2/2005 Trends & Markets Technology Product News Info - Rieter

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The customer magazine of
Rieter Spun Yarn Systems
Volume 17 / No. 45
May 2005
2/2005
Trends & Markets
Systems customer Brennet AG – fine-count yarns with
the C 60 Card and K 44 compact spinning machines
Technology
The challenge of man-made fibers – success with
high-performance spinning machines from Rieter
Product News
Ring spinning machines –
customer-oriented further development
Info
Rieter Textile Systems at the 10 th International
Izmir Textile and Apparel Symposium

2
Editorial
Dear customers:
Innovations involve risks. They can fail for many reasons:
the technical solution may be innovative, but it doesn‘t fulfill customers‘ requirements;
the innovation doesn‘t take account of interfaces to existing infrastructure; the overall
environment has changed; service cannot be provided or is too slow due to lack of
training; the company hasn‘t the capital to finance the innovation. Product innovations
usually require substantial capital resources for product development, new production
facilities or tools, as well as for marketing.
In light of these risks, therefore, there would be many reasons not to pursue innovations.
These are purely theoretical considerations, of course. We all know that a company‘s
continued survival can only be assured by new ideas and innovative solutions. This
takes entrepreneurial courage and belief in the future, open eyes and ears, the willingness
to learn and to understand, commitment and a sound financial basis.
At the same time we take the trouble to keep the risks for our customers as small as
possible when introducing innovations by testing carefully beforehand and attentively
supporting the first customers. Our customers‘ success is ultimately the guarantee of
our own success.
Innovation is an investment and costs money. Every innovative company therefore has
to protect its innovations against imitators, so that subsequent generations of products
are also financially secure.
Patent protection and design copyright provide security for an innovative industry and
deserve to be enforced worldwide. We therefore support initiatives undertaken with this
objective in mind, also in the service of our customers.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Martin Folini
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Highlights
Trends & Markets
Systems customer Brennet AG –
fine-count yarns with the C 60 Card
and K 44 compact spinning machines
Technology
The challenge of man-made fibers –
success with high-performance spinning
machines from Rieter
Product News
Ring spinning machines –
customer-oriented further development
Info
Rieter Textile Systems at the 10 th International
Izmir Textile and Apparel Symposium
4
8
18
28
Contents
Systems customer Brennet AG –
fine-count yarns with the C 60 Card
and K 44 compact spinning
machines 4
The challenge of man-made fibers –
success with high-performance
spinning machines from Rieter 8
Ring and traveler systems –
quality standards for superior
performance 14
Ring spinning machines –
customer-oriented further
development 18
AEROpiecing –
breakthrough in piecing quality 22
Rieter retrofits – economical
and customer-oriented 24
Information 28
Imprint
Publisher:
Spun Yarn Systems Marketing
Heiner Eberli
Editor-in-chief:
Rieter Textile Systems Marketing
Edda Walraf
Copyright:
Copyright © 2005 by
Rieter Machine Works Ltd.
Klosterstrasse 20
CH-8406 Winterthur
Switzerland
www.rieter.com
Rieter-link@rieter.com
Reprints permitted, subject to prior
approval; specimen copies requested
Design and production:
Rieter CZ a.s., Marketing
Pavel Bielik
Printing:
HRG, Czech Republic
3

View of the modern compact
spinning mill at Brennet AG
www.brennet.de
4
Systems customer Brennet AG –
fine-count yarns with the C 60 Card
and K 44 compact spinning machines
Investments in new machinery and
systems are among the most difficult
decisions for any company and require
an integrated approach. The entire
manufacturing process from spinning
to the end product has to be taken into
consideration and re-examined in order
to ensure long-term financial success.
The Brennet company in Germany has
given thought to these issues and invested
in a complete Rieter spinning mill
with 17,000 K 44 spindles and 9 C 60
Cards to spin yarns in counts of Nm 64
to Nm 100.
A year has passed since production commenced
in the new spinning mill on the
Hausen site. This provides an opportunity
to get to the root of the secret of this investment‘s
success. It is the right time to look
back, examine the approach that has been
pursued and re-evaluate the success that was
hoped for, the basic ideas and expectations.
Brief portrait of the Brennet company
Brennet AG is a fully integrated company
based in southern Germany, with its own
fabric development department, spinning
mill, weaving mill and finishing plant. Brennet
processes high-quality, mostly compact
cotton yarns and cotton blends into some
16.5 million running meters annually of
highly fashionable, functional colored fabrics
and piece-dyed articles for shirts, blouses,
workwear and furnishing fabrics.
The ingredients of a successful business
The three essential success factors are raw
materials, the machine portfolio and people.
The quality and homogeneity of raw materials
provide the basis for yarn properties and
are an essential factor influencing them. The
crucial criterion is still to purchase fibers
in the right quality at the right time, i.e. at
the right price. Cotton purchasing is very
important from a financial standpoint, since
the purchase price has a direct impact on
yarn manufacturing costs and thus affects
margins. Consequently, in many companies
this task is performed by the man at the top,
since short decision-making chains and a
foresighted approach are vital here.
Together with applied technology, the machine
portfolio defines the properties of the
yarn in every detail. The appearance of the
yarn is directly influenced as well as running
properties and economy in the downstream
processes. The machines must extract the
maximum from the raw material used, completely
retain its positive properties, remove
what is not required, sort, order and perfect
the fibers as far as the integration process.
What is more, in 10 years they must also still
be producing yarn that satisfies the highest
demands of the downstream processes and
impresses customers with its appearance.
This presupposes that the processes are under
control at all times, since customers do
not tolerate quality fluctuations in the yarn.
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Only the latest technology, such as that used
in the K 44 ComforSpinn machine or the
C 60 Card, can satisfy these high standards.
Only then is a machinery portfolio still able to
manufacture competitive products even after
being in operation for 10 years. The performance
of the machines is maintained by an
innovative partner who is familiar with the
process as a whole and makes continuous
technological improvements to the machines.
These modifications preserve not only a spinning
mill‘s value, but also its competitiveness
over a prolonged period of time.
The value of a yarn consists not only of its
ability to determine or influence the properties
of the end product, but above all of its
economic contribution to running properties
in downstream processes. As the „basic
element“, the yarn thus bears a major share
of responsibility for the success of the entire
textile chain.
Despite the importance of the criteria already
referred to, people are the key success factor.
At the Brennet company personnel are
responsible for the development, manufacture
and sale of fashionable, functional and
competitive products of the highest quality.
This calls not only for well trained, motivated,
flexible employees who are prepared to do
more than is asked of them, but a positive
passion for perfection, quality, performance
and continuous improvement. Problems are
a stimulus, the existing situation is continuously
being questioned and performance
reviewed.
Activities are always focused on the success
of the process as a whole, in both qualitative
and economic terms. The result is an exceptionally
high level of quality and productivity
at this successful company.
Like Rieter, Brennet places its confidence in
close partnerships with customers to develop
products that are successful on the market.
In this context Rieter place the total package
of a systems supplier at the disposal of their
customers.
Rudolf Meier
Product Manager
Blowroom/Carding
Integrated automation demonstrates
the integrated approach to sustained
quality and cost cutting.
5

The investment in the spinning mill has
visibly reduced ends down in weaving
operations.
6
Ends down/100,000 picks
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
COM4 ® Yarn Nm 64/80
This includes not only machines for the entire
spinning process from a single source, but
also:
• Technical and technological know-how
and support from the introduction of the
process to optimization throughout the
entire process chain as far as downstream
processing. The knowledge acquired in
the process creates an awareness of what
is important and a clear vision of where
the textile industry is headed.
• Integrated project handling from planning
the machine layout to integrating a transport
system; from calculating personnel
requirements to profitability analyses;
from installation to the successful start of
production on schedule.
• Assistance in financial matters, from
spinning and production schedule calculations
to actual project financing.
• After-sales service, from assistance
before, during and after commissioning to
spare parts deliveries and upgrades.
• Marketing support when launching new
yarns such as COM4 ® compact yarn.
• An expert partner to consult, who responds
to customers‘ needs.
before after
weft breaks warp breaks
Innovation and revolution, the system in
practical operation
After some 12 months in mill operation, this
investment can be reviewed on the basis of
consolidated facts and figures. The questions
that arise are: What has changed as a
result of this new investment? What benefits
can be expected from a step of this nature?
At this point no reference is actually made to
the improvement in quality, which is sufficiently
well-known, but rather to the economic
aspects of this investment. Personnel
numbers employed in the spinning mill have
been considerably reduced while operating
the same number of spindles. This aspect
is absolutely crucial for a central European
company in terms of competitiveness.
COM4 ® yarn enables savings of 7% to be
made on dyestuffs. At the same time the
end product‘s appearance is brilliant, with a
clearly defined look. If the profitability analysis
were to take into consideration only the
spinning process, the yarn would be slightly
more expensive, due to the higher capital
costs. However, if the system is viewed as
a whole, i.e. from bale to end product, the
investment pays off and is clearly in favor of
compact yarn. Here are some more facts from
Brennet:
• The lower hairiness of the compact yarn
enables savings of 15 to 30% to be made
on sizing agents. These savings have a
3-fold impact: on the quantity of sizing
agents used, on de-sizing and on effluent
treatment.
• Efficiency in the weaving mill, with 172
weaving machines, has risen by 3%. The
air-jet weaving machines operate at a
speed of 840 picks/min with an insertion
rate of 1500 m/min. The improvement in
efficiency was achieved by halving the
number of ends down; from 3 to 1.5 per
100,000 picks in the warp and from 1.1 to
0.8 per 100,000 picks in the weft. Halving
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the number of machine stoppages also
improves fabric quality at the same time,
since each stoppage means a potential
fault.
• At high insertion rates, ends down have a
much greater impact on efficiency than on
machines that are operating slowly. It is
therefore all the more surprising that the
increase in efficiency was achieved with a
simultaneous reduction in personnel in all
areas.
Let‘s continue to look at the weaving mill. At
these insertion rates, processing yarns with
a count of Nm 100, the weaving machine
becomes a real yardstick for the quality of a
yarn. Running properties provide an immediate,
undistorted reflection of the degree of
process control in the spinning mill. As the
key element in the spinning mill, the C 60
Card makes an essential contribution with
its unique geometry. Its large working width
of 1500 mm also enables cotton for this
yarn count to be carded at 60 kg/h, i.e. to be
ideally prepared for the spinning process.
The potential of the card is already evident
from running properties in the spinning mill.
For example, 4 to 5 shifts without any sliver
breaks on the card are not unusual.
The success story in brief
The products of this newly installed spinning
mill are intended exclusively for the
company‘s own use. The higher manufacturing
costs in the spinning mill are more
than offset by optimization and cost savings
in downstream processes. The result is a
higher-quality product at the same or lower
material and process costs.
The investment in the new spinning mill has
passed the test impressively after 12 months
of production operations. The economic facts
we have cited clearly show the advantages of
the new spinning mill. The key to success is
simple: it is the people involved in a project
of this nature, who work together openly
and skillfully, adopting an integrated approach
and never losing sight of the ultimate
objective. This goal is the end product and
satisfied customers.
The C 60 is an important component for
high productivity with simultaneous process
control and thus quality assurance
7

Fig. 1:
Production and consumption of man-made
fibers have increased steadily.
Fig. 2:
Polyester fibers are produced by 231
manufacturers at 278 locations worldwide,
with the focus in Asia.
8
Staple fiber production worldwide
Production (million tonnes)
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002
Man-made staple fibers
Cotton
Wool
The challenge of man-made fibers –
success with high-performance
spinning machines from Rieter
Some 36.5 million tonnes of man-made
fibers were produced in 2003, 43%
(15.7 million tonnes) in the form of
staple fibers. Rieter supply modern spinning
machines worldwide for manufacturing
staple fiber yarns from natural
and man-made fibers. The related
process stages and spinning recommendations
are continuously being optimized
by the ongoing accumulation of knowhow
in process technology for manmade
staple fibers. This gives Rieter
customers a crucial lead in expertise.
The importance of man-made fibers
The use of textiles made from man-made
fibers in technical applications, the furnishing
fabric market and the apparel sector
has become a matter of course in the past
15 years due to their excellent functional
features. Man-made fibers have established
a major position in the workwear, sportswear
and leisurewear segments.
Annual production of man-made staple
fibers alone currently totals some 13 million
tonnes, an increase of more than 50%
compared with 1990 (Fig. 1).
100
80
60
40
20
0
13 12
The entire annual output of staple microfibers
from all raw materials currently totals
some 600,000 tonnes. In 1991 this figure
was a mere 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes. Among
man-made staple fibers polyester plays the
lead role with 11 million tonnes per year, with
most manufacturers and the greatest capacity
(37%) located in China. There has been
a massive increase in polyester staple fiber
production in India. Reliance alone accounts
for 68% of the total of 670,000 tonnes.
The total of 231 polyester staple fiber manufacturers
(Fig. 2) at 278 locations worldwide
represents a major challenge for staple fiber
spinning, since processing and yarn properties
are heavily dependent on the polyester
raw material and finishing.
Polyester fiber counts range from 0.6 to
6.6 dtex. In classical cotton spinning fiber
counts from 0.9 to 3.3 dtex at fiber lengths
up to 60 mm are very well controlled. Special
attention needs to be paid to the higher drafting
forces resulting from the higher adhesion
and frictional forces as well as the tendency
of man-made fibers to entangle and nep
formation to form neps.
Polyester manufacturers worldwide in 2003
Number of manufacturers
North America
Latin America
21
Western Europe
14
Eastern Europe
9 7
Africa +
Middle East
India
27
South Asia
109
China +
Hong Kong
Taiwan
231 manufacturers at 278 production locations
7 5 7
South Korea
Japan
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Modifications to machines
Rieter design their systems for a wide range
of applications. Fiber opening and accurate
blending play an important part in processing
man-made fibers, while cleaning is not necessary.
Rieter offers a finely adjustable degree
of opening in its preparation machines.
The UNIblend A 81 is a key machine enabling
up to 8 different raw materials to be blended
precisely in proportions of 1 to 99%.
The carding process is the key element of the
spinning process. Thorough, gentle opening
into single fibers is a precondition for
eliminating fiber damage and nep formation
in man-made fibers. Depending on the type
of fiber and the fiber count, card output must
be adjusted in order to prevent excessively
high carding forces on the cylinder.
The risk of lap formation is especially high
on drawframes with high delivery speeds
when polyester is being processed. It can
be caused by conglutination in the drafting
system, finishing or electrostatic charging.
In order to prevent this, the best possible
fiber guidance in the drafting system must be
ensured. The appropriate coiler geometry and
plate surface guarantee optimum coiling into
the can on the drawframe, which is a precondition
for trouble-free sliver delivery.
The ring spinning machine can be equipped
with appropriate top roller covers and aprons
for this purpose. Special technology components
which ensure successful compacting
have been developed for processing manmade
fibers on the ComforSpin ® system.
Yarn twist can be briefly reduced during
reserve winding before doffing the cops on
Rieter ring spinning machines. A clearly defined
yarn break for the cop doffing process
can thus be ensured, despite the very high
fiber and yarn tenacity.
The SC-R spinning box on the R 40 rotor
spinning machine also offers a constructive
solution for the optimum processing of manmade
fibers. The higher fiber-metal friction
means that better release of the man-made
fibers from the opening roller must be ensured
in order to prevent fibers from rotating
with it. The opening unit widens considerably
to improve fiber guidance before it enters the
fiber guide channel.
With polyester it must be ensured above all
that no damage to the yarn, such as fiber
fusion, is caused at high delivery speeds by
the draw-off nozzle. A wear-resistant draw-off
nozzle is important for good quality consistency.
This is achieved by using new ceramic
materials and geometries.
Cooperation with Reliance Industries Ltd.
Rieter cooperates closely with man-made
fiber manufacturers in order to gather technological
process expertise. Reliance Industries
Limited (RIL) (www.ril.com) is India‘s largest
public limited company with annual sales of
17 billion US dollars. A Rieter pilot production
line has been installed in Reliance‘s
testing laboratory.
Harald Schwippl
Head of Technology
Fig. 3:
Skilled personnel are a precondition
for informative/reliable test series
9

Fig. 4 + 5
COM4 ® yarns also display fewer
irregularities during the processing
of microfibers
10
Yarn irregularity, capacitive and optical
CVm [%]
17
17
16.5
16
16
15
15.5
14
15
13
14.5
12
14
11
13.5
10
13
9
7 8 9 10
COM4 ® αm 108 capacitive CVm
COM4 ® Yarn count tex (g/1000m)
αm 97 capacitive CVm
Conventional αm 108 capacitive CVm
COM4 ® αm 108 optical CV2D
COM4 ® αm 97 capacitive CV2D
Conventional αm 108 optical CV2D
Reliance polyester, 0.9 dtex, 40 mm, roving 400 tex
Technology trials will now be conducted with
a view to exerting even greater influence on
fiber and machinery development.
Example of a joint project
Staple microfibers have become increasingly
important in recent years. The use of
microfibers enables very fine-count yarns
to be produced. Textile fabrics made from
microfibers feature a silky, soft handle as well
as good wear properties.
The results of the study referred to here relate
to an 0.9 dtex Reliance microfiber with a
staple length of 40 mm.
Ring-spun and COM4 ® yarns were spun in
three different yarn counts, the COM4 ® yarn
also with 2 different twist factors. The intention
was to demonstrate the influence of the
draft on the ring spinning machine drafting
system by choosing different roving counts
and thus roving adhesion loads (Fig. 3).
CV 2D [%]
17
16.5
16
15.5
15
14.5
14
13.5
13
Processing properties in the spinning mill
Since automatic bale opening with the UNIfloc
A 11 ensures uniform, fine fiber take-off,
only one storage unit and one opening unit
(B3/3S) were needed.
The card parameters are key elements for enhancing
performance in the spinning process
in conjunction with minimum strain on the
fibers and good carding quality. In order to
keep carding forces as low as possible, cylinder
clothing typical for microfibers of 640
teeth per square inch and 30° front angle was
used initially. It turned out that the fibers were
not being transferred adequately from the
cylinder to the doffer, and fine-count fibers
were inclined to collect between the clothing
teeth. Increasing the number of teeth to 720
resulted in very good running properties.
No excessive drafting forces were measured
on the drawframe. Special attention has to be
paid to twist communication on the roving
frame, which is affected by fiber-metal friction
forces.
Yarn irregularity, capacitive and optical
CVm [%]
7 8 9 10
Yarn count tex (g/1000m)
COM4 ® αm 108 capacitive CVm
COM4 ® αm 97 capacitive CVm
Conventional αm 108 capacitive CVm
Reliance polyester, 0.9 dtex, 40 mm, roving 530 tex
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
CV 2D [%]
COM4 ® αm 108 optical CV2D
COM4 ® αm 97 capacitive CV2D
Conventional αm 108 optical CV2D
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Yarn quality tests
As expected, COM4 ® yarns display better
yarn irregularity values than conventional
ring-spun yarns, by 0.3 to 0.8 percentage
points using capacitive measurement
(Fig. 4 + 5). In the case of imperfections,
compacting reduced thin places in the yarn
by up to 20% (Fig. 6).
For thick places the ComforSpin system
produces up to 20% better results compared
with ring-spun yarn. The latter relates more
sensitively to roving properties (Fig. 7).
Thick places in the yarn
Thick places +50% (per 1000m)
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
7 8 9 10
Yarn count tex (g/1000m)
COM4 ® αm 108
COM4 ® αm 97
Conventional αm 108
Reliance polyester, 0.9 dtex, 40 mm, roving 400 tex
There were no differences in nep count
between the final spinning systems. However,
the roving with the larger mass results in a
higher draft on the ring spinning machine,
which has a positive impact on the nep
count. With regard to imperfections, therefore,
it has been shown that the ComforSpin
system - with good drafting behavior and
fiber integration in the spinning triangle -
offers interesting potential for the end product.
The greater fiber density in the cross-section
and the better fiber integration in the
ComforSpin system resulted in an increase in
tenacity of 1 cN/tex. COM4 ® yarn displays no
reduction in mean tenacity between the items
with twist factors of αm 108 and αm 97.
This therefore offers a possibility for increasing
production without loss of quality.
Fig. 6:
The modern, air-conditioned laboratory
in Winterthur is equipped with testing
instruments for fibers and yarns
Fig. 7
11

Fig. 8: The typical shape of the microfibers
is recognizable under the microscope
Fig. 9 + 10:
COM4 ® yarns also display lower hairiness
with microfibers. This improves pilling
behavior.
12
Yarn hairiness
Hairiness H
4
100
3.85
90
3.7
80
3.55
70
3.4
60
3.25
50
3.1
40
2.95
30
2.8
20
2.65
10
2.5
0
7 8 9 10
COM4 ® αm 108 H
COM4 ® αm 97 H
Conventional αm 108 H
Yarn count tex (g/1000m)
COM4 ® αm 108 Zweigle
COM4 ® αm 97 Zweigle
Conventional αm 108 Zweigle
Reliance polyester, 0.9 dtex, 40 mm, roving 400 tex
A comparison of the different rovings showed
that increased tenacity could be measured
in the yarn at lower drafts on both spinning
systems.
The low hairiness of the COM4 ® yarn is
clearly apparent in Reliance Micro Polyester
(Fig. 8) compared with conventional ringspun
yarn, as measured with the Uster UT4.
The differences become smaller as yarn
counts increase. (Fig. 9 + 10).
If we look at the Zweigle S3 value, a relatively
small number of hairs per meter of yarn
are recorded for both spinning processes.
Nevertheless, the superiority of compacting
is evident. In the subsequent winding process
lower hairiness has a positive impact on nep
counts, due to the reduction in fiber sloughing.
Yarn abrasion on ring-spun yarns is an
indirect measurement of yarn hairiness. There
is a close correlation between this and pilling
behavior. High hairiness values result in a
higher, unwelcome pilling tendency.
Hairiness Zweigle 1 + 2 mm (1/m)
Yarn hairiness
Hairiness H
4
3.85
3.7
3.55
3.4
3.25
3.1
2.95
2.8
2.65
2.5
The strain imposed on the warp yarns during
weaving was simulated and the sloughing
tendency studied using the Reutlingen Webtester.
The readings give an indication of fiber
integration. In a comparison with yarns with
the same twist factor this measuring method
showed that the COM4 ® yarn displays a considerably
higher number of abrasion revolutions
before a thread break occurs. The final
spinning system can exert a greater influence
on abrasion resistance than yarn twist. This
finding is remarkable and shows the potential
that can also exist with polyester microfibers
in the yarn structure at constant yarn twist
(Fig. 11).
7 8 9 10
Yarn count tex (g/1000m)
COM4 ® αm 108 H
COM4 ® αm 97 H
Conventional αm 108 H
Reliance polyester, 0.9 dtex, 40 mm, roving 530 tex
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
COM4 ® αm 108 Zweigle
COM4 ® αm 97 Zweigle
Conventional αm 108 Zweigle
Hairiness Zweigle 1 + 2 mm (1/m)
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COM4 ® , αm = 108
COM4 ® , αm = 97
Conventional, αm = 108
Summary
Although experience has shown that polyester
is generally the greatest challenge
with regard to controlled fiber guidance in
compacting technology, distinct advantages
were demonstrated from using ComforSpin
technology. The ComforSpin system also
displays clear advantages in yarn thin places
and thick places due to improved fiber
integration in the case of the PES microfibers
used. In the process the correct choice of
preparatory process from card to roving frame
exerts a clear influence on the compacting
result.
Fig. 11
A comparison of yarn structures shows
clear differences in hairiness
13

Fig. 1
Rings and travelers must
fulfill high standards.
14
Ring and traveler systems –
quality standards for superior
performance
The tasks of rings and travelers in short
staple spinning
The job of the spinning ring and the ring
traveler (Fig. 1) is to impart twist to the fibers
in the spinning triangle, generate spinning
tension and wind up the yarn on the cop. The
traveler develops the necessary friction for
this purpose. High speeds impose severe
demands on the wear and heat resistance of
the components.
The traveler slides on the ring at speeds of
32 to over 40 m/s (115 to 144 km/h) and
in the process is lubricated only by fiber
particles that are finely ground between the
ring and the traveler. The composition of the
fibers affects the running properties and the
service life of the two friction partners. In this
process the ring must be the component with
the higher wear resistance, since the procurement
and replacement of rings is more
complicated.
Friction is an important function
The traveler exerts high pressure on the ring.
Depending on the state of the fiber film,
greater or lesser friction is generated (coefficient
of friction). This friction is influenced
both by the composition of the fibers and
by the utilization of the available lubrication
potential. As a consequence of this, a
better lubrication film is formed by yarns with
higher hairiness than, for example, by compact
yarns. The influence of fibre finishing is
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crucial with blended and man-made yarns
in particular. In principle, finishing reduces
friction.
In order to integrate the fibers satisfactorily
into the yarn structure, friction must be
neither too low nor too high. The objective
therefore cannot be to reduce friction in the
ring and traveler system too drastically. The
ring and traveler system must always perform
a braking function.
Quality requirements imposed on spinning
rings
The ring serves as a bearing surface for the
traveler. The dimensional tolerances with
regard to shape, roundness, flatness, etc.,
are very close. Centering on the spindle is
also extremely important. This also applies,
of course, to the anti-ballooning ring and the
yarn guide.
For a ring 40 mm in diameter, differences in
speed of 2.09 m/s (7.5 km/h) occur within
0.003 sec. at spindle speeds of 20,000 rpm
(Fig. 2). This results in high tension peaks,
which can cause thread breakages and yarn
hairiness.
The flange shape is adapted to the yarn count
range:
• flange 1 (3.2 mm) for Ne 16 and finer
yarns,
• flange 2 (4.0 mm) for Ne 24 and coarser
yarns,
• Orbit oblique flange rings are used in the
high-performance range for Ne 30 to 80
yarns,
• normal profile and antiwedge profile
(asymmetrical) are no longer very different
from each other; the best results are
obtained with flange 1 N98 profile, which
is being used to an increasing extent.
The ideal traveler bearing surface has a defined
surface structure in which the maximum
peak-to-valley height must not exceed
0.002 mm (Fig. 3).
The pressure exerted on the spinning ring by
the traveler depends on yarn thickness, traveler
weight, ring diameter and spindle speed.
If the lubricating film is intact, the contact
surfaces of both friction partners are protected,
but phases occur when the lubricant film
breaks down and metal/metal contact occurs.
In these phases very high temperatures occur
in the contact zone, causing material transfer
to the ring surface (microwelding). This results
in breakouts, unstable traveler running,
loss of yarn quality and premature wear of the
ring.
In order to ensure the close tolerances already
referred to earlier, especially the roughness
of the traveler‘s bearing surface, over a
long period and also from spindle to spindle,
the rings are specially tempered. The best
results are obtained with Bräcker Titan rings.
Traveler speed
Traveler speed in m/s
1.5
1
0.5
0
-0.5
-1
-1.5
1 traveler rotation, 0.003 sec.
Change at an eccentricity of 0.5 mm
40 mm ring, 20,000 rpm
Franz Oberholzer
Head of Development,
Rings and Travelers,
Bräcker AG, Switzerland
Fig. 2
Only if the ring and spindle are accurately
centered are tension peaks and thread
breakages avoided.
15

Fig. 3
Comparison of size with the cotton
fiber illustrates the demands imposed
on the manufacturing accuracy of
high-performance rings
Fig. 4
The travelers also have to fulfill high
quality requirements so that high spindle
speeds, long service life and good yarn
quality are achieved
16
The surface is provided with a wear-resistant
coating which prevents transfer of traveler
material and thus breakouts which inevitably
lead to the destruction of the traveler‘s bearing
surfaces.
A special feature of this development is that
conventional running-in of the ring is no
longer necessary with Titan rings. A lubricant
film merely has to be built up in the starting
phase.
Quality requirements imposed on ring
travelers
The tolerance for the dimensional accuracy of
the ring traveler is 0.05 mm (Fig. 4).
Traveler weights are within a tolerance range
of +/– 3%, which signifies a maximum
permissible variation of 0.000‘945 g for an
ISO 31.5 (6/0) traveler.
The basic material for ring travelers is tempered
so that the travelers can be used free
of deformation (spring characteristic) and
also in order to increase their service life. The
contact points of the traveler and the ring are
exposed to the same thermal and mechanical
forces in the process.
The surface, i.e. the base material, is also
finished in order to reduce friction and wear.
Since travelers already display running marks
in the edge zone after a short time, diffusion
treatments such as „Saphir“ have proved
most effective.
Ring travelers are manufactured in batches
of up to 2 million. Despite mass production,
each individual traveler must be manufactured
within very close tolerances and display
very high uniformity.
Service life of rings and travelers
Depending on fiber type, yarn count and performance,
travelers have a service life of 7 to
21 days. During this time the traveler covers
a distance of 22,000 to 60,000 km.
Rings have a service life of 2 to 6 years or
even longer. For example, some 50 million
meters or 1,000 kg of Ne 30 yarn are spun on
a ring in 5 years.
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Rings and travelers influence
yarn quality
Rings and travelers affect hairiness, neps
(production neps, sloughing) and elasticity
as well as thread breakages. Tenacity, mass,
thin places and thick places are not affected.
Enhancing performance with the right
traveler
Maximum performance potential is exploited
by choosing the right traveler. Despite good
application guidelines, trials in the spinning
mill are essential in difficult cases. Only in
the mill and on the spot can the overall effect
of important factors influencing performance
behavior, such as raw material, climate and
machine setting, be taken into account.
There are always only a few optimum ring and
traveler pairings for each application constellation,
but lots of incorrect combinations.
Application constellation means: specific
spinning geometry, specific yarn count,
specific speed. The choice of traveler is
therefore crucial for optimum yarn quality and
maximum production performance.
Influence on economy
The cost of rings and travelers plays a subordinate
role in yarn manufacturing. In terms
of the price of yarn it is very small. Rings and
travelers together affect the price of yarn by
less than 0.15%. On the other hand a spinning
mill can incur extraordinarily high costs
due to higher ends down frequency or poor
yarn quality if the wrong traveler is chosen.
Development
There is a product on the market - the Bräcker
Titan ring - that stands out from conventional
rings in every respect. High-performance
travelers with ceramic coatings (Zirkon) and
a special diffusion treatment (Pyrit) are in the
market launch phase. Traveler service lives of
over 1,000 working hours at high operating
speeds are now possible.
Summary
Rings and travelers have to be produced in
very close tolerances with the greatest possible
uniformity. The right ring and traveler
pairing for the relevant application constellation
is the precondition for the highest quality
and performance. Only the correct combination
of these key components in the spinning
mill ensures peak performance.
Company profile
Production and development of:
rings, travelers, inserting tools, GRETENER
yarn carriers.
Consulting services provided worldwide by
experienced specialists.
Contact
Bräcker AG
Obermattstrasse 65
CH-8330 Pfäffikon-Zürich
Switzerland
Tel +41 44 953 14 14
Fax +41 44 953 14 90
E-mail sales@bracker.ch
Web www.bracker.ch
17

Fig. 1
Easy operation with the new
graphic panel
Fig. 2
Graphic display facilitates data
input and monitoring.
18
Ring spinning machines –
customer-oriented further development
The Rieter G 33 ring spinning machine
and the K 44 ComforSpinn machine are
market leaders. These machines have
been further developed step by step
under the same model designations.
Substantial customer benefits have
been incorporated in the machine in
this way.
Through this example, Rieter demonstrates
that the technical care and optimization of
a product is not concluded with its market
launch. The products are subject to an ongoing,
intensive process of innovation. New
features and therefore enhanced customer
benefits on the G 33 and K 44 ring spinning
machines are reviewed below.
Easy, centralized operation
The visible new feature is the operator panel
with graphic display (Fig. 1). This is based
on the standardized Rieter control unit, which
in future will be used on all machines. The
control system has been developed together
with users and guides the operator through
the input menus in a logical sequence.
Graphic displays assist in handling. For
example, defining the speed curve and
checking the input values are considerably
simplified (Fig. 2).
In addition, fault messages are now also displayed
in graphic and text form, considerably
speeding up their location and elimination.
MEMOset –
stores and transmits settings
MEMOset is a new software function that enables
18 different spinning parameter settings
to be stored and then called up and processed
at any time. Data can also be transmitted
to other machines. For spinning mills
with frequent batch changes this contributes
to greater economy and quality consistency.
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Cop change – fast, reliable
and efficient
Cop change without underwinding using
SERVOgrip was a new feature when the
G 33 was launched and is still unique today
(Fig. 3).
The SERVOgrip clamping crown, patented by
Rieter, is the convincing solution for a clean
doffing process, free of fiber fly. The elimination
of underwinding on the bottom of the
spindle results mainly in a distinct reduction
in fiber fly as well as some savings in yarn.
Doffing and breaking even of coarse or hightenacity
yarns, as well as very soft twisted
yarns, present no problems. A new twist adjustment
function patented by Rieter reduces
or increases yarn twist during spinning-out
to the extent that the yarn is easily broken exactly
when the cop is doffed (Fig. 4). Manual
detachment of the threads (using scissors),
especially in the case of high-tenacity yarns,
is unnecessary. Rieter ROBOdoff displays
convincing qualities as a self-monitoring
doffer by virtue of its high operating reliability
and very short doffing times
(1 min. 40 sec.).
Easier batch change
The G 33 was the first ring spinning machine
to be equipped with the FLEXIdraft flexible
drive concept featuring separate drives for
the drafting system and the spindles. Other
manufacturers have only made a start on
integrating this concept into their machines
to date.
Separate drives for drafting system and
spindles enable yarn count changes to be
made at the push of a button. The FLEXIstart
option has been developed on the basis of
FLEXIdraft and further electronic/electrical
developments.
With his function, patented by Rieter, each
of the 4 drafting system drives (headstock,
off-end, right-hand and left-hand machine
side) can be started and stopped individually
(Fig. 5). The advantages for customers are:
starting spinning and spinning-out by quarters,
thus saving material, optimized personnel
deployment and ideal preconditions for
sample final count spinning.
Fig. 4
Back winding with
reduced / increased
twist
Clamping of yarn
end with adapted
twist in SERVOgrip
clamping crown
Defined
breaking
position
Anja Knick
Product Management,
Ring Spinning
Fig. 3
Doffing without underwinding using
SERVOgrip reduces fiber fly and thread
breakages
Fig. 4
Twist adjustment during spinning-out
for defined breaks
19

Fig. 5
FLEXIstart for spinning in quarters
20
Higher quality and productivity with ISM,
the individual spindle sensor
The ISM individual spindle sensor developed
by Rieter makes a major contribution to
increasing both quality and production. Each
individual spindle is continuously monitored
for ends down and slipper spindles. Selective
operator guidance by means of a light
guide system enables working paths to be
optimized and faults quickly located and
remedied. The combination of ISM with the
SPIDERweb data acquisition system makes
comprehensive data analysis possible. Longterm
records of ends down frequency enable
spindle speeds to be adjusted, for example.
The efficiency of the spinning positions or
the ring spinning machine as a whole can be
called up at any time.
Reduced energy consumption
Energy consumption is becoming increasingly
important. A unique feature of Rieter
ring spinning machines is INTERcool, a
closed-circuit cooling system through which
the waste heat from all motors and frequency
converters is fed directly into the exhaust
air ducts of the air conditioning system via
an internal heat exchanger. The heat in the
spinning mill due to the heat of the machines
is reduced, resulting in reduced air circulation
and thus relieving the load on the air
conditioning system. The 4-spindle belt drive
in conjunction with a small wharve diameter
also makes a measurable contribution to
energy saving (Fig. 6).
The considerably larger contact surface with
the wharve and its small diameter result in
much more constant drive conditions with the
4-spindle belt drive compared with tangential
belt drives. The reduction in energy consumption
is calculable. Fast and easy belt
replacement is a positive side effect of the
4-spindle belt drive.
ECOdrive is a further function that has been
developed to ensure the ideal operating
mode of the spindle and ring frame drives
in terms of energy consumption. The drives
thus operate with optimum efficiency in the
main application range.
Optimized suction
Rising electricity costs were also the reason
for re-engineering the suction system with
regard to energy consumption. Despite
maintaining what is still a higher vacuum
compared with other systems, energy
consumption has been reduced by a further
2.9 kW. This results in annual energy savings
of approx. 21,000 Swiss francs for a ring
spinning installation with 10 machines and
electricity costing Sfr. 0.086/kW.
Interruptions without ends down
Interruptions to power supplies usually mean
ends down, loss of production, reduced
quality and personnel intervention. Not so on
Rieter ring spinning machines. A control system
monitors power supplies. In the event of
a mains power failure the spindle drive motor
switches to the generator function and supplies
the remaining drives while the machine
is brought to a standstill (Rieter patent).
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The dynamic energy is sufficient for power
interruptions of approx. 2 seconds. If mains
power is restored during this period, the
machine runs back up to operating speed
without stopping. In the case of power
failures lasting more than 2 seconds the
machine is slowed down under control, as
in a process-related machine stoppage. This
prevents thread breakages when the machine
starts up again.
Measurable success
The 2000th G 33 already left the Rieter
plant in May 2004, bound for Phiphatanakit,
Thailand. Phiphatanakit Textile Co. (PTC)
is a long-standing Rieter customer, with
blowroom, cards, combers and ring spinning
machines. High-quality products are manufactured
in its in-house weaving mill, 80%
of which are exported to countries such as
Germany, the UK, Italy, France and the US.
As part of a large order for an integrated
installation, 20 more G 33 ring spinning
machines and 4 K 44 ComforSpinn machines
were delivered last year. The installation was
brought into operation at the end of 2004 and
was officially inaugurated at the beginning of
2005.
For Phiphatanakit, a decisive factor in the
purchase of a complete new installation in
addition to the functions referred to above
was also its positive experience with Rieter as
regards service and technological support.
Fig. 6
Constant drive conditions and
lower energy consumption
21

Fig. 1
Piecings with AEROpieing are invisible.
Only with ultraviolet light the added
bleached fibers at the piecers can be
visualized in this sample.
Fig. 2
Reliable VARIOclean rotor cleaning
The best prerequisite for high piecing
quality
22
R 40 with AEROpiecing –
breakthrough in piecing quality
Downstream processing on highperformance
weaving and knitting machines
impose special demands on the
yarns. However, the positive properties
of rotor-spun yarns, such as uniformity
and low abrasion, have been completely
disregarded, especially in the recent
past. Their harsher handle has been
overemphasized, although this can be
influenced to a considerable extent by
the finishing process.
Another weakness of rotor yarn: the visible
piecings that may have lower tenacity is also
no longer true. With the new AEROpiecing
process, Rieter have revolutionized the
appearance and tenacity of piecings. Precise
control of all parameters by the R 40 robot
enables piecings to be produced that are virtually
invisible due to their minimal increase
in mass. Repeat accuracy has at the same
time been improved to the extent that the
tenacity of the piecings is within the variation
range of normal yarn.
Rotor-spun yarn – productivity all along
the line
Automated rotor spinning machines equipped
with integrated yarn clearers can produce
finished cross-wound packages from card
or drawframe slivers in a single operation.
The rotor-spun yarn produced displays very
good optical uniformity. Yarn packages from
rotor spinning machines typically contain
less than 1/15 of the piecings in packages
of ring-spun yarn. Cross-wound packages
of ring-spun yarn consist of individual cops;
one splice per cops comes onto the package.
In principle, ring-spun yarn has more
thick places than rotor-spun yarn, so that a
comparatively larger number of clearer cuts
are added to this.
With rotor-spun yarns it is even possible
- with low ends down frequency - to produce
packages with no piecings whatsoever.
Piecing, a special art in rotor spinning
Piecing is an essential part of the rotor spinning
process. At the start of spinning the end
of the yarn must be joined to new fibers fed
into the rotor groove. Initially, the challenge
was to produce such a piecing at all. The
clearly visible and disturbing joins then had
to be cleared manually in the fabric. Manual
piecings are reliably successful only up to
rotor speeds no higher than 100,000 rpm.
Quality improvements have been achieved
with the help of semi-automatic piecing aids
and integrated yarn clearers.
Higher productivity calls for automated
rotor spinning machines
Modern spinning boxes have much higher
productivity potential. The precision necessary
for serviceable piecings can only be
achieved with automated piecing systems.
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When starting with an empty tube on the automated
Rieter R 40 rotor spinning machine,
the first piecing is removed with the auxiliary
yarn and is not wound onto the package. The
quality of this piecing therefore presents no
problems.
However, the highest quality is required for
piecings in the middle of the package caused
by a clearer cut or end break: the piecing
must represent the ideal between a join
that is as visually unobtrusive as possible,
sufficiently high piecing strength for reliable
downstream processing and the highest possible
success rate in the piecing process.
Superior piecing quality with advanced
technology
As with the spinning process, superior piecing
quality requires the highest precision and
identical conditions. The rotor is therefore
first cleaned before the piecing process. On
the R 40 this is performed by the VARIOclean
system, using a rotating blower head which
cleans the rotor groove for several seconds
(Fig. 2). Optionally, two scrapers can also
be added. The sliver end is then carefully
prepared so that the piecing process can
commence with undamaged fibers.
Breakthrough due to repeat accuracy
The cleaned rotor is then accelerated up to an
adjustable, defined speed, which is exactly
the same with each repetition. The piecing
process is controlled precisely to 1/1000th
of a second when the speed levels off. In
competing systems that attempt to perform
piecing while the rotor is accelerating, variations
in piecing length and mass increase are
several times higher. On the R 40 the end of
the yarn is fed to the spinning box and then
to the rotor groove over the shortest possible
distance. Fiber feed and fiber draw-off are
performed quickly and precisely, and a virtually
invisible piecing is produced. The influ-
ence of mechanical tolerances is minimized
on all robot modules. This a further element
that ensures extremely high repeat accuracy.
Yarn-like piecings with AEROpiecing
The results of yarn-like piecings produced
with AEROpiecing are a pioneering achievement:
an extremely small increase in mass
can be selected for piecings on the R 40.
These piecings are practically invisible, even
in sensitive single jersey knits. Laboratory
studies show that piecings produced with
AEROpiecing display minimal variation in
diameter and mass increase. However, the
most important aspect is that the variation
in piecing tenacity is within the same range
as that of normal spun yarn (Fig. 3). This
quantum leap in piecing quality with the R 40
rotor spinning machine means that piecings
produced with AEROpiecing cause fewer
problems in processing than other yarns: the
piecings are virtually invisible and their quality
is almost equal to that of the yarn itself.
Downstream processors will soon recognize
these advantages.
New AEROpiecing system for yarn-like piecing quality
Elongation (%)
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Yarn
< 60 %
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Tenacity (%)
Yarn Piecing
Ne 20, 100% cotton
100 110 120 130
Dr. Stephan Weidner-Bohnenberger
Product Management
Rotor Ingolstadt
Fig. 3
Yarn-like quality characteristics
of piecings
23

Fig. 1:
Top drafting system suction unit on the
UNIlap
Fig. 2:
Comparison of the old and new bottom
suction units on the UNIlap. Considerable
improvements are achieved in combination
with the new top suction unit.
24
Retrofit solutions –
economical and customer-oriented
In response to customers‘ requests
and requirements, Rieter pragmatically
develops customer-friendly solutions for
machines already installed. This safeguards
the investment that has already
been made and increases efficiency.
Examples of this are described in this
article. They have been developed with
the focus on productivity, quality and
reliability.
New drafting system cleaning on the
UNIlap E 32
Combing preparation is an extremely important
stage in the combing process. Infeed
and winding head play a crucial role in the
production of faultless laps on the UNIlap.
The drafting system is equally important for
lap quality.
Easy conversion – maximum impact
The top and bottom suction units of the drafting
system have been redesigned. Rubber top
rollers with a cleaning groove and stripper
replace the cleaning cloth (Fig. 1). The bottom
suction unit has also been re-engineered
(Fig. 2)
Obvious advantages and benefits
• The rubber top rollers with cleaning
groove have demonstrated their qualities
on other machines such as drawframes
and combers.
• The combination of cleaning groove
and stripper blades ensures that the top
cylinders are kept completely clean.
• Optimum air supply ensures efficient suction
from the entire drafting system zone.
• Soiling of the feed laps due to dirt collecting
and falling on them is thus virtually
ruled out.
Converting to the new drafting system suction
unit results in considerably improved
running properties, reduced maintenance
effort and higher machine efficiency..
New feed roller drive for C 4
to C 10 cards
Machines are being improved by new
technical features year by year. Increasingly
powerful machine types are being developed,
making a major contribution to maintaining
our position on the market in a competitive
environment that is becoming increasingly
harsh. These new features include the new
feed roller drive for the card (Fig. 3).
Exploiting technical progress
and increasing operating reliability
The existing feed roller drive (motor, transmission
and tachometer) is being replaced
by a new, more maintenance-friendly and
much more accurate drive based on a frequency-controlled
geared motor.
The feed roller makes a major contribution to
card sliver quality. Precision control of this
unit is therefore absolutely essential.
This function is performed by a frequency
converter. Stepless, direct signal conversion
enables feed roller speed to be adjusted
directly.
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More consistent card sliver quality
– downstream processes also benefit
The time elapsing between detecting a deviation
and converting the signal at the feed
roller is very important indeed for faultless
card sliver quality. The new feed roller drive
fulfills these requirements to a considerable
degree.
The new feed roller drive not only results in
more consistent card sliver quality, it also ensures
considerably higher machine efficiency
on subsequent machines.
The extremely effective conversion to the
new feed roller drive can be performed very
quickly by qualified mill mechanics and
electricians.
New solutions for the R1 rotor spinning
machine
Two new conversion kits for the Rieter R1 rotor
spinning machine increase maintenancefriendliness
and operating reliability: the
LGPS laser-assisted robot positioning system
and the new AIRtransfer docking unit for rotor
cleaning.
Both upgrades have been designed so that
they can be installed by customers‘ own
skilled personnel.
Non-contact centering of the robot
with LGPS
The Rieter Laser Guided Positioning System
(LGPS) uses the latest laser technology for
non-contact centering of the robot.
The robot of the R1 is usually centered at the
spinning position by a mechanical notch on
the traverse rails.
Hans Speich
Rieter Parts Winterthur
Jörg Feigl
Rieter Parts Ingolstadt
Fig. 3:
Conversion to the new feed roller drive
increases operating reliability and the
consistency of sliver quality.
25

Fig.4:
Non-contact centering of the robot with
a laser ensures accurate positioning
26
However, these notches become worn in the
course of time. Accurate positioning of the
automatic traverse at the spinning position
becomes more difficult as the edges of the
guide groove are rounded off.
Conversion to the Rieter LGPS replaces
mechanical centering by non-contact laser
technology.
Accurate centering at the spinning box
For positioning at the start of the spinning
process, the robot is now guided by a laser
beam (Fig. 4) to a reflector mounted on the
spinning box. The diode laser installed in
the robot guarantees maximum safety and
reliability.
A frequency-controlled servo motor ensures
precise centering in front of the spinning
position.
The spinning startup process thus becomes
more reliable. The improved success rate
results in higher machine efficiency. This
solution prevents wear on the guide rails of
the robot. The heavily loaded coupling for the
traverse motor can be dispensed with, and
soiling of the yarn by metal dust is eliminated.
Problem-free conversion
The Rieter LGPS upgrade includes
• replacement of the two-speed traverse
motor by a frequency-controlled servo
motor
• installation of the laser sensor, plus an
additional control unit
• mounting of the reflectors on the spinning
positions using drilling templates
• replacement of the transformer for the
robot
As regards the additional MULTIcontrol
control unit, it should be pointed out that this
can also be used to control the Rieter AIRtransfer
conversion described in the following
paragraph. Only one control unit is therefore
needed for both conversion solutions.
Improved rotor cleaning with AIRtransfer
The R1 rotor spinning machine is equipped
with a pneumatic rotor cleaning system.
Compressed air is supplied via a pneumatic
unit in the off-end. Rotor cleaning is actuated
via individual valves in the spinning boxes.
With the conversion to AIRtransfer, compressed
air for rotor cleaning is now supplied
directly via the robot. Graduated cleaning
levels result in an improved cleaning action.
The robot is centered in front of the spinning
position for piecing. It then extends
the compressed air unit and docks onto a
connection exactly at the spinning position.
The MULTIcontrol control unit installed in the
robot controls and performs rotor cleaning at
the spinning position.

Reduced losses of compressed air with
AIRtransfer
One of the main advantages of Rieter AIRtransfer
is the elimination of compressed air
losses arising from faulty valves or porous/
faulty air supply lines. All air supply lines for
rotor cleaning that pass through the machine
from the pneumatic unit in the off-end are
eliminated by AIRtransfer.
Compressed air for rotor cleaning is supplied
directly via the robot. A further advantage is
the constant pressure at all spinning positions.
The long hoses of the system used
to date meant that the spinning positions at
greater distances from the off-end were always
less well supplied with compressed air.
New cleaning program – save compressed
air with AIRtransfer
Rieter AIRtransfer now also offers various
programs for effective rotor cleaning with
compressed air:
• standard cleaning
• AIRpulse: compressed air is blown
through the rotor at fixed intervals
• AIRsave: the compressed air is only
switched on when the rotor is rotating
slowly
• PREclean: rotor cleaning with slightly
open hood (useful application when using
rotating covers)
Easy-to-install AIRtransfer
This conversion can be performed in a few
steps. First the existing rotor cleaning system
is shut down. The existing rotor cleaning
valves in the spinning box do not need to be
removed.
In the next step the supports and docking
brackets (Fig. 5) are attached to the sections.
The unit for compressed air transfer, compressed
air hoses, pneumatic valves and the
control system must then be installed in the
robot.
These examples show clearly how small
retrofits can be of great benefit on existing
machines.
Fig. 5:
Docking brackets for AIRtransfer are easy
to install. AIRtransfer prevents losses of
compressed air and ensures constant
compressed air conditions on the R 1.
27

28
Rieter Textile Systems again attend
the 10th International Izmir Textile
and Apparel Symposium
The 10th International Izmir Textile and Apparel
Symposium was held in Cesme from
October 27 to 30, 2004. Cesme is situated
on the Aegean in the Province of Izmir. This
symposium is organized by EGE University,
Izmir, and is held every three years. EGE
University is Turkey‘s largest textile education
institution.
This event was again very well attended this
year, with well over 1000 people present.
In addition to a number of opening speeches,
the opening ceremony on the Wednesday
evening also featured symbolic machine
donations by various machinery manufacturers.
The numerous guests created a festive
atmosphere for these presentations.
Fritz Morger (Region Head) presented an
R 40 rotor spinning machine to EGE University
on behalf of Rieter. This machine will
be placed in the practical training room and
will be delivered at the end of 2004. The
official presentation in the context of a small
ceremony is scheduled for the first quarter of
2005.
Rieter Textile Systems also presented two
technical papers at the symposium. Radoslav
Jirges of Rieter Usti introduced the new
semi-automated rotor spinning machine
BT 923. Urs Flach lectured on the new C 60
high-performance card. The lectures were
generally very well attended. They were followed
by interesting technical discussions
between customers and the speakers.
Rieter at trade fairs in 2005
Rieter will again be appearing at important
trade fairs in 2005. From June 3 to 7, 2005,
at Shanghaitex you will find us in Hall 7 at
Booth 7D11; from October 17 to 21, 2005, at
ITMA Asia 2005 in Singapore, Hall 2, Booth
No. 2D-25. We look forward to your visit.
Rieter Link 2/05