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| Dhaka city, Bangladesh (Photo: Bangladesh National Tourism Organization) |
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Producing high-quality yarns at the lowest possible cost and with minimum waste levels is the challenge facing spinners everywhere. It is no exception for cotton spinners in Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh present considerable business opportunities for spinners who are able to overcome the local challenge
The special situation facing the Bangladesh spinners arises from a combination of contrasting factors. On the positive side, demand for yarns is high, and although raw material costs are increasing, good-quality yarns attract higher prices from an eager fabric-making sector – especially in knitted end-uses such as t-shirts. There is also plenty of potential for new investment in the industry, so that, in theory, spun yarn capacities could rise to meet domestic and international demand. The Bangladesh textile industry also benefits from able and knowledgeable leadership from its management, while both labor and energy costs are currently said to be lower than those of China. It all points to a strong sector with lots of opportunity for growth and increased profitability.
So what’s the problem? In a word, energy – or rather the lack of it in sufficient quantities to allow the industry to power its spinning machines to anything like full capacity. Most spinners are able to run their machines at only 80% of potential, and the required licenses are difficult to obtain for new energy users wishing to buy gas and electricity.
The Bangladesh spinners are, naturally, keen to take advantage of the great potential for improved profitability presented by the strong demand levels for yarn from downstream processors, and the consequent possibility of selling their yarns at good prices. The restricted possibility to increase actual output, either in existing or new mills, in the current situation means the spinners must focus on the twin aims of good quality yarn and lowest-possible production costs. The quality control processes they employ must also ensure that waste of cotton fiber and yarn is minimized by allowing mill management to set and monitor accurately the most effective parameters for achieving the ideal quality-cost profile to suit the needs of the yarn end-use.
Reduction of fiber waste
Combing is a critical process stage in yarn manufacturing: to a great extent, this is where the final quality of the yarn is determined. However, combing also contributes significantly to the production cost of the yarn, so accurate control of this operation is vital to both quality and cost.
The level of comber noil is an important parameter here, and the common belief that “combing out more leads to better quality” is only partially true. Practical tests have proved that beyond a certain level, higher comber noil does not actually increase quality – at least not to a degree that can be measured in the yarn properties or even seen in the fabric.
Therefore, it is essential to find a way to determine accurately the optimum comber noil range, within which the contribution to quality is significant. Uster AFIS is a solution used by leading spinning mills, as it enables them to determine the appropriate comber noil level through measurements of the short fiber content, neps and trash of the sliver produced, according to Uster Technology. By optimizing this parameter, the best possible quality can be produced at the minimum cost.
Effectively a comprehensive fiber process control system, the Uster AFIS nep measurement system employs a measuring technology to check every fiber, nep and trash particle individually, providing detailed, precise data on all essential fiber characteristics. It allows spinners to analyze not only the combing operation, but the entire yarn-making process, from fiber to roving, Uster Technology says.
Increasing efficiency at winding
In yarn clearing, one of the most serious concerns is about the effectiveness of the clearing curve. This is because the clearing curve will determine the final quality of the yarn in terms of the level of non-frequent faults. On the other hand, how the clearing curve is set will also affect the productivity of the winding machine. It is evident, therefore, that determination of the clearing limits is a delicate issue and requires careful attention.
The Uster Quantum 2 yarn clearer is essential to a comprehensive yarn quality assurance system. The equipment offers a wide range of fault detection and measuring technologies, covering every quality requirement of the modern spinning mill. Both capacitive and optical sensors can be applied, taking care of all the required applications in both winding machinery after ring spinning and in open-end rotor spinning. Special features and options cover detection of foreign fibers – even single fibers of very low visibility – and the widest color spectrum, as well as white and colored polypropylene defects. With the application of an advanced yarn clearer, mills can optimize the number of cuts while still achieving the required yarn quality. This means that splice levels for contamination can be minimized without affecting the final quality of the yarn, Uster Technology says.
At an upcoming Uster seminar, in May 2010, close to 400 participants will hear Uster technology specialists provide vital information on process optimization and profitability.
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