THE MAGAZINE FOR SPINNING MILLS

Transcription

1 No / THE MAGAZINE FOR SPINNING MILLS Bräcker: TITAN Spinning Rings Travellers for worsted spinning Graf: Camel -type metallic card clothings Blank hardening Novibra: CROCOdoff HP-S68/3 NASA Suessen: CPS - Cot Protecting System PINSpacer NT EliVAC-CDS - Central Duct System SOLIDRING S SpinBox SE 9 Performance Kit Mill Report: Sri Nachammai/India

2 CONTENTS Editorial Millions of Bräcker TITAN Spinning Rings... 4 A Success Story The Cot Protecting System (CPS)... 7 Next step towards a maintenance-free drafting system Experience with Camel -type metallic card clothings Novibra CROCOdoff The new generation of cutting crown New PINSpacer NT Bräcker J 9.1 D CST and J 11.1 D Steel Travellers for conical rings to spin worsted, semi-worsted yarns, blends and acrylic fibres Performance Kit for Autocoro SE Novibra NASA Spindle The NASA spindle has become the standard EliVAC Central Duct System (CDS) The alternative system to generate the vacuum for EliTe Compact Spinning SOLIDRING S Blank hardening Sri Nachammai Cotton Mills Ltd Impressum No August 2011 Price: 5. Publication: twice per year Information & Advertising Contact: SPINNOVATION, Germany Editor in Chief: Ioannis Spiridopulos fax +49(0) mail@suessen.com internet: Title registered at German Patent Office Copyright 2011 Published by Spindelfabrik Suessen GmbH Donzdorfer Strasse 4, D Süssen, Germany Bräcker AG, Obermattstr Pfäffikon-Zürich, Switzerland Graf + Cie AG, Bildaustr Rapperswil, Switzerland NEWS Novibra Boskovice s.r.o., Na Kamenici Boskovice, Czech Republik Reprint of articles with reference permitted Voucher copies desired All rights reserved Spindelfabrik Suessen GmbH Front Cover: Bräcker - TITAN Spinning Ring 2

3 Editorial Ioannis Spiridopulos - Head Marketing & Sales Editor in Chief SPINNOVATION Dear Reader, ITMA 2011 in Barcelona is around the corner. It will be held from September 22 nd to 29 th. After Munich in 2007, we got once more an attractive location for the ITMA exhibition. We are very much convinced that this fair will be once again a milestone in the history of ITMA exhibitions. All manufacturers will present their major innovations during this show. And this is exactly our aim as well. The Business Group Premium Textile Components with the member companies, i.e. Bräcker, Graf, Novibra and Suessen, will show their new products in Barcelona. This issue of SPINNOVATION, which you hold in your hands, is a preview of the major product innovations of all four member companies. Bräcker will introduce a new generation of J-shaped steel travelers suitable for conical rings for the worsted and semi-worsted spinning industry. Furthermore I am very proud to announce that Bräcker recently delivered to a customer in Turkey the 30 millionth TITAN spinning ring. This is a highlight in the story of this unique high performance spinning ring. A special ceremony to award the Turkish customer will be held on our booth in Hall 1, Booth You all are kindly invited to join this remarkable moment. Graf will introduce a new wire with a new designed tooth shape called Hipro and which is designed especially for nonwoven applications and offers the users major advantages in performance and life time. Novibra will introduce a new spindle clamping crown called CROCOdoff, the successor of the well-known Yarn Catcher and will reduce the doffing end-breaks and consequently increase the doffing reliability. Suessen will show the Cot Protection System, an arrangement for drafting arms which allows the spinning mills to avoid grinding on the front top roller cot and hence extend the life time of the soft top roller cot to a nearly unlimited time period. Suessen will also show the new generation of PINSpacers. These PIN- Spacers are designed in such a way that despite the cradle spacer which is used (coarse or fine counts) the pin is always in the correct position in the drafting line and provides the maximum of yarn quality improvements. Beside the above products, all 4 companies will of course have the standard product range on display in the booth and will now for the first time be able to offer technology packages consisting of products of all 4 units. In the meantime, as you all have felt very clearly, the industry is facing some difficulties after of almost one and half year of a booming market. The cotton prices dropped absolutely unpredictably to a low level and so the yarn prices did as well. Consequently the yarn and fabric buyers are hesitating to place orders. However, I personally believe that this situation will only last for a limited time and that the ITMA in Barcelona will be the place where the signal for an upswing will be set. Again, as in all previous issues of our SPINNOVATION, we have tried to present sophisticated technical articles, as well as relevant news from around our world. I hope that you will enjoy this issue of SPINNOVATION and I invite you to give us your comments and suggestions for further improvements. See you in Barcelona! Ioannis Spiridopulos 3

4 30 Millions of Bräcker TITAN Spinning Rings A Success Story by Franz Oberholzer, CTO, Bräcker AG Fig. 1 TITAN Spinning rings Development and introduction of Bräcker TITAN spinning rings in 1999 has considerably contributed to increase productivity in ring spinning. Until then, spinning rings in the high-end sector usually had a service life of 1 to 2 years, but TITAN rings reached a lifespan many times over of up to 5 to 10 years. At the same time, production speed could be increased by over 10 percent. Since then, more than 30 million TITAN spinning rings have been delivered, the majority of which still being in operation. It can well be assumed that every 7 th ring spinning position world-wide is equipped with a TITAN ring (Fig. 1). Demands on Spinning Rings The traveller has the function to impart twist to the fibres, to produce spinning tension and to wind the spun yarn onto the cop. The spinning ring serves the traveller as sliding track. In short-staple spinning, the ring/traveller system operates dry, which means that it is not actively lubricated. But the system cannot work without any lubrication at all. Fibre particles, wax and spin finish deposit on the sliding surface and build up a microscopically fine lubrication film. To ensure this lubrication, it is of utmost importance to choose the appropriate traveller. At standard spindle speeds, this fine lubrication film is enough to prevent or minimize premature wear on rings and travellers. The forces acting on a spinning ring are remarkably high. At a traveller speed of 40 m/s (over 140 km/h) and a ring diameter of 38 mm, the centrifugal force developed by a traveller weighing 45 mg (3/0) is 3,780 mn, approx. 370 g, what corresponds to the 8,000 fold of the traveller weight. Assuming a contact area of about 2 mm 2 of the traveller, the resulting specific contact pressure is 1.9 N. Since the traveller must produce the spinning tension, it simultaneously serves as brake which generates frictional heat. At the above-mentioned high spindle speeds, the lubrication film for some reason can stall for a short time. In such moments, traveller and spinning ring get into touch. The frictional heat in the contact area can reach temperatures of over 800 C. On standard spinning rings this will result in material transfer and microwelding, so that travellers and rings are heavily worn. Properties of TITAN Rings The short service life of spinning rings and more exacting demands of the spinning mills gave the impetus to develop a spinning ring with a longer lifespan. Bräcker solved the problem by means of a special alloy applied onto the unmachined rings. The TITAN coating is characterized by a particularly high resistance to wear. 4

5 The melting point of the alloy is substantially higher than of the traveller material, and this eliminates the risk of welding of traveller material and therefore wear on the spinning ring. This highly resistant layer cannot be affected by a running-in process of the traveller; thus, the traveller raceway must be defined precisely. Bräcker has solved this by developing a special grinding and polishing process. This makes the traditional running-in of rings superfluous and therefore increases productivity in new plants and after ring replacement. The TITAN coating is applied on all spinning ring designs used in shortstaple spinning: T-flange types, ½, 1 and 2 as well as oblique flange rings type ORBIT and SU. Consistent Yarn Quality Apart from the long lifespan of the spinning rings, customers can rely on a consistent yarn quality throughout the whole service life on individual spinning positions, as well as on the entire spinning machine (Fig. 2). Conventional spinning rings are worn after individual periods, and this results in disturbing quality difference particularly with regard to yarn hairiness. Consistency of yarn quality is just as important as the quality level, which is another advantage of TITAN spinning rings. Reduced Spinning Ring Costs The long service life of the spinning rings somehow outweighs the slightly higher price. The cost fraction of a TITAN spinning ring per kg of yarn is negligibly small. So it is not worthwhile gambling with yarn quality in favour of a less expensive spinning ring. Fig. 2 TITAN guarantees high yarn quality for the whole lifespan of the ring 5

6 Fig. 3 Increase in average traveller speed TITAN sets the Benchmark With the TITAN spinning ring, Bräcker has raised the bar for competitors (Fig. 3). The positive results under industrial conditions are the reason why renowned OEMs of ring spinning machines have decided for TITAN rings as original equipment. It has become current practice that high-end products are copied. All important competitors are meanwhile offering copies of the TITAN spinning ring. However, the Bräcker original still sets the benchmark. Application TITAN spinning rings are suitable for the entire yarn count range in conventional ring spinning (not compact). Coarse denim yarns are the exception, for which THERMO 800 spinning rings are often used. 6 In compact spinning, the TITAN spinning ring is standard. The TITAN can stand the higher load due to reduced fibre lubrication even at high spindle speeds. The TITAN coating is universally applicable. Restrictions are the exception. The uninterrupted success in selling these spinning rings world-wide confirms this fact. In the standard and high-end sector TITAN spinning rings are successfully applied in combination with SAPHIR travellers. Travellers with ZIRKON finish, another product developed by Bräcker, can reach a lifespan of over 1,000 hours at highest speeds. Especially in long-running lots this is equivalent with a significant production increase. Travellers with ZIRKON finish may exclusively be used in combination with TITAN spinning rings, because conventional spinning rings could be damaged. TITAN spinning rings alone do not yet guarantee optimum output. Aftersales service, consultation and knowhow are additional prerequisites for successful performance. Bräcker with their well-established world-wide network of agents and specialized experts offer first-class advice and after-sales service. Prospects As a result of the success of TITAN spinning rings, we are committed to the further development of spinning rings and ring travellers. The target of our development is congruent with the demands of the market: higher output and efficiency at a high quality level.

7 The Cot Protecting System (CPS) Next step towards a maintenance-free drafting system by Dr. Volker Jehle, CTO, Premium Textile Components The drafting system is one important factor influencing the yarn quality. The clamping distances and pressure have to be adjusted according to the fibre and the fibre mass. These are mechanical adjustments, which are subject to the experience and qualification of the staff. As concerns drafting distances, they are recommended today by the manufacturers depending on raw material properties, and once they have been set, they can be changed only rarely. The drafting pressures are selected for quality and running stability, which the spinner has a better chance to optimize, but they are also prone to incorrect setting. When the lot and yarn counts change frequently, the necessary fine-tuning cannot be done well and thus there is no chance for an optimum yarn quality. A great diversity in drafting you can find with the choice of technology spinning components like cots and aprons. In most cases, their selection will be made as a result of personal experience and influenced by many subjective feelings. The range is even larger, if you consider the wear status of the spinning components. Here, the spinning mills differ significantly as regards the limits of acceptable wear. Consequently, the so-called grinding cycles are highly variable. Some mills grind until yarn quality reaches a certain pain threshold and are convinced that they save money. But they abandon quality and benefits. It is known that grinding, after a certain amount of wear, helps again to raise quality and improve the running performance. But during cot grinding, certain quality criteria have to be fulfilled This refers to the roundness and surface roughness, for which a qualified staff with experience is required for grinding. Especially the surface roughness of soft and sensitive top roller cots needs special care and attention, and so more effort is necessary. Analysis of the wear on cots Contrary to the common meaning, the cot and the bottom roller do not have a clamping line. Due to the deformation of the cot there is a clamping area. In [1] the behaviour of friction and pressure in this area is described. If we now look closer at the crosssection of the clamping area of the cot and bottom roller, it will look like in Fig 1. In working position the cot is pressed onto the bottom roller, so that the top roller cot will be deformed. As a result, the cot diameter in the clamping line (Point C) is smaller than on the edge of the clamping area (Point A/B). This means 7

8 Fig. 1 : Cross-section of clamping area that the surface velocity of the cot in Point A and B is higher than in Point C. The fibres have the speed of Point C. This leads to a permanent speed difference between fibre and cot surface, which in turn results in abrasion of the rubber surface and therefore wear of the cot. This mechanism is only working, when the rubber is elastic in all dimensions. Because of this wear mechanism it is now explainable why the wear of cots will increase with higher pressure or lower hardness of the cots. With higher pressure or with softer cots, the permanent deformation and so the speed difference is higher. This has been many times confirmed in practice. With the CPS we can eliminate the wear mechanism. In Fig. 2 you can see the principle of the CPS. To avoid the described wear mechanism, the cot should have no deformation in surface direction, so that the speed difference between point A/B and C is the same. Only with this prerequisite this wear mechanism can be avoided. The CPS achieves this goal owing to a special non-elastic apron. The mechanism is as follows: The apron is running with the speed in point C and in point A/B, because of the nonelasticity, it has the same speed as in point C. So no abrasion of the apron surface can take place. The deformation of the cot is still present, and so is the speed difference of A/B to C. But this speed difference now exists between the inner surface of the apron and the cot surface. There are no fibres and so the rubber surface of the cot cannot be damaged. The eraser effect of the fibres and the cot surface is eliminated. It is clear that CPS will not function with today s standard top or bottom aprons in the main drafting zone. The reasons are the different requirements of the CPS aprons and the main drafting aprons like the speeds (up to 50 times higher), and the requirements of the inner and outer surfaces of the aprons. The surfaces of the main drafting aprons are designed to have a low friction on the surface so that the fibres can be pulled out from the Fig 2: Principle of CPS break-draft zone of the aprons by the front roller pair. Such aprons do not fulfil the CPS requirements. For the CPS an apron surface with a good grip is needed so that the fibres can be controlled when being pulled out of the main drafting zone, like the cot is doing. Tests in Spinning mills have shown that with the CPS system cots can be used without grinding for more than 18 months. So this is the proof that the wear mechanism is eliminated. 8

9 Influence of cot hardness and diameter Because of the aprons thickness of about 1.4 mm, the cot diameter of a CPS is only 27.0 mm. The reason for this is that the same geometry must be achieved with the CPS as with the standard cots in the drafting system mm mm Standard Cot 63 Shore A Pressure 15 dan CPS 55 Shore A Pressure 15 dan Normally, the minimum diameter of the standard cot is between 29 and 30 mm. Since the CPS has aprons of about 1.4 mm, the CPS cot diameter has to be reduced to 27 mm. This guarantees that we get the same geometry in the drafting and no adjustment has to be done mm CPS 55 Shore A Pressure 10 dan Table 1 Due to the elimination of the wear of the cots, it is now possible to use softer cots without increasing wear or grinding cycles. Comparison tests at a German technology institute show the benefit of the CPS (Table 1): The width of the clamping area proves that with a softer cot it is possible to reduce the top roller pressure to save energy, or to maintain the pressure and to increase the clamping zone to achieve a better fibre control in the clamping area. This could lead to better yarn quality. As an example, hairiness is shown in Fig. 3, explaining the advantage of a softer cot with CPS without increasing the maintenance due to grinding. Lapping For spinning mills processing manmade fibres, lapping and climatic conditions are very difficult issues. In lab test and in MMF Spinning mills with CPS we could reduce the lapping. Fig 4 shows a climatic lab test. You can see that with CPS the lapping could be reduced, and the influence of the climatic conditions on lapping does not exist. Tests in mills with different MMF fibres have confirmed the lab tests. Fig 3: Hairiness of CPS against Standard Cot It was even possible to process fibres which are not spinnable due to lapping with conventional cots. Benefits of this reduced lapping is apart from higher productivity the reduction or elimination of damaged cots and injuries of the maintenance people due to removing laps with a knife. 9

10 Lifetime of the CPS As already stated before, the lifetime of the CPS aprons is approx. 14 to 18 months for MMF. This was confirmed by mill tests. Fig. 5 shows the Uster CV of a new CPS apron and a CPS apron after 18 months of running in the mill. To get the comparison correct, the aprons were running in the mill, were taken after 18 months and the comparison spinning was done in the lab on the same spindle. As you can see, there is no difference between the new and the old apron. When the aprons were inspected, there was no wear detectable as figure 6 is showing. Fig. 4: Lapping behaviour between CPS and Cots with the climatic influence One big advantage of this lifetime without grinding are the constant quality or constant low breakage rates over the long lifetime of the CPS. As already stated, you have grinding intervals with a standard cot, because of the quality or yarn breakage. An additional advantage is that geometry and hardness of the CPS are constant. The diameter of a standard cot is reduced by grinding, and this causes a change to the geometry and increases the hardness, because the thickness of the rubber on the top roller becomes smaller and smaller with each grinding. Fig. 7. shows this effect in a qualitative way. Conclusion Fig 5: Uster CV of CPS new and after 18 months With the CPS it is possible to improve the maintenance of a ringspinning drafting system. The wear mechanism of a standard cot can be 10

11 Literature [1] W.I. Budnikow, Prof. I.W. Budnikow, Prof. W.E. Sotikow, Prof. N.E. Kanarski, Prof A. P. Rakow Grundlagen des Spinnens, VEB Verlag Technik, Berlin 1955 [2] Artzt, P., Ausheyks, L.: Einfluss von Belastungsdruck, Bezugshärte und Rauhigkeit von Druckrollern auf den Verzug. / Melliand Textilberichte Band 81 / 2000 Fig. 6: CPS Aprons - new (left) and 18 months old (right) [3] Artzt, P., Ausheyks, L., Grün, T. (2002): Belag für Streckwerkswalzen. DE A1, Anmeldetag: Fig. 7: Qualitative comparison between CPS and standard cot over the lifetime avoided. This enables a spinning mill to benefit from a long-time quality consistency without the influence of grinding cycles. The CPS offers a lot of benefits which can hardly be calculated in money. These benefits are: High flexibility (in MMF you can hardly cover all materials) Almost no climatic influence on lapping No damage to cots by lap removal No risk of injury through lap removal A constant work load for the maintenance people Consistent yarn quality over a long time In the end: with CPS the mill manager will sleep much better. 11

12 Experience with Camel -type metallic card clothings by Felix Hasler, Head Product Management, Graf + Cie AG Introduction The Camel-type clothings were initially introduced to the interested public in 2007 and since then have been promoted and applied in various markets. To date, the Camel-type card wires, with their name deriving from the similarity with camels humps, have primarily been used for cylinder wires on flat cards in the short staple spinning field. Trials as well as individual applications under everyday production conditions have confirmed that this type of tooth shape is equally suitable for lickerin wires. Camel cylinder wire The design of the Camel-shape has a distinctly positive effect on the airflow on the clothing surface. As a result, the fibres are kept on the surface of the cylinder wire much better thus preventing the fibres from sliding into the clothing. The closer positioning of the fibres to the flat clothings enhances the carding process considerably. Fig. 1 - Cylinder clothing P-2040CX0,4 A further improvement that can be attributed to the particular tooth shape of the Camel-wire and the subsequent positioning of the fibres on the clothing surface is in the fibre transfer from the cylinder to the doffer. Fibres are more easily removed by the doffer if they are on the clothing surface of the cylinder. At the same time, the return flow of fibres is reduced which in turn has a positive effect on the fibre length since there is less fibre damage and a smaller amount of waste in the comber. Furthermore practical application has confirmed that white spots, i.e. dead and immature fibres, which cause problems in knitted and woven fabrics, can be eliminated to a large extent; this primarily owing to the precise guiding and positioning of the fibres and of the impurities to be removed. The tooth shape of the Camel wire allows the activating and resharpening with grinding devices of improved and established technology, i.e. Graf TSG / Rieter IGS. Rieter s Integrated Specification Density [ppsi] Clothing height [mm] Working angle [ ] Base width [mm] Application P-2025CX0, MMF, blends P-2025CX0, MMF, blends P-2030CX0, CO P-2035CX0, CO P-2040CX0, CO P-2040CX0, CO P-2040CX0, CO R-2030CX0, CO R-2520CX0, MMF, blends R-2530CX0, CO 12 Chart 1: remark - C on position 7 of the specification defines the Camel-type wire

13 Grinding System can be applied with any possible setting without hesitation for this type of metallic card clothing. Cylinder wires in this special execution are available in various specifications and are suitable for application on all types of cards. The development of further card clothings in this particular execution is a continuous process. The application of Camel-type clothings has consistently resulted in either improved or constant yarn values. Whether the end product is a carded or combed yarn, the use of clothings with this particular tooth shape is in most cases advantageous; to date no disadvantages could be detected. As you can see from the following explanations various spinning trials were carried out, not in the laboratory, but under everyday industrial conditions, preferably during usual production. A first example illustrates the spinning results of a combed yarn Ne 65. Production parameters such as production rate of cards, spindle speed etc. were the same and remained unchanged throughout the trial. It is evident from the diagram that specifically with respect to the nep count an improvement was achieved. The results of a further spinning trial illustrated in the next diagram also originate from the running production in a spinning mill and were independently established by the customer concerned. All production parameters were identical and were not adjusted for this spinning trial. While the values for CVm, thin and thick places range within the statistical variation, a marked improvement in the number of neps can be found. A further, remarkable advantage of the Camel-type clothings is the constant quality achieved throughout the entire life time of the wire. Camel licker-in wire The newly developed Camel-tooth shape is increasingly applied for lickerin wires as well. The advantage of this tooth shape in a lickerin wire is the improvement in the fibre transfer between lickerin and cylinder as well as the increased extraction of trash. 13

14 This is due to the fact that fibres as well as trash are kept on the surface of the lickerin wire which further supports the extraction of dead and immature fibres in the early stages of the carding process. If such undesired fibres were not removed, they would have a negative effect on the knitted and woven end products as described earlier on. At present the licker-in wires as per Chart 2 are available. A variety of applications in spinning mills have confirmed that the Camel lickerin wire creates a smaller amount of waste, however with consistent yarn quality. Summary The Camel tooth shape used for metallic card clothings for cylinders and lickerins can be attributed with the positive feature of keeping the fibres in a defined position during the carding process. The subsequent results are the improved elimination of neps, gentle treatment of the fibres throughout the carding process and finally a smaller number of short fibres as well as a noticeable removal of dead and immature fibres. Numerous spinning mills these days apply this type of card clothings, either for trial purposes on two or more cards or else already on all the cards based on positive experience with the special type of metallic card clothing. Chart 2 Specification Density [ppsi] Clothing height [mm] Working angle [ ] Base width Application V.E-5010VC threads/ interlinked CO, blends V.E-5010VC threads/ interlinked CO, blends Fig.2: V.E-5010VC12 14

15 Novibra CROCOdoff The new generation of cutting crown Václav Hének, Head R&D, Novibra NOVIBRA has been successfully selling its unique device for automatic catching and cutting of the underwound yarn for many years under the brand name YARN CATCHER. It is our pleasure to introduce to you the new successor a cutting crown called CROCOdoff with significantly improved functionality and totally new design to meet growing requirements of modern spinning mills (Fig. 1). The CROCOdoff provides following actions (Fig. 2, next page): clamps the yarn end during the underwinding process ensures safe cutting of the yarn during full tube removal holds the yarn for a short time at the beginning of spinning, this ensures trouble-free start of the spinning without yarn breakage releases the yarn after some time of spinning, therefore the device is cleaned and prepared for the next doffing process. The unique design of the CROCOdoff guarantees long and trouble-free operation in the spinning mill. Different types of spindle for different ring spinning machines can be adapted for equipment with the CROCOdoff. The device works in automatical mode and its closing or opening is ensured by the device itself (Figs. 3 and 4). As centrifugal forces are involved it is possible to drive the function of the CROCOdoff directly by spindle speeds. This can be comfortably done via setting of underwinding process on the ring spinning machine. Fig.1 Novibra CROCOdoff Fig.4 Opening is ensured during rotation by centrifugal force Fig. 5 Clamping of the yarn Fig.3 Closed CROCOdoff Fig.6 Spindle with CROCOdoff 15

16 Cop finished Fig. 2 Doffing process Underwinding - rpm reduction close to yarn inserted Stop - rpm < yarn clamped - delivery and spindle stop Tube removing - yarn is cut - empty tube is fitted Start up - rpm increasing - yarn is clamped up to 8000 rpm Spinning - yarn is released Closing of the device is set-up at 2,500 rpm of the spindle, while opening is set-up at 8,000 rpm. Mentioned difference between opening and closing speeds is useful for trouble-free doffing process. Low closing speed allows machine controlled stopping and inserting of required yarn length into the CROCOdoff. Higher opening speed ensures that the CROCOdoff is not open before few initial windings are inserted on the tube, therefore further released end of the yarn cannot cause yarn breakage. The CROCOdoff significantly eliminates the cumbersome problem associated with the removal of underwound waste threads. The expensive and demanding cleaning of the spindle wharve is not longer necessary and the overall cleanliness of the spinning mill is substantially simplified. Thorough cleaning of underwound waste threads is important from another important point as well it brings additional benefit as clean running spindles reduce energy consumption by reduction of the air friction. As energy consumption represents a significant part of production costs, its saving is always welcome. The catching area is designed as meander shape, therefore safe catching and cutting of the yarn is achieved (Fig.5). The device is designed as exchangeable i.e. easy and simple fixing on the spindle is ensured. The new generation of NOVIBRA CROCOdoff brings these main benefits to our customers: automatical, precise setting of opening and closing improved solution of clamping of the yarn for safe yarn cutting no uncontrolled yarn-end flying i.e. reduction of the yarn breakage elimination of expensive and timeconsuming cleaning less energy consumption easy fixing on the spindle 16

17 New PINSpacer NT Stefan Urmetzer, Head Ring Spinning Laboratory RS, WST Peter Blankenhorn, Head Technical Department, WST 1. The Traditional PINSpacer State-of-the Art The PINSpacer (Fig. 2), already known and frequently applied by the spinning mills, consists of a cradle spacer to determine the apron nip of the cradle and of the so-called Pin. This is a guide rod attached to the cradle spacer in a fixed position, which immerges into the fibre strand that is drafted between cradle and front top roller. This immersion on the one hand improves the fibre orientation in the main drafting zone and consequently the yarn quality parameters, but on the other hand it is an additional element to deflect the fibres in such a way that it makes drafting more difficult. The more the Pin immerges into the fibre path, the better get the yarn quality parameters and the more spinning stability can be affected adversely. Since cradle spacer and Pin are a unit, the current traditional PINSpacer is always a compromise between good yarn quality values and good running properties. Yarn quality parameters are improved best in the range of yarn irregularity and imperfections, but very often yarn tenacity also benefits. Today, the PINSpacer is preferably used for spinning 100% cotton into yarn counts Ne 20 and finer. 2. Improvement of the Traditional Pin Trials by WST have shown that both in conventional spinning without PINSpacer and in spinning with PINSpacer the apron nip depends Fig. 1 Active Cradle with PINSpacer NT Fig. 2 Conventional PINSpacer on the mass of fibres being drafted. The optimum depth of immersion of the Pin into the fibre strand however depends on a number of other parameters, for example fibre length, fineness, material and roving twist. So the design of the traditional PINSpacers is such that the immersion depth of the Pin is always a compromise between yarn improvement and running stability. Extending the immersion depth usually improves yarn irregularity and yarn tenacity, but can have a Fig. 3 PINSpacer NT negative effect on spinning stability, particularly in critical cases. If the immersion depth is designed for an average fibre material, the potential of improvement for many other applications is given away. The new PINSpacer NT makes allowance for this potential (Fig. 3). For a preselected apron nip it is possible to adjust the immersion depth of the Pin by 5 different attachments to the demands of the spinning mill. While one spinning mill may attach 17

18 importance to perfect running stability and therefore choose a low immersion depth, another spinning mill may favour optimum yarn quality and therefore choose a Pin for more immersion depth. As it is possible with the traditional PINSpacer particularly in case of the Pin deeply immerging into the fibre strand and with borderline fibre material that the fibres do not run below the Pin, but choose the geometrically shorter path over the Pin, the new PINSpacer NT (Fig. 4) significantly improves the operational reliability by its novel cross-sectional shape. 2. Innovative Suessen PINSpacer NT Intensive studies of this topic allowed Suessen to realize a design which solves the problem of separating the two setting parameters of apron Fig. 5 PINSpacer_NT Fig. 4 PINSpacer_NT nip and Pin position despite of the very restricted space available. Furthermore, to solve this task it requires a high-precision plastic injection molding process, which is at Suessen s disposal. The PINSpacer NT consists of two components (Fig. 5). The first component is the cradle spacer called Spacer NT, which determines the apron nip, or, to be more precise, the distance between the leading edge of the cradle and the bottom apron nose bar. On the Spacer NT a second component is fixed by a detachable snap-on connection: The Pin NT with a plastic plug. To adjust the immersion depth of the Pin, Pins NT with five different plugs are offered. Owing to the oval cross-section of the Pin, the fibres are securely prevented from running over the Pin. By the inclination of the Pin, fibres are reliably guided to the Pin s underside. PINSpacers NT can be applied on all Suessen cradles and are offered for all spindle gauges. 18

19 Bräcker J 9.1 D CST and J 11.1 D Steel Travellers for conical rings to spin worsted, semi-worsted yarns, blends and acrylic fibres by Viktor Miuzzo, Senior Sales Manager, Bräcker AG Conical solid steel rings (4+4 and 6+6 lubrication points) J 9.1 D CST J 11.1 D Bräcker offers a new generation of J-shaped steel travellers, suitable for conical spinning rings. Many years of experience have helped us to re-design manufacturing processes to improve efficiency and productivity, so that our customers can now benefit from J-shaped steel travellers featuring an even more attractive price/performance ratio than up to now. Customers who are facing frequent changes of yarn counts can now benefit from these new travellers which help to reduce operating costs, while at the same time maintaining: Yarn quality at a constantly high level A very low rate of ends down The new traveller line is already available from stock as follows: For conical spinning rings 9.1 and 11.1 mm high In the J 9.1 D CST and J 11.1 D traveller shapes as per our standard delivery programme Either loose in the traditional red Bräcker boxes or else, upon special request, as AP magazined travellers In weights of ISO 40 and heavier, i.e. suitable for approx. Nm 70 and coarser yarns Inspite of the introduction of this new line of travellers, Bräcker continues to offer all the J-/HZ shaped steel travellers as per our standard delivery programme, in the same execution as up to now, for the full range of yarn counts. 19

20 Performance Kit for Autocoro SE 9 by Michael Basting, Head Technical Department OE, Suessen Plenty of Autocoro SE9 machines are still in industrial use for various yarn applications. Especially for these machines Suessen has tied a package to improve the performance of the machines with regard to: reduce the energy consumption reduce the down time and labor during a maintenance increase the lapse of time between maintenance work and increase lifespan of individual components The Performance Kit contains: the EC bearing unit with the ProFiL Cartridge ProFiL Rotor Brake Pads reinforced brake spring and a new flat spring for the contact roller suspension Fig. 1 20

21 Reduced energy consumption The actually consumed power of the SE9 TwinDisc bearing unit varies, conforming to the rotor speed, between 65 Watts at 100,000 rpm and 100 Watts at 135,000 rpm (see blue line in Fig. 1). For a 288 unit machine at say 120,000 rotor rpm this means a total power consumption of about 23 kwh only for the TwinDisc drive. The new flat spring of the Performance Kit significantly reduces this power consumption by 18% to 20% (depending on the rotor speed see red line in Fig. 1). This results in about 4.5 kwh less power consumption for the same a.m. example machine. The assembly of the new flat spring does not require any new setting to the spring bracket, thus it can be easily mounted in the spinning mill. Fig. 2 Reduced down time Another substantial benefit of the Performance Kit is the reduction of the down time during a cleaning cycle. The ProFiL Cartridge is an already known grease cartridge which eliminates any oil mist released to the bearing unit. Accordingly fluff and dust do not adhere to the TwinDisc bearing unit as in the case of standard oil-thrust bearings. Fluff and dust simply fall onto the belly pans and can be easily removed; customers practical experience proves that, due to this advantage, the down time during a cleaning cycle is significantly reduced by at least 25%. The installation of the EC bearing unit only requires the standard adjustment for axial positioning of the rotor at the first assembly. Extended lapse of time for maintenance Since the fluff and dust do not adhere to the TwinDisc bearing unit, the necessary cleaning cycles are extended. Most customers report that they could extend the cleaning cycles by at least 50%. Increase life-span for brake-pads The new TwinDisc bearing unit is equipped with a so-called reinforced brake spring. This new spring transmits 20% more force to the brake assembly, which results in a shorter stop time of the rotors (see Fig. 2). The wear for the specific number of brake actions is the same, but the increased brake force permits to use the same brake pad for 50% more the number of braking events. Meaning, the brake pads can be worn down further without degrading their performance. Summary The Performance Kit for Autocoro SE9 machines reduces the power consumption of the TwinDisc bearing unit on average by 19% along with the benefits of extended cleaning cycles, less down time during cleaning and more lifespan for the brake pads. This package does not require any service technician of the supplier and can be easily installed by the technicians of the spinning mill. The savings of energy and down time add up to a payback period within one year. 21

22 Novibra NASA Spindle The NASA spindle has become the standard Václav Hének, Head R&D, Novibra NOVIBRA spindles HP-S68 serie are well known for their outstanding operational reliability, which has been confirmed in millions of applications worldwide. Neck bearing HP-S68 Guide sleeve Foot step bearing Damping agent The HP-S68 series comprises these following main types of spindle: L-HP-S68 HP-S68 NASA HP-S68 All types of the HP-S68 series meet the main requirements of modern spindle bearings: spindle speeds are not limited by the spindle itself, but by the spinning technology excellent running performance with low spindle vibration and low noise level low energy consumption sufficient operational reliability and a long lifetime less maintenance, considerably extended lubrication intervals HP-S68 and NASA HP-S68 can be designed as energy saving versions under brand names HP-S68/3 or NASA HP-S68/3 as well. The energy saving versions allow an additional decrease in power consumption. NASA HP-S68 Oil coil Additional suspension system Fig. 1 Standard Spindle HP-S68 and NASA HP-S68 The L-HP-S68 Spindle is designed particularly for coarser yarns, bigger diameters of the rings and larger tube sizes up to approx. 280mm. The HP-S68 Spindle is suitable for main spinning applications and tube sizes up to approx. 230mm. The name of NASA HP-S68 Spindle is derived from the initial letters of the Fig. 2 Comparison of vibration (noise) level of HP-S68 and NASA HP-S68 full name Noise Absorbing Spindle Assembly. The NASA HP-S68 and the standard bearing HP-S68 have the same bearing geometry, therefore the same spindle upper part may be used in either type (Fig. 1). However, other additional design features of NASA type lead into incomparable running behaviour. Applications of NASA and HP-S68 Spindle are similar, but NASA can significantly decrease the noise level (Fig. 2), therefore it is supposed to be an optimal spindle for higher speeds above all. Based on our long-term experience we can highly recommend NASA for all aplications where spindles are operated above 18,000 rpm. 22

23 End users can easily observe the significant decrease in the noise level during spinning. However, the NASA HP-S68 Spindle provides our customer not only with low noise level, but with some other important benefits as well, which do not become obvious at the first glance. A textile spindle is a device with oscillatory properties which, depending on the speed of rotation due to its imbalanced state, creates forces acting on the neck and footstep bearing of the spindle. As the load on bearings has to be as small as possible, it is necessary to design the spindle as a spring-mass system with a damping function to obtain the required running behavior. Fig. 3 Comparison of neck-bearing load The NASA HP-S68 bearing is thanks to its smart design the best bearing on the market, as it can reduce the load on bearings to the minimal possible level while the spindle meets the other important requirements as low vibrations, low and fully controlled spindle tip displacement, low energy consumption etc. In Fig.3 you can see not only decreased average force acting on the neck bearing of the spindle, but decreased variation of forces in case of NASA as well (100 pcs of spindles measured). The low and uniform bearing load makes it possible to obtain longer lifetime of the spindle, if right and regular maintenance is ensured. As all types of spindles are continually tested in Novibra laboratory and monitored in the mills as well, we can say that the significantly extended lifetime of NASA bearings is not only an assumption, but a well proven fact. However, the NASA HP-S68 qualities speak for themselves by their market share growing over the years (Fig 4.). It is obvious that the spinning mills are seeking more and more out- Fig. 4 Increasing share of NASA Spindle in sales standing quality and reliability. We are proud to say that the NOVIBRA NASA HP-S68 Spindle has become an acknowledged standard. 23

24 EliVAC Central Duct System (CDS) The alternative system to generate the vacuum for EliTe Compact Spinning by Wolfgang Lehner, Head Technical Department RS, Suessen All compact spinning systems need to generate a vacuum for compacting the fibre strand. Suessen uses the EliVAC-MFS (multifan solution): a motor drives a shaft that reaches through the machine and drives the individual EliFans, each serving 24 spinning positions. CDS Central Duct System Suessen now introduced an optional alternative design, by which the vacuum is produced by means of a central fan, similar to the well-known pneumafil system used in ring spinning machines. The long duct(s) is (are) usually fitted in the area of the creel. One EliTube on the left and on the right of the machine respectively are connected to the ducts with flexible hoses, tubes and a distributor. Fig. 1 Central duct on top of the machine The ducts are connected to the central fan unit with filter box. The uniform vacuum at all spinning positions is realized with various orifices. The speed of the fan and the resulting vacuum can be adjusted by a frequency inverter. Increased maintenance intervals, reduced need of spare parts and reduced energy consumption create a cost-saving effect for the end-user. Successful installations Almost 400 installations summing up in over 500,000 EliTe Compact Spindles have been successfully installed, no matter what fibre material is processed cotton and wool. The system may be installed on any brand and type of ring spinning machine that is fit to be equipped with EliTe CompactSet. Fig. 2 Central motor with filter box In some cases it might be even considered as a possibility to retrofit existing EliTe Modernizations. 24

25 The new EliVAC-CDS confronts only a few restrictions: Enough installation space (head room) over the ring spinning machine An existing overhead blower system may interfere with the system. The central air exhaust (1 litre/ spindle and second). The fan drive with filter box may be positioned to be easily accessible for cleaning the filter For spinning single EliTe Yarn a max. suction pressure of 26 mbar is possible, for spinning EliTwist Yarn 20 mbar Fig. 3 EliVAC-CDS offers some advantages compared to the well-established EliVAC-MFS: Generally the installation on top of the machine is much easier than in the centre below the drafting arrangement of the ring spinning machine. No rotating shafts, pulleys, belts and bearings reduce the time and frequency of maintenance as well as the amount of required spare parts The energy consumption of the EliVAC is reduced by up to 20%. EliVAC-CDS - some technical data Depending on the total length of the machine and required power of the suction (vacuum) the installed capacity of the fan motor in the filter box may range from 7.5 up to 15 kw. So the system is available also for extra long machines up to 1632 spindles. The suction power is adjusted by inverter. When spinning single yarn you need up to 26 mbar, when spinning EliTwist you need up to 20 mbar. Depending on the requirements we mount 1 or 2 ducts on top of the creel. The fan drive with filter box may be positioned on, at or somewhere close to the ring spinning machine. 25

26 SOLIDRING S by Michael Basting, Head Technical Department OE, Suessen The SOLIDRING with the S43 tooth form has been specially developed for processing fine PES yarns. For years, customers have successfully used this SOLIDRING S43 with the following advantages over the standard S21 tooth form for such applications: almost no merry-go-round fibres, meaning the fibres are coming off better from the opening roller and get into the fibre channel consequently less imperfections in the yarn and less tendency to shedding, especially in the subsequent weaving process Technological background Enabling the fibres to come off the SOLIDRING teeth more easily is a result of the tooth design. The teeth of the S43 are shorter than those of the S21, further the angle of the tooth face is slightly different (see fig. 1). Since the teeth are shorter, the fibres cannot enter so deeply into the clothing, so that the air flow into the fibre channel detaches the fibres more safely from the SOLIDRING. On the other hand, a shorter tooth form results in less opening work to the fibre beard, meaning less accurate fibre separation. Increasing the opening roller speed compensates this lack in opening work. Im summary, short teeth and higher opening roller speeds produce better yarn quality and especially less shedding tendency when processing fine PES yarns. The advantages achieved in yarn quality have convinced the customers, anyway there was a further experience: The very same tooth design, which is responsible for the technological advantages, also implicates a technical disadvantage. Compared to standard tooth forms and speeds, the lifespan of the S43 tooth form is reduced. Improvement S You could say quality has its price, and some customers require the a.m. technological advantages for their Fig. 2 SOLIDRING S yarn, so they accept the shorter lifespan. The nomination 3.6 simply defines the actual tooth pitch of 3.6 mm this leads to 33% more teeth in the circumference compared to the former S43 SOLIDRING. Consequently, more teeth opening the same fibre beard (compared to the former S43) causes less wear to the individual tooth of the S SOLIDRING, resulting in a longer lifespan. Since wear and tear do not follow linear correlations, the overall lifespan of the S SOLIDRING is surely not increased by a.m. 33%. Practical field tests with processing 100% PES (yarn count Ne 16) proved a 20% to 25% increase in lifespan with the S over the former S43. Fig. 1 Teeth S43 vs. S21 The technological advantages of the S SOLIDRING over the S21 SOLIDRING remain the same as for the S43 when processing PES yarns. 26

27 Blank hardening by Felix Hasler, Head Product Management, Graf + Cie AG In order for metallic card clothings to reach optimum life times on flat cards as well as on roller cards, it is imperative that the tooth points are hard and consequently resistant to wear. This can be achieved by means of an additional hardening process which may vary in terms of temperature and intensity, depending on the quality of the steel. The process of hardening steel invariably leads to the formation of a layer of scales which is basically a loss of material on a metallic surface, caused by oxidation of the metal under influence of oxygen and other oxidizing gases at high temperatures. While such scales have certain advantages, there are also considerable disadvantages. Advantages worth mentioning are the rust protective properties as well as the lubrication of the friction plates at the time of installation. Depending on the actual application, the negative aspects regrettably outweigh possible positive effects. It is possible for the newly reclothed flat or roller card not to start up satisfactorily. Metallic card clothings tainted with scales can cause loading of fibres as well as lapping on carding organs. Furthermore the quality of the web, particularly in the nonwoven application, can be adversely influenced. In case of sensitive end products, e.g. application in hygiene industry, contamination of any kind is strictly not acceptable; therefore it is strongly recommended to apply blank hardened metallic card clothings in the exit zone. We continue to modernize our production facilities and are now in a position to manufacture metallic card clothings without any of the disturbing scales. Further advantages of blank hardened clothings are the efficient and straightforward starting up of flat as well as roller cards and the clean mounting process, as there is no longer any flaking off of any scale particles between the friction plates of the mounting arm. The main emphasis for the use of blank hardened card clothings on flat cards is on cylinder and doffer wires. The key application on roller cards is for metallic wires used on cylinder, doffer as well as random and condenser rollers. For the mounting of blank hardened metallic card clothings we do recommend the use of ceramic friction plates in the tensioning device of the mounting arm. As a result of the missing scales, ceramic friction plates offer an improved friction coefficient. Standard execution Blank hardened execution 27

28 Sri Nachammai Cotton Mills Ltd. by P. Palaniappan, Managing Director, Sri Nachammai, India Our History: Sri Nachammai Cotton Mills Limited was founded in the year 1956 by Sri. M.A. Palaniappa Chettiar at Chettinad, Sivaganga District, Tamilnadu, India. Originally it was known as The Jawahar Mills Limited, Chettinad Branch. The Jawahar Mills Limited was bifurcated in the year 1980 into Salem & Chettinad Units. The Chettinad unit was renamed as Sri Nachammai Cotton Mills Limited. The units have been expanded and now consist of A unit with 33,600 spindles, B unit with 9,072 spindles and a leased unit at Salem consisting of 10,944 spindles and 504 rotors. The units have been modernized over the years and consist of machinery predominantly from LMW and also a few machines from Rieter, Truetzschler, Crosrol, Schlafhorst, Murata, Uster and now, naturally, Suessen. The units have been catering mainly to the local hosiery and powerloom markets. Now our focus is to allocate 30 to 40% of our production for exports. Future focus of the units will be on value addition. Suessen Story: First we conducted trials with the Suessen Active Cradles and PINSpacers where we found substantial improvement in quality. Then we installed Suessen EliTe CompactSet for the entire spindleage in A & B units. Now we are conducting trials with Suessen Top Weighting Arms HP-GX and EliTwist for another 2000 spindles. With Suessen Top Weighting Arms we have achieved quality improvement and in our next phase of modernization we are planning to install these on our other frames. Our Suessen story has been one of success and hope to establish a long-standing relationship with Suessen. Our experiences with EliTe Compact: Originally a niche product, the compact yarn has made advances into more and more applications in recent years, so that the survival of many manufacturers now depends on their ability to offer compact yarn. Compact Spinning: in this system the fibres are arranged in a completely parallel and close position before twist is imparted. This is the most important criterion for a perfect compact yarn. This system eliminates the spinning triangle of the conventional ring spinning. The fibres are arranged in a close and parallel position to one another with the help of an airflow produced by vacuum EliTop the lattice apron to guide the fibres over the inclined slot of the EliTube which is under negative pressure. The fibres leaving the compacting zone are perfectly parallel and in close contact with one another and twist is inserted to this round fibre strand leaving the compact zone. Since the fibres are parallel and in close contact with each other, each fibre contributes to the yarn strength which results in increased strength of yarn by about 10% to 15% and 85% hairiness reduction when compared to conventional ring yarn. The compact yarn has made revolutionary advantages in many of the

29 Contact: Sugavaneswara Road,Balaji Nagar Salem-TamilNadu NEWS yarn parameters like strength, elongation, hairiness, etc. and has set new quality standards and proven to be cost effective in spinning process as well as in down stream processing. Advantages of Compact Yarn The warping and knitting performance increases by 10% to 15% due to higher strength. Fly generation reduces considerably in the warping and knitting machine due to less protruding fibres. This eliminates the frequent cleaning work of warping and knitting machine, by which machine down-time is reduced thus increasing the machine utilization. The sizing chemical consumption reduces due to less numbers of protruding fibres on the yarn. Some of our customers replace sizing process by waxing process and thereby saving in water and chemicals. The yarn has low resistance at the reeds of the loom due to low protruding fibres, which increase the efficiency of looms and reduced fly generation. The weight loss is minimized due to low fly generation. The quantity of dye absorption of cloth made from compact yarn is reduced considerably due to low hairiness of yarn. The dye absorption of cloth made from compact yarn is uniform and gives more aesthetic look than the cloth made from conventional yarn. The dye absorption in the printing process is more uniform and has no bleeding effect; this increases the appealing effect of the fabric. Hairiness causes pilling effect on the fabric, which reduces the softness and appearance of the cloth. To reduce this effect costly enzyme processes are done. This process is totally eliminated in the case of fabric made from compact yarn this applies especially for knitted fabric. ITMA 2011, Barcelona, Spain Bräcker, Graf, Novibra and Suessen will present their exhibits together visit us in Hall 1, Booth Next to the well established products we will present very new products for the first time: Bräcker: RMS - ring monitoring system: J 9.1 D and J 11.1 D steel traveller for worsted spinning True soft cot HA 63 A Graf: Hipro type card clothings PRIMACOMB 9030 Novibra: CROCOdoff the new yarncatcher spindle for underwinding-free doffing Suessen: EliVAC-CDS CPS Cot Protecting System SOLIDRING S for manmade fibre rotor spinning PINSpacer NT new generation Production Chart Sri Nachammai: besides the below given improvements there is a significant reduction in fly liberation in the spinning and winding department Production Unit Count TPI TM CSP Hairiness Ends 100spl/hr GMS/SPL increase EliTe conv. EliTe conv. EliTe conv. EliTe conv. EliTe conv. EliTe conv. EliTe 20s CHY % 24s CHY % 26s CHY % A 30s CHY % 34s CHY % 40s CHY % 60s CHY % 20s KWP % B 24s KHY % 30s KHY % EliTe CompactSet-L for the Chinese Market Zhangjiagang Hualu Wool Spinning, quality spinner in Chinese Jiangsu province, P.R. of China, has ordered another 10 sets of EliTe CompactSet-L on Shanghai Erfangji EJ519 after having 3 such sets from us since In-between Hualu tried of course also local competitor systems, obviously not fully meeting their great demands on yarn quality. For fine yarns in best quality Suessen EliTe CompactSet-L is their favourite choice. 29

30 Filati Drago/ Italy fully modernized with EliTe CompactSet Filati Drago is a worsted spinning mill set up at Lessona, in the textile district of Biella, Italy. Since 1978 Filati Drago has been producing fine and very fine count yarns using highly selected wools. Soon after ITMA 1999 in Paris where Spindelfabrik Suessen had introduced the EliTe Compact System Filati Drago bought the first Suessen ring spinning machine Fiomax EliTe and started to produce compact yarns with excellent results from the start. As the Drago Group also owns a worsted cloth factory, a weaving mill specialized in high quality fabrics, compact yarns soon became a must. In the meantime, Suessen had joined the Rieter Group and had stopped producing ring spinning frames to devote all its efforts to improve and develop the EliTe CompactSet to modify the existing ring spinning machines of any trademarks to its EliTe technology. So Filati Drago decided to convert all its ring spinning machines into the Suessen EliTe System. Nowadays, the Filati Drago spinning mill consisting of Cognetex Idea and Com4wool machines modified by Suessen with the EliTe Compact Spinning System produces approximately 800/900 thousand kg. a year of worsted compact yarn in yarn counts between Nm 50 and Nm 140. The cloth factory uses this yarn to produce approximately 1.6 million metres per year of high quality fabrics, mostly for men s wear. And 50% of this production is exported mainly to the Far East (Japan, Corea and China), Great Britain and- Germany, with a significant increase in oversea s sales. General Director of Drago Group: Mr. Santoro Spindelfabrik Suessen GmbH with new Managing Director Mr. Harald Szczepanek was appointed Joint Managing Director by the Board of Directors of Spindelfabrik Suessen GmbH, effective December 1st, He succeeds Mr. Erich Casanova, who left Suessen after eight very successful years and reaching his retirement age. With Mr. Harald Szczepanek we were able to engage a very experienced expert in the field of textile machinery. 30 Harald Szczepanek completed his studies of mechanical engineering at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich (Dipl. Ing.). At the beginning of his career he was employed by a number of companies as head of production and development. Subsequently, Harald Szczepanek was Managing Director of an important subsidiary for several years. In addition, he has been able to prove very successfully his substantial expert knowledge and experience in numerous projects at home and abroad.

31 NEWS Bräcker - the NEW Berkol true soft cot HA 63 A...for successful spinning of very fine yarn counts, offering outstanding yarn values constantly good yarn values throughout entire lifetime of cot most gentle handling of fibres due to softness of surface attractive grinding cycles in spite of cot softness best price / performance ratio easy grinding characteristics Orders from major Indian EliTe Customers KPR Mills/Coimbatore has ordered another 100,000 EliTe Compact Spindles with Suessen top weighting arm on new Rieter G 32 machines. This was done after taking years of trial on various parameters like yarn quality, fabric appearence, feel, buyer preference, dyeing parameters etc. The new order is under execution and 40,000 spindles are already installed. NSL After taste of 50,000 EliTe Compact Spindles project with Chinese Ring frames, they have now ordered EliTe Compact Spindles for all units with LMW & KTTM ring frames covering approx. 120,000 spindles. One of the biggest spinners of North India M/S Nahar Industrial ordered conversion of 22 extra long ring frames of 1632 spindles for processing EliTe and EliTwist. The same group ordered 5 more machine of 1632 spindles each at a different location for spinning EliTe Yarn. The conversions have already been supplied. Premium Textile Components Symposia in Brazil In the months of May and June, Bräcker, Graf, Novibra and Suessen held joint seminar days in Brazil: Blumenau: May 24 Campinas: May 26 Caetanopolis: May 31 João Pessoa: June 2 Representatives from the Sales Department together with employees from the local agencies instructed our customers and guests: Bräcker spinning ring technology Graf card wire and combs for combing machines Suessen EliTe Compact Spinning Suessen Premium Parts for openend rotor spinning Berkol cots, aprons and grinding machines Novibra high speed spindles This was the first joint Sales Event in the new Marketing & Sales Organization in Brazil and was well accepted and welcome by our customers almost 400 guests followed our invitation. New Graf metallic card clothing Hipro Wire Newly designed card clothing form for doffer, worker, stripper and condenser rollers of nonwoven cards, featuring: Unique tooth shape allowing increased production rate Universal application but particularly suitable for processing of critical fibres New Graf Service Centre in Guangzhou, China opened The latest service station of Graf opens its door at August 2011 and is located in Changzhou / Jiangsu Province PR China. It offers all kind of card clothing service such as flat mounting, flat grinding, flat end milling, mounting of licker-in, feed roller, take-off roller, blowroom roller, etc. for short staple spinning mills. New Graf circular comb: PRIMACOMB 9030 The newest circular comb PRIMACOMB 9030 is specially designed for combing cotton to reach highest yarn quality. The 90 comb has 6 sections of increasing density and it is recommended for processing of long and extra long staple cotton for yarn of extra fine counts. Major Order for EliTe in Indonesia The dynamic and fast-growing Indonesian company Indah Jaya has favored Suessen with a major order (65,000 EliTe Compact Spindles). The order is currently under erection. After completion, Indah Jaya will be the largest compact spinner in Indonesia. Up-Coming Events in 2012 Bräcker, Graf, Novibra and Suessen will participate in the up-coming big events showing their newest products on a running ring spinning machine: ITMA Asia & CITME 2012, Shanghai, China, June ITME India 2012, Mumbai, India, December

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