An advancement in PET continuous polymerization has been made by simplifying the process. Aquafil’s new process produces bottle- and film-grade chip using one main UPR reactor to get to SSP in a single step. The process requires less investment cost, piping, insulation and floor space, and results in a shorter construction period and quicker time to start up. The first plant of its kind is now under construction in the Far East. For more information, see www.aquafil.com

Autefa: Bale Press and Crosslapper Innovations

A new high-performance bailing press, the LIFTBOX 4000 C, has a pressing force of 400 tons and a throughput of 1,500 up to 12,000 kg per hour. The LIFTBOX is a component of a fully automated bailing system covering the entire chain of stable fiber production from cutting machine to bale storage. In addition, a technical solution to eliminate the effect of heavy, uneven web edges with bonded nonwovens was introduced with the WEBMAX for crosslapped nonwovens. The WEBMAX (below) is offered in connection with all lappers in the TOPLINER series and is also available as a retrofit. For more information, see www.autefa.de

Double-End Draw Twister Offers Savings In Production Of Fine Technical Yarns

By Helmut Lochner, Sales Manager, Edmund Erdmann GmbH, Germany

In production of fine and medium titers of industrial yarns there is the tendency among end users today to demand finer and finer titers. The typical production line of these yarns is a two-stage process: spinning the filament yarns at low or medium speeds (LOY / MOY) and drawing the yarns in a separate process on draw-winding or draw-twisting machines. The special properties of these yarns – high tenacity, low elongation and low shrinkage – do not allow production speed to be increased to the same extent as the titers are decreasing.

In the production of fine-denier textiles and medical yarns, it is already state of the art to draw and wind yarns “double density,” this is, two yarn-ends per position. But in draw twisting, this procedure has been impossible because of insurmountable difficulties in thread-up. To solve this dilemma, Edmund Erdmann GmbH, after extensive research and development, produced a “double-end” draw twister, which was displayed for the first time at ITMA 2003 in Birmingham, UK in October.

Both machine and its process meet some very special requirements. Each position of the drawing section is thread-up in creep speed by means of a suction-gun parallel with 2 yarns (each max.<= 200 dtex) and divided up to 2 spindles of the twisting section. The 2 yarns are then handed over to a second stationary suction device at the bottom of the ring rail.

After all yarns are thread up and in the stationary suction, the machine is stopped and the yarns are put to travelers and spindles. When this procedure has been finished, the machine is started again in creep mode - winding the yarn on the waste-whorls - and switched over to production. When production temperatures are reached, the machine ramps up to production condition and starts winding on the pirns.

When the set yarn length is reached, the ring rail is moved to the waste-whorl level and the machine is slowed down to creep speed, winding the yarn on the waste whorl and stopped. In this way, it is possible to change pirns to empty tubes and start the machine again without re-threading. This procedure can be done related to the weight of the feed yarn bobbin or to the cleaning cycles of the godets by a set value in the recipe.

In the single-end operation mode, the machine can be used for the full titer range.

For more information, please contact Edmund Erdmann. Tel 49 208 7805 123 Email: info@edmund-erdmann.com

DuPont, SSM Converting Filament into Spun Yarns

Developed by DuPont, Uniplex spun yarn technology is a single-step process to convert filament yarns into spun yarns. Based on a unique stretch-breaking process, the technology has been demonstrated on a wide variety of synthetic fibers, including difficult-to-process fibers, such as microdeniers. Small and flexible for quick product changes, the Uniplex can produce customized specialty yarns, including novel combinations of fiber types and colors, to yield fabrics with spun-yarn tactility and visual aesthetics combined with filament yarn performance. For more information, see www.uniplex.dupont.com

Fibrevision: Portable At-Line QC Measurement

The further enhanced MicroScan FX110 range of portable instruments for at-line production QC measurements has been shown in production tests to be substantially more accurate than most laboratory tests for measurement of both spin finish levels and Interlace. The Microscan offers further benefits over lab testing, with identification of short-term faults, faster data feedback and much lower testing costs. For more information, see www.fibrevision.co.uk

Fleissner: Developments in Nonwoven and Manmade Fiber Systems

Developments in Nonwoven and Manmade Fiber Systems The AquaJet Spunlace lines for 2- and 3-layer composites allow nonwovens with properties such as strength, bulk, softness and absorbency to be produced in the most economical and efficient manner. The AquaSpun system combines spunbond and spunlace to produce lightweight webs and heavier products for technical purposes. Speeds up to 600m/min in 6m-wide lines for homopolymer and split fibers are possible. In manmade fiber production, the JumboCrimper is capable of working widths of more than 600 mm. For more information, see www.fleissner.de

Heberlein: Advances in Air Jet Texturing, Interlacing

The HemaJet LB24 jet housing with an integrated cleaning system on the running yarn marks another advancement in the Taslan air-jet texturing system. A rotating jet core enables the cleaning cycle to be extended by a factor of 2 to 3, thus increasing the efficiency of the Taslan process. The new SlideJet 2, used in false-twist texturing, air covering and draw winding, provides for comfortable, tool-free and screwless jet plate exchanges, thus enabling quicker reaction time to changes in yarn requirements. The newly conceived PolyJet BCF TopAir enables BCF yarns to be interlaced with much greater uniformity and a reduction in the number of the longest open length. For more information, see www.heberlein.com

Hills Inc.: Spunbond Fabrics With Micron-size Fibers

Hills has been actively engaged in developing spunbond fabrics containing micron size fibers. The approach has been to produce a standard-type spunbond fabric using islands-in-the-sea bicomponent fibers and then to wash out the sea. The first such fabric was made using nylon as the island polymer and Exceval EVOH from Kuraray as the sea polymer. The number of islands in this first case was 25. After washing, the resulting spunbond fabric was found to consist entirely of fibers with a diameter of two microns (see Figure). Standard spunbond spinneret hole densities and throughputs per hole were used in the spinning process. Interestingly, the physical properties of the micron-sized island fibers were similar to those expected from nylon spun in a standard spunbond process. Follow-up work is now being conducted at North Carolina State University with various island and sea polymers and number of islands up to 360. For more information, see www.hillsinc.net

Hornik Fibertec: Fiber and Yarn Diameter Measurement

The OFDA 4000 marks the first time a single instrument has been developed to measure both the length and diameter of fibers in sliver or top form. The time- and labor-saving device can also measure fiber end fineness and diameter profile along the fiber. Hornik also introduced an instrument, the OFDAMF, for high-speed, real time measurement of monofilament diameter. For more information, see www.hornik.cc

Instrumar: Real-Time Fiber Monitoring System

The Attalus Fiber System is an end-to-end solution that provides real time monitoring for real time process control. At the core of the system is the patented and innovative Attalus Sensor, a radio frequency, electromagnetic-based sensor for monitoring a host of fiber characteristics. For more information, see www.instrumar.com.

ISGEV: New Generation Godet

In the IC200D190LF1-2 stretching unit, the godet cylinder is heated by induction through a laminar inductor. The unit can have either one or more heat-controlled zones. The multi-zone version offers a better heat surface profile. The stretching unit has a special transducer, without sliding contacts, set at the back, which measures the temperature of each individual heated zone in the rotary cylinder and sends the reading to a fixed data acquisition unit. The godet cylinder motor is an asynchronous three-phase motor with steel frame, cooled by an axial fan placed at the back, so that the air flow also cools the temperature transducer. If the stretching unit is to be run at temperatures higher than 170 °C, the control side bearing can be cooled through a forced circulation or refrigerant. For more information, see www.isgev.com

Neuenhauser: Automated Doffing Unit

The new AutoFlow Spider Doffer is made specifically for manmade yarn packages. The unit can doff any type of BCF winder and transport the packages to an automated overhead transport system called the Textra. Neuenhauser also introduced the MonoFlow overhead electric monorail system for automated overhead transport of pin racks or trolleys, with automated lifting device. For more information, see neuenhauser.de

RETECH: Compact Inline Polypropylene SDTY Machine

The TEX2000 Inline SDTYmachine was shown to the public for the first time. The spin-draw, false-twist texturing machine for PP production is geared mainly for production of yarns for the home furnishings market. The 16-end unit can process yarns of 200-600 denier at a top speed of approx. 1500 m/min. For more information, see www.retech.ch

Sahm: Fully Automatic Doffing Precision Cross Winder

The new TWINSTAR concept is a fully automatic doffing precision cross winder based on SAHM’s long-proven 260 E winding technology. The new system is suitable for all horizontal processes with an end product that needs to be wound, coated and dipped, mainly for single and multi-end tapes, monofilaments, multifilaments and coated yarns. Benefits over other low-speed winders include faster speeds, measured length, larger packages and energy and labor savings. The TWINSTAR was shown in combination with an automated doffing and transport system from SAB Sonderanlagenbau Nord GmbH. For more information, see www.sahmwinder.de

Schwing: Compact Pack and Spinneret Cleaning Unit

The new InnovaClean unit offers plug-and-clean on-site cleaning of polymer-soiled machine parts. The hot fluidized coarse sand picks up the parts. Offgas is treated in an integrated cleaning system, cooled and expelled into the atmosphere. The cleaning process continues until no polymer or carbon residue is left on any part. Nylon packs and spin pumps can be cleaned completely assembled. For more information, see www.schwing-ag.de

SML: 2-in-1 Modular Spinning Plant

The well-known Austrofil line of multifilament spinning plants has been expanded with a special type of modular plant, the 2-in-1, that contains two different spinning processes in a single machine. Shown live at ITMA, the line allows production of poly-propylene textile yarns from medium tenacity (MT) yarns of very low denier per filament to POY without any machine modifications required. The line shown at ITMA covered a titer range from 78-100 dtex with a maximum output of 120 kg/h. The total number of yarns can be changed from 8 to 16. For more information, see www.sml.at

Sossna: Spinnerets for Bi-component Spinning

Specially designed spin pack components and spinnerets now facilitate highly specialized bi-component spinning, including islands-in-the-sea yarns, split spinning (octalobal, orange, gear or hollow orange type) sheath-core yarns (concentric, eccentric, hollow or trilobal) and side-by-side spinning (round, trilobal, hollow and gear type.) For more information, see www.sossna.de

Starlinger: Specialized Tape Extrusion Line, Winder

The Starex 700/700S is small in size but big in production performance. This extrusion line, for both standard and high-speed applications, is especially suitable for technical yarns for artificial grass, low-shrinkage tapes for carpet backing and geotextile and agricultural textile applications. The Starlinger Stacofil (below) 200 XM and 200 XE, shown at ITMA under running conditions, are compact and energy stingy. This line of precision take-up cross-winders represents the latest technology and is especially designed for winding flat and fibrillated polypropylene tapes on cylindrical cores. Also shown was Starlinger’s new Alpha-6, which the company claims is the world’s most advanced circular loom. For more information, see www.starlinger.com

TEMCO: Direct Cooling of Textured Yarns

A major breakthrough in the advancement of false-twist texturing has been achieved with the introduction of the TEMCOOLER. The unit provides direct active yarn cooling during the texturing process, thus replacing the need for cooling pates in the false-twist process. The TEMCOOLER provides an economical, innovative way to resolve cooling rate and threadpath geometry limitations in texturing. The unit can fitted to existing texturing machines or supplied for new ones. Texturing speed increases of up to 40% are possible, with additional advantages in process flexibility, broader process operating windows, product quality and ergonomics. For more information, see www.temco.de

Zentes Unitex: Online Measuring of Oil Pick Up on Yarns

The OPUMAT ZU is the first hand-held instrument for monitoring oil pick up on yarns from position to position. After the yarn is scanned with the instrument, data is fed into a PC where the distribution of oil pick up in each single thread can be demonstrated. More than 1,000 single values per second are possible. For more information, see www.zentes-unitex-gmbh.de