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Introduction
Stenter is an open width fabric finishing machine in which the selvedges of a
textile fabric are held by a pair of endless traveling chains maintaining tension. The
attachment of fabric may be by pins or clips. Such machines are used for drying,
heat setting of thermoplastic material, fixing of dyes and chemical finishes, chain
mercerizing, controlling fabric width etc.


Functions of Stenter Machine
i) Controlling the width of the fabric by adding or releasing tension in its
selvedges.
ii) To give the fabric some chemical finishes as required.
iii) Fixing the dyes or chemical finishes over the fabric.
iv) Drying the fabric after dyeing or wet chemical finish processes.
v) Heat setting of the Thermo Plastic material.
vi) Chain mercerizing.
vii) To have the fabric in roll or other suitable package form in the delivery
section of the m/c which then can be dispatched to the customers.


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Basic Working Principal of Stenter:
The stenter line has units: 2 padders, 1 weft straightener, 1 tenter and drying
chambers. There are also steaming, selvedge degumming and curing arrangement.
At least padder is simply wash with water. The squeeze pressure normally 5 bars.
In two padder the fabric is treated with softener. The fabric is passed through
tenter. There are two steams along fabric width that apply steam from below fabric.
There are gumming unit before drying chamber. In stenter, fabric enters in drying
chambers by gripping with chain pin and with over feed/ under feed that is with
more controlled conditions. The drying chamber has 7 units. Generally temperature
kept about 150 200 C.
The fabric comes out form chamber by tenter chains grip-ping with pins. Before
delivery the fabric is removed from the tenter chains by unpinning rollers and then
the cutting units cut the additional fabric from the gummed sides. Now at delivery
side there is an antistatic arrangement to remove static electricity from heated
fabric.




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Heat Setting:
The purpose of heat setting is to dimensionally stabilize fabrics containing
thermoplastic fibers. Blended polyester/cotton fabrics are produced in large
quantities. These fabrics may shrink or distorted either during wet processing or in
the consumer's hands. Heat setting is a way of reducing or eliminating these
undesirable properties. The process is relatively simple - pass the fabric through a
heating zone for a time and at a temperature that resets the thermoplastic fiber's
morphology memory.
The new memory relieves the stresses and strains imparted to the fiber by the yarn-
making and weaving processes, and makes stable the configuration it finds itself in
flat smooth fabric. The time and temperature needed for the heat treatment depend
on fabric density and previous heat history of the polyester. Usually 15 - 90
seconds at temperatures of 385 - 4150 F will sufficent. The heat setting equipment
can be hot air in a tenter frame or surface contact heat from hot cans.

Temperature: Normal 130-150c
Heat-Set 180-210c
Heating Arrangemen: For Gas Stenter: Rotamatic Burner
For oil Stenter: Thermo-oil



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Important parts of stenter
Burner (12)
Exhaust air fan (16)
Over feed roller
Suction fan (12)
Nozzle
Chain arrangement.

Fig: Diagram of a Stentering Machine with Fabric Path


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Main parts of the machine:
Feed zone
Centering device
Chemical padding zone
Squeezing roller
Chemical tray
Bowing control zone
Bowing roller (rubber roller, no
of roller -2)
Sensor (no of sensor -6)
Uncurling roller
Chain entry zone
Uncurling device (both side of
the chain entry)
Sensor (both side of the chain
entry)
Brush roller (for attaching the
fabric with the pin of the chain,
no of brush roller -4)
Selvedge gumming device with
gum box under the chain entry
Drying zone
Gas rotamatic burner (10)
Cooling zone
Delivery zone
Relax R/r
Padder
Pin roller
PLC profivassleeve converter.
Plaiter roller
Take up roller
Wheel

TYPES OF STENTER



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Working Process :

Basket

Spindle R/r

Centering R/r

Spindle R/r

Water Padder

Squeezer (1) (4 PS1)

Dancing R/r

Spindle R/r

Softerner Padder

Squeezer-2 (3PSI)

Dancing R/r


Bowing control R/r

Under feed R/r

Over feed R/r

Brush wheel

Endless Pin Chain

Steam BOx

Burner Chemicals

Cooling Fan

Take-up R/r

Planter

Delivering Basket

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DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF STENTER MACHINE
Padder Section: In the padder section the fabric is treated with chemicals
specially with softener and acid in two tanks.
Weft Straighter: The main function of Weft Straightner is to control the
bowing & Skewnesss of the fabric.
Width Setting Chamber: This Chamber control the width of the fabric by
clip of pin.
Heatting Chamber:This chamber controls the shrinkage and the G.S.M of
fabric.
Temperature Range:
Cotton-- 150
0
C~170
0
C
Polyester-- 165
0
C~185
0
C.
With Lycra -- 175
0
C~190
0
C.
Cooling Chamber: This chamber cooled the hot fabric before reach to
delivery zone.
Exhaust Motor: This specific part used to exit the steam produced in the
chambers and also exit the extra temperature from the machine.
Delivery Zone: This zone delivered the fabric in a folded form.In this zone
the fabric has to pass through several rollers in order to prevent the
formation of crease mark in the finished fabric.
Fabric Feeding
The In-feed system can be supplied suitable to take up fabrics either from batches
or loose folds. The machine can be upplied with an Accumulator for continuous
operation.


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Fig: Fabric Feeding Zone
Over Feed Zone
A simple and accurate over-feed system using Variable Frequency Drives with AC
Geared Motors ensures perfect and precise Selvedge Tension rollers.

Fig: Over Feeding Control Zone
Technical Parameters
Machine Parameter

Set Up Value
Padder Pressure

Bar (depends on the pick up requirement of the fabric).
Temperature Setting

90-180 C (according to the shade, quality and process of fabric).
Blower Fan Setting

Low or high (according to the quality of fabric).
Exhaust Fan Setting Manual.
Width of Machine Chain
Setting

110 cm up to 260 cm (according to the required fabric width of
fabric).
Over Feed

60% (as per the required weight of fabric).
Burner Gas Pressure

30-50 m/bar.
Machine Speed

60 up to 60 m/min (according to the quality of fabric).
Light Weight (100-140) gm 14-18 m/min
Heavy Weight (190-250) gm 10-150m/min


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Fabric Type Overfeed % Temperature
0
C Speed
(m/min)
Stretch (%)
Inch
Light
Color
Deep
Color
Single Jersey
30 % to 45% 150-155
0
C 160-165
0
C 25~28 Depend on
fabric G.S.M
Single Lacoste
30 % to 42% 150-160
0
C 160-165
0
C 22~26
Depend on
fabric G.S.M
Polo Pique
30% to 45% 150-160
0
C 160-165
0
C 20~25 Depend on
fabric G.S.M
Interlock
30 % to 40% 165
0
C 165-170
0
C 22~24 Depend on
fabric G.S.M
Parameters for cotton Fabric:
Maintenance Points of a Stenter Machine
Fabric Feeding
Over Feed Zone
Chemical Finish by Padder Roller
Weft Correcting Zone
Drying & Curing Zone
Lubrication
Others
Machine requires proper maintenance for smooth operation. Maintenance of
stenter machine is done in three ways.
Breakdown maintenance: where machine is repaired in its broken or failed
point.
Preventive maintenance: where the machine is under check up on timed
schedule.
Predictive maintenance: where measuring actions detect the degradation of
machine, allowing casual stressor to be eliminated or controlled prior to any
significant deterioration in the component physical state.
But in our country the mostly followed way is the first one.


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Maintenance:
Motor rpm: motor rpm should check to maintain the proper revolution as
we need.
Proper movement of roller: every free roller should move freely as
required. We need to ensure the free movement of these rollers.
Proper gearing and fabric path: proper gearing should maintain to
maintain proper speed and proper fabric path should maintain to ensure
uniform tension through out the machine.
Temperature: proper temperature through the machine should maintain
constantly and should rise and lower evenly with the gradient as require.
Proper fan speed: the fan of the Stenter machine is more important parts.
So we have to maintain its proper speed
Proper width adjust: control of fabric width should adjust considering the
shrinkage of the fabric.
Conclusion
As a finishing machine, stentering machine plays a vital role to make the fabric
suitable for delivering to the customers having demanded criteria. A single
processing fault in this machine can cause the whole fabric making process to be
unworthy & a humiliate loss of time, moey & energy. Therefore proper functioning
of each portion of this machine has to be proper & as desired. To assure this,
scheduled and proper maintenance of the machine is obvious.








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Drying:
Drying is defined as a process where the liquid portion of the solution is
evaporated from the fabric. In Relax dryer machine in BKL containing 2 Gas
burner, 2 Chamber, 8 Blower and 2 Conveyer net.
Dryer Machine
Dryer machine is used for removing the residual water contained in the fabric after
squeezing by applying heat on the fabric. In this machine the fabric is fed on the
drying net at low over feed speed and the humidity is continuously measured.
Drying is done by applying heat through burner nozzles. During drying the total
heat passed through the machine is extracted by the exhaust fan

Fig - Schematic Diagram of a Dryer Machine
Functions:
To dry the fabric with the help of blower and burner.
To control the shrinkage of the fabric.
To prepare the fabric for next subsequent process.
To dry fabric without tension.
To remove residual water containing in the fabric

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Key Accessories
Measuring tape.
Die-cutter.
Electronic Balance.
Expander.
Scissors.
Trolley.

Standard Operating Procedure
To clean the machine properly.
To clean the trey for every chamber.
To check the proper activity of burner.
To check over feeding and vibrating.
To check the conveyor belt.


Working principle of dryer:
The fabric pass through the dryer after dewatering.
The main function of the dryer is given below:
-To dry the fabric
-To control the overfeed system.
-To control vibration which increase the GSM.

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The m/c contain two chambers. two mesh endless conveyors are placed lengthwise
to the chamber named conveyor net and filter net . each chamber contain aburner,
which supply hot air. This hot is guided through he ducting lin by suctionfan. there
are a nozzel placed in btnfilter and conveyor net. when fabric pass through on the
conveyor net, hot air is supplied to the wet to dry it. There are exhaust fan which
such he wet air and deliver to tea to through the ducting line.
The speed of dryer depends on the temp of the m/c & GM of the fabric. If the m/c
temp is high& m/c speed also high and the m/ c temp. is low then mc speed also
low. The vibration speed of the m/c for heavy fabric is 730m/min and normal
fabric is 480m/min.

Fig-Schematic Diagram of a Dryer Machine
Machine Setting
Machine Parameter Set Up Value
Temperature Setting (100-120) for white shade, (120-130)
for light shade, (130-140) for dark
shade, (150-170) for curing.
Blower Fan Setting Auto
Exhaust Fan Setting Auto
Machine Speed 3-35 m/min (depends on quality).
Over Feed 0-40% (depends on construction).
Width of Expander Setting 45-114 cm (depends on the required
width of fabrics).
Burner Gas Pressure 10-15 M/Bar.

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Fabric Type Overfeed
%
Temperature
0
C Speed (m/min) Folder
Speed
(m/min)
Vibration
Color White
Color
High
G.S.M
Low
G.S.M
Single Jersey 30 % to-40% 150-160
0
C 130-150
0
C 15-20 20-25 2~3 As
Required
Single
Lacoste
30 % to-35%
160-165
0
C
130-150
0
C
15-20 20-25
2~3 As
Required
Polo Pique 30 % to-40% 155-160
0
C 130-150
0
C 15-20 20-25 2~3 As
Required
Interlock 30 % to-40% 165-170
0
C 130-150
0
C 14-18 22-24
2~3
As
Required
Grey
Mlange
30%-40% 155-160
0
C 130-150
0
C
10-18
20-22
3~4 As
Required
For cotton fabric:

Types of dryer



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Santex Dryer
Dryer- (multifunctional)
Band name:- Santex
Origin: China
M/C Type- Santashrink progress.
Year of construction- 2008
Chamber: -4
Com.no: 6960/2600(mm)
Elect-Voltage: 3400/50(Volt/Hz)
Connected Load: 193/435(KW/A)


Function of Santex dryer m/c:
To dry the fabric.
To control the hand Feel
To control the Twist
To control the shrinkage + Dia + Gsm


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Main Parts of the Machine:
1. Drying Net.
2. Heating Chamber:
3. Blower.
4. Burner.
5. Free Roller.
6. Centering Roller.
7. Scroll Roller.
8. Folder.
9. Rubber Belt for fabric delivery.
10. Exhaust fan.
Controlling points of dryer:
1. Overfeed .
2. Temperature .
3. Padder pressure .
4. Speed
Heating arrangement:
Heating chamber: 4
No of burner: 4
Checking points of Dryer:
1. Shade check
2. Width check
3. Fabric faults (color spot, uneven, hole, Dia,mark, ec).


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Checking parameters:
1. Overfeed ( %) : It depends on fabric structure & GSM
2. Temperature: It depends on color & GSM.( normally for single jersey -
1600C, for high GSM, like-fleece, it may be 2500C )
3. Speed: It depends on fabric GSM. For higher GSM, lower the speed.
GSM Over feed
Up to 120 14-15%
120-140 12%
140-200 7-8%
200-250 5-6%

Hot Air Circulating System of Dryer
In Dryer machines air is recirculated which passes from the exhaust sluts and air
controller flaps. Then the air is passed over the nozzles through which fabric is
passed and routes it over to the heat exchanger which lets the air to be heated by
the burner. The circulating air fan allows the hot air to pass uniformly through the
nozzles to the fabric where the air controller flaps control the upper and lower
nozzle air and thus the fabric is heated. Finally the used hot air is passed on to the
exhaust air duct.



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Operation parameter
Temperature: Set the temperature between 130
0
c -150
0
c for white and
150
0
c -170
0
c for color fabric.
If GSM increase than the temperature is increase Or, if moisture content increase
than temperature is also increase.

Standard Operating Procedure:
Machine should be cleaned
Padder should be cleaned
Stenter pin should be checked
Tray of each chamber should be cleaned
Function of auto chamber should be checked
Padder pressure should be adjusted
Function of burner should be checked
Overfeeding speed should be checked
Conveyor belt should be checked
Dancing roller should be checked
Limitations and faults of the machine and advise for removing these.
Selvedge drying system is not properly functioning.
Maximum over feed of the machine is +60%.
When the steam temperature is 1000C-1200C, then delivered fabric
temperature is 45-500C. But there is no cooling zone in this machine to
reduce the excess temperature. So a cooling zone in delivery zone can be
attached.