A 12 UNIfloc: The art of automatic bale opening

A further feature of the A 12 is the innovative bale scanning. The take-off unit determines the heights of the bales by means of scanning force measurement and quickly equals them out.

The A 12 UNIfloc is the new automatic bale opener from Rieter. It is part of the blowroom line VARIOline and supplies the downstream machines and cards with material. With the A 12, the VARIOline attains a production rate of over 2,000 kg/h. The machine has been completely redesigned. With the A 12, Rieter relies on a design that is also used in the Formula One.

Patented wobble disc take-off roller in the take-off unit. For gentle, continuous extraction of the tufts. The construction of the UNIfloc is based on the so-called «Monocoque» design. This is familiar from the field of aircraft construction or the Formula One. The result is a stable, maintenance-friendly machine for highest production.

A further feature of the A 12 is the innovative bale scanning. The take-off unit determines the different heights of the bales by means of scanning force measurement and quickly equals them out. Through this uniform take-off, the machine achieves its highest possible production rate in the shortest time.

Inside the take-off unit, there is a roller with numerous teeth which gently opens the bales into very small tufts. This is the basis for effective cleaning and dedusting in the subsequent blowroom process. Remarkable is that the A 12 is extremely efficient, even with these very small tufts.

In the A 12, motors and servo-units of the latest technology are used and this also enables the UNIfloc to recover energy during production. The brake power which is generated during reversal of the take-off roller is fed back into the electricity grid.

Rieter is the world’s leading supplier of systems for short-staple fibre spinning. Based in Winterthur (Switzerland), the company develops and manufactures machinery, systems and components used to convert natural and manmade fibres and their blends into yarns. Rieter is the only supplier worldwide to cover spinning preparation processes as well as all four final spinning processes currently established on the market. With 15 manufacturing locations in nine countries, the company employs a global workforce of some 5 020, about 20 per cent of whom are based in Switzerland. Rieter is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under ticker symbol RIEN.