Carbon Fibre will soon be the "In " fiber for most low weight , high strength products.
Carbon Fibre did not find any apparel applications, but was also not exploited for industrial applications. Some of the composites of carbon are now used in auto motives and airplanes, but it has still not reached a stage, where it can find a niche positioning in most industrial applications.
One of the most interesting applications of Carbon Fibre is Shoe Soles. Carbon fibers on account of low weight and high strength are wear resistance and have good abrasion resistance and the best thing being low weight.
For sports shoe applications, the carbon fibers are the best solution. A change of even 10 to 25 gms. in the shoe weight can bring about a major change in the athletes positioning in sports events, where nano seconds matter.
The shoe top fabrics also have to be researched and probably can be made out of carbon yarns.
The other application of carbon composites are heat conductive inductance cooking. Cold weather architecture application for heat preservation. Defense applications etc.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
One step S and Z.
Ingenuity of technical enterprenuers always gets them the best profits and positioning in the market.
Recently I visited a factory making sewing thread. While as a factory, it is one of the most antiquated, but the most interesting thing was that the owner had practically designed each and every machine by himself. He is not a textile graduate, a raw technician and runs a very large sewing thread operation with quality only to the extent of acceptable at price point.
I will skip writing about his all other machine designs, but one of the most interesting machine that he had designed was that the S and Z twisting together in one operation.
No machine maker under the sun has been able to design such a system, but here was something unique, where 3 yarns are twisted independently on three positions as one for one and then combine on a guide and get fed into a cop which is turning anticlockwise and giving z twist with ring twister. Though the machine is still one for one twisting, yet the system is ingenuous and perfect.
The machine frame was made out of wooden board, the spindles were that of ring twisting on the z twister and the ring rail was a wooden board with rings embedded on it . The ring rail was given motion by a cam drive. Such a simple system, but giving good results.
I was not allowed to take pictures. However, sooner or later, I will get the pictures and post here.
In my opening blogs I wrote that technology in textiles has to be developed ingenuously to find a niche position in the market. The basic technology is very low in textiles and the machines are far too standard to find flexibility for the user.
Most textile machines are designed to serve the cave man textiles, the users themselves are too lazy to design machines by themselves. It is only rarely one finds that a technician has used his own mind to find a unique solution.
Recently I visited a factory making sewing thread. While as a factory, it is one of the most antiquated, but the most interesting thing was that the owner had practically designed each and every machine by himself. He is not a textile graduate, a raw technician and runs a very large sewing thread operation with quality only to the extent of acceptable at price point.
I will skip writing about his all other machine designs, but one of the most interesting machine that he had designed was that the S and Z twisting together in one operation.
No machine maker under the sun has been able to design such a system, but here was something unique, where 3 yarns are twisted independently on three positions as one for one and then combine on a guide and get fed into a cop which is turning anticlockwise and giving z twist with ring twister. Though the machine is still one for one twisting, yet the system is ingenuous and perfect.
The machine frame was made out of wooden board, the spindles were that of ring twisting on the z twister and the ring rail was a wooden board with rings embedded on it . The ring rail was given motion by a cam drive. Such a simple system, but giving good results.
I was not allowed to take pictures. However, sooner or later, I will get the pictures and post here.
In my opening blogs I wrote that technology in textiles has to be developed ingenuously to find a niche position in the market. The basic technology is very low in textiles and the machines are far too standard to find flexibility for the user.
Most textile machines are designed to serve the cave man textiles, the users themselves are too lazy to design machines by themselves. It is only rarely one finds that a technician has used his own mind to find a unique solution.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Twist Setting
Twist is what finally gives the power to the yarn. It brings out drape, feel, strength for weaving and crease qualities.
Higher the twist, higher is the torque in the yarn and this torque is a mess in warping and weaving. In warping, the yarns would slough off the package and in weaving, the weft would pop up incrementally and give trough to the fabric. It is for this very reason that twisted yarns are very rarely used in weft.
Twisted yarns need to be twist stabilized, but the way the system is designed is a disaster. The yarns are shoved into a steaming oven, wherein after a certain time and certain temperatures are pulled out and put to use.
How can steam or hot air ever penetrate the inner layers of yarn and even with conductivity, yarns inside layers to outside layers and middle layers have differential heat exposure and hence differential shrinkage. One of the effects of this shrinkage is a twist CV% going out of range and hence a differential dyeing result.
Interestingly , the fabric dyer believes that it is a dyeing problem and keeps trying to change recipes to take care of streaks and deep dyeing etc, but can never imagine for his life that the problem is with the twist of the yarn in the fabric. Same applies to yarn dyeing.
The whole know how in good stabilized twisted package is with optimizing the density of the package in twisting machines. Unless, one makes soft packages to allow the steam to easily enter the package and stabilize all layers of package, the twist setting would remain sub optimal.
As a hint, the density of polyester textured yarns should be around 450 gms per litre as maximum and for FDY yarns should be around 220 gms per litre. But to get such levels of density, the twisting machines need to be tweaked.
Secondly, the package centre has to be a spring bobbin only. Mantex Dyesprings are the best option.
All textured and FDY yarns, which go for high twist should be with zero residual lubricant, otherwise,it would give yellow color with steam. Secondly, the steamer should have water purifiers lest the hardness of water would give yellow color as compliment.
Timing in a steamer depends upon the torque in the yarn and hardness of the package.
Higher the twist, higher is the torque in the yarn and this torque is a mess in warping and weaving. In warping, the yarns would slough off the package and in weaving, the weft would pop up incrementally and give trough to the fabric. It is for this very reason that twisted yarns are very rarely used in weft.
Twisted yarns need to be twist stabilized, but the way the system is designed is a disaster. The yarns are shoved into a steaming oven, wherein after a certain time and certain temperatures are pulled out and put to use.
How can steam or hot air ever penetrate the inner layers of yarn and even with conductivity, yarns inside layers to outside layers and middle layers have differential heat exposure and hence differential shrinkage. One of the effects of this shrinkage is a twist CV% going out of range and hence a differential dyeing result.
Interestingly , the fabric dyer believes that it is a dyeing problem and keeps trying to change recipes to take care of streaks and deep dyeing etc, but can never imagine for his life that the problem is with the twist of the yarn in the fabric. Same applies to yarn dyeing.
The whole know how in good stabilized twisted package is with optimizing the density of the package in twisting machines. Unless, one makes soft packages to allow the steam to easily enter the package and stabilize all layers of package, the twist setting would remain sub optimal.
As a hint, the density of polyester textured yarns should be around 450 gms per litre as maximum and for FDY yarns should be around 220 gms per litre. But to get such levels of density, the twisting machines need to be tweaked.
Secondly, the package centre has to be a spring bobbin only. Mantex Dyesprings are the best option.
All textured and FDY yarns, which go for high twist should be with zero residual lubricant, otherwise,it would give yellow color with steam. Secondly, the steamer should have water purifiers lest the hardness of water would give yellow color as compliment.
Timing in a steamer depends upon the torque in the yarn and hardness of the package.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Commodity Yarns or Cave Man Textiles
If you happen to uncover a Large Stone in India, then most likely a Textile Mill will show up. Indian Entrepreneurs love Textile Mills and besides 3000++ , more are always on the way. But this phenomenon is not just in India, it is spread across Indonesia and Thailand.
Most would joke in South India, that Bar Owners have now diversified into Textile Mills .
Such is the simplicity of the business, that with little extra money in bank with a business man and next thing , you get to know that he is a Mill Owner.
Some of these mill owners do not know, which if the front of the machine or which is the back of the machine. However, year after year, the number of spindles keep growing and next year , if you visit him, the mill has grown to 100,000+ spindles.
Most mill, say 90% run few counts like 20s, 30s and 40s and some have twisting capacities. For polyester DTY yarns, it is only 150 den or 300 den . Polyester staple Fibre is essentially 1.2 d x 38 mm.
Largely the textile across the globe is covered with these few yarns.
Therefore, the whole business of textiles is just about converting PSF or Cotton , or PTA to few textile counts.
The conversion cost is also known to the security guard on the front gate. So, as long as you can wind yarn on the cone, then already you are up and running.
Commodity yarns as these are, can be best described as Cave Man Textiles. Day in and day night, the same routine and same cycle to roll out bundles of yarns.
The most interesting thing about these mills/ plants is that despite running commodity yarns, none of them understands that at the end Profitability of such a business is largely dependent on the Productivity and if you don't push your machines to run at the highest speeds, there is no way, that at the end of the year, you can find a fat black bottom line.
Every 5% gain in speeds on the Ring Frame is a direct profit of 5% to the company. Unless and Until each year, the company gains in productivity, there is little chance that it has room for survival in coming time. All other cost will go up by minimum 5% each year and same is not matched with productivity profits, the company is up for grabs.
Which also means, unless and until the company regularly invests into machines which will yield higher outputs, the laggard assets will only loose out. Most cost in a mill are fixed and the Top line is largely the price of market x output. Market prices for commodities in a global space are not just cut throat, but volcanic.
In a kind of Cave Man Textiles, the job is largely production management with very little incentive on development and creativity. However, best production managers are those, who can drive the machines much much higher then the known limits to the industry and the machine configuration.
Quality in commodity is a very relative term and as long as the yarn runs perfectly well on the user machine, most other attributes are academic. Only for a certain set of customers, where special quality is managed and higher prices realized,perhaps, machines can be tweaked.
Another interesting thing about commodity yarns is that , say, if the plant produces 150 denier all round the year, then allow certain set of machines to run the same yarn with same settings and same speeds year after year. These machines will give yarn quality, which no one can match in the market. Somehow, machines love consistency and have a tacit " Do Not Disturb board " which most of us fail to read.
Cave Man Textiles are still a great engine of growth in developing economies and many cave time machine makers are happy serving these mill.
Most would joke in South India, that Bar Owners have now diversified into Textile Mills .
Such is the simplicity of the business, that with little extra money in bank with a business man and next thing , you get to know that he is a Mill Owner.
Some of these mill owners do not know, which if the front of the machine or which is the back of the machine. However, year after year, the number of spindles keep growing and next year , if you visit him, the mill has grown to 100,000+ spindles.
Most mill, say 90% run few counts like 20s, 30s and 40s and some have twisting capacities. For polyester DTY yarns, it is only 150 den or 300 den . Polyester staple Fibre is essentially 1.2 d x 38 mm.
Largely the textile across the globe is covered with these few yarns.
Therefore, the whole business of textiles is just about converting PSF or Cotton , or PTA to few textile counts.
The conversion cost is also known to the security guard on the front gate. So, as long as you can wind yarn on the cone, then already you are up and running.
Commodity yarns as these are, can be best described as Cave Man Textiles. Day in and day night, the same routine and same cycle to roll out bundles of yarns.
The most interesting thing about these mills/ plants is that despite running commodity yarns, none of them understands that at the end Profitability of such a business is largely dependent on the Productivity and if you don't push your machines to run at the highest speeds, there is no way, that at the end of the year, you can find a fat black bottom line.
Every 5% gain in speeds on the Ring Frame is a direct profit of 5% to the company. Unless and Until each year, the company gains in productivity, there is little chance that it has room for survival in coming time. All other cost will go up by minimum 5% each year and same is not matched with productivity profits, the company is up for grabs.
Which also means, unless and until the company regularly invests into machines which will yield higher outputs, the laggard assets will only loose out. Most cost in a mill are fixed and the Top line is largely the price of market x output. Market prices for commodities in a global space are not just cut throat, but volcanic.
In a kind of Cave Man Textiles, the job is largely production management with very little incentive on development and creativity. However, best production managers are those, who can drive the machines much much higher then the known limits to the industry and the machine configuration.
Quality in commodity is a very relative term and as long as the yarn runs perfectly well on the user machine, most other attributes are academic. Only for a certain set of customers, where special quality is managed and higher prices realized,perhaps, machines can be tweaked.
Another interesting thing about commodity yarns is that , say, if the plant produces 150 denier all round the year, then allow certain set of machines to run the same yarn with same settings and same speeds year after year. These machines will give yarn quality, which no one can match in the market. Somehow, machines love consistency and have a tacit " Do Not Disturb board " which most of us fail to read.
Cave Man Textiles are still a great engine of growth in developing economies and many cave time machine makers are happy serving these mill.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Nylon : New York + London => The Porn Yarn
Ny-lon gets it name from New York and London. When it was first made, it was a yarn that would unwind straight from New York to London . Perhaps, it would have been the first filament yarn.
I call Nylon, the Porn Yarn. Playboy girls are largely covered with nylon . From stockings to lingerie to nets and fancies, Nylon for its silky touch and silvery reflection has all the entrapping for a fashion cat.
Nylon was never a textile friendly yarn. With its poor feel, static cluster, and heat trap, it got quickly abandoned for more cooler yarns like polyester, viscose etc. etc.
Nylon socks still attack my foot and I don't find easily nice cotton socks anywhere. Socks, lingerie, elastics, and sewing threads have still continued to use nylon as the base yarn.
Nylon as long as was pin textured still had the bulk and handle for next to skin applications. But with disc texturizing, it is gives a petroleum extract feeling. Nylon should have technically gone the Air Texturizing route, however, very rarely is air texturized.
Socks and stockings out of Nylon are mal-wares of Textiles and should have long been replaced with other nicer yarns. Though polypropylene has been tried successfully, however, it still does not give a good feel. Cotton and polyester do not have the elastic hug and wool mixed with nylon is still used in cold countries.
Nylon is wonderful, when it comes to Industrial Applications, like Ropes, Cords, Tire Cords, Belting, Conveyors, Composites, parachutes, fishing nets etc. However, here again the technology is largely cabling and twisting. Heavy cabler and twister machines are power suckers. A rather simpler system would have been a winding application with single twist tube passing the package. Given the speeds of winding, the productivity would be anytime better and with the missing spindle, the power will be almost nil.
Same can be applied for spun yarns as well.
Nylon Threads form the best industrial threads for leather and heavy applications. However, time has now come for replacement of these threads with composites like carbon with polyamides or steel with silk etc.
Nylon Fibre could never make it far. Best was about blends with wool. However, for the carpet industry, it was still an unexplored area. Nylon Fibre Woolen blend carpets would have the silky touch and reflectance properties with great washing and bending properties. Blankets is another Area, where low weight and higher heat conductivity can be useful.
Heat Insulation ropes/ fabrics made out of Nylon Wool ,rather then Glass wool, specially for home interior piping are anytime better option.
I call Nylon, the Porn Yarn. Playboy girls are largely covered with nylon . From stockings to lingerie to nets and fancies, Nylon for its silky touch and silvery reflection has all the entrapping for a fashion cat.
Nylon was never a textile friendly yarn. With its poor feel, static cluster, and heat trap, it got quickly abandoned for more cooler yarns like polyester, viscose etc. etc.
Nylon socks still attack my foot and I don't find easily nice cotton socks anywhere. Socks, lingerie, elastics, and sewing threads have still continued to use nylon as the base yarn.
Nylon as long as was pin textured still had the bulk and handle for next to skin applications. But with disc texturizing, it is gives a petroleum extract feeling. Nylon should have technically gone the Air Texturizing route, however, very rarely is air texturized.
Socks and stockings out of Nylon are mal-wares of Textiles and should have long been replaced with other nicer yarns. Though polypropylene has been tried successfully, however, it still does not give a good feel. Cotton and polyester do not have the elastic hug and wool mixed with nylon is still used in cold countries.
Nylon is wonderful, when it comes to Industrial Applications, like Ropes, Cords, Tire Cords, Belting, Conveyors, Composites, parachutes, fishing nets etc. However, here again the technology is largely cabling and twisting. Heavy cabler and twister machines are power suckers. A rather simpler system would have been a winding application with single twist tube passing the package. Given the speeds of winding, the productivity would be anytime better and with the missing spindle, the power will be almost nil.
Same can be applied for spun yarns as well.
Nylon Threads form the best industrial threads for leather and heavy applications. However, time has now come for replacement of these threads with composites like carbon with polyamides or steel with silk etc.
Nylon Fibre could never make it far. Best was about blends with wool. However, for the carpet industry, it was still an unexplored area. Nylon Fibre Woolen blend carpets would have the silky touch and reflectance properties with great washing and bending properties. Blankets is another Area, where low weight and higher heat conductivity can be useful.
Heat Insulation ropes/ fabrics made out of Nylon Wool ,rather then Glass wool, specially for home interior piping are anytime better option.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Design : The New Brand Paradigm
Perhaps, when " Branding " would have been first used for Product and Market Sensitivity. Design was an intrinsic function. Much of it was subdued by attributes, which linked it to reliability and functionality. Most brands got the acts right and peaked on deliverables. And the Brand Paradigm has moved to " Design "
Now " Design " Practically defines the Brand.
South Korea is the only country in the world, which has has the subtlety to recognize that the next generation of product lines would only be " Design " Delights.
Again within South Korea, the one company I admire most is " LG" . Fighting Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Nokia , etc etc and though may still not be the top brand, but the fighting strategy of LG was always "Design" . Considering that almost all product offerings had the same features and same technical specifications, it was only the unique Design, which would keep LG ahead in the race has made them unique.
When I was to change my Hand Phone in the year 2008, I made a general spec of what I wanted and it was simply something which could make a call, sent sms, but without the keyboard and take a picture . After surveying the whole range of product range, I found Nokia was too complicated to understand, Motorola was loosely placed, samsung was ok , but LG had a cute design . However, during that time, there was No Touch Screen . I accidentally came across a Phone, " Prada" . Never did I imagine that Prada was also linked to Hand Phones and not just fashion accessories. It incidentally was the only phone at that time with Touch Screen. Little further exploration and guess what? The phone was made by LG. Prada now runs my communication faculties and still none of my friends and associates have been able to find an equivalent match , nor Prada is easily available.
If you research further LG offerings, you will find that almost all its offerings have a distinct design, which is unmatched by any other product in the global space.
This is only an example of how " Designs" are shaping up Brands and positioning themselves into he murky world of marketing.
South Korea is the first country in the world, which has taken up officially " Design " as the key market differentiators and the Industry is recognizing it as a very major attribute of Product Integrity.
Industrial products have so far failed to factor " Shopfloor Vista " as a product key integrator and hence work experience is insipid and dull in many factories.
Machine makers to Accessories to Utilities have to redefine the designs to make the work place " A Visual Functional Paradise "
Technology embedded and Design Delights will rule the world.
Now " Design " Practically defines the Brand.
South Korea is the only country in the world, which has has the subtlety to recognize that the next generation of product lines would only be " Design " Delights.
Again within South Korea, the one company I admire most is " LG" . Fighting Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Nokia , etc etc and though may still not be the top brand, but the fighting strategy of LG was always "Design" . Considering that almost all product offerings had the same features and same technical specifications, it was only the unique Design, which would keep LG ahead in the race has made them unique.
When I was to change my Hand Phone in the year 2008, I made a general spec of what I wanted and it was simply something which could make a call, sent sms, but without the keyboard and take a picture . After surveying the whole range of product range, I found Nokia was too complicated to understand, Motorola was loosely placed, samsung was ok , but LG had a cute design . However, during that time, there was No Touch Screen . I accidentally came across a Phone, " Prada" . Never did I imagine that Prada was also linked to Hand Phones and not just fashion accessories. It incidentally was the only phone at that time with Touch Screen. Little further exploration and guess what? The phone was made by LG. Prada now runs my communication faculties and still none of my friends and associates have been able to find an equivalent match , nor Prada is easily available.
If you research further LG offerings, you will find that almost all its offerings have a distinct design, which is unmatched by any other product in the global space.
This is only an example of how " Designs" are shaping up Brands and positioning themselves into he murky world of marketing.
South Korea is the first country in the world, which has taken up officially " Design " as the key market differentiators and the Industry is recognizing it as a very major attribute of Product Integrity.
Industrial products have so far failed to factor " Shopfloor Vista " as a product key integrator and hence work experience is insipid and dull in many factories.
Machine makers to Accessories to Utilities have to redefine the designs to make the work place " A Visual Functional Paradise "
Technology embedded and Design Delights will rule the world.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Humidity Or Hawa Pani
When I started my career with a spinning mill, I found it interesting, when the shift in-charge would call the in-charge for Hawa Pani ( Humidity )
The lack of right humidity would cause a havoc in spinning. Ends breaking in spinning, simplex running a muck, drawing roller lapping and carding loading etc etc.
Humidity is a major cost center in spinning. A power guzzler and a necessary evil. But again like everything else in Textiles, Humidity and its controls have remained basically unchanged in the last 100 years.
If Hand phones merged a Camera and a FM radio and Internet on a small device, then the message was that it only needs some lateral thinking to get other accessories merged into the basic machine.
There was no reason that the Humidification could have not been localized on the machine itself and not a large separate plant eating away so much of power.
The integrated machine would have a small fan and a water dehumidifier sitting right on the top of it. Thereby ensuring that the fiber gets enough humidity as desired and fully controllable on the user machine.
While for Ring Frames and Simplex could still have a split conditioning wherein the machine frame has a duct running across the machine and enough dehumidifier points.
This also avoids the use of outside air, which normally is a source of blackening of the yarn.
The air change would be managed with suction fans etc.
The investment into humidity plant runs into few hundred thousand dollars and the operational cost is a drain on profitability.
The lack of right humidity would cause a havoc in spinning. Ends breaking in spinning, simplex running a muck, drawing roller lapping and carding loading etc etc.
Humidity is a major cost center in spinning. A power guzzler and a necessary evil. But again like everything else in Textiles, Humidity and its controls have remained basically unchanged in the last 100 years.
If Hand phones merged a Camera and a FM radio and Internet on a small device, then the message was that it only needs some lateral thinking to get other accessories merged into the basic machine.
There was no reason that the Humidification could have not been localized on the machine itself and not a large separate plant eating away so much of power.
The integrated machine would have a small fan and a water dehumidifier sitting right on the top of it. Thereby ensuring that the fiber gets enough humidity as desired and fully controllable on the user machine.
While for Ring Frames and Simplex could still have a split conditioning wherein the machine frame has a duct running across the machine and enough dehumidifier points.
This also avoids the use of outside air, which normally is a source of blackening of the yarn.
The air change would be managed with suction fans etc.
The investment into humidity plant runs into few hundred thousand dollars and the operational cost is a drain on profitability.
e-F@ctory For Synthetic Spinning
Synthetic spinning could have actually been made much more simpler and cleaner then the current process. Synthetic fibres unlike cotton have exactly the same staple lengths, the same tenacity, elongation, moisture and uniformity.
Given the profile of the fiber, the spinning does not really need a rigorous set up for parallelism and homogeneity. Which practically means, that on the carding machines, the sliver only needs a set of extended draw rollers and is already good enough for feeding the simplex machine in conventional spinning.
The blow room with a simple bale opener and fibre individualize r is good enough to chute it into a Carding Engine. Current blow room with beaters etc is not required at all. However, a good carding engine will deliver a good yarn spec.
Drawing is totally superfluous for synthetic spinning. The whole purpose of drawing is getting the right hank and homogenizing the sliver line. Homogeneity is not required for man made fibers and paralleling is already enough in the carding stage and can be further extended by having a set of draw rollers on the carding machine itself.
So, if one is spinning on MVS system, then the carding cans can be directly used on the machine and you are ready with spun yarn.
Carding and MVS is already a spinning mill. All it needs is less then 50 operators to give a production same as that of 25,000 spindles of ring spinning.
A good designer would rather have a track laid out for central repository of card cans so the cans move automatically on getting loaded. From the central repository, they get automatically moved to the MVS with a blue tooth call and replaces the runout can. A robot hand then fixes the sliver into the chute of MVS, which sucks and does the needful.
Cans to have artificial intelligence loaded on it to respond to all wireless calls and the toy motor then drives it to the calling station. All of which is programmed automatically with the requirement of the machine. ( If you can control a toy aircraft and toy cars with radio waves, then moving cans is another child`s play)
Final packages from MVS get picked by the moving belt on the top of the machine and is unloaded directly at the end of the machine, where the Trolley collects it and makes it pass the water shower chamber and then a small RF chamber for getting the right conditioning
Conditioning machines in the current form are a disaster. ( Next Blog Coming soon on this system)
Packaging is already well automated. Only that at the MVS winding head, after doffing ,it should have a bar coding system on the cone to track it all the way till the warping machine.
A control room with a closed loop vision system monitors the process and vision sensors show real time quality of yarn.
The extension of this mill is the Polyester staple fibre plant or viscose stable fibre plant itself, where after the cutter, one needs to chute the fibre directly to the carding and no blow room would be required. From the carding , follow the MVS route. Hence a PSF/ VSF plant is now making synthetic yarns by just adding two sets of machines.
Given the profile of the fiber, the spinning does not really need a rigorous set up for parallelism and homogeneity. Which practically means, that on the carding machines, the sliver only needs a set of extended draw rollers and is already good enough for feeding the simplex machine in conventional spinning.
The blow room with a simple bale opener and fibre individualize r is good enough to chute it into a Carding Engine. Current blow room with beaters etc is not required at all. However, a good carding engine will deliver a good yarn spec.
Drawing is totally superfluous for synthetic spinning. The whole purpose of drawing is getting the right hank and homogenizing the sliver line. Homogeneity is not required for man made fibers and paralleling is already enough in the carding stage and can be further extended by having a set of draw rollers on the carding machine itself.
So, if one is spinning on MVS system, then the carding cans can be directly used on the machine and you are ready with spun yarn.
Carding and MVS is already a spinning mill. All it needs is less then 50 operators to give a production same as that of 25,000 spindles of ring spinning.
A good designer would rather have a track laid out for central repository of card cans so the cans move automatically on getting loaded. From the central repository, they get automatically moved to the MVS with a blue tooth call and replaces the runout can. A robot hand then fixes the sliver into the chute of MVS, which sucks and does the needful.
Cans to have artificial intelligence loaded on it to respond to all wireless calls and the toy motor then drives it to the calling station. All of which is programmed automatically with the requirement of the machine. ( If you can control a toy aircraft and toy cars with radio waves, then moving cans is another child`s play)
Final packages from MVS get picked by the moving belt on the top of the machine and is unloaded directly at the end of the machine, where the Trolley collects it and makes it pass the water shower chamber and then a small RF chamber for getting the right conditioning
Conditioning machines in the current form are a disaster. ( Next Blog Coming soon on this system)
Packaging is already well automated. Only that at the MVS winding head, after doffing ,it should have a bar coding system on the cone to track it all the way till the warping machine.
A control room with a closed loop vision system monitors the process and vision sensors show real time quality of yarn.
The extension of this mill is the Polyester staple fibre plant or viscose stable fibre plant itself, where after the cutter, one needs to chute the fibre directly to the carding and no blow room would be required. From the carding , follow the MVS route. Hence a PSF/ VSF plant is now making synthetic yarns by just adding two sets of machines.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Fundamentals And Dundamentals
Some problems are solved with Funda`s and these are called Fundamnetals and others are solved with a Dunda (Long Stick ) and these are called Dundamentals.
Both Fundamentals and Dundamentals are not used in the Industry. Any normal issue and we fail to apply the fundamentals to resolve the same and any complex issues and we fail to use the Dunda to resolve the issue.
Say, a yarn is not able to run on a machine, we then try to adjust the speed, make changes in the setting, look at humidity, change the yarn etc etc. I recall as a young engineer working for a machine maker, I was sent to support an engineer who was struggling to resolve a problem with a customer, wherein the yarn on twisting machine would give untwisted results intermittently and this had caused havoc with the customer. He had used the twisted yarn on the warp beam and screwed up around 10,000 metres of fabric with streaks of untwisted yarns showing up intermittently on the fabric.
My colleague did all possible settings, changed yarns, continuously monitored the spindle for any slippage, reduced speeds, monitored the take up speed, checked the cam , overfeed and every possible thing. We would then take the yarn, make a pirn out of it and use in weft and the untwisted would show up again. Though the package itself will show absolutely normal twisting. This was such a mystery, where Hitchcock would have fancied writing another best seller. The invisible hand was coming and untwisting the yarn.
At this stage, I told the management of the mill that as far as we were concerned, Machine was perfectly ok and the DTY maker had made a very special invention with Hitchcock effect and they do better contact them. But the management would not leave me. Well,I wrote my report and returned to Bombay.
A month later, the DTY, makers, which is now the worlds largest had to pay compensation of screwing up the fabric and other losses.
The Fundamental was that if the spindle speed was not varying and the take up was not showing any varitation, then no way the yarn can show differential twisting. So, no matter, how much the customer cried foul on my machine, I did not bother and made my report. The same got proven. This is called Funda.
The Dundamentals are anyday more interesting and more effective. I recall one such experience, when I was working for a polyester staple fibre plant, in the night shift a pump stopped. The maintenance was called and they checked and found everything was ok with it ,but the pump shamelessly refused to run. At this stage, I asked my operator to bring the Dunda from my room. I hit the Dunda hard on the head of the pump and there it went, gha gha, gha,.............and went to full swing.
Well, Dunda is more effective with the people, who usually show the above pump effect. There are more obstructive managers, then conducive managers. Dundamentals show better results there.
Dundamentals is a Management Technology and has my Handprint and Footprint.
Both Fundamentals and Dundamentals are not used in the Industry. Any normal issue and we fail to apply the fundamentals to resolve the same and any complex issues and we fail to use the Dunda to resolve the issue.
Say, a yarn is not able to run on a machine, we then try to adjust the speed, make changes in the setting, look at humidity, change the yarn etc etc. I recall as a young engineer working for a machine maker, I was sent to support an engineer who was struggling to resolve a problem with a customer, wherein the yarn on twisting machine would give untwisted results intermittently and this had caused havoc with the customer. He had used the twisted yarn on the warp beam and screwed up around 10,000 metres of fabric with streaks of untwisted yarns showing up intermittently on the fabric.
My colleague did all possible settings, changed yarns, continuously monitored the spindle for any slippage, reduced speeds, monitored the take up speed, checked the cam , overfeed and every possible thing. We would then take the yarn, make a pirn out of it and use in weft and the untwisted would show up again. Though the package itself will show absolutely normal twisting. This was such a mystery, where Hitchcock would have fancied writing another best seller. The invisible hand was coming and untwisting the yarn.
At this stage, I told the management of the mill that as far as we were concerned, Machine was perfectly ok and the DTY maker had made a very special invention with Hitchcock effect and they do better contact them. But the management would not leave me. Well,I wrote my report and returned to Bombay.
A month later, the DTY, makers, which is now the worlds largest had to pay compensation of screwing up the fabric and other losses.
The Fundamental was that if the spindle speed was not varying and the take up was not showing any varitation, then no way the yarn can show differential twisting. So, no matter, how much the customer cried foul on my machine, I did not bother and made my report. The same got proven. This is called Funda.
The Dundamentals are anyday more interesting and more effective. I recall one such experience, when I was working for a polyester staple fibre plant, in the night shift a pump stopped. The maintenance was called and they checked and found everything was ok with it ,but the pump shamelessly refused to run. At this stage, I asked my operator to bring the Dunda from my room. I hit the Dunda hard on the head of the pump and there it went, gha gha, gha,.............and went to full swing.
Well, Dunda is more effective with the people, who usually show the above pump effect. There are more obstructive managers, then conducive managers. Dundamentals show better results there.
Dundamentals is a Management Technology and has my Handprint and Footprint.
Greece Glory 2 Gloom !
Two years back, I changed all my Dollar assets into Euro and now all my Euro have gone on a spin. So, first I lost on Dollar and now on Euro. Guess, keeping in some Asian currency is more sensible.
Thanks to Greece and Euro has sunk.
Greece is a small country with an interesting history. Known for its Philosophy, Mathematics and the Acropolis.
The total population is only around 11.5 million people. Which would account to be around the total population of 1 metropolis city of India. Early 19th century, out from the Ottoman empire, Greece was largely a kingdom till late 1960 and much into war before that either fighting the Germans or the Italians or the communist.
At GDP per capital of USD30k+, it is still too strong to cause any major issue, but the budget deficit of Euro 30 billion has sent the panic bell ringing across Europe. It would easily refinance the same via bonds or help from Germany or IMF etc. But what I want to drive from this blog is how countries fail to exploit there own ancient culture and heritage as part of their Tourism.
Greece with its many islands is a major tourist country. Much of its economy depends on tourism and it is estimated around 20 million tourist would have visited Greece in the last year.
I have been to Greece 3 times and I had around 5 customers , all based in Athens. Year after year, I saw the textile industry collapse and on my last visit, my customer Helatex told me , may be next time, you come, the company will not be there and the same happened. What is left in Greece today, is the skeleton of one time flourishing textile industry.
Textile is not just an industry, it is also a very large job provider, in fact amongst all industries, Textile employs the most people. Therefore in any over populated nation or poor nation, Textile becomes the key employer and a social keeper of society. However, the reverse is also true, that as the economy moves north wards for the country, textile is the first industry to be axed. Greece was no omission to it.
What pains me, when the Textile Industry altogether is wiped out of a country, then it is a very large part of history, culture and heritage, which the country looses out. The skill, knowledge and expertise of all those who have been into this industry slowly decays.
Ancient Greeks were the first to have textiles from the Roman empire and that knowledge went down till the last century. However, the next generation would never know, what Textiles was part of their culture, except in the library books.
Second, for each and every country I have traveled, I have never seen " Textiles " being promoted as the part of culture and traditions of that nation. I recall visiting Athens and having a Greek Salad, and recall going for a nice Greek Dance and a cruise to the nearby islands and having my picture shot with Ms Universe, who incidentally was traveling to that Island. I also recall buying Acropolis as souvenir and visiting the museum.
But I don't recall that I could anywhere buy any "Textiles" which was special to Greece. Nor was it seen in the Museum at Acropolis.
If an average of 20 Million annual visitors to Greece would buy one metre of textile MADE IN GREECE as souvenir , it would still make 20 million metres of fabric and the garments or home furnishing or dresses etc. Making of 20 million metres would atleast employ 1000 people directly to indirectly. And for a nation of 11.5 million, and may be the working group of only 3 to 4 million, this is still a large volume. But more important is the preservation of a culture , heritage and history of a nation.
Textile is not just an industry, it is an art, culture, history, tradition, design, skill , knowledge and a piece of joy.
When last I stayed at North Carolina US at Hilton, the most outstanding thing that was written in large letters and carved on bronze plate was . " All The Textiles Used In This Hotel Is Made In USA"
Well, there is a message in it. Unless Inter Industry supports one another and Nations value their culture and heritage, the world will only sink to the limits of greed.
Thanks to Greece and Euro has sunk.
Greece is a small country with an interesting history. Known for its Philosophy, Mathematics and the Acropolis.
The total population is only around 11.5 million people. Which would account to be around the total population of 1 metropolis city of India. Early 19th century, out from the Ottoman empire, Greece was largely a kingdom till late 1960 and much into war before that either fighting the Germans or the Italians or the communist.
At GDP per capital of USD30k+, it is still too strong to cause any major issue, but the budget deficit of Euro 30 billion has sent the panic bell ringing across Europe. It would easily refinance the same via bonds or help from Germany or IMF etc. But what I want to drive from this blog is how countries fail to exploit there own ancient culture and heritage as part of their Tourism.
Greece with its many islands is a major tourist country. Much of its economy depends on tourism and it is estimated around 20 million tourist would have visited Greece in the last year.
I have been to Greece 3 times and I had around 5 customers , all based in Athens. Year after year, I saw the textile industry collapse and on my last visit, my customer Helatex told me , may be next time, you come, the company will not be there and the same happened. What is left in Greece today, is the skeleton of one time flourishing textile industry.
Textile is not just an industry, it is also a very large job provider, in fact amongst all industries, Textile employs the most people. Therefore in any over populated nation or poor nation, Textile becomes the key employer and a social keeper of society. However, the reverse is also true, that as the economy moves north wards for the country, textile is the first industry to be axed. Greece was no omission to it.
What pains me, when the Textile Industry altogether is wiped out of a country, then it is a very large part of history, culture and heritage, which the country looses out. The skill, knowledge and expertise of all those who have been into this industry slowly decays.
Ancient Greeks were the first to have textiles from the Roman empire and that knowledge went down till the last century. However, the next generation would never know, what Textiles was part of their culture, except in the library books.
Second, for each and every country I have traveled, I have never seen " Textiles " being promoted as the part of culture and traditions of that nation. I recall visiting Athens and having a Greek Salad, and recall going for a nice Greek Dance and a cruise to the nearby islands and having my picture shot with Ms Universe, who incidentally was traveling to that Island. I also recall buying Acropolis as souvenir and visiting the museum.
But I don't recall that I could anywhere buy any "Textiles" which was special to Greece. Nor was it seen in the Museum at Acropolis.
If an average of 20 Million annual visitors to Greece would buy one metre of textile MADE IN GREECE as souvenir , it would still make 20 million metres of fabric and the garments or home furnishing or dresses etc. Making of 20 million metres would atleast employ 1000 people directly to indirectly. And for a nation of 11.5 million, and may be the working group of only 3 to 4 million, this is still a large volume. But more important is the preservation of a culture , heritage and history of a nation.
Textile is not just an industry, it is an art, culture, history, tradition, design, skill , knowledge and a piece of joy.
When last I stayed at North Carolina US at Hilton, the most outstanding thing that was written in large letters and carved on bronze plate was . " All The Textiles Used In This Hotel Is Made In USA"
Well, there is a message in it. Unless Inter Industry supports one another and Nations value their culture and heritage, the world will only sink to the limits of greed.
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