Yarn Testing

Yarn Testing

Yarn testing to be done on below parameter:

 Count
 Twist
 Strength
 Elongation
 Hairiness
 Evenness
 Yarn Count

Yarn count – inter-relationship between weight and length of the yarn to indicate
its thickness
Two systems
 Indirect System (Older method)
 Direct System (Newer method)
Indirect system based on length per unit weight system e.g. Cotton Count
Direct system based on weight per unit length system e.g. Tex & Denier
In indirect system higher the count value finer the yarn and vice versa.
Yarn Count
 Yarn Count

Beesley Balance:

 Used to read the count directly for

small sized samples
 Instrument consists of a simple beam
 Beam initially levelled to bring the
pointer opposite to the datum line
 A standard weight hung on the beam
at the pointer side of the pivot
 Yarn Count

Beesley Balance:

 Template used to cut short lengths of

yarn depending on the count system
required
 These short lengths are added to the
hook until the pointer is again
opposite the datum line
 Count is the number of short lengths
required to balance the beam
Yarn Count

Quadrant Balance
 Given length of the sample
measured out and suspended from
the hook
 Count is read directly from the
quadrant scale
 Scale is engraved for more than one
series of values
 E.g. 0.1-1.0 for measuring count of
4 yard samples of sliver, 0.1-6.0 for
20 yard samples of roving, 4-80 for
840 yard samples of yarn
 A quadrant balance can be
calibrated for only one count
system
 For other count systems, separate
quadrant balance needs to used
Yarn Twist

Twist is the measure of the spiral turns given to a yarn in

order to hold the constituent fibres or threads together
expressed in TPI (Twists per inch) or TPM (Twists per meter)
or TPCM.

Twist Direction
 S Twist
 Z Twist
When two single yarns are combined they are again twisted
together.
Normally they are twisted in a direction opposite to the twist
direction of single yarn.
 Yarn Twist

Measurement of Twist:

 Straightened fibre method

 A sample of yarn untwisted to an extent that the fibres in

the yarn are parallel to the yarn axis

 Twist Contraction method

 When a sample of yarn is untwisted it increases in length

and when it is re-twisted in the opposite direction it returns
to its original length

 Twist to break test

 Twist measurement by microscope

Yarn Twist

Twist measurement of plied yarns:

 Straightened yarn method

 Complete removal of twist readily judged by the passing a needle

between the component threads

 Take-up twist testers

 Based on the difference in length between the twisted and

untwisted thread, records both the twist and the change in length
of the thread upon untwisting

 Quadrant Twist Testers

 Yarn Hairiness

Fibres protruding out from the main body of the

yarn is called hairiness.

Importance of yarn hairiness:

It is in most circumstances an undesirable
property, giving rise to problem of fabric
production and also deteriorates the fabric
appearance.
Measurement of hairiness dependent on the
method chosen for detecting the hairs.
In most circumstances it is an undesirable
property, giving rise to problems in fabric
production.

In natural short staple fibre yarns, the reason

behind being wide differences in fibre thickness,
maturity and inadequate spinning process
Yarn Hairiness

In filament yarns hairiness occurs due to:

 weak monofilaments
 inadequate finish
 rough surfaces
 loose running monofilaments which break at subsequent process

Not possible to represent hairiness with a single parameter.

Because the number of hairs and the length of hairs both vary independently.
A yarn may have a small number of long hairs or a large number of short hairs or
any combination in between.
Yarn Hairiness

 The problem is then which combination should be given a higher hairiness

rating.

 It is considered that there are two different exponential mechanisms in

operation, one for hairs above 3mm long and one for these below.

 Number of hairs exceeding 3mm in length as a percentage of the total number

of hairs is found to be linearly related to the linear density of the yarn i.e. there
are more hairs in a fine yarn than there are in a coarse one of the same type.
Yarn Hairiness

Significance of Hairiness:
 It causes problems in printing.
 Fine designs are difficult to make.
 Machine parts life is reduced.
 Benefits – Flannel type fabrics.

Adverse effects of Hairiness:

 Yarn – Low strength in yarns and hence fabrics.
 Sizing - If yarn is fuzzy, size material will not penetrate to required amount
and a greater amount will accumulate on yarn surface (coating is more
and penetrating is less).
 Wear out – The machine parts.
 Knitting – In knitting needles are worn out quickly.
 Shirley Yarn Hairiness Tester

Consists of a light beam shining on a small

diameter photoreceptor opposite to it
Yarn under test is run between the light
and the receptor at a constant speed
As a hair passes between the light and
receptor the light beam is momentarily
broken and an electronic circuit counts
the interruption as one hair
Instrument has two sets of yarn guides
Lower set leads the over a guide at fixed
distance of 3mm from the receptor
Upper set leads the yarn over a movable
guide which can be set at distance of
1mm – 10mm from the receptor
Total number of hairs in a fixed length of
yarn is counted
 Zweigle Hairiness Tester

Apparatus counts the number of hairs at

distances from 1-25mm from the yarn
edge
Hairs are counted simultaneously by a set
of photocells which are arranged at 1, 2,
3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 25mm
from the yarn
Yarn illuminated from the opposite side of
the photocells
As the yarn runs past the measuring
station the hairs cut the light off
momentarily from the photocells, which
causes the electrical circuits to count in a
similar manner to that of the Shirley The instrument measures the total number of
instrument hairs in each length category for the set test
length.
The yarn speed is fixed at 50m/min but the
length of yarn tested may be varied.
Uster Tester 3 (Hairiness meter attachment)

Optional attachment for UT3 evenness

tester
Parallel beam of IR-light illuminates
the yarn as it runs through the
measuring head
Direct light blocked from reaching the
detector
Only light that is scattered by fibres
protruding from the main body of the
yarn reaches the detector.
Amount of scattered light is the
measure of hairiness and it is
converted to an electric signal by the
apparatus
Uster Tester 3 (Hairiness meter attachment)

It is thus monitoring total hairiness

Uster Tester data collection system can
monitor changes in hairiness along the
yarn by means of a diagram, CV of
hairiness, mean hairiness in a manner
similar to that used in Evenness
Testing
Hairiness Index (H) – Total length of
the protruding fibres with reference to
the sensing length of 1cm of yarn
(dimensionless)
 Yarn Evenness

 Concerned with degree of uniformity in the products of various machines used

in the formation of yarn.

 100% uniformity not possible.

 Staple fibres especially of natural origin have variability in fineness, maturity,

length, colour, diameter etc.

 Taking them and forming a yarn of uniform character not possible.

 Efforts are directed to design systems to produce yarns whose regularity

approaches ideal.
Yarn Evenness

Types of irregularity
 Weight per unit length
 Diameter
 Twist
 Strength
 Hairiness
 Colour

Weight per unit length

 Basic irregularity in yarn
 All other irregularities are dependent on it
 Variability directly dependent on proportional to the number of fibres in
the cross-section of yarn
 Proper control on drafting essential
Yarn Evenness

Diameter
 Most easily perceived by the eye
 Has profound influence of appearance of yarn
 Caused by variability in weight per unit length
 Twist tends to run into thin places exaggerating the variability in
diameter

Twist
 Influence on performance of yarn and fabric dyeability and defects
 Low twist areas are the major cause of breaks in weaving preparatory
and loom shed
 Low twist yarns take more dye and so cause uneven dyeing by high twist
variation
 Weft bars and bands are also caused by low twisted yarns
Yarn Evenness

Strength
Yarn breaks at the weakest element
Dependent on variability in count, spinning conditions and mechanical defects

Hairiness
Streaky appearance in warp and weft bars in weft are caused by variation in
hairiness
Results in disturbance in warp shed movement

Colour
Cause variation in fabric colour
Checking of colour before manufacturing of yarn and
Large lot sizes made from a large number of bales mitigate this problem

Causes of irregularity
Caused by raw material, fibre arrangement, fibre behaviour, inherent
shortcoming of machinery, mechanically defective machinery
Yarn Evenness

Nature of irregularity
Short term variations – 1 to 10 times the fibre length
Medium term variation – 10 to 100 times the fibre length
Long term variation – 100 to 1000 times the fibre length

Classification of variation
Random variation
Periodic variation

Random variation
No particular pattern in the defects

Periodic variation
Defect repeats periodically usually associated with a defect in the
machinery
Yarn Evenness

Methods of measurement
Visual methods – blackboards, drums, photographic devices, projection etc.
Cutting and weighing methods – lap scales, lap meters, sliver testers, hank
wrapping, count variation, short cut lengths
Electronic capacitance testers – Uster, Fielden-Walker
Photoelectric testers – WIRA photoelectric tester, LINRA tester
Miscellaneous methods – airflow, mercury displacement

Electronic Capacitance Method

E.g. Uster Eveness Testers
Yarn passed continuously through a parallel plate condenser
Change in capacitance monitored electronically
Sensors available for evaluating evenness of different materials like lap, sliver,
roving and yarn
Yarn Evenness

Uster Classimat Classification of faults

Uster Classimat-II – 23 categories of faults
Uster Classimat-III – 33 categories of
faults
Yarn Strength

Can be carried out on a single strand or on a

skein
Parameters observed while testing
Breaking load
Elongation at break
Instruments used classified into three groups
CRE – Constant Rate of Elongation
CRL – Constant Rate of Loading
CRT – Constant Rate of Traverse
Yarn Strength

All instruments consists of two jaws – the

upper and lower jaw
One of the jaw is fixed and the other
movable
Constant Rate of Elongation
Instrument designed to load the
material in a way to give a constant
rate of elongation
Fixed jaw is rigid without any
possibility of movement
Second jaw moves away at a constant
rate resulting in a constant rate of
elongation test
Yarn Strength

Constant Rate of Loading

Instrument designed to load the
material in a way to give a constant
rate of loading
Constant Rate of Traverse
Movable jaw moves away at a
constant rate
Load is applied on the specimen
through the movement of the
second jaw which actuates a loading
mechanism to put load the
specimen being tested
Yarn Strength

Uster Single Thread Strength Tester:

Automatic single thread tester

Yarn threaded the first time
Instrument automatically carries out the functions of testing,
recording, removal of broken yarn, threading up the next
test length
Different types of fabrics/ Manufacturing methods

Woven [Weaving]
Manufactured by the interlacement of
usually two sets of yarns i.e. the warp and
the weft

Knitted [Knitting]
Manufactured by inter-looping of usually
one set of yarns which can be wither weft
(weft knitting) or warp (warp knitting)
 Different types of fabrics/ Manufacturing methods

Non-Woven
Manufactured by directly binding
fibers/filaments without intermediate
spinning into yarns. May contain
yarns/woven fabric/knitted fabric for
support

Lace
Warp and weft are twisted together to
form a fabric
Different types of fabrics/ Manufacturing methods

Braided Fabric

Formed by interlacing three or more threads diagonally and lengthwise to

form a fabric.
Different types of fabrics/ Manufacturing methods

Net fabric
Fabric made a thread, cord or wire the
intersections of which are knotted by
hand or machine

Narrow fabrics
Woven fabrics made on specially designed
weaving machines e.g. elastic band and
ribbons
Non-Woven Fabric

Conventional Fabric Manufacture Non-Woven Fabric Manufacture

Fibre
Fibre
Yarn

Fabric (Woven &

Fabric
Knitted)
Non-Woven Fabric

 Fabric basically made of web of fibres and not of yarns

 Web may be made of staple fibres, filaments or films
 Yarn manufacture process eliminated
 Higher speed of production
 Less labour intensive
 Low energy requirement
 Higher degree of automation
 Fabrics can be engineered to give a wide variety of properties
 However their aesthetic properties are such that they are not in direct
competition with conventional fabrics in apparel applications
 Main areas of growth of nonwovens are in technical textile applications like
geotextiles, filtration textiles, medical textiles etc.
Non-Woven Fabric

Two types
Durable
Non-durable

Durable
Nonwoven fabrics not intended to be thrown away after a single or limited
use
E.g. apparel interlinings, carpet backing, geotextiles, filtration textiles

Non-Durable
Materials manufactured with the intention of being thrown away after a
single or limited use
E.g. disposable diapers, surgical gowns etc.
Non-Woven Fabric Manufacturing

Two basic steps

 Web formation Opening of fibres
 Web bonding and stabilization

Methods of web formation

Laying of Web –
 Dry-laid web
Parallel/Cross/Random
 Wet-laid web
 Melt-blowing
 Stitch Bonding
Bonding – Mechanical/
 Electrostatic
Adhesive/ Thermal
 Spraying etc.

Nonwoven Fabric
Non-Woven Fabric Manufacturing

Orientations of the fibres in the web

 Parallel-laid web
 Cross-laid web
 Random-laid web

Mechanical Bonding
 Needle punching process
 Fibres made to entangle
among themselves
 Provide adequate stability to
the web
 Done using barbed needles
Non-Woven Fabric Manufacturing

Adhesive Bonding
 Effective in holding the
fibres together
 Provides more strength
than needle punching
 Excessive adhesive can
cause the impair the
properties of nonwoven
 Application of adhesives –
as a powder, as a printed
pattern
 Adhesives – Polyvinyl
acetate, polyvinyl
acrylonitrile etc.
Non-Woven Fabric Manufacturing

Thermal Bonding
 Used on thermoplastic fibres
 When heated melt and fuse
at cross-over points
 Fabrics are stiff and
inextensible as compared to
the other methods
 Fibres with lower melting
point blended with normal
fibres
 On heating only low melting
point fibres melt
 Fewer weld points are
formed
 Nonwoven fabrics with
better properties can be
produced
Thank You