 �0 �0 �0 �0 �0

Spinning machine MC 9 MC 9 MC 9 MC �6 MC �6 MC �6

Tenacity (cN/tex) 16.25 16.09 16.96 15.51 16.�9 16.48

Tenacity (CV%) 6.1 7.4 6.4 5.6 6.1 8.2

Elongation (%) 5.09 5.04 5.�� 5.58 5.55 5.7

Elongation (CV%) 5.6 6.6 5.7 5.7 6.2 5.8

CVm 11.2 11.� 11.2 11.5 11.1 11.1

Thin places - �0% 51� 522 490 611 495 506

Thin places -50% 0 0 0 0 0 0

Thick places +50% 6.8 4.5 �.� 10 6.� 6.8

Neps +200% 8.� 11.� 11 14 9 8.�

Lot 9 Lot 12 Lot 13 ∅

MIC 4.15 4.01 4.08 4.08

+B 9.49 9.68 8.81 9.��

MAT 87.06 86.57 86.26 86.6�

RD 71.�6 70.74 71.�5 71.15

Str 28.62 28.�2 28.84 28.59

Len (inch) 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.15

Unf 81.59 81.19 82.0� 81.61

SFI 10.49 10.4� 9.�7 10.10

Elg (%) 4.�6 4.54 5.�8 4.76Table 2 USTER HVI values of the carded sliver at 60-65 kg/h output.

Table 1  Development of yarn quality data in June and October.

Table 2 

Table 1 

5 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

and keeping it sharp, it prolongs its service life, since the surface area of the clothing points is smaller with comparable production performance. This is in contrast to conventional grinding, where a larger surface area of the clothing points has to be produced when the points are more severely worn than in simple sharpening. The enlarged surface area of the points prevents good fiber penetration and the card has to be re-clothed earlier.

CARD SETTING. Fig. 2 shows the setting of the cards that produced the above-mentioned volumes. It has become apparent that a gap of 0.5 mm be-tween the fixed flat in the post-carding zone and the cylinder not only reduces wear on the flat clothing, but also promotes longer service lives of the fixed flats. We also ascertained that the service life of the fixed flats with this setting is equivalent to up to 250 tonnes. A gap of 0.225 mm between the cylinder and the doffer prevents damage to the clothing points and displays trouble-free fiber transfer. While grinding the flat clothing both with an emery belt and with

If the surface area of the flats is not increased, higher output with the same setting between cylinders and flats will result in more rapid wear of the cylinder and flats clothing. At the same time loss of quality must be expected within a very short time.

DOFFER. The positioning of the clothing between the cylinder and the doffer has no obvious impact on de-taching, but on carding as such. It is the only way to achieve compacting and ultimately form a web. The carding effect takes place between the cylin-der and the doffer, since either the cylinder clothing protrudes through the captured fibers into the doffer clothing or the doffer clothing extends through the fibers into the cylinder clothing. Neps can still be re-moved here, while unopened fiber bundles can be opened slightly and separated during the next pas-sage through the flats.

INTEGRATED  GRINDING  SYSTEM  (IGS).  This sys-tem keeps the cylinder clothing consistently sharp by grinding it 280-400 times during the service life of the clothing. By continuously grinding the clothing

Fig. 2 Card setting sheet for PT Indahjaya.

6 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

T. VijayakumarSpinning Mill Manager PT Indahjaya Textile Industry Tangerang, Indonesia

a grindstone, it was apparent that variations with-in and between the clothing are very small, and this contributes to the improvement of sliver quality.

CLOTHING DETAILS. All cards are equipped with Graf clothing. More information about this clothing can be found in Table �.

QUALITY  DATA  –  C 60  CARD  DISPLAY. Fig. � clear-ly shows that the percentage sliver variance (A%) during production is within the range of fluctuation. We ascertained little variance in sliver weight on all cards during the monitoring period (7 months).

CONCLUSION. Rieter C 60 cards are capable of pro-ducing slivers at 75-85 kg/h from standard cotton with a staple length of 1 1/8” and 1 �/�2” and a Mi-cronaire value of �.8-4.7 for combed yarns in the Ne 20 to Ne �0 count range with IPI values of less than 5% USTER Standard. Rieter C 60 cards oper-ate with an efficiency of more than 98% if they are cleaned with the same care as other cards. The variance in sliver weight produced on Rieter C 60 cards is less than 2% and is constant.

Card Clothing

Feed Roller fish-scale

Licker-in 1 Graf J2-500fV x 12g cs

Licker-in 2 n. a.

Licker-in � n. a.

Cylinder* Graf p 20�0S x 0.4CS

Flat* RSTO F-55/O

Doffer Graf M-50�0 X 1.0R

Take-off roll Graf H-�5-�0 X 1.0S

* = with new clothing, flat setting at beginning 0.05 mm more open

Carding Elements

KE 1. Licker-in knife

KE 2. Licker-in Graf F 9A / 60“

KE �. Licker-in Graf F 9A / 60“

1. Carrier pre carding Graf F 14A / 60“

2. Carrier pre carding knife

�. Carrier pre carding Graf FD �2A / 60“

4. Carrier pre carding knife

5. Carrier post carding knife

6. Carrier post carding knife

7. Carrier post carding Graf FD 64A / 60“

Torsion spring �0°

References: 

1. Rieter documents from the Rieter SYMPOSIUM 200� in INDONESIA.

2. Fiber dynamics in the rotating flat card – a critical review. C. A. Lawrence, A. Dehghani, M. Mahmoudi, B. Greenwood and C. Iype, Textile Industry Faculty, University of Leeds.

3. Manual of Yarn Production, Peter R. Lord, Textile Institute.

4. C 60 card display and C 60 operating instructions – Rieter.

Fig. 3  The C 60 card produces very uniform slivers.

Table 3

7 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

A YOUNG AND DYNAMIC INDUSTRY WITH A FUTURE. The nonwovens industry as we know it today is a young industry. In the early days the pioneers re-placed existing woven or knitted applications with nonwovens. The major benefits for personal hygiene, cleaning and easier baby care were the basis for the triumphant progress of nonwovens. The present and the future are dominated by applications which could not even be produced – or at least not econom-ically – except by this technology. This dynamism is reflected in the use of new raw materials, novel tech-nologies and processes as well as innovative appli-cations in engineering and industry.

 With innovations and an integrated total offering for the nonwovens industry, Rieter meets the challenging expectations of customers in a dynamic industry. 

TECHNOLOGY

RIETER – PARTNER FOR NONWOVENS

Not only innovations in the technical field repre-sent growth potential. The use of disposable and hy-giene products depends on consumers’ disposable income. New middle classes with greater spending power and the same needs for personal comfort as in the West are emerging in the growing markets.

GROWTH  POTENTIAL  IN  TWO  MAIN  MARKETS.  The nonwovens market is currently regarded as a devel-opment market with high growth potential. Global consumption amounted to some 5.1 million tonnes in 2006, and growth of 7.6% p.a. is expected for the next 5 years. The biggest growth prospects for the nonwovens industry are currently emerging in de-veloping countries such as China and India, in Lat-in America and Eastern Europe, where demographic trends are resulting in growth in nonwovens con-sumption.

The nonwovens market is clearly divided into two large product segments:

mass production of “disposable articles” for use in the hygiene and medical sectors, and as wipes niche production of “durable articles” for industrial applications in filtration, construction and vehicle engineering

The market for disposable articles is by far the dominant factor in the nonwovens market with more than 80% of total nonwovens production.

RIETER’S  EXPERTISE  IN  SPUNLACE  TECHNOLOGY.  Rieter Perfojet pioneered the development of Spun-lace technology, in which the nonwoven fabric is bonded by jets of water from high-pressure nozzles. Rieter Perfojet presented its first commercial Spun-lace line in Europe in 1984. Rieter is currently the leader in Spunlace technol-ogy with more than 150 Spunlace lines in operation. JETlace® �000 is regarded worldwide as the latest in hydro-entanglement technology, enabling Spunlace nonwovens to be manufactured with high productiv-ity and very low production costs (Fig. 1).

•

•

Fig. 1 Rieter developed the hydro-entanglement of nonwovens. The latest model: JETlace® �000.

8 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

The main advantages of the JETlace® �000 are: unique, patented injection nozzles superior efficiency of the filtration process patented screens for improved bonding with simul-taneous energy saving sampling capability user-friendly design for easy maintenance and ac-cessibility

Rieter also acts as general contractor for the supply of turnkey Spunlace lines and a global offering of so-lutions for its customers worldwide. Rieter is regard-ed as a preferred systems supplier for complete and integrated Spunlace lines. The market for wipes in particular is driving the growth of the nonwovens industry forward. In re-sponse to these market requirements, focusing on higher machine efficiency, faster production start-up and lower capital investment, Rieter is launching a new generation of hydro-entanglement machines, JETlace® Essentiel. This machine is designed to manu-facture Spunlace nonwovens in weights of �0-80 g/m2 with high production capacity up to 2 700 kg/h for hy-giene and medical applications and for wipes.

PERFOBONDTM  3000  FOR  MANUFACTURING  SPUN-BONDED NONWOVENS.  In 1999 the Rieter manage-ment team adopted a strategy of expanding the prod-uct portfolio and thus widening the offering for the nonwovens industry. Rieter commenced development in the field of spunbonded technology and launched PERFObondTM �000. This new spunbonded technology produces uniform, high-quality nonwovens. The flexibility of Rieter’s machines enables nonwovens to be pro-duced in weights of 10-150 g/m2 at an output of up to �00 kg/h/m/spinning beam. The success of this technology has been reflected to date in sales of 6 PERFObondTM �000 single-beam lines, which produce nonwovens suitable for hygiene and medical applications in low weights per unit area. This has only been possible due to the funda-mental philosophy behind the PERFObondTM �000: the stability of the process and its ambient condi-tions, control of the actual process parameters and the high manufacturing standard of key components from Rieter.

•••

••

The advantages of Rieter spunbonded technology: isotropic MD:CD ratio excellent product uniformity process stability high capacity: 5 000 t/year/beam energy consumption: <1 kWh/kg

NEW  RIETER  MELTBLOWN  SYSTEM.  The meltblown process accounts for some 9% of total nonwovens production, with end products found mainly in filtra-tion, absorption and hygiene applications. Rieter has developed a new meltblown technology. Its unique design and specific features enable the nonwovens industry to achieve cost savings through reduced cleaning times and assembly costs. Besides the fact that the meltblown system can be integrated ideally between Rieter spunbonded towers for manu-facturing SMS nonwovens, this technology offers de-cisive quality advantages:

precise square meter weights and weight distribu-tion very uniform fiber lengths very fine filaments high specific throughput raw material independence excellent reproducibility

SPUNJET® – THE FUTURE OF NONWOVENS. For Rieter, innovation is of the greatest importance and remains a daily challenge. The combination of the spunbond-ed and Spunlace technologies is part of a develop-ment program intended to introduce new nonwovens onto the market. SPUNjet® is the name of this com-bined technology and its purpose is to open up new sales opportunities for customers. It combines the strength of spunbonded nonwovens with the soft-ness of Spunlace: a new generation of nonwovens. Rieter is the only machinery manufacturer world-wide with proficiency in SPUNjet® technology.

•••••

•

•••••

9 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

Didier VullietGeneral Manager Rieter Perfojet

SYSTEMS OFFERING AS A TOTAL RESPONSE. Nowa-days nonwovens manufacturers expect a comprehen-sive offering from a single source, from raw materi-al to finished rolls. This relates both to the offering of production systems and to comprehensive service in all aspects of a project. Through the partnership with NSC nonwoven, customers can avail themselves of the total offering of two specialists who combine their strengths to best advantage. 80% of current ap-plications can be implemented using this construc-tion kit as a total solution – with a single contact cov-ering the entire project and subsequently also during the entire operating phase. Rieter is an experienced systems supplier. Large numbers of total installations involving the integra-tion of different sub-contractors are implemented in the short staple spinning sector. With this experience Rieter reinforces Perfojet’s systems offering. The fo-cus is on customer benefits throughout the process, from consulting prior to purchase, installation plan-ning, pilot trials and financing models through to commissioning, training and after sales service. As a financially sound company, Rieter recommends itself as a reliable partner for large projects. FLEXIBLE INNOVATION AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.  It is intended that Rieter customers should be able to influence the innovative system performance. A pi-lot plant located in Monbonnot, which includes all Rieter and NSC nonwoven technologies, is therefore part of the comprehensive service offered. This is used for further development of the processes and technologies and for product development with cus-tomers. The wide range of technologies and different combinations of processes, coupled with the experi-ence of nonwovens specialists, enable new, custom-ized solutions to be put into effect.

CUSTOMER-ORIENTED,  INNOVATIVE,  INTEGRATED.  Perfojet became part of the Rieter Group in 2000. The strategy adopted has transformed the company from a specialist into a systems supplier for all mod-ern technologies. These strengths are an excellent basis for success in future with existing and new cus-tomers in existing and emerging markets.

Rieter’s goal is to provide the nonwovens indus-try with the right product at the right time – “just on time to market”. The comprehensive offering of Rieter’s spunbonded, Spunlace, meltblown and now SPUNjet® technologies, in conjunction with the abil-ity to combine these different technologies, posi-tions the company in a leading role for implementing further innovative products.

Fig. 2 With the development of the PERFObondTM �000 Rieter also offers multi-beam technologies.

10 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

 COM4® yarns were already setting new standards for economy and quality shortly after the introduction of compact spinning technology.  

TECHNOLOGY

COM4® YARNS IN WEAVING AND FABRIC DESIGN  

high-quality fabrics, fashionable shirts, slacks and jacquard damask fabrics. Well-known names such as Boss, Esprit, Olymp, Ralph Lauren, H&M, Eterna, Christian Fischbacher, Alberto – to mention just a few – place their confidence in the attributes of com-pact yarns. More than �.4 million COM4® spindles from Rieter and compact spindles from Suessen are in operation worldwide, with a rising trend. The largest numbers of compact spindles are currently installed in India, Turkey and Pakistan.

COMFORSPIN® IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL COMPACT SPINNING PROCESS.  Rieter compact spinning tech-nology, featuring a perforated cylinder and partial vacuum, is the basis for the success of COM4® yarns. Due to the partial vacuum inside the perforated cyl-inder, the fibers fed over it follow the shape of the suction slot and are thus compressed between the nip and delivery rollers. This results in a small spin-ning triangle and the fibers are integrated almost completely into the yarn bundle. These yarns there-fore display low hairiness and excellent yarn tenac-ity. These characteristics offer a number of advan-tages for the subsequent production processes and textile applications. COM4® yarns are available for an extensive range of applications. The choice of technology compo-nents enables a very wide variety of raw materials to be coordinated with regard to yarn count and yarn properties. The properties of COM4® yarns predestine them for use in weaving. Their high tenacity, low hairiness and improved yarn regularity have an especially pos-itive influence. They are abrasion-resistant in sub-sequent processes and tend to produce less fly. The end product displays a clearly defined fabric struc-ture, which is an advantage, for instance, in colored fabrics.

WARP PREPARATION DETERMINES THE EFFICIENCY OF  WEAVING  OPERATIONS.  Warp preparation in weaving mills creates the preconditions for the eco-nomical production of quality fabrics. Sizing in par-ticular determines the efficiency of downstream weaving operations and thus fabric quality. The statement “well sized is half woven” sums this up concisely.

STRONG GROWTH IN THE USE OF COMPACT YARNS IN  WEAVING.  Weaving mills recognized the poten-tial inherent in compact yarns at an early stage, and now use them in a wide variety of applications: fine,

Fig.1  The perforated cylinder is the heart of the COM4® spinning process.

11 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

Sizing as such is actually a process with which fab-ric manufacturers would be glad to dispense in warp preparation. Size is first applied to the yarn and later removed again with the expenditure of considerable effort prior to finishing the fabric. Sizing is primarily intended to provide the warp ends with a protective sheath for the subsequent weaving process and to prevent them from clinging. During weaving, the warp ends pass through the warp stop motions, the heddles for shedding and the reed. Depending on weft density, the reed rubs against the same part of yarn several hundred times.

ECONOMICAL  SIZING  WITH  COM4®  YARNS.  The re-quired ratios and amounts of sizing agent, starch, acrylate, PVA, CMC, etc., depend on various factors: yarn count, warp setting, which defines the density in the size vat, the weft insertion method – shuttle, rapier, projectile or air – as well as the weave. Results from mill operations show that size appli-cation with COM4® yarns can be reduced by 25-40% compared with ring-spun yarn, with the same twist. The reduction in the cost of sizing material is sub-stantial. In addition, less effort is required for desiz-ing, which further reduces costs. The high yarn tenacity of COM4® yarns minimizes ends down in the sizing process and thus reduces creep speed zones, which can result in undersizing of the warp yarn over several meters and more fre-quent stoppages in weaving operations. In the dry dividing zone the low hairiness of the yarn favors separation of the warp yarn into individual ends, since only few fiber bridges arise between the ends during sizing. The sizing film around the yarn re-mains intact and the warp yarn is ideally prepared for weaving.

WEAVING  WITH  HIGH  EFFICIENCY.  As already ob-served in the sizing room, COM4® yarns are char-acterized by a low tendency to cling. This property prevents clinging warp ends, which result in more frequent stoppages during weaving. On airjet weav-ing machines clinging warp ends frequently cause stoppages due to the absence of weft. With other weft insertion methods clinging warp ends can result in stoppages due to the absence of warp, or they are crowded into the wrong shed, which results in weav-ing faults.

A smaller number of weaving machine stoppages is the precondition for good fabric quality and high productivity of the weaving machine. An example from mill operations shows how stop-page frequency was reduced from 4.5 to �.0 stop-pages per 100 000 picks with COM4® yarns, com-pared with conventional ring-spun yarns with the same yarn count. At 210 million picks per year and

Fig. right The use of COM4® yarns visibly reduces fiber fly. Top to bottom: ring-spun yarn with 100% sizing application; COM4® yarn with the same sizing application; COM4® yarn with 90% sizing application.

12 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

Harald SchwipplHead Technology

Uwe NickProject Manager Marketing

weaving machine, annual savings of USD 2 200 per weaving machine were achieved in this example. COM4® yarns reduce fiber fly in the weaving mill, as is clearly shown in the illustrations on page 11. This reduces the burden on personnel and the air conditioning system. Cleaning intervals can be ex-tended. Low fly formation in the weaving room and on the weaving machine results in fewer fabric faults due to woven-in fly, i.e. improved fabric quality. Using COM4® yarns in weaving operations reduces stoppage frequency and the workload of weaving mill personnel. Additional machines can be alloca-ted to weaving operators, or the time saved is used for quality control on the weaving machine.

POTENTIAL FOR FABRIC DESIGN. Compared to ring-spun yarns, fabrics made from compact yarns appear more transparent and uniform. With the same fabric construction, the appearance of fabrics made from COM4® yarns differs from those made from ring-spun yarns. This may not correspond to the custom-er‘s specifications, which is why adjustments in the set of warp or weft are advisable. Fabric designers are presented with potential for creating new fabric structures and combining compact yarns with ring-spun yarns in the weft. COM4® yarn is especially suitable for fabrics with dense warp settings and jacquard weaves, where great importance is attached to clear-cut contours in the design. In colored fabrics with dark and light yarns, stripes are more clearly defined when COM4® yarns are used. In order to obtain clear definition of stripes with ring-spun yarns, more expensive ply yarns often have to be used at the edges of the stripes, which entails the expenditure of additional effort in weaving preparation and weaving itself.

ADDITIONAL MARKET OPPORTUNITIES WITH COM4® YARNS.  The use of COM4® yarns in weaving offers great potential for achieving improvements through-out the manufacturing process, in both qualitative and commercial terms. Users of COM4® yarns rein-force their position on the market with new fabric structures and faultless fabric quality. 

Fig.  The fabric below with COM4® yarn in the weft is clearly more uniform than the yarn above with conventional ring-spun yarn.

The warp in both fabrics is 100% polyester filament. The weft in each case is Ne 50, 100% cotton, combed. Top: conventional ring-spun yarn. Bottom: COM4® yarn.

1� Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

Rieter has installed more than 4 000 combers in the past 5 years. This number speaks for itself. Users are convinced by Rieter combers in mill operations due to their superior quality and very good running be-havior at maximum output. They are the most eco-nomical machines on the market. Experience with these machines provided the basis for the develop-ment of the new E 66 and E 76 combers.

74  KG  OF  COMBED  SLIVER  PER  HOUR  –  A  NEW RECORD.  74 kg/h on the E 76 and 72 kg/h on the E 66 – these are the effective production perfor-mance figures of the new combers.

 74 kg/h – the highest output ever achieved on a comb-er. This is standard for Rieter’s new E 66 and E 76 combers. 

PRODUCT NEWS

CURRENT COMBING RECORD WITH THE NEW E 66 AND E 76 COMBERS 

With 500 nips/min, batt weight of up to 80 g/m and very good machine running behavior, a large number of combers are already producing to customers’ com-plete satisfaction under mill conditions. The increase in output has been achieved by means of C•A•P•D500. C•A•P•D500 – computer aided process development – consists of the optimization of the combing process for 500 nips/min as regards move-ment, loading of the combing elements and air guid-ance.

440 KG/H – OPTIMUM COMBING LINE.  The increase in comber output has an influence on line size. The new combing line, with an output of 440 kg/h of combed sliver, consists of 1 OMEGAlap E �5 and 6 E 66 or E 76 combers (Fig. 2). Together with UNIlap combing preparation, a line comprises 1 UNIlap E �2 and 4 E 66 / E 76 combers with an output of �00 kg/h.

SUPERIOR QUALITY WITH MAXIMUM OUTPUT.  The laps produced on the UNIlap or OMEGAlap provide the ideal feed material for the new combers. C•A•P•D500 enables the fibers to be combed gently at maximum speed. This is evident in the good web quality. Experts also confirm the visible improvement in the web edges. The gentle combing action is also apparent with the new models in excellent fiber selection, high sliver eveness and good yarn quality.

ENERGY SAVING – A PRIORITY THEME FOR RIETER.  Low energy consumption by spinning machines has been a priority theme for Rieter for many years. Each new generation of combers launched on the market has achieved striking energy savings per kilogram of combed sliver compared to its predecessor model. A saving of 12.5% is the figure for the new comber (Fig. �). Optimization of sequences of motion, a re-duction in the mass of the combing elements and the increase in output have made this possible.

Fig. 2 440 kg/h – the economical Rieter combing line.

Fig.1 74 kg/h with C•A•P•D500.

14 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

110

100

90

80

70

60

501988 1995 1999 2004 2007

E 7/6 E 60 E 62 E 65 E 66

C•A•P•D

C•A•P•D+

C•A•P•D500

Anja KnickProduct Management Combing

UNIQUE  AUTOMATED  LAP  CHANGE.  The fully auto-mated ROBOlap lap changing and batt piecing sys-tem of the new E 76 comber is still unique. Custom-ers in Europe, the Far East, South America, China and now also in India have been working with this fully automated system for more than 10 years.

The fully automated ROBOlap system operates as follows. The machine stops as soon as a lap runs empty. The remaining batt on the tubes is sucked off. The empty tubes are then replaced by full laps. The batt ends of all 8 laps are then prepared simulta-neously for piecing, i.e. thinned out. Finally, piecing is performed simultaneously at all 8 combing posi-tions. The machine accelerates to maximum produc-tion speed. ROBOlap measurably improves piecing quality compared to manual batt piecing. This is clearly ap-parent in combed sliver eveness. At the same time efficiency is improved by 2% compared to the “semi-automatic” E 66 comber. ROBOlap reduces operator effort on the comber to purely supervisory functions. Qualified operating personnel can therefore be em-ployed for other duties.

SEMI-AUTOMATED  OR  FULLY  AUTOMATED  LAP CHANGE  AS  REQUIRED.  A choice can be made be-tween the semi-automated SERVOtrolley and the ful-ly automated SERVOlap E 25 system for transporting laps from combing preparation to the comber. The SERVOtrolley system has been further devel-oped for ROBOlap machines so that fully automat-ed E 76 combers can also be installed in lines with semi-automated SERVOtrolley lap transport trolleys in future. Rieter combers stand for superior technology with many years of mill operating experience in high-per-formance combing. The E 66 / E 76 combers contin-ue this tradition of maximum production with supe-rior quality, low energy consumption and maximum economy.

Fig. 3  Energy saving with Rieter combers since 1988.

Fig. 4  Unique automated lap changing and batt piecing system.

1st step: Detaching and extracting the batt.

2nd step: Tilting the empty tube back into the tube channel.

�rd step: Tilting the full lap into the working position.

4th step: Preparing the batt end of the lap for automatic piecing.

5th step: Pneumatic release of the batt end by the Aero-Pic system.

6th step: Joining the two batt ends.

kWh

/ kg

com

bed

sliv

er [%

]

Main motorBelt driveDraftingsystem

-5 %

-12 %

-15 %

-5.5 %

15 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

Quality spinning mills rely on Rieter roving frames as the optimum preparation for their quality yarns. More than 220 F 15 / F �5 roving frames have been sold worldwide. As the final preparatory stage before the spinning process they ensure optimum, gentle processing of the drawframe slivers into a uniform roving. Good roving quality is the prerequisite for good yarn quality.

SETCORE  ATTACHES  GREAT  IMPORTANCE  TO  TOP QUALITY. Setcore is one of the leading textile com-panies in Egypt and a quality spinning mill with very high standards. The company has relied on Rieter machines for many years and has always attached great importance to feeding its ring spinning ma-chines with top quality rovings. Its high standards

 The Rieter F 15 and F 35 roving frames guarantee stable quality standards. 

PRODUCT NEWS

QUALITY SPINNING MILLS RELY ON RIETER ROVING FRAMES 

were already satisfied by the F 11 predecessor mod-el and by the installation of further roving frames of the current F 15 model in 2006. The arguments in favor of the F 15 which convinced Setcore were:

constant, reproducible drawing action in the draft-ing system optimum roving tension control, producing uni-form, homogeneous package build ergonomic doffing aid, making removal of the full bobbins considerably easier for personnel

MATESA PLACES ITS CONFIDENCE IN QUALITY AND AUTOMATION. Matesa, a prominent Turkish custom-er in the Karamanmaras region, expanded its spinning mill with a complete spinning installation for denim yarns in 2006. Rieter machines were installed at all stages. The advantages of automation were an impor-tant consideration for Matesa. The roving is produced on fully automated F �5 roving frames and transport-ed to the ring spinning installation by means of the SERVOtrail roving bobbin transport system. Spinning mill manager Buket Celebi especially appreciates the following features of the fully automated F �5 roving frame:

constant quality from spindle to spindle, even over the long term operator-friendly doffer design with free access to the spinning positions very short doffing times of approx 2 minutes link to the efficient Rieter SERVOtrail roving bobbin transport system

The high demand for Rieter roving frames also re-flects the importance customers attach to the system concept. Responsibility with regard to technology, service and quality – or “everything from a single source” – simplifies the task of achieving and main-taining superior yarn quality.

•

•

•

•

•

••

Matesa, Turkey – fully automated F �5 roving frame with SERVOtrail roving bobbin transport system.

Anja KnickProduct Management Roving Frames

16 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

 The Elitex company exhibited the first industrialscale OE rotor spinning machine in 1967. Rieter’s machines are based on this know-how, which has been the sub-ject of continuous further development. 

RIETER INSIDE

RIETER WRITES SPINNING HISTORY

AT THE 1967 ITMA.  the first OE rotor spinning ma-chine (the BD 200) was exhibited by the Elitex com-pany from the former Czechoslovakia. The machine was based on a process that had already been pat-ented in England in 1807 and in Denmark in 19�7.

THIS  NEW  TECHNOLOGY  IMMEDIATELY  ATTRACTED CONSIDERABLE  INTEREST.  Although it came from Eastern Europe, visitors to ITMA and the other ma-chinery manufacturers sat up and took notice. Ini-tial further developments by Japanese, Italian and French manufacturers appeared in the years imme-diately following. In Germany a consortium formed by Platt, Rieter and Schubert & Salzer (“Ingolstadt“), SKF, Zinser and Suessen worked on the further de-velopment of the spinning technology. They intro-duced the indirect rotor bearing at that time.

ONLY 4 YEARS LATER, the ITMA held in Paris in 1971 was virtually dominated by “OE technology“. A to-tal of 11 companies exhibited 1� different machine models. These included the RK 10 machine for short staple and the RL 10 for long staple fibers, both from Ingolstadt. Work was being performed then on short machines with less than 200 spinning positions. Ro-tor diameters of 60 mm permitted rotation speeds of up to �5 000 rpm.

SUESSEN  INVOLVED  FROM  THE  OUTSET. Suessen started developing the first automatic rotor spin-ning machine in 1974, at that time in cooperation with Schlafhorst. At the 1975 ITMA in Milan there were already 15 manufacturers offering a total of 22 models. The trend was in the direction of short staple spinning.

TREND-SETTING  AUTOMATION  FROM  INGOLSTADT.  At the 1978 ATME in Greenville/USA, Ingolstadt fi-nally exhibited the automatic “RU 11-Spinncomat“. This was followed in 1979 by the start of volume production of the Schlafhorst/Suessen “Autocoro“ automated spinning-winder. Automation initially in-volved package change, which was followed by emp-ty tube feed and ends down repair. In cooperation with Rieter, Ingolstadt equipped the RU 14A with a novel piecing system and a new winder unit in 1991. This resulted in the R 1 rotor spinning machine, which was the highlight of the 1992 ATME.

1967 ELITEX presents the first BD 200

1971 ITMA “OE Fair“ in Paris with 15 models shown by 11 exhibitors, including the RK 10 from INGOLSTADT

1974 SUESSEN steps into the development process

1975 ITMA Milan with the RU 11 and RU 80 from INGOLSTADT

1978 ATME with the automated RU 11 Spinncomat from INGOLSTADT

1979 Autocoro automated bobbin winder from SCHLAFHORST in association with SUESSEN

198� Further automation of the Spinncomat on the RIETER machine featuring tube feed without starter packages

1987 RIETER acquires INGOLSTADT

1991 RIETER shows the R 1 with the AERObearing at the ITMA in Hanover

1994 RIETER acquires ELITEX with the BT 90� and BT 905 rotor spinning machines

1997 RIETER’s R 20 supersedes the R 1

2001 After acquiring the SUESSEN Group, RIETER shows the R 40 at the ITMA in Singapore

2004 Presentation of RIETER’s BT 92�, a new generation of semi-automatic rotor spinning machines

2005 Introduction of AEROpiecing. RIETER’s R 40 runs at �50 m/min delivery speed at the ITMA in Singapore

2007 RIETER’s R 40 sets a new record at the ITMA in Munich with 500 spinning positions

Table 1 A review of 40 years of rotor spinning machinery from Rieter.

17 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

RIETER  INCORPORATES  KNOW-HOW  FROM  THE MANUAL MACHINES. Spinning boxes of the BD 200 series were built by Elitex in the Czech Republic un-til 1991. In the meantime Elitex had made further developments to the manually operated rotor spin-ning machines. In 1994 Rieter acquired Elitex and thus also that company’s BT 90� manual rotor spin-ning machine and an automated rotor spinning ma-chine based on it. Know-how in rotor spinning from Elitex and the de-velopment capacity of the other major rotor develop-ers at Ingolstadt (Schubert & Salzer) and Suessen are now concentrated at Rieter. Development on this ba-sis now offers the latest state of the art in technology as well as modern, economical machine engineering.

10  YEARS  OF  MODULAR  ROBOTS.  The R 1 featured wholly mechanical automation corresponding to the state of the art at that time. It was still difficult to ad-just and required considerable maintenance effort. The R 20 successor model came onto the market in 1997 with the first modular robot design. Suessen was finally acquired by Rieter in 2001. In the same year the R 40 rotor spinning machine was to be seen at the ITMA Asia in Singapore. The R 40 combined Suessen’s latest developments in spinning technology with the advanced automation and ma-

chine concept of Rieter’s R 20. The adaptable modu-lar robot played a crucial role in this machine’s rapid success.

REVOLUTIONARY PIECING QUALITY. Since then this machine has experienced rapid further development. The introduction of AEROpiecing technology in 2005 was a breakthrough for piecing quality: through technical innovations and modern precision control engineering it became possible to produce reliably repeatable, yarn-like piecings on the R 40 rotor spin-ning machine. This quality not only ensures fewer stoppages in downstream processing. The invisible piecings also improve the quality of the final knitted and woven fabrics. ComfoRo® was therefore intro-duced as a brand name for these.

15  YEARS  AGO  THE  AEROBEARING  BANISHED  OIL FROM THE SPINNING BOX. Since the R 1, Rieter has systematically equipped the rotor bearings in the spinning boxes with oil- and grease-free AERObear-ings. These durable and problem-free bearings en-

The first spinning box on the Elitex BD 200 started a revolution (Rieter Czech a.s. Museum).

Initially rotor speeds of �1 000 rpm, twice as high as in ring spinning, were something to be proud of.

18 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

Dr. Stephan Weidner-BohnenbergerHead Product Management Rotor

sure active cleanliness inside the boxes. Due to its open design, the AERObearing also enables much greater energy savings to be achieved than other en-gineering approaches.

CONTINUOUS  ENERGY  SAVING.  Energy-saving and more efficient drives with frequency converters have resulted in considerable further reductions in the machine’s energy consumption in recent years. Add-ed to this is a further increase in productivity on the basis of Rieter’s continuous improvements in spin-ning technology. This now enables higher spinning speeds to be achieved with lower yarn twist, without any loss in yarn quality. The combination of spinning speed and energy consumption per spinning position reduces energy consumption per kg of yarn produced.

POTENTIAL  FOR  EVEN  GREATER  ECONOMY.  By vir-tue of its economics the rotor spinning process had spread rapidly from the outset in Europe, the US, Turkey and South America. In the former USSR and its allies the highly productive rotor spinning proc-ess contributed to the improved supply of textiles. Nowadays the modern drives of the R 40 enable ma-chines to be built with up to 500 rotors. The semi-automatic BT 92� has long offered up to �60 rotors. The market share gained by Rieter testifies to its in-novative and mill-proven concepts. Specialists fore-see considerable further development potential for rotor spinning.

Fig. below  In the SC-R spinning box Suessen further developed the technology that had previously only been available in competitors’ machines.

Fig. right  The R 1 spinning box displayed Rieter’s high level of technological know-how.

19 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

ITMA  EUROPE  –  CENTER  OF  ATTRACTION  FOR  THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY.  The importance of the ITMA in Munich for the textile industry was demonstrated by the large numbers of exhibitors and visitors attend-ing this event. As a leading supplier of systems and components for manufacturing short staple yarns and nonwovens lines, Rieter was represented at the fair with four booths. The large number of customers who visited these booths, interesting technical dis-cussions, new projects and orders made this fair a success for Rieter.

FOUR WORLD RECORDS FOR SPINNING SHORT STA-PLE YARNS. With a maximum output of 220 kg/h the C 60 card in its latest version is the most productive in the world. At the same time the integrated grind-

 With four world records, Rieter fulfilled the claim of the ITMA 2007 in Munich to be “A place of innovation.”

RIETER INSIDE

ITMA MUNICH – A SUCCESS FOR RIETER

ing system (IGS) makes it the only card in the world that grinds its clothing during production. This pro-longs the service life of the clothing and ensures con-sistent sliver quality. The new E 66 comber – or E 76 in the auto-mated version – again sets new standards with 500 nips/minute in day-to-day mill operations. Rieter can also offer lower energy consumption per kilogram of combed sliver produced and superior fi-ber selection. The latest version of the R 40 rotor spinning ma-chine is the longest rotor spinning machine in the world with 500 spinning positions and up to four in-dependent robots. This guarantees high productiv-ity in a small space with low energy consumption. At the same time yarn-like piecings are produced by the unique AEROpiecing system. Customers spin ef-ficiently and produce excellent yarn quality with this rotor spinning machine. Rieter’s new K 45 COM4® spinning machine is the longest compact spinning machine in the world with 1 6�2 spindles. At the same time it offers many op-tions for producing fashionable yarns, such as slub yarns, spin-twisted yarns, core-spun yarns, and vari-ations in twist and yarn count. Further energy sav-ings have also been achieved.

ATTRACTIVE  PRESENTATION  OF  TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE. Rieter attaches particular importance to technological support. With project data and sam-ples from the fiber to the final product, customers are

Minister Du Yuzhou and his delegation and Rieter Management on the first day of the fair.

The C 60 card produces up to 220 kg/h.

20 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

The new K 45 COM4® spinning machine is convincing not only by virtue of its record-breaking

Systems expertise from fiber to final garment is illustrated graphically. Displaying yarns and SPUNjet® in a different way.

21 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

Rieter spare parts and technology components ensure a long and economical useful life of the machinery and systems.

In-depth multimedia information on Rieter systems.

The systems offering for production, service, technology and management support.

length of 1 6�2 spindles, but also due to its flexibility and low energy consumption.

22 Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

convinced by Rieter’s systems expertise and supported in product development, manufacturing, downstream processing and marketing. At this ITMA Rieter present-ed the end products especially attractively with models who themselves handed out fabric samples matching the garments they were wearing.

“COMFORT  THANKS  TO  RIETER”.  As always, Rieter illustrated its slogan with a special feature. At this ITMA customers were surprised by a “mobile” bag for transporting technical literature much more con-veniently.

IMPORTANT  VISITORS  DID  RIETER  THE  HONOR.  In addition to the many customers Rieter was able to welcome to its booth, high-level visitors from China and India also did Rieter the honor of showing their interest in Rieter’s products. Minister Du Yuzhou from China with his delegation on the very first day of the fair and Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on the final day of the fair. These visits were evidence of our efforts and successes in these countries.

Edda WalrafHead Marketing Rieter Textile Systems

INNOVATIONS  FOR  THE  NONWOVENS  INDUSTRY.  Rieter exhibited an innovative development in the nonwovens sector for the first time in the shape of SPUNjet®. SPUNjet® is a new combination of proc-esses in which a spunbonded web is bonded – online – not by a calender, but by water jets. This develop-ment produces a web of a completely new quality. As with the COM4® process, new applications can be implemented or costs saved.

TOURS  OF  MANUFACTURING  FACILITIES.  The prox-imity to Rieter Ingolstadt meant that visits could also be made to Rieter’s plant in Ingolstadt. A coach load of customers drove north each day for a half-day vis-it. Our thanks to all customers, partners, interested parties and the media for their visits, as well as the organizers of this trade fair focusing on innovation.

A friendly, expert reception on the booth.

“Comfort thanks to Rieter.” The rolling literature bag was in huge demand.

The new E 66 comber operates at 500 nips/min. The world’s longest rotor spinning machine with 500 spinning positions.

2� Rieter . LINK 51 . 2 /2007

Unfortunately, the illustrations on page 10 of LINK 50 included a misprint. The building shown was that of Marteks. We are therefore including more pictures of Matesa here. Matesa has been operating a very attractive OE ro-tor spinning mill with 10 C 60 cards, 5 SB-D 40 draw-frames, 5 RSB-D 40 autoleveler drawframes and 8 R 40 rotor spinning machines with 400 spinning po-sitions each since the end of 2006. 100% cotton yarns in the Ne 7-40 count range are produced.

 In LINK 50 we reported on successful customers in Turkey. Here are more pictures of Matesa, a modern rotor spinning mill.  

INFO

MATESA, SUCCESSFUL SPINNING MILL IN TURKEY 

Matesa’s new office building.

10 C 60 cards supply the spinning mill with material.

8 R 40 rotor spinning machines produce excellent yarn quality with high efficiency.

High-quality, fashionable denim products are a Matesa specialty.

Edda WalrafHead Marketing Rieter Textile Systems

www.rieter.com

1 000th The Vision Shieldfor

NAHAR SPINNING MILL LTD.India

INFO

1 000TH THE VISION SHIELD AT RISHAB SPINNING MILL, LUDHIANA, INDIA 

Everyone then proceeded to THE VISION SHIELD itself in the spinning mill for the formal unveiling of the jubilee plaque with the inscription:

Rieter and Jossi invited the management of the Nahar Group to dinner that evening. There Kurt Frei presided over the presenta-tion of an original Swiss cuckoo clock to all members of Nahar management and enter-tained the company with the history con-nected with it.

In the highly competitive Indian market for equipment to detect and remove extraneous matter, a THE VISION SHIELD (TVS) DIRECT MPIX was sold to the spinning mill of the Nahar Group at the beginning of the year.  

This rapidly expanding group manufac-tures mainly high-quality yarns for export and depends on reliable and efficient elim-

Silvano RufoHead Parts Marketing

ination of foreign matter. Despite keen lo-cal and European competition, this and other sales in India confirm the strategy of keeping a step ahead with THE VISION SHIELD, not least through its frequent-ly demonstrated efficiency in eliminating classical impurities, but also in removing polypropylene. The formal presentation was made at the Rishab Spinning Mill, Ludhiana, on May 2, 2007. The Rieter delegation was welcomed by SL. Sehgal, Executive Director. Dinesh Oswal, Managing Director of the Nahar Group, arrived soon after and the cere-mony could begin. G. Balasubramanian, Rieter India Sales, thanked the manage-ment of the Nahar Group in his speech for their confidence and for the opportunity to hold this event at such a prestigious lo-cation. Kurt Frei, Head of the Parts Busi-ness Unit, followed with a speech entitled: “A successful product needs a successful customer.” Walter Kiechel, CEO of the Jos-si company, briefly introduced his compa-ny and informed the audience about future developments in the context of detecting and eliminating polypropylene. Presentation of the 1 000th THE VISION SHIELD to

Nahar Spinning Mill Ltd.