growers@sgcotton.com.au Roger Tomkins - Greenmount Press

for the position between the gin stand and lint cleaner. In this
position the system is designed to detect and remove smaller
pieces of module plastic from the air and material flow. This
second system is based on commercially successful detectors
originally developed by CSIRO and commercialised by Loptex
Italia, that have been available to the spinning industry for many
years.
The detectors in these systems are typically arrays of photooptic
and acoustic (sonar) sensors that cover the full width of
the duct – in this case the duct that links the gin stand with
the lint cleaner. Low material flow density across this position
means small pieces of contaminant are more easily detected and
removed. An array of air valves across the duct work after the
sensors allows the contaminant to be removed from only that
section of the duct in which it was detected. This second position
system will hopefully allow ginners and growers to be very
confident that even small pieces of contaminant do not reach the
bale.
At this point in time a prototype system for this second
position is currently being built at CSIRO in collaboration with
Loptex Italia. It is envisaged this system will be commissioned
in an Australian gin for testing in the 2013 season. Successful
development of this initial research will allow ginners to
understand how much and what type of contamination is
potentially being incorporated into Australian export bales,
and particularly how long it takes for large pieces of (plastic)
contaminant caught in the module feed area to be degraded and
broken into small pieces.
The two sensor systems being developed by the ACGA and
CSIRO put the Australian cotton industry at the forefront of
contamination free ginning quality. The module feed sensor
(camera) system is relatively inexpensive and easy to incorporate
into most gins. It provides ginners with a warning (and evidence)
of large plastic sheet contamination entering the gin process.
But this system is unable to alert ginners of small contaminants
embedded in both round and square conventional modules that
enter the gin. Indeed this is the issue for Australian cotton; any
contaminant delivered in premium cotton bales creates a terrible
and lasting impression with spinners. To provide assurance
against this situation a system like that being developed in the
second position is required. The system for the position between
the gin stand and lint cleaner, albeit more expensive, is hoped to
provide the ultimate guarantee of contaminant-free cotton.
For more information on these contamination detection systems please
contact Dr Andrew Krajewski on 0417 320 181 or Dr Stuart Gordon on
0407 779 322.
Picture showing first position contamination sensor on
module hood
Cotton Trade Desk
Matthew Bradd
Scott Biffin
Shipping and Logistics Manager
Monique Lewis
Head Office
Suite 801, Level 8
15 Castlereagh Street Sydney NSW 2001
GPO Box 29 Sydney NSW 2001
Ph: 02 9223 3631
Fax: 02 9233 6206
Agents:
Namoi Valley, Gwydir Valley &
Macquarie Valley
Steve Dalton
AgVantage Commodities Pty Ltd
Ph: 02 6792 2962
MacIntyre Valley
Geoff Webb
AgVantage Commodities Pty Ltd
Ph: 07 4671 1225
Darling Downs
Simon Donaldson
Gebar Farming
Ph: 0428 636 924
St George & Dirranbandi
Kelvin Bella
Our-Tek Pty Ltd
Ph: 0428 717 284
Central Highlands & Dawson–Callide
Don Cooper
Cooper Consulting
Ph: 0428 794 698
Riverina
Ross Harvie
Ph: 0458 567 776
www.ecomtrading.com
www.ecomcommodities.com.au
August–September 2012 The Australian Cottongrower — 41