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The customer magazine of RieterNr. 67 / 2015 / EN

03 GLOBAL Rieter is a partner of Blue Competence and Factor+ 04 ECONOMY The flexible Rieter rotor system 16 PRODUCT NEWS Precision mixing with A 81 UNIblend 19 TECHNOLOGY Understanding and using compact-twin

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GLOBAL 03 Rieter is a partner of Blue Competence and Factor+

ECONOMY 04 The flexible Rieter rotor system

EVENT 08 Milan is also worth a visit in the autumn

TRENDS & MARKETS 10 Where in the world to invest in a spinning mill?

PRODUCT NEWS 14 Bräcker TITAN ring – for the most demanding applications

16 Precision blending with UNIblend A 81

TECHNOLOGY 19 Understanding and using Compact-Twin

PARTS 22 Rieter quality in blowroom

NEWS 23 Advertising for Com4® licensees among sporting goods manufacturers

From our customers’ point of view

CoverImpressive Rieter spinning plant with many precision blending machines A 81 UNIblend. Find more information on page 16.

Publisher:Rieter

Editor-in-chief: Anja Knick Marketing

Copyright: © 2015 Rieter Machine Works Ltd., Klosterstrasse 20, CH-8406 Winterthur, www.rieter.com, rieter-link@rieter.comReprints permitted, subject to prior approval; specimen copies requested.

Design and production: Marketing Rieter CZ s.r.o.

Volume: Year 27

CONTENTS

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GLOBAL

Rieter has been a Blue Competence partner since the end of 2014. Rieter has supported the Factor+ campaign since 2010. Both initia-tives represent the values that Rieter customers count on.

Rieter is a partner of Blue Competence and Factor+

As a leading supplier of textile machines and com-ponents, Rieter develops spinning machines that consume little energy and optimally exploit the raw material. This results in sustainably low manufactur-ing costs for customers and environmentally friendly production. Rieter expresses this by participating in Blue Competence and supporting Factor+.

Blue Competence stands for sustainable productionThe European machinery and plant engineering sec-tor uses Blue Competence as a platform to present its contribution to environmentally-friendly produc-tion. More than 400 companies are Blue Competence partners. They meet the prescribed criteria for sus-tainability. By participating in Blue Competence, Rieter demonstrates that both our own production and advanced spinning machines protect the envi-ronment.

Factor+ stands for customer benefits beyond the productFactor+ is a campaign of Swissmem, the Swiss Asso-ciation of Machinery Manufacturers. It expounds the increased efficiency of the members. Of course, they offer innovative products. In addition, members of-fer high quality, sustainable production and service based on partnership. This is only possible with ex-traordinary expertise. Investments in products and solutions by Factor+ members improve the competi-tive position and offer the decisive “plus” in terms of safety and reliability.

Rieter is committed to innovation, technology and partnership“The Comfort of Competence”, Rieter's slogan, com-bines both initiatives: Blue Competence and Factor+. Rieter develops and manufactures in an environmen-tally friendly manner using state-of-the-art technolo-gy. Rieter machines are valuable because they deliver sustainable production with high productivity. Com-prehensive Rieter service is available to customers based on partnership – from the idea to investment to plant maintenance. This combination makes Rieter customers successful. 15-201 •

Edda Walraf

Head Marketing Machines & Systems edda.walraf@rieter.com

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ECONOMY

Fig. 1 Process shorten-ing with the Rieter rotor system, including the collection of oper-ating and quality data with SPIDERweb.

The third technical article in the series “Higher profitability with Rieter complete systems” deals with automatic rotor spinning. The US mar-ket, resurgent in recent years, was selected as the location for the economic analysis, which also examines the issue of flexibility in de-tail. The Rieter complete system shows economic benefits compared to a mixed system of different machine suppliers.

The flexible Rieter rotor system

Raw material savings in Rieter's flexible preparatory processThe rotor spinning mill used in our comparison pro-duces a wide range of yarn from various grades of cotton. A low quality cotton mixed with noil is used for coarse yarns (Ne 12, 14, 16 and 18). For finer weaving yarn Ne 30, a slightly longer cotton is used and the addition of waste is omitted in order to achieve the required high strength. Accordingly, the blowroom has two mixers and fine cleaners in order to process the two ranges separately. The VARIOset blowroom adjusts perfectly to both mixtures. It pro-vides efficient cleaning with the lowest possible waste of good fibres.

The carding section consists of seven high-per-formance C 70 cards, which are equipped with the Q-package in the pre- and post-carding zones. VARIOset in the blowroom and Q-package in the card-ing section ensure optimal utilisation of raw materials in the preparatory process. In our case study, this is reflected in a reduction in waste of 0.5 % compared to the preparatory machines of the mixed system.

The strength of Rieter rotor spinning can be found in its high productivity and, at the same time, its great flexibility with regard to raw material and yarn struc-ture. In particular, shorter fibres and waste, such as noils, can be easily processed with this technology. The preparatory process from bale to sliver can also be designed to be flexible and adapted to the end product. As a system supplier, Rieter can satisfy any requirement (Fig. 1).

Rotor yarn process

VARIOline C 70 Card

SB-D 45 / 22 / 11 Draw Frame

RSB-D 45 / 24 Draw Frame

R 60 / R 35 Rotor Spinning Machine

SPIDERweb Data System

VARIOline C 70 Card with SB Module

shortened process

RSB-D 45 / 24 Draw Frame

R 60 / R 35 Rotor Spinning Machine

SPIDERweb Data System

Rotor yarn process – shortened

VARIOline

shortened process

C 70 Card with RSB Module

R 60 / R 35 Rotor Spinning Machine

SPIDERweb Data System

Rotor yarn process – shortest variant

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ECONOMY

Fig. 2 Rieter com-plete system with six R 60 rotor spinning machines.

Shorter processes and optimal sliver preparationTwo different carding models are used for the sliv-er formation process. The direct process was chosen for the coarser count yarns, so that three high-perfor-mance C 70 cards are equipped with the RSB draw frame module. This module is a completely regulat-ed draw frame with tongue scanning disc and groove scanning disc to ascertain sliver regularity in the in-feed and fully-fledged 4-over-3 drafting system. The regulated sliver has excellent evenness and long-term consistency. All quality parameters are con-stantly monitored by the RQM sensor and displayed on the machine panel. Even at the critical moment of the can change, the RSB module – like no other draw frame module – maintains the sliver count reliably constant. A prerequisite for a successful direct pro-cess in rotor spinning.

For finer yarn counts, the classical process with only one draw frame passage was selected. The four C 70 cards used for this purpose are equipped with the CBA changer for 1 000 mm cans. The final preparatory step is performed on the RSB-D 45 autoleveller draw frames, which produce slivers of the highest quality. The newly designed suction device on the RSB-D 45 provides additional dust removal of the material and also saves up to 5 000 kWh of electricity per year.

Flexibility and high production on the R 60A total of six R 60 rotor spinning machines each with 600 spinning units are used in the system (Fig. 2). Two of the machines have independent sides so that four different yarn counts can be produced in par-allel. This flexibility allows the customer to respond quickly to market needs. In our case study, these two R 60 machines are spinning the yarn counts Ne 12, 14, 16 and 18 and process a blend of cotton and noil.

Separating the batches on the two package convey-or belts of the R 60 ensures that the yarns are not mixed-up by the operator upon removal at the end of the machine. Automatic palletising can also be used here on request.

Yarn conditioning and packaging using a stretch wrapper can also be included in a project for auto-matic bobbin transportation. Our engineering de-partment will be pleased to work out a customised solution according to your needs.

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ECONOMY

100 % carded CO, 2 assortments

Mixed plant Rieter System

Difference Rieter

Investment costs [million EUR] --- --- +0.13

Main differences

Production [kg/h] 825 895 70

Energy consumption [kW/kg] 1.24 1.17 -6 %

Waste blowroom, card [%] 8.0 7.5 -0.5 %

Number of cards 8 7 -1

Number of rotors per machine 552 600 +8.7 %

Fig. 3 The two systems compared.

Fig. 4 Around 6 % lower yarn manufacturing costs with the Rieter rotor system.

Rieter rotor system

Yarn manufacturing costs in comparison

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The other four machines produce the weaving yarn Ne 30, where the inserted 28 mm spinning rotor operates at a speed of 145 000 rpm. Rieter spinning elements combine high productivity and low energy consumption per kilogram of yarn in an ideal man-ner. The consistently favourable energy balance of the R 60 compared to other automatic rotor spinning machines has been confirmed in several direct com-parisons and is between 5 % and 10 %.

The case study – the comparative dataAs with other spinning systems, Rieter is also the only supplier that offers complete solutions for rotor spinning systems – from bale to yarn. Accordingly, a “mixed spinning mill” comprising latest genera-tion machines from two machine manufacturers was used for comparison purposes. The economic advan-tages of the Rieter system are summarised in a table (Fig. 3).

Lower yarn manufacturing costsIn the final analysis, the yarn manufacturing costs of the Rieter system are about 6 % lower than those of the mixed system (Fig. 4). This is due to the raw ma-terial savings in the blowroom and carding section and the lower power consumption of the R 60 rotor spinning machines.

The greater productivity of the automatic R 60 rotor spinning machine results in a significant increase in production of 70 kg of yarn per hour, which is reflect-ed in additional contribution margins.

In summary, the complete Rieter system generates EUR 172  000 more profit per year. Therefore, the slightly higher investment of around EUR 130 000 is amortised in less than one year. With a complete so-lution from Rieter, the break-even point is achieved after only a very short running time (Fig. 5).

If we consider the total service life of 14 years, an additional contribution margin of almost EUR 1.5 million thereby results (Fig. 6).

The results of this study take account of the rela-tively low energy and raw material costs in the USA. A comparison for other regions with higher costs would therefore be even more significant.

Higher plant efficiency with SPIDERweb and WallBoardCustomers who opt for a complete system by Rieter obtain further significant benefits when using the mill monitoring system SPIDERweb. With SPIDERweb, all production and quality data pertaining to the plant are available for analysis at any time. Thus, for ex-ample, poorly performing spinning positions can be

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1. Annual investment costs

Mixed plant: 0.414 EUR/kg x 825 kg/h x 8 400 h 2 869 000 EUR

Rieter rotor system: 0.390 EUR/kg x 895 kg/h x 8 400 h 2 932 000 EUR

Difference with complete Rieter system -63 000 EUR

2. Additional income due to increased production

Rieter rotor system: 0.400 EUR/kg x 70 kg/h x 8 400 h 235 000 EUR

Total advantage complete Rieter system (1 and 2): 172 000 EUR

3. Return on Investment

Difference in investment costs 130 000 EUR

Total advantage for complete Rieter rotor system per year 172 000 EUR

ROI < 1 year

ECONOMY

Fig. 5 Return on investment for the Rieter rotor system in less than one year.

Fig. 6 Over its total service life the Rieter rotor system achieves an additional contribution margin of EUR 1.49 million.

1 Higher initial investment (year 1): -0.13 million EUR

2 Additional contribution margin during depreciation period (years 1-10): 1.09 million EUR

3 Additional contribution margin after the depreciation period (years 11-14): 0.53 million EUR

Additional contribution margin with the Rieter rotor system 1.49 million EUR

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Additional contribution margin with the Rieter rotor system

Alexander Stampfer

Head Product Management alexander.stampfer@rieter.com

quickly identified and targeted maintenance work initiated without delay.

The Rieter WallBoard is a large display board that is installed directly in the spinning mill. It displays cur-rent efficiency, machine trends and other useful data. The machine operators see the state of the system at all times and can intervene quickly and in a targeted manner. This leads to increased efficiency and less legwork for the staff.

Spinning mill managers have access to the data of the Rieter SPIDERweb system at any time via the In-ternet. Necessary optimisation measures can be ini-tiated immediately in order to constantly maintain the efficient operation of the system at the highest level. 15-202 •

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EVENT

This year the autumn offers a special treat in Milan, Italy. In addition to the well-known tourist attractions, ITMA also takes place in November. Here you will find fascinating information about the country, its people and our ITMA quiz.

Milan is also worth a visit in the autumn

Milan is the capital of the Lombardy region. The area between the Alps and the Po Valley is one of Italy's most diverse landscapes. High-Alpine mountain vil-lages, delightful Alpine foothills and fantastic lake landscapes offer memorable experiences for trav-ellers. Well-known large lakes are Lake Como, Lake Maggiore and Lake Garda.

With 1.3 million inhabitants, Milan is Italy's second largest city. It is about the size of Munich in Germany or Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.

CultureOpera lovers and art enthusiasts get their money's worth in the fast-paced metropolis. Leonardo da Vin-ci's “Last Supper” in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is one of many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy. Milan is also of interest for connoisseurs of the fashion scene – not only because of the Fash-ion Week but also due to the countless elegant bou-tiques and designer shops.

Tourists looking for the spectacular in Milan should climb the stairs to the roof of Milan Cathedral and enjoy the stunning panoramic view of the city.

CuisineIn terms of cuisine, Lombardy captivates through its cheeses (Bitto, Gorgonzola, Mascarpone), Lombar-dy risotto (referred to in Milan as “Risotto alla Mila-nese”), as well as its wines (Botticino, Valtellina and Franciacorta). A famous Milanese cake speciality is panettone. The sweet yeast cake is usually eaten during the Christmas holidays. This is traditional-ly served with hot sweet drinks or Italian sparkling wine such as Spumante or Moscato.

ExcitingThe International Textile Machinery Exhibition (ITMA) is the world's most established trade fair for textile and garment machinery. This year the fair is hosted in Milan. From 12 to 19 November 2015, the halls on the “Fiera Milano Rho” site will be filled with everything the heart of textile lovers could desire.

On a floor area of 345  000 square metres, new trends and innovative solutions will be there to be discovered – including on the Rieter stands in Halls 2 and 8. Allow us to surprise you.

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EVENT

Anja Knick

Senior Marketing Manageranja.knick@rieter.com

Did you know? – QuizWith the Rieter slogan “The Comfort of Competence”, Rieter demonstrates its expertise as a system provid-er. Our customers enjoy the comfort of the partner-ship. Which image does Rieter use to symbolise this slogan?• Rieter machines• Com4® yarns• Red armchair

Join in! E-mail or fax your reply or send the complet-ed reply card back to Rieter.

With a little luck, you could win one of ten attrac-tive prizes.1st prize 2 day tickets for ITMA Milan or a Swiss watch2nd prize Restaurant voucher for an evening din ner in Milan or a Caran d'Ache pen, gold-plated3rd prize Rieter Manual of Spinning – Volume 7 (New) “Processing of Man-Made Fibres” 15-203 •

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TRENDS & MARKETS

For a successful choice of location for an investment in a spinning mill a number of factors are decisive. The article highlights the five most important factors in selected countries. It becomes clear how impor-tant the right partner is for the long-term success of the investment.

Where in the world to invest in a spinning mill?

Fig. 1 The cost factors for yarn manufactur-ing vary regionally. (Source: ITMF)

Both the world's population and disposable income are growing side by side. Hence the consumption of fibres is increasing. The textile industry is grow-ing and is attractive to investors. But where should they invest? For the answer, an entrepreneur must be aware of the five factors that influence the risks and opportunities of his investment. The analysis by the ITMF (International Textile Manufacturers Federa-tion) in Figure 1 shows that raw material and energy have a dominant influnce on yarn costs. Other fac-

tors are important for long-term success: yarn manu-facturing costs, the availability of trained personnel and market access.

Factor 1: Raw materialThe availability of cotton and synthetic staple fibres is not a problem today. In the 2013/2014 season, for the third time in a row, the main production coun-tries supplied more raw material than what was pro-cessed by the spinning mills. In the case of cotton, in particular, 87 % of annual consumption is held in storage throughout the world. Since as an agricultur-al product fibres are not subject to the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), there are regional differences in fibre prices.

Figure 2 shows a long-term comparison of cotton costs. In India, the raw material is cheaper than in other countries. The prices fluctuate less than on the international market, making planning easier. The price of the raw material is the crucial factor for the manufacturing costs of a yarn. As the prices of syn-thetic fibres usually follow cotton, this supports an investment in India.

Factor 2: EnergyMany studies show the great importance of energy consumption in relation to yarn manufacturing costs in spinning. A global look at average costs reveals that the price of energy has increased in some coun-tries, at times significantly (Fig. 3). An exception to this is the United States, which today has very low energy costs due to fracking.

Consumption depends on the spinning technology, age, condition and producer of the spinning machine, raw material and yarn count. The costs depend on consumption and local prices. A precise comparison on the basis of the planned product range is worth-while in any case. Factor 3: WorkforceFigures 1 and 4 show that in the typical producing countries wages play a subordinate role in yarn pro-duction. Rather, the decisive issue is the avaiabili-ty of well-trained personnel. Automated spinning machines not only solve this problem, they also in-crease efficiency and yarn quality at the same time.

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2008 2010 2012 2014

Cost of cotton

India Average of three types of cotton

ChinaAverage of three types of cotton

WorldCotlook A

Average 2010-2014 [USD/kg] 1.48 2.36 1.83

Lowest value [USD/kg] 0.82 1.55 1.10

Highest value [USD/kg] 3.12 4.38 5.03

Lowest as percentage of average 55 % 66 % 60 %

Highest as percentage of average 210 % 186 % 275 %

TRENDS & MARKETS

Fig. 3 Depending on the location, an entre-preneur must reckon with different costs for energy. With high energy costs, modern technology with low en-ergy consumption has quantifiable benefits. (Source: ITMF/Rieter).

Fig. 2 Over a long period, the cost of cotton was the lowest and varied the least in India.

Automation can be easy. For example, Rieter reduc-es personnel expenditure by means of continuous, 1 000 mm large can sizes in the spinning preparation process. In addition to reducing personnel expenses, the roving bobbin transport system SERVOtrail also cuts down errors caused by manually damaged rov-ing bobbins.

Factor 4: Market accessIn the global environment of the textile industry, the costs between manufacturer and customer are often underestimated: transportation, exchange rates and the hedging thereof as well as customs duties. The investment decision must take account of the costs for the entire textile value chain. Growing domestic markets are attractive because exchange rate risks and customs duties do not apply and transport costs are low. Large, growing markets such as China and

India are attractive for this reason. Good relations in mutual trade, which allow simplified, duty-free im-ports, influence the decision regarding location.

The website of the World Bank facilitates global com-parisons of container costs and the quality of logis-tics. The WTO provides comprehensive customs tariff tables. Rieter, for example, published a prac-tical comparison in the customer magazine link no. 65 (Fig. 5). The global route of US-fibre to finished product on the sales counter in the United States de-termines the total cost. The difference between the least expensive and the most expensive value chain was almost 50 %.

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TRENDS & MARKETS

Globalisation blurs the differencesThe increasingly global world will steadily even out the differences between countries. Prices are formed in global markets, education is improving global-ly and worldwide competition in markets creates a network of free trade agreements. The emerging pro-ducing and consuming countries in Asia are mak-ing great efforts to improve logistics. Short delivery times and reliable delivery dates are an important prerequisite for the fast-moving products of the tex-tile industry.

Factor 5: Yarn manufacturing costs – the sustainable success factorGlobalisation will bring the conditions for competi-tion into alignment. The location of the investment is not crucial for success. Figure 1 shows how close the competition is if we compare yarn manufacturing costs alone, excluding the raw material. The spinner who can offer the lowest manufacturing costs with good, consistent quality establishes the most sus-tainable position in this competitive global market-place.

The investor best achieves this advantage over the competition with a reliable machine supplier – a partner who designs and installs the entire system from fibre to yarn and supports its operation. A sup-plier who consistently offers the best price-perfor-mance ratio and supports low production costs over the entire service life of the product.

Rieter is recommended to global entrepreneurs as the best guarantee for a sustainable, successful in-vestment, anywhere in the world. 15-204 •

Fig. 4 Wages and their growth influence the decision about where an investment is successful. In an au-tomated spinning mill, labour costs do not play a decisive role. Gener-ally speaking, nowadays it is more important to find staff to work in the spinning mill.

Fig. 5 Click here for the article in Link no. 65.

Edda Walraf

Head Marketing Machines & Systems edda.walraf@rieter.com

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The Comfort of Competence

Valuable systems that make you unique Rieter is worldwide the only supplier of excellent complete systems for all 4 spinning processes. Rieter operates with cutting-edge production machines and technologies. That puts you ahead of the market and drives your success. Stand out from the crowd.

More under www.rieter.com

Right planning is everything Rieter offers more than just textile machines for all 4 spinning processes. From feasibility analyses to financing to project management, right through to maintenance, Rieter customers stay on top at all times.

Comfort is: Staying on top thanks to Rieter systems.

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PRODUCT NEWS

Fig. 1 The Bräcker TITAN ring – the ring for maximum spindle speeds.

The Bräcker TITAN ring has performed impressively for decades in use on Rieter ring and compact spinning machines and sets the standards in terms of service life and productivity.

Bräcker TITAN ring – for the most demanding applications

Since its market launch at ITMA Paris in 1999, the TITAN ring has revolutionised ring spinning tech-nology. Whereas previously the life time of spinning rings was limited to 2-5 years, the service life has now more than doubled. At the same time, the TITAN ring opened new horizons by increasing rotation-al speeds by more than 10 %. With over 45 million units successfully sold, the TITAN ring has confirmed its lead over the competition (Fig. 1).

Bräcker TITAN on Rieter compact machines – exploiting the synergies The success story of Rieter compact spinning is di-rectly related to the development of the TITAN ring.

Rieter compact spinning machines achieve the high-est spindle speeds in spinning mills all over the world.

The compact yarn is characterised by low hairiness, which results in low ring lubrication at high spindle speeds. This places maximum demands on the ring and traveller components.

Due to the excellent wear resistance of the TITAN ring, enormous productivity gains were achieved in compact spinning, considering the life time of the ring desired by the customer and traveller speeds of up to 45 m/s (Fig. 2).

The introduction and establishment of the TITAN ring thus makes a considerable contribution to the continuing success of the Rieter compact system and helps Rieter customers worldwide to higher produc-tivity and profitability while maintaining consistent-ly high quality.

Bräcker TITAN – state-of-the-art technical expertiseThe advantages of the Bräcker TITAN ring, which in-clude increased productivity, can be traced back to its technical characteristics.

The contact between the ring and the traveller and the resulting friction forces give rise to high temper-atures. In conventional steel rings without a coating, this may cause micro-welds between the compo-nents. This causes wear, which significantly limits the life time of the rings.

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PRODUCT NEWS

Simone Barton

Bräcker AGProduct Application / Research and Developmentsimone.barton@bracker.ch

Fig. 3 Microscopic image of the TITAN ring coating – a perfect surface for excellent wear resistance and maximum productivity.

Fig. 2 The high wear resistance of the Bräcker TITAN ring allows a significant increase in productivity.

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Bräcker TITAN ring

The coating, specially developed for the TITAN ring, is characterised by a heat-resistant and wear-resis-tant surface (Fig. 3). This eliminates the dangers of micro-welds between the key components of ring and traveller.

In many installations since the market launch in the late 1990s, TITAN rings continue to operate uninter-rupted with no loss of quality or performance. The extension of the ring life time saves costs due to re-duced downtime and setup times. A must for the cost effective operation of a ring spinning system.

TITAN ring – universally applicableA further advantage of the TITAN ring is its universal applicability and flexibility. Many customers confirm that the TITAN is suitable for almost all raw materi-als and count ranges. The specially developed coat-ing is applied to all current ring profiles and today is standard on all Rieter ring and compact spinning machines.

The constant low surface roughness of the TITAN ring allows consistent spinning tension. For the cus-tomer, this means constant quality over the entire life time of the ring.

The TITAN ring sets the highest quality standards and in conjunction with Bräcker travellers rates as virtually indestructible. In combination with zirconi-um a traveller life time of 1 000 hours is achieved. The TITAN ring by Bräcker, made in Switzerland in accordance with ISO 9000 and the highest quality standards, is the spinning ring for the most demand-ing applications. 15-205 •

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Precision blending with UNIblend A 81Precision blends of the widest variety of fibres, also in combination with cotton, are recording an increase in demand. UNIblend A 81 has been synonymous with precise blends for 20 years.

The precision blender UNIblend made its debut at ITMA 1995 in Milan. The 20th anniversary inspires us to investigate the reasons why these machines have endured on the market.

The development for precision blendingThe increase in man-made fibres and the rising de-mand for man-made fibre blends including cotton in the mid-1970s were the spur for Rieter engineers to develop a continuous blending process that oper-ates with precision. The result: the fibre dosing unit B0/1 Contimeter, based on a system with continuous weighing of the material flow. Even then it proved to be a yardstick for tuft blending. In the further de-velopment of homogeneous blends with precisely defined material components, Rieter consistently fol-lowed the path towards the precise and continuous feeding of fibre components. Today's A 81 UNIblend operates with very high accuracy of a maximum of 1 % blend deviation (Fig. 1).

Market success is guaranteed by the blending accuracyLess than 1 % deviation in multi-component blend-ing with the A 81 UNIblend – how is this accom-plished? The recipe for this is the following. The dosing equipment continuously and precisely feeds the pre-set proportions onto the conveyor belt as tuft carpet in several layers. The resulting tuft sand-wich is compacted. The downstream opening roller then forms this input material into homogeneously blended tufts, which consist of exactly the desired fibre content.

In comparison, the precision of the conventional weighing hopper system is heavily dependent on the subsequent mixing process (Fig. 2). It is therefore limited in application and accuracy.

Positive effects of this high quality and very pre-cise blend are reduced interruptions to spinning ma-chines, increased yarn strength and less ends down in weaving and knitting. Extensive UNIblend dyeing tests for various materials also showed amazing re-sults in colour uniformity.

Fig. 1 Exact dosing with the UNIblend system.

Fig. 2 Large blend deviations at the material outlet with the weighing hopper system.

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PRODUCT NEWS

And this is what A 81 users say"For blended yarn production, we regularly conduct chemi-cal analyses, which show that the A 81 UNIblend produces with a deviation of +/- 1 %. Thanks to this precision we can use our yarn blends in the weaving mill without hesitation."

Mustafa Kayan

Operations Manager Spinning and Doubling Mills Oğuz Tekstil A.Ş., Turkey

"With the homogeneous fibre blends from UNIblend, we achieve high yarn quality and hence an excellent fabric ap-pearance."

Ahmet DuygalGeneral Manager Ring Spinning

Kipaş A.Ş., Turkey

Flexibility pays off in precision blendingA precision blending system allows its users to opti-mise production costs subject to raw material prices. To this is to be added the unique ability to simul-taneously run different blends in the blowroom sys-tem when used with only one UNIblend machine (Fig. 3). In this case, there are almost no limits to the compositions of the blends. Both 50/50  % blends and extreme blend compositions in the range up to 2/98 %, as well as challenging blends with dyed raw materials, e.g. melange, can be found in the field.

Fig. 3 Precision blending machine UNIblend A 81 – economic and precise dosed blending for quality yarns.

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PRODUCT NEWS

Fig. 4 Highly flexible system with an A 81 UNIblend which feeds 2 carding lines with 2 different blend composi-tions, e.g. CO/PES 50/50 and CO/PES 67/33.

UNIblend in practice. The video can be viewed on the web-site or as a DVD at rieter-link@rieter.com.

Precision, especially in high-tech fibresToday, modern high-tech fibres are used in many ap-plications. They can impart certain properties even in small portions of the fibre blend, e.g. anti-static, sterile or tensile strength. As these fibres are often very expensive, it is essential to blend this valuable raw material in very exact percentages. This is not just about the costs but also the optimal effects and properties as well as compliance with legal regula-tions. 15-206 •

And this is what UNIblend users say"We are in a position to optimise the fibre blend by precise-ly mixing different raw materials within a range of +/- 1 %. Hence we are able to optimise our production costs."

Ahmet Duygal General Manager Ring Spinning

Kipaş A.Ş., Turkey

"We have been working with UNIblend for years and have two types of precision blending machines, UNIblend A 80 and A 81. We have been using the A 80 for almost 18 years with-out problems. With the UNIblend we can produce homogene-ous blends and easily adjust recurring colours and achieve excellent results during continuous production. Thanks to the two UNIblend machines A 80 and A 81, we can produce blends from dyed cotton, dyed wool etc. without any prob-lem."

Timur AtikMill Manager

Gulle Tekstil San. ve Tic. A.S., TurkeyUwe Nick

Product Management Blowroom/Card uwe.nick@rieter.com

19LINK 67 /2015

CVm

[%]

14

13

12

11

10

9

850 60 70 80 90 100

142/2 190/2110/2

Raw material

100 % MicroModal® Air, 0.8 dtex, 34 mm

Compact yarn

Ne 95/1 – 1 273 T/m – αe 3.4

Compact-twin

Ne 190/2 – 1 498 T/m – αe 3.9 Ne 190/2 – 1 766 T/m – αe 4.6

Knitted fabric

Single Jersey, E40/34" from 91 % MicroModal® Air and 9 % elastane, 17 dtex Compact yarn – Ne 95/1 – 1 273 T/m – αe 3.4 Compact-twin – Ne 190/2 – 1 498 T/m – αe 3.9

TECHNOLOGY

Two ply yarn production, also known as twin, recently gave rise to questions and discussions. Some basic principles and findings provide insightful answers. Sound knowledge allows the yarn to be developed for targeted use and for new applications.

Understanding and using compact-twin yarn

Flexibility is the strength of ring spinning. Compared to other technologies, ring spinning can process the widest variety of raw materials and cover the broadest range of yarn counts. Moreover, it allows the produc-tion of special structures. Additional equipment facili-tates the spinning of conventional twin yarn, compact yarn, compact twin yarn, effect and soft and / or hard core yarns.

Fine compacted twin yarn of MicroModal®

The team at Rieter Textile Technology produced com-pact twin yarn from MicroModal® (Fig. 1).

The conditions for optimum running performance were determined and the yarn properties as compared to a single yarn of the same fineness were created.

Advantages of compact spinning technology for twin yarnOperational reliability in the production of twin yarn can be significantly improved by using compact tech-nology compared to a conventional ring spinning machine. Despite very fine yarns of up to Ne 190/2, thanks to the ideal yarn shank triangle the compact spinning machine achieved an ends down rate of less than 12 ends down per 1 000 spindle hours.

Increased evennessAs might be expected, the twin yarns are 10 - 15 % more even than a single yarn of the same yarn count. This fact is independent of the twist coefficient and yarn count (Fig. 2).

Resistance to abrasionThe superior abrasion-resistance of the twin yarn compared to the single yarn has a clearly beneficial effect, particularly on the ring-traveller system and the subsequent winder.Yarn count [Ne]

Twin cops, αe = 4.6Twin cops, αe = 3.9Single yarn, bobbin αe = 3.4

Twin bobbin, αe = 4.6Twin bobbin, αe = 3.9

Fig. 1 Performance data from the trial.

Fig. 2 Compact-twin yarn exhibits superior yarn evenness compared to single yarn (Source: Rieter Technology, TIS 24653).

Unevenness of the mass depending on yarn count and yarn structure100 % MicroModal® Air, 0.8 dtex, 34 mm

20 LINK 67 /2015

50 60 70 80 90 100142/2 190/2110/2

500 μm

500 μm

TECHNOLOGY

Tenacity requires special attentionSingle yarn with a twist coefficient of 3.4 αe for yarn counts of Ne 142/2 to Ne 190/2 was in the same te-nacity range as twin yarn with αe of 3.9.

In order to achieve the best possible running perfor-mance, the spindle speed must be set lower and / or the twist coefficient set higher than for single yarn of the same fineness. However, in addition to the yarn structure, the yarn strength is also influenced by the raw material, yarn count and twist coefficient. There-fore, the strength of a twin yarn is not always higher than that of a single yarn (Fig. 3).

It should be noted that the twist coefficient for the twin yarn was optimised at 3.9 αe in order to achieve the lowest possible yarn breakage. The twist coeffi-cient is therefore somewhat higher than that of a sin-gle yarn.

Low hairiness – less fibre abrasionRegarding hairiness, the twin yarns exhibit sig-nificant advantages compared to single yarn. For comparable raw materials, the twin yarns achieve values that otherwise can only be achieved with air-jet-spun yarns.

The twin yarn in this case with MicroModal® has 17 to 24 % less hairiness (measured with Uster in-strument). The better the protruding fibres are an-chored in the yarn body, the less fibre abrasion occurs when the yarn is stressed. The twin yarns ex-hibit significantly less fibre abrasion than the single yarn, regardless of the twist coefficient.

The twin yarn with a twist coefficient of 3.9 αe is al-most twice as abrasion-resistant as the single yarn with 3.4 αe. The positive effect is primarily attribut-able to the “twin” structure.

Uniform structure, similar to two ply yarnThe twin yarn structure differs significantly from sin-gle yarn. The twist propagation of the fibres on the single yarn is distributed continuously and uniformly over the length of the yarn axis. On twin yarn it can also be seen that two yarn sequences run along the yarn axis, similar to real two ply yarn (Fig. 4).

Fig. 3 Not in every case does a twin yarn have higher tenacity than the single yarn (Source: Rieter Tech-nology, TIS 24653).

Fig. 4 The structure of the twin yarn, which is similar to two ply yarn, is visible under the microscope.

Breaking tenacity as a function of yarn count and yarn structure100 % MicroModal® Air, 0.8 dtex, 34 mm

Compact yarn: 100 % MicroModal® Air, 0.8 dtex, 34 mm, Ne 95/1, 1 273 T/m, αe 3.4

Compact-twin: 100 % MicroModal® Air, 0.8 dtex, 34 mm, Ne 190/2, 1 498 T/m, αe 3.9

Twin cops, αe = 4.6Twin cops, αe = 3.9Single yarn, bobbin αe = 3.4

Twin bobbin, αe = 4.6Twin bobbin, αe = 3.9

Brea

king

tena

city

[cN/

tex]

Yarn count [Ne]

26.5

26.0

25.5

25.0

24.5

24.0

23.5

23.0

22.5

21LINK 67 /2015

http://bit.ly/ Compact-twin2830

TECHNOLOGY

Harald Schwippl

Head Technologyharald.schwippl@rieter.com

The feeding of filament yarns during the knitting pro-cess reduces the differences between the two yarn structures. Despite the positive influence of the fil-ament, with regard to pilling a clear difference can still be identified between the two yarn structures in favour of the twin yarn. After 2 000 abrasion cycles, the value of the twin yarn is one grade better than that of the single yarn (Figs. 5 and 6).

EconomyWith compact twin yarn technology, the yarn manu-facturing costs are heavily influenced by the roving count, spindle speed and twist coefficient.

Fig. 5 Compact-twin (right) compared to single yarn (left) before washing.

Fig. 6 After just 10 wash cycles – the superior performance characteristics of the compact-twin (right) compared to the single yarn (left).

Fig. 7 The article is published within the scope of cooperation between Rieter and Lenzing. Use the QR code to download the special print.

Depending on the yarn count, the manufacturing costs are higher than those for single yarn, however significantly lower than for “real” two ply yarn.

The complete principles and knowledge base regard-ing two ply yarn are compiled in a special print. This may be ordered from rieter-link@rieter.com with the title “Special edition compact two ply yarn” or down-loaded from the Rieter website (Fig. 7). 15-207 •

22 LINK 67 /2015

PARTS

The reliability of machines is extremely important in the blowroom area. If a machine has a problem or downtime, the complete spinning mill comes to a standstill within a few hours. Rieter performs continuous development in this area. An innovative modification of the bale opener improves the raw material opening for the subsequent process.

Rieter quality in blowroom

The take-off roller of the UNIfloc bale opener is heavily loaded. The opening of the various raw materials from the hard-pressed bales without damaging the fibres is complex and challenging.

Innovative take-off roller as a retrofitIn the latest generation of machines, Rieter has dis-associated itself from traditional methods. A newly designed take-off roller was created (Fig. 1). Discs made of special steel alloys with helix-shaped teeth are optimally aligned and welded onto a seamless precision tube. The new take-off roller ensures a gentle opening of the material. The customer bene-fits from consistently small tufts. They make the per-fect input material for the subsequent cleaning and mixing process.

In addition to improved material take-off, the take-off roller offers increased service life and excellent true running characteristics.

The excellent true running characteristics have a positive influence on the mechanical components – the service life of the motors, bearings and belts is significantly extended.

To allow the customer to share these benefits, Rieter After Sales offers a conversion for all UNIfloc models located in the field.

Gently changing the direction of rotationRieter recommends a simultaneous upgrade to mod-ern inverter control. This electronically regulates the change of the direction of rotation of the take-off roller. In particular, the heavily used main motor and bearings repay this with longer service life.

Rieter After Sales offers cost effective, easy to install conversion packages.

Secure failure-free, continuous production for your spinning mill: contact your local sales representative. 15-208 •

Fig. 1 The take-off roller with opti-mised take-off teeth for improved raw material opening.

Fig. 2 The inverter control extends the service life of major components by gently changing the direction of rotation of the take-off roller.

Urs Tschanz

Head Sales Support Partsurs.tschanz@rieter.com

23LINK 67 /2015

http://bit.ly/ Com4_at_WFSGI_forum

NEWS

Oswald Baldischwieler, COO Hermann Bühler AGSwitzerland

“Due to the innovative yarn structure of the Com4®jet yarn, my customers can develop new designs and fab-ric properties. Their success is also my success.”

J.J. Bühler established Hermann Bühler AG in Switzerland in 1812. An important step towards the globalisation of the company took place in 1996 with the founding of Buhler Quality Yarns Corp. in the USA. Today, 80  000 spindles annually produce more than 7 000 tons of yarn for customers in 43 countries.

Buhler is the specialist for fine yarns, which are made from exclusive Supima® extra long staple cotton, high quality organic cotton, MicroModal® Edelweiss and Micro TENCEL®. In addition to ring, compact and royal yarns, the pioneering air-jet-spun yarns were perfected at Bühler with regard to quality and touch, in close cooperation with Rieter. In addition, innovative strength is evident in the in-house development of Rainbow technology and the introduction of the revolutionary BeDry technology. 15-210 •

www.buhleryarn.com

On 13 and 14 November 2014, a manufacturers' forum for the sporting goods industry took place in Leipzig, Germany – organised by the World Federa-tion of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI). Rieter was asked to contribute and presented the Com4® yarns under the motto “The right yarn for the right application” (see link to the video). A topic that is also of interest to the sports industry.

The WFSGI plays a strategic role in supporting and promoting the sporting goods industry worldwide. It works closely with major manufacturers and well-known brands such as Adidas, Under Armour, Nike and many others. 15-209 •

Advertising for Com4® licensees among sporting goods manufacturers

From our customers’ point of view

In November 2014, Rieter presented the Com4® yarns and their licensees to international experts of the sport-ing goods industry.

Anja Knick

Senior Marketing Manageranja.knick@rieter.com

www.rieter.com

Rieter Machine Works Ltd.Klosterstrasse 20CH-8406 WinterthurT +41 52 208 7171F +41 52 208 8320sales.sys@rieter.comparts.sys@rieter.com

Rieter India Private Ltd.Gat No 134/1, Vadhu RoadOff Pune-Nagar Road, Koregaon BhimaTaluka Shirur, District PuneIN-Maharashtra 412216T +91 2137 308 500F +91 2137 308 426

Rieter (China)Textile Instruments Co., Ltd.Shanghai BranchUnit B-1, 6F, Building A,Synnex International Park1068 West Tianshan RoadCN-Shanghai 200335T +86 21 6037 3333F +86 21 6037 3399

Milan itself but also the ITMA are worth a trip in this autumn.

Quiz!Join in! With a little luck, you could win one of ten attractive prizes. Find all necessary infor-mation on page 8 and on the sep-arate reply card.