Indian Journal of Fibre & Textile Research

Vol. 20, June 1995, pp. 83-85

Effect of spindle speed on end breakage and yarn quality

while using lower package size
K P Chellamani, K Gnanasekar & S Karthikeyan
The South India Textile Research Association, Coimbatore 641 004, India
Received 25 April 1994; revised received and accepted 5 October 1994

The effect of spindle speed on yam quality and end breakage rate while using lower package size has been
studied. It is possible to increase the spindle speed even by 20% in the case of 40s and finer counts while using
lower package size which would offer a saving ofRs. 14O/spindle/year. Yam quality attributes like strength,
evenness and thick places are not affected at higher spindle speeds whereas thin places, hairiness and CV of
strength show a tendency to increase with spindle speed.

Keywords: Ballooning tension, Cotton yam, End breakage, Package size, Ring frame lift, Spindle speed

1 Introduction
to estimate the extent of higher spindle speeds
Study! conducted at the South India Textile possible while going in for lower package size, and to
Research Association, Coimbatore, has shown that investigate the effect oflower package size on major
the increase in spindle speed from 10,000 to 13,000 yam quality attributes and performance of ring
rpm does not affect yam evenness, thick places and frames.
neps, but there is a tendency for the thin places to
increase with speed. In another study" covering wide 2 Materials and Methods
range of counts from 30s to 80s from cotton, staple Cotton yams of three different counts, viz. 40s K
fibres as well as polyester-cotton blends, it was (carded count), 4QsCH (combed hosiery count), and
observed that yam U%, lea CSP and imperfections 80s C (combed count), were used. The important
do not show any appreciable increase with spindle quality characteristics of the cottons used are given in
speed. Yam hairiness, however, increases with the Table 1.
increase in spindle speed. This confirms the findings Two short-length ring frames of 64 spindles
of pillay", each=-one with 180 mm lift and 42 mm ring diameter
Pioneering study on balloon control in ring (180mm x 42 mm package) and the other with 152
spinning by platts+' has led to several empirical mm lift and 38 mm ring diameter (152 mm x 38 mm
relations connecting spinning process parameters
package), fabricated by Textool Company Limited,
and spinning machinery parameters with ballooning
Coimbatore, were used for the controlled studies at
tension. As per these empirical expressions, reduction SITRA pilot mill. Spinning was carried out at 3
in spindle lift and ring diameter should reduce different spindle speeds for each count (Table 2).
ballooning tension substantially, This, in turn, could The major process parameters employed in
be expected to help to go in for higher spindle spinning are given in Table 3. Besides noticing the end
speeds.
A recent study" has clearly shown the advantage of Table I-Quality characteristics of cotton
using lower package size in ring spinning for energy Parameter Cotton
conservation. In addition to energy savings, lower
package size will also help to go in for higher spindle Count, Ne 40s K 40s CH 80s C
speeds due to reduced tension in the yam. However,
2.5% Span length, mm 29.4 30.0 35.0
the extent to which the spindle speed can be increased
Fibre bundle strength, g/tex
while going in for lower package size should be (3 mm gaugej (Stelometer) 22.1 25.6 27.2
decided according to the extent to which various yam Micronaire value, ~g/in 3.2 3-.4 3.3
quality attributes get influenced at higher spindle Uniformity ratio, % 49.5 54.6 54.1
speeds. Therefore, the present study was undertaken
84 INDIAN J. FIBRE TEXT. RES., JUNE 1995

Table 4 .. Effect of spindle speed on end breaks while using

Table 2--Spindle speeds used for different counts
different package sizes
Count Spindle speed, rpm
Count Spmdle.speed End breaks per 100 spindle hours
Ne Ne rpm
Ring frame 180 mm 152mm
lift 180 mmx42 mm 152mm x 38 mm
40s K 14,400 14,400, 15,840 and 17,280 4.44
40s K Level 1-14,400 5.93
40s CH 14,000 14,000, 15,400 and 16,800
Level II - 15,840 5.89
80s C 16,000 16,000,17,600 and 19,200
(5.35)"
Level III - 17,280 7.90
Table 3-Process parameters employed in spinning (6.58r
Parameter Cottun 40sH Level I - 14,000 8.01 6.50
Level II - 15,400 7.67
Count 40sK 40s CH 80s C (6.97)a
Ne Level II1-- 16,800 10.44
Hank rove, Ne 1.2 1.2 2.8
(8.70)"
T P I 27.07 23.0 34.2
80s C Level 1- 16,000 9.42 5.27
Back zone setting
60 Level ll-17,600 8.70
in ring frame.. mm 60 60
(7.90)"
Level III- 19,200 13.20
(11.00)"
aBreaks for equivalent linear length while using 152 mm x 38 mm
breaks at different spindle speeds, the quality of yarn package.
was observed for strength, evenness and imper-
fections. Table 5- Yarn quality at different spindle speeds
Count, Spindle speed Tenacity CV% of Hairiness
Ne rpm g/tex strength index"
3 Results and Discussion
40s K 14,400 15.67 8.84 4.68
3.1 Effect of Lower Package Size on End Breaks in Spinning
15,840 16.34 '10.61 4.84
The results of end break study carried out using the 17,280 15.72 11.08 5.06
two experimental frames for 3 different counts are 4.40
40s CH 14,000 15.36 9.39
given in Table 4. It is observed that while using lower
15,400 15.48 9.30 4.55
package size (152 mm x 38 mm), even at a 10% higher
16,800 15.73 9.02 4.56
spindle speed, breaks are marginally lower as
80s C 16,000 17.71 10.23 3.40
compared to those observed while using 180 mm x 42
17,600 Inl 11.97 3.49
mm package. In ring spinning, keeping other things
18,200 17.04 12.04 3.55
constant, the ballooning tension is proportional to
ring diameter and square of balloon diameter+". "Total length of all protruding fibres (expressed in ern) measured
over a yarn length of I em in Uster 3 installation
Naturally, one would expect a reduction in bal-
looning tension while using lower package size and
hence breaks due to ballooning tension to be low. 3.2 Effect of Lower Package Size on Yarn Strength Strength
However, the rate of change in end breaks between Variation and Hairiness
speed levels II and III is higher as compared to that The strength, strength variation and hairiness of
between speed levels I and II even though there is yarns produced at 3 different spindle speeds while
incremental change in speed between levels I and II. using 152 mm x 38 mm package are given in Table 5.
This may be due to disproportionate increase in thin It is observed that the yarn strength is practically
places when spindle speed increases beyond a certain constant at all the 3 spindle speeds studied. However,
value. This aspect needs confirmation by exploratory CV of strength and hairiness show a tendency to
studies. However, the excess breaks while using 152 increase with spindle speed; the increasing trend
mm x 38 mm package at 20% higher speed is only being predominan.t only in 40s K yarns. This is
about 1-1.5 per 100 spindle hours (as compared to understandable in terms of per cent short fibres in
breaks observed while using 180 mm x. 42 mm carded yarn as compared to that in combed yarn. In
package size). It may not be expected to alter the general, hairiness index lies between Uster 10 to 25%
quality of yarn due to increased breakage rate and the norms for the counts studied, even at increased
additional piecings due to reduced package size. spindle speeds.
 CHELLAMANI et al.: EFFECf OF SPINDLE SPEED ON END BREAKAGE & YARN QUAUTY 85

Table 6-Evenness,. thick places and thin places at different spindle speeds
Count Spindle speed Roving Yarn U% Thick places/km Thin places/km
Ne rpm U%
A B A B A B

40s K 14,400 5.35 16.11 16.04 1244 1190 143 140

15,840 5.35 16.03 1179 135
17,280 5.35 16.38 1236 170
40sCH 14,000 4.25 12.32 12.28 231 262 II 13
15,400 4.25 12.34 272 14
16,800 4.25 12.38 254 14
80s C 16.000 4.98 13.90 13.84 324 342 89 100
17.600 4.98 14.08 341 99
19,200 4.98 13.97 329 104
• A-152 mm x 38 mm package; B-180 mm x 42 mm package .

3.3 Effect of Spindle Speed on Evenness and Imperfections While speed. Increase in hairiness and CV of strength due to
Using Lower Package Size the increase in spindle speed is more for carded
The evenness and imperfections of yarns spun at yarns.
various spindle speeds while using lower package size
are shown in Table 6. It is observed that while thick Acknowledgement
places do not change with spindle speed for the counts The authors are thankful to Mr T V Ratnam,
and range of spindle speeds used, thin places show a Advisor, SITRA, and Miss Indra Doraiswamy,
tendency to increase, even though the observed Director, SITRA, for their valuable guidance during
change is not statistically significant. The values of this work.
thick and thin places while using lower package size at
a spindle speed of 15,840 rpm are comparable to those References
obtained while using larger package size at spindle I Govindaraju K, Krishnaswamy N & Sankara Narayana K S,
speed of 14,440· rpm. Proceedings, 14th joint technological conference of ATlRA,
BTRA & SITRA (The South India Textile Research
Association, Coimbatore), 1973, 55.
2 Ratnam T V & Manive1u K, Proceedings, 23rd joint techno-
logical conference of A TIRA, BTRA, SITRA & NITRA (The
4 Conclusions
North India Textile Research Association, Ghaziabad), 1982,
4.1 While using lower package size (152 mm x 38 46.
mm) as compared to 180 mm x 42 mm package, it is 3 Pillay K P R, Proceedings, 5th joint technological conference of
possible to increase the spindle speeds even by 20% A T1RA, BTRA & SITRA (The South Indian Textile Research
for 40s and finer counts. Besides lower energy input, Association, Coimbatore).1963, 69.
4 Balloon control: Part I~neral theory of balloon, Platts
this would offer a saving of abcut Rs. 100-130/
Bulletin, Val. VIII, No.6 [Platts Bros. (sales) Ltd., Oldham),
spindle/year even after taking into consideration the 1954, 162.
increased wages cost due to reduction in number of 5 Balloon control: Part II-General theory of yarn tension,
sides allotted per tenter. Platts Bulletin, Vol. VIII, No.6 [Platts Bros. (sales) Ltd.,
Oldham), 1954, 178.
4.2 At higher spindle speeds, yarn quality
6 Ratnam.', V&. Indra Doraiswamy, Proceedings, 34th joint
attributes like strength, evenness and thick places do technological conference of ATlRA, BTRA, SITRA & NITRA
not get affected. CV of yarn strength, thin places and (Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association,
hairiness show a tendency to increase with spindle Ahmedabad), 1993, 59.