Rotor spinning

Overview of development:-

The idea of producing yarn by the rotor –spinning techniques is far from new. Patent
applications this method was filed before the 2nd World War. The first usable design
was put forward by Meimber at Spinnbau Company in Bermen in 1950. The
first machine of this kind was shown in 1955 at Brussels exhibition.

The first machine suitable for industrial use was presented in 1967 with the name
BD200 in ITMA exhibition. The current share of rotor-spun yarn is around 20% of
total staple-fiber- yarn production & it is increasing steadily. The speed of rotor
machine is about 100000 rpm now days previously which was 30000 rpm. Rotor
spinning is more economical than Ring spinning for the counts up to NM70 (Ne40).

The invention relates to a spinning rotor for an open end rotor spinning machine,
particularly a spinning rotor comprising a rotor shaft, a rotor cup having an opening,
an inner chamber, a rotor groove, a conically widening slide wall extending from the
opening to the rotor groove and a rotor base arranged opposing the opening and
designed with a bore, through which the rotor shaft extends at least partially,
wherein the rotor shaft is connected by means of a connection element to the rotor
cup and the rotor shaft and rotor cup comprise a common rotational axis.

In conjunction with open end rotor spinning machines, a large number of the most
varied spinning rotors are known from the patent literature and generally consist of
a rotor shaft for mounting the spinning rotor and a rotor cup for producing a thread.
Spinning rotors of this type in modern open end spinning machines reach rotational
speeds of far above 100,000 min −1. Rotational speeds that are as high as this in
total place special demands with regard to imbalance, mounting and stability of
spinning rotors of this type. As spinning rotors of this type are heavily stressed, for
example as a result of mechanical vibrations, the highest demands are also made of
the fastening between the rotor shaft and rotor cup.

Spinning rotors are described, for example, in German Patent Publications DE-OS 28
12 297 or DE 199 10 77 A1, in which the rotor cups are connected to the rotor shaft,
in each case via a hub, into which a bore is let. The connection is implemented as a
press fit here and is non-releasable.

Furthermore spinning rotors are known from German Patent Publications DE 40

20 518 A1 or DE 103 02 178 A1, in which the rotor cups only have one central
bore in the region of the rotor base, in which the rotor shaft is inserted. The rotor
shaft is, in this case, equipped with a bearing collar, on which the rotor cup is fixed
by a weld connection. A weld connection for fixing a rotor cup on the rotor shaft is
also described in German Patent Publication DE 3519 536 A1. In this known
device, the rotor cup has an extra thick base. The rotor shaft is fixed to this rotor
cup base by means of friction welding. The aforementioned connections between

Page 1 of 26
the rotor cup and rotor shaft in total have the disadvantage that either the
connection is relatively heavy, which has a very disadvantageous effect on the
acceleration capacity of the spinning rotor, or a change in structure occurs in the
components in the course of the attachment of the two rotor parts and this is not
unproblematic because of the high rotational speeds of such spinning rotors.

A further economic aspect, of interest in some fields, arises from the possibility of
spinning mill-waste fibers with the aid of rotor –spinning m/c. This m/c is an
excellent recycling m/c. Further more this machine is the first final spinning m/c that
can be fully automated. This fact has contributed substantially to the improvement
in economics of rotor spinning.

Tasks of the rotor-spinning machine:-

The basic tasks of the rotor spinning machine are

• Opening (& attenuating) almost to individual fibers (fiber separation).

• Cleaning.

• Homogenizing through back doubling.

• Combining i.e. forming a coherent linear strand from individual fibers.

• Ordering (the fibers in the strand must have an orientation as far as possible
in the longitudinal direction).

• Improving evenness through back-doubling.

• Imparting strength by twisting

• Winding.

R_40 –Rotor Spinning m/c

Page 2 of 26
Principle of operation:-

The principle is illustrated as

Principle of Rotor Spinning:-

The general principle of rotor spinning is shown in Figure. The input fiber strand is a
drawn sliver. A sliver may have more than 20,000 fibers in its cross-section. This
means that a yarn of 100 fibers per cross-section will require a total draft of 200.
This amount of draft is substantially higher than that of ring spinning. Drafting in
rotor spinning is accomplished using a comber roll (mechanical draft) which opens
the input sliver followed by an air stream (air draft). These two operations produce
an amount of draft that is high enough to reduce the 20,000 fibers entering the
comber roll down to few fibers (5-10 fibers). In order to produce a yarn of about 100
fibers per cross-section, the groups of few fibers emerging from the air duct are
deposited on the internal wall of the rotor and a fiber ring is formed inside the rotor.
The total draft in rotor spinning is, therefore a combination of true draft from the
feed roll to the rotor (in the order of thousands) and a condensation to accumulate
the fiber groups into a fiber ring inside the rotor. The total draft ratio is the ratio
between the delivery or the take-up speed and the feed roll speed. This should
approximately amount to the ratio between the number of fibers in the sliver cross-
section and the number of fibers in the yarn cross-section.

Consolidation in rotor spinning is achieved by mechanical twisting. The torque

generating the twist in the yarn is applied by the rotation of the rotor with respect
to the point of the yarn contacting the rotor navel. The amount of twist (turns per
inch) is determined by the ratio between the rotor speed (rpm) and the take up

Page 3 of 26
speed (inch/min). Every turn of the rotor produces a turn of twist, and a removal of
a length of yarn of 1/tpi inches.

The winding operation in rotor spinning is completely separate from the drafting
and the twisting operations. The only condition here is that the yarn is taken up at a
constant rate. This separation between winding and twisting allows the formation of
larger yarn packages than those in ring spinning.

Sequence of operation:-

The feed stock in form of either card sliver or draw frame sliver from first or second
passage drawing. The sliver runs from a can beneath the spinning unit into the feed
trumpet. A feed roller grips the sliver & pushes it over the feed trough into the
region of the opening roller. A spring ensures firm clamping of the sliver by urging
the trough towards feed roller. In the event of an end-break, the feed unit is
stopped either by stopping the feed roller rotation or by pivoting the in feed
trumpet, in each case sliver feed stops automatically. The signal pulse causing this
effect is generated by a yarn-sensing arm.

In the in conventional spinning processes, the fiber strand at in feed is maintained

as a coherent structure & is merely attenuated during spinning. In rotor spinning,
the fiber strand is opened to individual fibers. This task is performed mainly by the
opening roller. This small roller which is clothed with needles or saw teeth, combs

Page 4 of 26
through the fiber beard projecting from the nip between the feed roller & the tough
it transports the plucked fibers to the feed tube. An air flow is needed for further
transport of the fibers to the rotor. This is generated by central fan that draws air by
suction through leads from each rotor box. To facilitate generation of this under
pressure, the rotor box must be hermetically sealed as far as possible. The suction
stream in the feed tube lifts the fibers off the surface of the opening roller & leads
them to the rotor. In the course of this movement, both the air & the fibers are
accelerated because of the convergent form of the feed tubes. This represents a
second draft following the nip trough/ opening roller & giving further separation of
the fibers. Moreover partial straightening of the fibers is achieved in this air flow. A
third draft arises upon arrival of the fibers on the wall of the rotor because the
peripheral speed of the rotor is several times as the speed of the fiber. This is a very
important feature because it contributes significantly to good orientation of the
fibers. The last straightening of the fibers occurs as the fiber slides down the rotor
wall into the groove under the influence of the enormous centrifugal forces work
with in the rotor.

Side view of the rotor spinning m/c

On average, from one to five fibers emerge simultaneously from the feed tube. After
sliding down the rotor wall they come to rest in a longitudinally oriented form in the
rotor groove. Because the rotor is turning steadily under the stationary feed tube
continual deposition of the fibers in the groove is achieved. In this way a continuous
fiber ring is built up in the groove. This operation is referred to as back doubling. If
nothing further were done the rotor would be chocked in no time. However since
the whole purpose is to form these fibers into a new yarn, the free end of a yarn is
allowed to extend from the rotational axis to the rotor periphery. Centrifugal force
acting at this point presses the yarn end firmly against the wall of the collection
groove, exactly as in case of the fibers in the ring. The yarn end therefore adheres

Page 5 of 26
to the rotor wall. Accordingly as the rotor turns it carries the yarn along & the latter
rotates around the rotation hub (navel) like one arm of the crank.

Each revolution of the rotor inserts in true twist in the yarn. When the yarn has
reached its maximum twist level as determined by the prevailing force conditions,
the yarn end begins to run about its own axis i.e. it rolls in the rotor groove. Now,
open yarn end is resting in the binding-in region on a strand of more or less parallel
fibers, rolling of the yarn end to grasp the fibers from the ring & twist them in & so
on. A yarn is thus spun continuously. It is simply necessary to pull this yarn out of
the rotor by means of withdrawal rolls & wound on a cross wound package.

Speed interrelationship:-

Normal & maximum revolutions & speeds are

• Rpm of opening roller :5000 -10000 rpm

• Rpm of rotor up to 100000 rpm

• Delivery speed: up to 200m/min.

Fiber/Machine Interaction in Rotor Spinning:-

As indicated above, the sliver of some 20,000 fibers per cross-section is drafted
using a combination of mechanical and air draft. Obviously, a fiber strand that
has been carefully prepared by carding and drawing to straighten the fibers will
find it unpleasant to be treated by a toothed opening roll as it enters the
system. This major fiber entanglement after a long journey of straightening and
parallelization provides the first test to the fibers in the rotor spinning system.
The comber roll drafts fibers by detaching a fiber beard presented by a feed roll
and passing them into the rotor at much higher speed than the advance of the
beard. Fortunately, cotton fibers are flexible and tough enough to withstand the
comber roll action. Normally, wire-wound clothing is recommended for cotton

Page 6 of 26
and cotton blends where pinned combing rolls are suitable for fragile fibers such
as acrylic and rayon.
The extent of the opening action imposed by the combing roll will depend on
the extent of fiber length. As the fiber length increases, the force acting on
the fiber beard increases significantly. This can result in fiber damage. Thus, a
moderate fiber length is required for rotor spinning. In fact, long fibers such as
pima cotton or Egyptian cotton may suffer waste of fiber fragments if used on
the rotor spinning system. Comber noils produced from combing these long
staple fibers are more suitable.
As the opened fibers flow around with the combing roll, friction between the
fibers and the comber roll metal chamber results in a fiber velocity lower than
the surface speed of the combing roll. Those fibers are normally in a disoriented
shape. In this regard, fiber attributes such as fiber resilience, fiber/metal
friction, crimp, stickiness, and surface finish are of keen importance. The
tendency to increase the combing roll speed makes these fiber properties even
more critical. This increase is often associated with high yarn hairiness and yarn
imperfections.
Although the primary role of the combing roll is to open the fibers, it can also
act as a cleaning unit by separating trash particles from cotton. Obviously, this
additional function can easily overstress the combing roll making it wear
rapidly. It is important, therefore, that the input sliver exhibit a great level of
cleanliness. A maximum trash level of 0.1% is typically recommended by the
machine maker. In addition, fine trash and dust content can accumulate in
the rotor groove leading to yarn defects and end breakage.
Fibers coming out of the comb roller are airborne through an air duct. This zone
of draft is of a special significance because of its impact on fiber orientation.
Since laminar airflow is hardly a reality, fibers are likely to suffer turbulence as
they flow through the air duct adding more disorientation. This factor partially
contributes to the weakness of rotor-spun yarn. Long fibers are more vulnerable
to air stream disturbance than medium or short fibers. In order to minimize fiber
disorientation, the airflow in the duct should have a velocity exceeding that of
the surface speed of the opening roll. Investigators suggested speed ratios
ranging from 1.5 to 4. To obtain such a fast airflow, the inside of the rotor is run
at a vacuum which may be achieved by designing the rotor with radial holes to
allow the rotor to generate its own vacuum (self-pumping effect). Alternatively,
an external pump can be used as in most modern machines.
Another approach to minimize fiber disorientation in the air duct is by designing
it in a tapered shape toward the rotor to allow acceleration of the fibers as they
approach the rotor inside surface. This action may also straighten the leading
fiber hooks coming out of the opening roll. Fibers emerging from the air duct
come into contact with the rotor inside surface, which is typically faster than the
fibers. This also assists in straightening the fibers disoriented in the previous
zones.
The mass flow per unit time of fibers in the rotor spinning system, particularly
from the air duct to the take-up zone provides an interesting insight into the
contribution of fibers to the quality of rotor-spun yarn. The product of the fiber
mass and fiber velocity can determine this quantity. For a stable process, this

Page 7 of 26
mass flow must exhibit a continuity that can be determined by the following
simple mass-flow equation:

This above equation indicates that the ratio between the number of fibers in the
yarn cross-section (nfy) and the number of fibers in the air duct (nfd) is
governed by the ratio of the fiber velocity in the air duct (Vfd) and the yarn
velocity (Vfy). The equation summarizes an important phenomenon that is
unique to rotor spinning; the doubling effect. As indicated earlier, the effect of
the air draft is to reduce the fiber strand down to few fibers (2-10 fibers). These
fibers are then landed into the inside surface of the rotor as it takes many
layers of fiber to make up sufficient number of fibers per yarn cross-section. As
successive layers of fibers are laid into the inside surface of the rotor, a
doubling action occurs. This action tends to even out short-term irregularities in
the yarn. This doubling action contributes largely to the low irregularity of rotor
spun yarn. One should not overlook the fact the elimination of the roving
process also contributes greatly to the Low Mass irregularity of rotor yarns.
The number of doubling in rotor spinning can be estimated by the ratio nfy/nfd.
Thus, an increase in the number of fibers in the yarn and/or a reduction in the
number of fibers in the air duct can enhance the uniformity of the yarn. This
point partially reveals the critical importance of fiber fineness in rotor
spinning. Machine manufacturer commonly states that rotor spinning requires
very fine fibers. It is our opinion that this statement should be qualified by a
specific value of fiber fineness. Obviously, if the fiber is coarse, less number of
fibers will be allowed in the yarn cross-section (for a given yarn count) and the
effect of this on yarn strength and irregularity are well known. On the other
hand, if the fibers are too fine, the risk of extremely high flexibility (as with
micro denier synthetic fibers) and/or low maturity (as with cotton fibers) may
arise. In this situation, the benefits of manufacturing fine fibers may be offset
by the high tendency of fibers to entangle and disarrange. In a previous study
[7], we found that polyester fibers of 0.7 denier provided higher yarn
irregularity than those of 0.9 denier. In the same study, we found no significant
improvement in the strength of the yarn made from 0.7 denier over that made
from 0.9 denier fibers.
If one observes a rotor-spun yarn under a microscope, one will easily notice that
along the yarn axis there are many fibers that are not completely tied into the
yarn. Those fibers have a free end that wraps itself around the yarn periphery
and causes constriction of the yarn. This is an inevitable defect that is peculiar
to rotor-spun yarns. It is commonly called "fiber belts" or "wrapper fibers".
According to Hunter [8], those fibers are introduced to the yarn in the rotor as a
result of fibers that are trapped from the wrong direction, i.e. from the section

Page 8 of 26
the yarn has just left, or by fibers that are fed from fibers fed directly onto the
yarn-forming point and by the yarn between the doffing tube and rotor groove
coming into contact with the airborne fibers.
In connection with the influence of fiber attributes on yarn quality, we should
point out that wrapper fibers are largely useless. They fail to contribute to the
strength of the yarn and they provide no improvement to any quality aspect. In
fact, they should be treated as waste fibers that happen to stick to the yarn
body. The inevitability of wrapper fibers, however, has led many machine
manufacturers to claim that they may have some merit including improvement
of yarn abrasion resistance.
Although wrapper fibers are a result of a technology deficiency, their presence
is greatly enhanced by some levels of fiber attributes. For instance, long fibers
tend to form wrappers that are so tight that the belt looks more like a thin
place. Short fibers, on the other hand, form slack and loose belts. The number
of wrapper fibers is often estimated by the ratio between the staple fiber length
and the rotor circumference (FL/p d). Other fiber attributes that may contribute
to wrapper fibers include fiber stiffness and fiber fineness; stiffer and coarser
fibers tend to become wrapper surface fibers.
One important feature that separates ring spinning from rotor spinning is the
tighter fiber control in the former due to the higher spinning tension. In rotor
spinning, fibers are not firmly gripped at any point of their flow; a differential
tension such as that discussed in ring spinning does not exist. Accordingly, no
significant fiber migration (to enhance yarn strength) is expected in rotor
spinning. This point reflects the importance of fiber/rotor groove friction,
and fiber-to-fiber friction. The lack of significant tension also results in some
fibers that are only partially twisted leading to inferior yarn strength. These
deficiencies can only compensate for by high fiber strength and optimum
fiber fineness.
The different aspects of fiber/machine interaction discussed above result in a
structure that consists of three layers: a core that is truly twisted (similar to
ring-spun yarn), an outer layer that is partially twisted, and fiber wrappers. The
true twist in rotor-spun yarns results in a natural curling tendency, similar to
ring-spun yarns. However, this torque is partially balanced by a torque caused
by the wrapping effect of the wrapper fibers, particularly those that take an
anti-clockwise direction. The more such anti-clockwise banding fibers there are,
the lower will be the curling tendency in the rotor yarn. Yarns with low curling
tendency also display low yarn extensibility by virtue of their "liveliness". These
features reveal two important points:

a. In rotor spun yarn, the true amount of twist is difficult to measure

b. The actual twist in rotor spun yarn is typically less than the nominal
twist as set by the ratio between the rotor speed and the take-up speed.

With regard to the first point, the inverse connection between the number of
fiber wrappers and the curling tendency is normally used to obtain an indirect
measure of rotor yarn structure by measuring its curling tendency or the
residual twist (difference between the measured yarn twist and the nominal
twist). A typical value of residual twist may range from 10% to 40%.

Page 9 of 26
With regard to the second point, rotor-spun yarn always requires higher levels
of twist than comparable ring-spun yarns. This means that the yarn will be
usually stiffer and will produce a fabric of poor hand. For this reason, some
knitters prefer ring spinning over rotor spinning in the medium count range
(20’s to 30’s) substituting economical benefits by quality demands. Proper fiber
selection can play a major role in producing a flexible rotor-spun yarn. In
general, it is well known that fine, long, and flexible fibers provide less
resistance to twisting than coarse, short, and stiff fibers. Through optimization
of this combination, a rotor spun yarn of acceptable flexibility level can be
produced.

Can Rotor Spinning Produce Yarns of Fine Count?

As indicated earlier, rotor spinning has superior economical advantage over ring
spinning in the coarse to medium counts. In recent years, there have been
many attempts to push rotor spinning further into the area of fine counts When
we speak of fine counts, we generally mean yarns of maximum 40’s cotton
count. In order to produce fine yarn counts on rotor spinning, two main factors
must be addressed: (a) machine-related factors, and (b) material-related
factors.
Examining the spinning tension of rotor spinning may summarize the machine-
related factor. This is the tension on the yarn, Ty, delivered from the rotor
expressed by the following equation:

Where v is the rotor rotational speed in radians/sec, r is the rotor radius, and m
is the coefficient of friction between the yarn and the navel surface in contact
with the yarn.
The above equation indicates that the spinning tension is highly sensitive to the
rotational speed of the rotor and the radius. The product vr is a primary design
criterion in rotor spinning; recent trends are to increase rotor speed and reduce
rotor diameter so that a balance in spinning tension is always maintained.
In light of the fact that the value of the product vr has virtually reached its
technological limit, a reduction in yarn Tex will result in a reduction in the
spinning tension (which is already low compared to ring spinning). The
importance of spinning tension as a controlling factor of the fiber flow was
indicated earlier. A reduction in yarn Tex will also result in a smaller area of
yarn/navel contact. This will reduce the coefficient of friction, m, leading to a
further reduction in spinning tension. More importantly, less area for friction
heat imposed by the high rotational speed to dissipate. This last point is critical
in spinning synthetic fibers or cotton/synthetic blends. In relation to the
material-related factor, the earlier discussion of fiber/machine interaction
pointed out the problem of fiber disorientation during spinning, and its impact

Page 10 of 26
on yarn strength. This factor, in addition to the loss of fibers through wrapping,
makes it difficult to improve the rotor-spinning limit. Furthermore, the need for
lower twist level to improve yarn flexibility and fabric hand makes matters
additionally complex.
Fine counts are associated with high quality yarn (defect free and certainly
trash free). This means that the quality of the fibers must be upgraded to
produce fine counts. The sliver fed to the machine should be prepared carefully
so that it exhibits the lowest irregularity possible, and the lowest trash level
possible. In case of light sliver, inter-fiber cohesion is critical. These criteria
indicate that fiber properties such as trash content, short fiber content and
inter-fiber friction are extremely important, not only for producing acceptable
quality levels, but also for minimizing end breakage during spinning. In recent
years, low level combing (8% comber noil extraction) has been used to upgrade
cotton fibers used in producing fine rotor yarns. Combing upgrades the cotton
quality by removing neps and short fibers, and by providing better fiber
orientation in the fiber strand. The added-cost by combing is justified by lower
end sown during spinning, and slight reduction in twist. Bischofberger [9]
reported that with optimum noil removal in combing (8-14%), and under similar
spinning conditions, the yarn count can be increased from 30's to 36's from the
same raw material at a constant rate of ends down for both counts of 150 ends
down/1000 rotor hours.

• Irrespective of raw material, yarn strength was found to increase by

about 10% with combing and strength uniformity was improved.
• Combed rotor-spun yarns yield better filling insertion rates during
weaving because of lower rates of filling stops.
• Combed rotor yarns result in better knitting efficiency because of
the low fly deposition and the smoothness of yarns. The uniformity and
handle of single jersey knitted fabrics were significantly improved as a
result of using combed rotor yarns.

In light of the above discussion, one can develop a list of fiber properties in
rotor spinning according to the order of their importance. We suggest the
following list:

Comparison between the Best & the Worst Levels of Coarse Yarn Quality
Uster Statistics, 100% Cotton Carded-Rotor-Spun, Count Range, Ne = 4’s-
10’s]

Yarn 95% 5% Percent

Page 11 of 26
 Statistic
s
Property Statistic Differenc
s e
(%
Improve
ment)

Yarn 9.5 15-14.5 58%

Strength,
YS
(cN/tex)
Yarn 6.5-5.8 11.0- 62%
Elongatio 9.0
n, YE (%) 16-10 60%
5.5-4.5
Yarn
Hairiness
(H)

Count 6.0-4.0 0.8 84%

Irregularit
y C.V%
(Ne)*
Uster 13-15 10-11.5 25%
Irregulari
ty C.V
%m 8.5-9.5 4.0-5.5 45%
Strength
Irregulari
ty C.V% 8.0-9.0 3.0-4.0 58%
(YS)
Elongatio
n
Irregulari 75-500 3-200 80
ty C.V%
(YE)

IPI/KM

Page 12 of 26
Comparison between 100% Cotton & 50/50 Polyester/Cotton Yarn
Quality
[5%-Uster Statistics, Carded-Rotor-Spun, Count Range, Ne = 10’s-
40’s]

Yarn 100% 50/50

Cotto Polyester/Cott
Property n on

Yarn Strength, YS 14.5- 17.5-14.0

(cN/tex) 13.5
Yarn
Elongation, YE 14-8.5
(%) 9.0-
6.5 5.5-3.5
Yarn Hairiness
(H) 4.5-
3.5

Count Irregularity 0.8 0.9-0.51

C.V%(Ne)*
Uster
Irregularity C.V 11.5- 11-17
%m 15

Strength 5-10
Irregularity C.V 5.5-
%(YS) 8
Elongation 5.5-8.5
Irregularity C.V
% (YE) 4.0-6.0
85-400
Total
Imperfections/ 200-350
km (IPI)

Raw material used-

Short staple spinning m/c (up to 60 mm fiber length) require
• Cotton (CO)
• Cotton waste ( secondary m/t recycled m/t)
• Cotton noil

Page 13 of 26
 • Blends of two or more of these materials.
• Polyester fibers (PES).
• Polyacrylonitrile fiber ( PAC)
• Poly amide fiber (PA)
• Viscose (CA)
• Blends of man-made fibers ( mostly PES/ CV & PAC/CV)
• Blends of cotton & man made fibers ( mostly CO/ PES & CO/CV)
Raw material requirement:-
Fiber length:-
Following m/t can be processed according to Reiter Company
Cotton:-
• Waste <7/8 inches ( for yarns up to 15 tex count)
• Short-staple cotton < 1 inch ( for yarns up to 30 tex count )
• Medium staple cotton < 1 1/8 inches (for yarn up to 17 tex
count )
Man made fibers:-
• Staple length up to 60 mm for count = 12 tex yarns

Fiber fineness:-
Finer fibers preferred in rotor spinning usually in the range of
• Cotton 2.8 to 4.5 micronaire.
• Man- made fibers 1, 1.2 to 1.7 dtex.
Coarse fibers lead to deterioration in spinning conditions; this necessitates the
use of higher twist co-efficient.

Page 14 of 26
Fiber strength:-
Due to poorer exploitation of the fiber substance, fibers of the greatest
possible strength as shown in diagram.

Dirt & dust:-

The rotor-spinning machine reacts very sensitively to the trash content of
cotton. Coarse particles such as husk particles stay caught in the rotor groove.
They can prevent yarn formation at this point, & this in turn can lead to an end
down or to fiber agglomeration at the particle. This gives a thick place at the
agglomeration point & immediately a thin place after this. More trash content
also lead to more NEP generation. Small particles also lead to deterioration in
quality.
Clean raw m/t is therefore a precondition for spinning of yarn on the rotor-
spinning m/c. in accordance with recommendations from Reiter, the following
residual trash content should not be exceeded in the feed sliver:
• Up to Ne 6 : 0.3%
• Up to Ne20 : 0.2%
• Up to Ne 30 : 0.15%
• Up to Ne 50 : 0.10%
Other foreign matter:-

Page 15 of 26
 • Quartz & mineral dust present in cotton causes wear & tear in
m/c
• Foreign fibers lead to ends down.
• Honey dew makes fiber to stick to m/c parts & cotton free of
honey-due should be used.
• Spin finish should be taken off before feeding to m/c. it acts same
as honey due.
• Remnants of the yarn lead to thick places in the yarn, so they
should not be used.
Preparation of the raw material:
The processing stages in rotor spinning, not only are characteristics of the raw
material important, the manner in which this m/t is prepared is also significant.
The most optimized process line given by Reiter is shown in diagram. The
machine selection should be made according to the raw m/t. Card sliver can
be directly fed to the m/c or one, two or three passages can be given before
being feed to the rotor. Reiter proposes two passages of draw frame two get
best results in term of strength, evenness & handle. Third passage is not even
used for cotton- synthetic fibers because back doubling the rotor leads to high
degree of fiber/ fiber transverse doubling.
Reiter machine sequence for rotor spinning.

Twist insertion in yarn in rotor spinning process:-

Real twist is applied by the motion of the rotor acting on the yarn arm that
passes from the rotor groove to the yarn with drawl point inside rotor. Each
revolution of the rotor causes about one turn of twist to be inserted in the yarn
& 1/T inches (T= twist per inch) of yarn are removed. There can be movement
of fibers with respect to the metal of the rotor during twisting. This is because
of the fibers are not firmly held by any discrete nip point. Twist usually runs
back along the rotor groove & some fibers are laid onto an already twisted
core of fibers. This affects the yarn structure. The center of the end of the yarn
withdrawal tube is fitted with a non- rotating navel through which the

Page 16 of 26
departing yarn flows as shown in the figure. Sometimes a separate plate is
introduced to prevent the premature capture of the incoming fiber by the
outgoing yarn. This makes a less desirable transport system because of the
complexity of the passage way, but in separating the incoming fibers &
outgoing yarn fulfills a useful function.
The yarn entering the navel rolls on the inside surface. This rolling action
produces a false twist in the section of yarn inside the rotor. The false twist is
in addition to any real twist created by the rotor. Twist is trapped in the
running yarn b/w the point of twist application & the nearest upstream yarn
trap. In the present case, the point of twist application is at the navel & the
twist trap is on the collecting surface of the rotor. The flare radius of the navel
affects the false twist as shown in the table. Spinning performance & yarn
character depends on the twist in yarn inside the rotor rather than the
apparent twist in the delivered yarn. Navel is grooved to increase the false
twist. Also grooved navel tend to make the yarn weaker, bulky, neppy& hairy
particularly at higher rotor speeds. The groove causes the yarn to bounce off
the surface of the navel for very brief periods of time. Yarn tensions measured
inside the rotor are very close to the theoretical figure given by the formula
w2Rr2 n but there are pulses due to the yarn riding over the grooves, if near
there are not too many of them.

False twist also affects by how close the front surface of the navel is set
towards the flat inner surface of the rotor. Local shear in the air is produced by
the rotor wall moving close to the stationary navel. This shear can produce a
small amount of false twist in the yarn. Enlarged potion of the yarn can
interact with this space if the gap is set too narrowly. There will be difference
in the co-efficient of friction of the navel surface & the yarn, also navel wears.

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It has become common to use ceramic navels because of their longer life. As
the navel varies it also cause the yarn character to vary. It is also important to
make all the yarn from same kind of navels to eliminate the barre’ effect in the
fabric.

The range of usable twist multipliers is much affected by these considerations;

a typical set of twist multipliers is shown in the figure. Generally the twists are
higher than the ring yarn & the combination of higher twist & the most
disorganized yarn surface create a rougher handle. At one time this was of
major concern, but fabric finishing techniques have improved & the market
has adjusted for the difference the lower costs outweighs the tactile
disadvantages. As mentioned earlier, end-break rates, amongst other things, a
function of rotor diameter & speeds. Where as the larger rotors used in 1980s
gave minimum end-breakage rates/lb at about 70000 rpm, the newest small
rotors at about 28 mm with rpm of 100000 gave more end breakage rate. The
geometry of the twist is shown in the figure below

The minimum twist level achievable is of interest because low twist yarn will
have a good handle & m/c productivity will also increase. Generally the
minimum twist diminishes with rotor speeds of 70000rpm & then level off,
under some circumstances it raises at higher speeds. The lowest value of twist
is a function of the radius at the base of rotor groove & the type of navel in

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use. The navel might be grooved or non-grooved; they might be steel or
ceramic. Generally, the higher the rotor speed the less is the need of grooved
navels. The combination of the m/t is recommended by the manufacturer
which is followed by trials.

Effect of the rotor parameters on twist insertion:-.

• It is the compactness of the fibers in the rotor groove that both aids twist
insertion, to give a good peripheral twist extent & produces improved yarn
strength.
• Results have shown that the degree of fiber compactness in the rotor groove
will depend on the rotor speed, the rotor diameter & the tightness of the
groove angle.
• It is now well known that stronger yarns are obtained with large diameter
rotors & a 30 degrees v-grooved rotor, provided that the rotor speed does
not produce a spinning tension greater than the yarn strength.
• In order to increase the degree of fiber compactness in the rotor groove,
several patented device have fitted mechanical means, which exert a
controlled force on the fiber in the groove.

Winding:-
The yarn is withdrawn & wound on a cross wound package by keeping the
surface speeds constant i.e. decreasing the the rpm of winding cylinder with in
crease in dia due to yarn take up.
The rotor:-
The rotor is the main spinning element of the rotor-spinning m/c. Yarn
quality ,character working performance of yarn prudctivity, & costs etc. all
depend chiefly on the rotor. The most important parameters of the rotor that
exert influence are

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 • The rotor form
• The groove
• The rotor diameter
• Rotational speed along with
• The rotor bearing
• Co-efficient of friction b/w the fiber & the rotor wall.
• The air-flow conditions inside the rotor
• Liability to fouling
Rotors are replaceable element in the m/c.
Rotor-Bearing Dynamic System Simulation:-
Generally speaking, rotor dynamics is a branch of structure dynamics with a
strong focus on "beam or shaft model" adding an important supporting
component, "bearing". Since rotating machines and turbo machinery are
widely used mechanical equipments, rotor dynamics has been singled out
from the structure dynamics field to become a special technological subject.
Basically, a rotor structure contains a shaft, several key components, such as
compressors, turbines and couplings, and of course, the most important
supporting elements, bearings. Dynamic or vibration behaviors concerning
with a rotor-bearing structure include: (1) critical speed, (2) synchronous (rotor
speed is the same as vibration frequency) response, (3) asynchronous
response (rotor speed is different from vibration frequency), (4) stability and
(5) reliability aside from material fatigue.

The following chart depicts the integrated Rotor-Bearing Dynamic system

simulation procedure:

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Automation of the rotor spinning machine :-
The extent of realization:-
Unlike the ring spinning m/c , the rotor spinning machine is easy to automate.
Accordingly , with the exception of can transport , can changing & sliver –
piecing , all the operations on the rotor spinning m/c have already been
automated. i.e.
• Piecing ends down
• Package change
• Yarn length measuremnet.
• Monitoring the quality individual yarn.
• Production-monitoring.
• Rotor- cleaning

Degree of auto mation in yarn piecers:-

Up to 4 automatic yarn piecers travel continually around the m/c or back &
forth on the respective sides, while runnung on the rails mounted above the
m/c. Two or more robots are rather expnesive , but use of extra devices bring
a major improvements in the efficiency , especially in the spinning of coarse
yarns. The doffer replacing the complete packages by empty tubes is some
time incorporated in the same robot used as piecer. But it can also be
designed as aseparate unit. Three or four Robots as designed by Rieter
Company are shown in the figure below.

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Several manufacturers donot require a specially prepared empty tube; in
other; a winding device is provided at the end of the m/c to wind the length of
piecing thread onto each tube.
The package removed by the spinning positions is transfeered by the doffer
robot to one or two conveyor belts running along the packages to one end of
the m/c. The belt or belts convey the packages to one end of the m/c where
they can be placed in cartoons or carriges by hand or by means of a robot .
Package handling:-
Transport of packages to the end of the m/c is is effected by the conveyer belt.
The packages running to the m/c end are ready for removeal, & at present this
step is usually carried out manually, with the packages removed from the belt
being laid inb previously prepared cartons or on pallets.
Length mesurements:-
Special measurement devices provided on each spinning positions register the
exact length wound on the package & stops the spinning position when a
predetermined yarn length is reached.
Monitoring of quality at the spinning position:-
Each spinning position is fitted with a measuring head manufactured by
Zellweger Uster mostly. These heads monitor thick , thin places & neps &
periodic faults.
Logging of operating data:-

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Such equipment mainly provide the following data
• Machine number
• Yarn fineness
• Material
• Twist
• Delivery speed
• Production
• Efficiency of the m/c
• Efficiency of the individual spinning m/c
• Down times
• Number of piecing per package
• Number of doffing operations
• Number of disturbances
• Ends- down rates
• Defective spinning postions
Technical & technological data:-
• Number of spinning positions per m/c up to 220
• Count range 12- 125 Tex (5 – 50
Ne)
• Draft 25- 400
• Speed of rotation of opening roller 6000- 11000
rpm
• Rotation speed of rotor up tp 120000 rpm
• Rotor diameter 32 -65 mm
• Delivery speed ( m/ min) up to 200
• Package mass up to 5 kg
• Angle of taper 2 o
- 4o 20’
• Winding angle 29o – 45o

Comparison of rotor spun yarn with the ring spun yarn :-

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• Breaking strength lower than ring spun
yarn

• CV% of strength better than ring

spun yarn
• Elongation at break higher than
ring spun yarn
• Mass irregularity ( over short lrngths) better than
ring spun yarn
• Imperfection index lower than
ring spun yarn
• Volume greater than ring
spun yarn
• Abrasion resistance higher than
ring spun yarn
• Stiffness higher than ring
spun yarn
• Handle harder
• Power consumption less than
ring spun yarn

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• Possible yarn counts Ne 3 – 60 Ring Ne 6 – 200

• Energy consumption with productivity lower as

compared to ring m/c.

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 • Aesthetic properties
• Surface rougher than ring yarn
• Hariness lower than ring yarn
• Lusture on the dull side
More capital costs & more maintanace cost as compared to ring
machine.

References
• Manual of textile technology by W.klien
• Hand book of yarn production by Peter .R.L ord
• www. Reiter.com
• Spun yarn technology by Eric Oxtoby.

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