14.

Ring Spinning Systems

Errol Wood

Learning objectives
On completion of this topic you should be able to:

• Explain the principles of ring spinning and the roles of the components of a spindle
assembly in all three machinery versions

Key terms and concepts

Ring spinning, slubbing, sliver, roving, singles and folded yarns, gilling, drafting, combing, noils,
ring frame, spindle, traveller, balloon, end break, package build, false twist device, drafting
rollers, apron.

Introduction to the topic

This topic covers the most widely used means of producing a wool yarn, the ring spinning
technique, which is common to all three wool processing routes.

14.1 The principles of ring spinning

The input into a ring frame can be any of the following:

• Twisted (flyer) rovings – worsted and semiworsted system

• Twistless (rubbed) rovings – worsted and semiworsted system
• Sliver – semiworsted system
• Slubbings – woollen system.

Figure 14.1 shows the essential features of a single spindle assembly, which is one production
unit of a ring spinning frame.

Figure 14.1 A single spindle of a ring spinning frame. Source: Wood, 2006.

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The spindle is driven by a tape or belt, making the bobbin rotate at high speed. Surrounding
each spindle is a flanged metal ring fastened in a ring rail. During the operation of the frame the
ring rail traverses up and down to distribute the yarn on the bobbin.

Attached to each ring is a small metal or synthetic clip called a traveller (Figure 14.2), which is
free to rotate around the ring. The yarn coming from the front rollers is threaded through this
traveller and fastened to the bobbin. Winding-on of the yarn is accomplished by the traveller
lagging behind the spindle and bobbin, the yarn thus being drawn on to the bobbin; ie, the
traveller guides the yarn on to the bobbin. The level of twist inserted in the yarn is governed by
a combination of the surface speed of the front rollers and the rotational speed of the spindle.

The rotation of the bobbin causes the traveller to cycle rapidly around the ‘ring’ at speeds of up
to 40 metres per second. The speed of the traveller limits the productivity of ring frames,
because of excessive wear and heat generated at high speeds. To reduce friction between
traveller and ring, oil is continually applied to the ring as a lubricant.

Figure 14.2 Traveller on ring. Source: Wood, 2006.

Ring spinning frames are used for worsted, semiworsted and woollen yarns, the major
differences being the sizes of packages and travellers, the diameter of the ring and the drafting
rollers.
Figure 14.3 shows the mechanism by which twist inserted as the traveller moves around the
ring. One cycle of the traveller on the ring inserts one turn of twist in the strand.

Figure 14.3 Inserting one turn of twist. Source: Wood, 2006.

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The tension applied to the yarn is affected by the air resistance on the yarn, the friction of the
ring and traveller and the centrifugal force set up as the ‘balloon’ of yarn and the traveller
revolve (Figure 14.4). (The balloon is the curved section of yarn between the guide and the
traveller.) These in turn are influenced in varying amounts by:
a) the mass and shape of the traveller
b) the yarn count and twist
c) the diameter of the ring in relation to the diameter of the bobbin
d) the speed of the bobbin, which impacts on the speed of the traveller.
The usual method of altering the tension or drag is to change the size (mass) of the traveller. A
heavier traveller imposes a greater tension while a light traveller causes more ballooning. In
general, heavier travellers are used for heavier counts and usually the maximum traveller mass
is used which is consistent with good spinning performance, ie, an acceptable rate of end-
breakages. As a last resort it may be necessary to reduce the spindle speed to control the end-
breakage rate.
Figure 14.4 Forces acting on the yarn during ring spinning. Source: Wood, 2006.

The speed of the traveller is the limiting factor in ring spinning, with a maximum traveller speed
of around 45 m/s. Smaller ring sizes enable high spindle speeds to be achieved whilst keeping
traveller speed below the maximum. Spindle speeds range from 2,000 - 17,000 rpm while ring
sizes go from around 45 mm to 300 mm. Figure 14.5 shows the effect of ring size on the shape
of the balloon. The balloon profile becomes larger and bulges out more at the base as the
tension decreases.
Figure 14.5 Balloon shapes under various ring spinning conditions.
Source: Wood, 2006.

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Separating plates between each spindle prevent each yarn balloon from fouling the
neighbouring spindle positions.

Traveller and spindle speeds

To maximise production, it is usual to try to run the spinning frame as fast as possible without an
excessive number of end breaks occurring. The maximum spindle speed is generally determined
by the end break rate, the number of operators manning the frames and the speed and dexterity
of the operators in making a good piecening in a yarn after an end break.

The traveller guides the yarn on to the tube and traverses up and down with the ring rail as well
as moving at high speed around the ring. The travellers are typically ear-shaped and are made
of steel, nylon, nylon with glass or carbon fibre and nylon with steel inserts in contact with the
yarn.

The usual method of altering the tension or drag in ring spinning is by changing the size or
weight of the travellers. A heavier traveller imposes a greater tension, while a light traveller
allows more ballooning of the yarn to occur. Most traveller weights vary between 7 and 70 mg.
The choice of traveller depends on the spindle speed (n rpm), the ring diameter (d mm), the yarn
count, the yarn type and yarn strength.

The value of the product nd can be used as a guide to the spinning performance of a yarn, with
excessive heating of the ring and traveller (which reduces traveller life) being the limiting factor.
The traveller has a maximum speed of about 40 metres per second (or 140 km/h). A typical
5
value of the product nd for nylon travellers is around 7 x 10 .

A speed limitation arises due to the count of the yarn. When spinning yarns heavier than 200 tex
from wool or wool-rich blends wear of the yarn on the traveller may occur. The yarn gradually
wears a deep groove, and long before a traveller breaks this groove causes a much hairier
(rougher) yarn to be produced, with possibly more end breaks.

It is usual to try to run the spinning frame as fast as possible without an excessive number of end
breaks occurring. For example, if the spindles are running at 5000 rpm and the yarn is leaving
the delivery rollers at 20 metres per minute then it will have 5000/20 or 250 turns per metre of
twist inserted. If a high twist yarn of, say, 500 tpm is required then only 5000/500 or 10 metres
per minute of yarn will be produced.

The spindle speeds can be readily checked by a stroboscope, a light source which flashes at
regular short intervals. When the frequency of the stroboscope light equals the rotational
frequency of a spindle, the spindle appears stationary. Any slight deviations from the
stroboscope frequency appear as slow rotations of the spindle. Using the stroboscope,
significant deviations (~ 7 – 10%) from the required spindle speed, which might arise from belt
slippage, can be identified and eliminated.

Spinning end breaks

As the yarn is wound onto the bobbin it is under tension. A component of this tension is the force
required to move the traveller against the friction between the ring and the traveller. The
centripetal force of the balloon rotation also contributes to the tension, and air resistance, yarn
count and twist also have an effect. If the tension on a strand exceeds its breaking strength, an
end break will inevitably occur.

The important factors influencing end breaks are:

1. the number of fibres in the strand;

2. the propagation of twist up the strand to this point;
3. the mean tension and tension fluctuations on the strand.

The weakest part of forming a yarn will be at the point where the twist is inserted. In ring
spinning this point is just below the front drafting rollers (the so-called ‘spinning triangle’), and
most breakages occur here. No twist exists for fibre cohesion at this point, so when the number
of fibres becomes too low to support the tension on the strand of fibres, the end breaks.

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Obviously, the more fibres in the cross-section of the strand, the more the yarn will be able to
withstand the tension applied. Problems will arise when the number of fibres in the cross-section
of the strand varies significantly or the peak value of the tension fluctuation is too high. The
number of fibres is determined by the laws of probability, so that even if the number of fibres in
the yarn cross-section is 35, the actual number will be lower than this 50% of the time.

The variation of the number of fibres in the cross-section causes thin and thick places in the fibre
strand. As these pass through the twist insertion point, the thin places are more easily twisted
than the thick places; hence thin parts will tend to have more twist than the thicker parts. A very
thin part of the ribbon will become over twisted and weak, and this will make the yarn susceptible
to peak tension fluctuations.

The tension on the yarn is greatest when the winding circumference is smallest. This leads to the
common practice of slow start up speeds for spinning frames.

Package build
The yarn is wound onto the bobbin in an orderly manner so that the package formed can
withstand handling and can be unwound without becoming entangled.

Variable speed drives are often used on ring frames to counteract the effect on tension of a
varying winding-on diameter, especially when a new set of tubes is being started. A slow speed
is needed when the package is small and the tension is highest, and is then gradually raised to
its maximum value. As the package increases in size the speed of the spindle is kept almost
constant, and then is gradually reduced until the package is complete.

The drives can also be used to control the speed of the spindle throughout the up and down
cycle of the ring rail, with the highest speed at the bottom of the cycle where the package (or
cop) has its maximum diameter. The lowest speed occurs at the top of the cycle where the yarn
is being wound onto the diameter of the empty tube.

When the twisted yarn passes down on to the package it is necessary to wind the yarn on in an
orderly manner so that it forms a package which can withstand handling and which will unwind
without become entangled. This is achieved by controlling upward and downward traverses of
the ring rail. A common form of traverse is shown in Figure 14.6, along with the shape of the
package produced. This shape of package is called a cop. Here the yarn moves down slowly
and up quickly to provide locking coils and to avoid sloughing-off when the yarn is subsequently
unwound.

Figure 14.6 Ring rail traverse and package shape for cop build. Source:
W ood, 2006.

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Spinning frame features
Modern ring frames have a number of features which enhance their performance. Some of
these features are standard on almost all machines, while others are optional extras.

1) Variable speed motors can counteract the tension changes of varying winding-on
diameters. When a new bobbin is started a slow speed is required because when the
bobbin is narrowest the tension is highest
2) By restricting the maximum balloon radius using a control ring, the air drag and centrifugal
force is reduced on the balloon. Hence the tension in the yarn is reduced. With finer yarn
counts the maximum balloon diameter is reduced and it may be less than the spinning ring
diameter. Under such conditions the effectiveness of control rings ceases
3) Improved design of both rings and travellers, together with improved ring lubrication, permit
higher spindle speeds
4) Nylon travellers also enable higher spindle speeds
5) Other aids such as the ‘Pneumafil’ system use suction to remove broken ends and facilitate
piecening, hence improving production efficiency
6) A stop motion device where electronic sensors detect end breaks
7) Suction and/or blowing heads move back and forth along the machine removing dust and
fly
8) Automatic doffing systems are available to save labour costs. These may doff the frame in
one unit or remove full spindles from a group of spindles only. The empty tubes are
automatically loaded from a magazine by a conveyor, while the bobbins are transported to
a container or the next stage (usually winding).

Advantages and disadvantages of ring spinning

The most expensive process in yarn production is the insertion of twist into a strand of fibres.
This is due to the fact that at each spindle position both the strand mass per unit length and the
strand velocity are very small. As a result, the production at each spindle is severely limited.
The capital cost, power cost and labour cost per spindle have been reduced as far as possible
by the spinning machinery manufacturers, but they still remain very high in relation to the
production rate. This follows directly from the method used both to insert twist and to wind the
yarn onto a package.

Generally, ring and traveller systems have the following technical advantages and
disadvantages:

Advantages
• Offer a wide spinning count range (5 – 300 tex)
• Can process most natural and man-made fibres, and blends
• Produce yarns with tensile strength and handling aesthetics suitable for the majority of
fabric end uses.

Disadvantages
• Even with the ideal situation of no end breaks, spinning is still discontinuous because it has
to be stopped for doffing
• To attain high twisting rates (and hence high production speed) the yarn package must
be reduced in size, resulting in more frequent stoppages for doffing
• The maximum speed is restricted by the frictional contact of ring and traveller, and
the yarn tension
• Bobbin size is restricted by ring diameter
• Yarn has to be re-wound to larger size packages.

14.2 Ring spinning machines

While the same general principles hold for worsted, semiworsted and woollen spinning, there
are major differences in the machines used in the three systems. These differences are
summarised in Table 14.1. Wide ranges within each spinning system are evident in the draft
levels, ring diameters and spindle speeds. These may be varied depending mostly on the twist
and count of the yarn being produced.

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Table 14.1 Comparison of spinning machines (typical). Source: Wood, 2006.
Worsted Semiworsted Woollen
Input material Roving Sliver Slubbing
Drafting system Rollers and aprons Rollers and aprons Rollers
Level of draft 15 – 30 80 – 120 1.2 – 1.3
Diameter of ring (mm) 45 – 65 75 – 180 100 – 300
Spindle speed (rpm) 7,000 – 17,000 3,000 – 6,000 2,500 – 4,000

Woollen ring spinning

A woollen ring spinning frame, as shown in Figure 14.7, comprises:

• an overhead creel to hold the spools, with positive let-off drum feed
• a drafting system incorporating a false-twist device, and
• collapsed-balloon spindles.

Figure 14.7 Spindles on a woollen ring spinning frame. Source: Wood,

2006.

Operation of the spinning frame

Slubbing is unwound by frictional contact between the spools and the drum. Each slubbing end
is taken through the nip of the back rollers. The thread then passes through the false twisting
device which is close to the nip of the front rollers (see the next section).

There are many variations of the path of the yarn from the nip of the front roller until the yarn is
placed on the yarn package via the traveller. The traveller slides on the inside of the ring and
rotates around the rotating spindle. Friction between the traveller and ring as well as drag on the
yarn causes the traveller to lag behind the spindle. The difference in speed between the spindle
and traveller causes the yarn to wind onto the package.

The spindle is driven by the driving belt connected to the spindle. A suction tube is positioned
just below the front rollers of each spindle to collect a broken end and send it to a cabinet for
collection (and subsequent recycling back to the card hopper). This helps to keep the spinning
frame clean, prevents fibres from lapping around the front roller and makes it easier to join
(piecen) a broken end. Suction (or pneumafil) tubes are also essential for removing broken ends
in worsted and semiworsted spinning frames.

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During ring spinning a balloon is formed by the yarn, due to the action of the centrifugal force on
it (see Figure 14.5). Woollen ring frames have relatively large rings in comparison with worsted
spinning in order to obtain an adequate length of yarn on the yarn packages. But when larger
rings are used and acceptable spindle speeds are maintained, yarn tension is increased due to
the larger diameter of the balloon and a higher chance of end breaks is the result.
One or two balloon control rings may be used to restrain the size of the yarn balloon. Almost
invariably there are also separating plates to restrain the balloon. The spindle top (or crown) may
have a ‘finger’ attached to it which entraps the yarn and brings the top of the balloon down to
near the top of the spindle. Alternatively, the spindle top may be shaped with notches so that the
balloon is completely collapsed, except in the region of the traveller. The yarn, instead of
ballooning, coils around the spindle and also around the yarn tube near the top. The yarn then
travels out to the traveller before it is wound onto the yarn package.
With this ‘collapsed balloon’ spinning it is most desirable that the yarn guide (or lappet or ‘pigtail’)
be maintained at a certain distance above the spindle top. The notched spindle top inserts twist
in the yarn – by driving twist up to the nip of the front rollers where the thread of fibres is
twistless and hence weakest, the rate of end breaks is reduced at higher spindle speeds.
Recent developments in the ring spinning of woollen yarns mostly involve automation, ie,
• Automatic doffing of full packages, fitting of new tubes, replacing slubbing packages, and
joining of slubbings are available. Automatic doffing reduces labour and improves
productivity
• End-break detectors and monitors allow problem spindles to be identified
• Provide information on traveller, roller and spindle speeds enables yarn production and
twist to be determined by monitoring systems
• Adjustment of the various spinning operations and parameters is possible at an electronic
console.
These innovations are also available in worsted and semiworsted spinning frames.
Drafting and the false twist device
Because the blends used for woollen yarn are relatively short, they are not suited to roller
drafting (as used in worsted and semiworsted processing to convert a sliver into a finer strand of
fibres). The drafting of the slubbings is in the range 20-30%, which is exceptionally low in
comparison with the drafts used in worsted and semiworsted spinning. Drafting of delicate
woollen slubbings is only feasible because they are given cohesion by the application of false
twist. The false-twist device (Figure 14.8) rotates at about half the speed of the spindle and
inserts about 80 – 160 turns per metre of twist in the strand.

Figure 14.8 False twist device. Source: Wood, 2006.

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The count and quality of the yarn produced by a woollen frame are largely determined by the
quality of the slubbings supplied. Small corrections to the count of the yarn can be made by
adjusting the draft. Drafting is controlled by the speed of rotation of the false-twist unit, which
increases the inter-fibre friction and thereby provides greater fibre control during drafting. It
reduces the strand irregularity by preferentially drafting thick places with low twist since twist
generally runs into thinner places thereby increasing the inter-fibre cohesion there.

A speed that is too high on the false-twist unit causes the fibres to bind and this inhibits drafting.
On the other hand, fibre control is lost when the speed is too low and the number of end-breaks
increases. Longer fibres need less drafting twist than short fibres.

Worsted spinning frame

Figure 14.9 shows a typical worsted spinning frame with:

• A pair of rovings wound off the package

• Drafting zone with a combination of aprons and rollers
• Spindles including control rings.

The sizes of the travellers, rings and packages are much smaller than those on a typical woollen
spinning frame, reflecting the finer counts of yarn produced on such machines.

Figure 14.9 Worsted spindles. Source: Wood, 2006.

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Because of the high level of fibre alignment achieved through the gilling, combing and roving
steps, very fine, even, firm yarns with satisfactory strength can be spun on the worsted system.
Figure 14.10 shows a roving and a worsted yarn, illustrating the high level of draft required to
convert a riving into a yarn.

Figure 14.10 Roving and worsted yarn. Source: Wood, 2006.

Semiworsted spinning frame

For most semiworsted yarns spinning takes place directly after the third gilling step. However,
for fine yarns it is necessary to produce a finer sliver than can be produced on a gillbox. In these
cases a roving frame is used prior to spinning. As an alternative, a two-zone drafting system
may be used on a spinning frame to provide the high drafts required.

Figure 14.11 shows the drafting section of a semiworsted spinning frame used for the
production of carpet yarn. The top drafting rollers have been raised to reveal the slivers in
position for drafting.

Figure 14.11 Drafting section of semiworsted spinning frame (HDB).

Source: Houget Duesberg Bosson.

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Figure 14.12 shows a relatively complex, double zone drafting device.

Figure 14.12 Double zone drafting system. Source: NCS Schlumberger.

The ratch (the distance between the back and front drafting rollers) should be set such that no
fibre has both ends nipped at the same time. Fibres a little shorter than the ratch will pass easily
from the back nip to the front nip. Short fibres are not nipped at all for a significant period of
their passage across the drafting zone. Such “floating fibres” tend to be carried in groups
towards the front rollers, creating thick and thin places in the yarn. The function of the drafting
aprons and the intermediate rollers is to control the movement of the floating fibres and hence
promote evenness.

Lighter counts of semiworsted yarn (eg, for face-to-face carpets) can be spun using a double-
zone drafting system where a roller drafting system, perhaps with a short apron, is followed by a
conventional double-apron system. The first zone applies a draft up to 8 and the draft in the
second zone may be up to 25, giving a total maximum draft of 200. Floating fibres in the first
zone are controlled by soft “Sampre” rollers which apply light pressure to the sliver.

Irrespective of whether single or double zone drafting is used, the general principle followed is
to operate the card and gillboxes at standard settings and to adjust the draft at the spinning
frame to achieve the required yarn count.

Readings !
The following readings are available on CD

1. Wool Research of New Zealand. 'What makes a good yarn'? From the Tangling With Wool
Series. WRONZ, Lincoln, New Zealand.
2. Wool Research of New Zealand. 'More good yarns'. From the Tangling with Wool Series.
Wronz, Lincoln, New Zealand.

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 Activities
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Summary !
Summary Slides are available on CD

This lecture compares the three main routes for converting wool into yarn. These routes differ
significantly in their fibre requirements, the machinery required and the characteristics of the
yarn they produce. However, the three routes also have a number of common features such as
the need for carding, the organising of the carded fibres in an appropriate form for spinning, and
the application of twist as the yarn is formed into a package.

The most widely used method of forming a wool yarn is by the ring spinning technique. This
method, which is common to all three routes, is examined in some detail in the lecture. While
ring spinning frames for woollen yarn manufacture impose very little draft on the fibrous strand
(slubbing), the worsted and semiworsted machines use high draft systems on roving and sliver,
respectively

References
Houget Duesberg Bosson, MS-MM Semiworsted Spinning Frames. Product Marketing
Brochure. Houget Duesberg Bosson, Belgium.
Hunter, L. (2002), Mechanical processing for yarn production, Chapter 6 in Simpson, G.H. and
Crawshaw, Wool: Science and Technology, Woodhead Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-85573-574-1.
NCS Schlumberger, CF50 Ring Spinning Frames. Product Marketing Brochure. N.C.S.
Schlumber, France.
Oxtoby, E, (1987), Spun Yarn Technology, Butterworths, ISBN 0-408-01464-4.
Parton, K., (2002), Practical wool dyeing, Chapter 8 in Simpson, G.H. and Crawshaw, Wool:
Science and Technology, Woodhead Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-85573-574-1.

Glossary of terms
Apron A small belt that assists in controlling fibres in the drafting zone of a
worsted and semiworsted spinning frame
Backwashing The washing of wool sliver before or after gilling and/or combing

Balloon The curved path of a yarn between the yarn guide and traveller on a
spindle
Bobbin A slightly tapered tube, mounted on the spindle, onto which the yarn is
wound in ring spinning

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Bulk The space-filling characteristic of a yarn that contributes desirable handle
and warmth to knitwear and good cover to carpet pile
Burr beater A brushed roller on a worsted and semiworsted card that works in tandem
with a Morel roller to eject vegetable matter from the wool flow
Carbonising A chemical (acid) process for eliminating vegetable matter from wool by
degrading it to a friable state
Card Machine for carrying out carding, the disentangling, cleaning and mixing of
fibres to produce a continuous web or sliver suitable for subsequent
processing
Carding wool Wool more suited for woollen processing (as opposed to combing wools)
Carder The second half of a woollen card, between the intermediate feed and the
condenser section
Clearing Automatic and detection and removal of yarn thickness faults
Clothing The pinned, spiked or toothed metallic layer covering the surface of a card
roller
Comb Machine for carrying out combing (removal of short fibres, vegetable
matter and neps) and straightening of fibres in the worsted processing
route
Combing wool Superior wool with suitable properties for worsted processing (as opposed
to carding wools)
Condenser The final section of a woollen card; divides a broad web of fibres into
narrow strips which are then consolidated by a rubbing action into
slubbings
Count See Linear density
Doffer The large, slow roller that removes fibres from the swift of a card
Doffing Removing full yarn packages from a spinning frame and replacing them
with empty tubes
Drafting Process of reducing the linear density of a sliver or roving by causing the
fibres to slip relative to each other. Occurs in the drafting zone. (See Roller
Drafting)
Draft ratio The ratio of the front roller speed to the back roller speed in a drafting
zone
Dry spinning Woollen yarn making using a sufficiently low level of lubricant that no
subsequent scouring step is required
Evenness (or regularity, uniformity) In slivers, the absence of thick and thin places; in
yarns the absence of thick and thin places, periodic variations in thickness
or neps or slubs
False twist Insertion of temporary twist in a slubbing to provide it with sufficient
strength for drafting and twist insertion in woollen spinning
Fancy The fast, long-bristled roller on a card that raises fibres to the surface of
the swift so that they are more easily removed by the doffer
Feed sheet The slow-moving conveyor that transfers the wool from the feed hopper to
the first stage of the card
Floating fibres Fibre is a sliver or roving in a drafting zone that are not in contact with any
rollers
Fly Fibres floating away from the wool flow and settling on flat surfaces etc.

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 Folded yarn A yarn composed of two or more singles yarn, twisted together
(sometimes called twisted yarn or plied yarn)
Gillbox A machine for carrying out the gilling operation
Gilling The process of aligning fibres in a sliver by drawing lines of pins through it
(as well as performing drafting by drafting rollers)
Hank dyeing Process where hanks of finished yarn are immersed in dye liquor for
dyeing
Intermediate feed Mechanism in a woollen card for transferring the web from the scribbler
section to the carder section, and cross-lapping the web to improve side-
to-side blending
Kilotex The unit of linear density for slivers and tops - 1 ktex = 1 gram per metre
Linear density The mass of material in a given length, ie grams per kilometre (the tex)
and grams per metre (kilotex); used for slivers and yarns (often called yarn
‘count’)
Loose stock Dyeing process where the material is in loose form, eg, scoured wool,
dyeing carried out before carding
Lubricant An emulsion of a special oil and water, sprayed as a mist onto wool before
carding to aid processing (sometimes called a fibre processing aid)
Morel roller A roller on a worsted card with special flat-topped teeth which is designed
to release vegetable matter fragments by the action of a burr beater
Nep Small entangled knot of fibres; often produced in carding
Noils Fibrous waste removed by a comb; may be suitable for recycling
Package build The formation of a yarn package of the required shape for stability
Piecening The joining of two strands of fibre either manually or automatically, eg, to
mend a spinning end break
Peralta roller A pair of heavy steel rollers that apply high pressure to the card web,
crushing particles of vegetable matter so they fall away more readily
Pneumafil tube Suction tube for removing a broken end from the spindle area of a woollen
spinning frame
Ratch The distance between the front and back rollers in a drafting device
Regain Moisture content of wool or yarn; calculated by expressing the mass of
water in a sample as a percentage of the original mass of the sample (ie,
before it is dried)
Ring Provides a circular path for the traveller in a ring spinning frame
Ring spinning A spinning system in which twist is inserted in a yarn using a traveller
revolving around a ring
Roller drafting The process of drawing out a sliver or roving to reduce its linear density
using two pairs of rollers having different surface speeds. The region
between the pairs of rollers is the drafting zone
Roving A fine, even, well-aligned strand of fibres formed by drafting a top; the
input material to worsted spinning
Scribbler The first half of a woollen card, between the feed hopper and intermediate
feed
Semiworsted The process of spinning yarn from a sliver produced by carding and gilling,
route the sliver not having been combed

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Setting The process of stabilising the twist in a yarn by heat, steam or chemical
means
Singles yarn The twisted strand produced by ring spinning (as opposed to a folded
yarn)
Sliver An untwisted rope of fibres, produced by carding or gilling
Slubbing A thin untwisted strand of fibres produced by the tape condenser of a
woollen card
Spindle The driven shaft on a ring spinning frame that rotates the bobbin
Stripper A small, high speed roller on a card that transfers fibres from a worker
roller back onto the swift
Swift The large roller with a high surface speed that moves fibres through a card
Tape condenser The final unit of a woollen card that (1) divides the web into narrow strips,
and (b) uses a rubbing action to convert each strip of fibres in slubbing
Tape scour A series of bowls (scouring and rinsing) interspersed with squeeze rollers,
used for scouring (and sometimes chemical setting) of yarns. The hanks of
yarn are transported by tapes that run through each bowl
Tex The unit of linear density for yarns (1 tex = 1 gram per km)
Top A combed sliver of exceptional cleanliness, evenness and fibre alignment;
the input material for worsted spinning
Topmaking The production of a top using the sequence of operations: carding, gilling
and combing
Traveller The small metal or plastic guide through which the yarn passes to the
spinning (or twisting) package. It is mounted on the ring and is dragged
around by the yarn
Tufting Formation of a pile fabric where loops of yarn are inserted in a base fabric
Twisting The combining two or more singles yarns to produce a two-fold yarn (or
three-fold, etc.)
Warp The set of threads fed lengthwise into a weaving loom, often from a warp
beam
Web The thin, uniform sheet of fibres produced by a card
Weft The threads inserted width-wise in a loom when forming a woven fabric
Woollen route The production of yarn by carding on a woollen (condenser) card, followed
by ring spinning and twisting
Wool scouring High production, gentle washing of wool to remove wool grease and other
contaminants before yarn manufacture
Worker A slowly rotating roller on a card that interacts with the swift to open and
blend the tufts of fibre
Worsted route The production of yarn from combed wool, in which the fibres are
reasonably parallel. It uses the processes of carding, gilling, combing,
backwashing, roving, ring spinning and twisting

WOOL482/582 Wool Processing 14 - 15

©2009 The Australian Wool Education Trust licensee for educational activities University of New England
14 - 16 – WOOL482/582 Wool Processing
©2009 The Australian Wool Education Trust licensee for educational activities University of New England