eAFK HQ: The world’s most productive DTY machine

The world’s most productive texturing machine with 576 positions simultaneously excels in terms of its extremely space-saving construction, says André Steingass of Oerlikon Barmag.

With the eAFK HQ Oerlikon Barmag introduced its latest DTY innovation, an extension of the eAFK automatic draw texturing machine family. The world’s most productive texturing machine with 576 positions simultaneously excels in terms of its extremely space-saving construction. With this, customers are able to texture their products on a machine with the smallest space requirements per position within the DTY market. Moreover, they benefit from the up to 50 per cent increase in productivity offered by the eAFK HQ compared to other texturing machines supplied by competitors.

HQ – high quantity / high quality

Over the past few decades, machine lengths have grown from fewer than 216 to 288 and finally 384 positions. Today, the Oerlikon Barmag DTY machine portfolio offers manual or automatic machines with up to 16 sections or 384 positions for all cross-sections.

With the aim of developing a machine concept that was more productive than the existing 4-deck machines, Oerlikon Barmag concentrated on a new concept for the automatic eAFK machine family with the following objectives:

Increasing the yarn ends and yarn density per m² to

• Reducing the space requirements,
• Increasing output per m² and
• Improving energy efficiency. with

• Operator-friendly design,
• Doffing efficiency up to >99 per cent,
• Wide operational range and
• No compromise in terms of yarn quality and package formation.

The result of the development efforts is the eAFK HQ. HQ – short for ‘High Quantity / High Quality’, with up to 576 positions sports a 4-deck take-up solution to increase the throughput capacity while improving the economy of the process.

While adding a fourth deck, two positions have been added on each deck to further improve the yarn to m² ratio. In order to achieve an increase of yarn ends in the same given space, all single components in the yarn path prior to take-up have been addressed.

Machine concept

Concept-wise, the eAFK HQ comprises an Oerlikon Barmag Multispindle texturing zone design, which from the start allows single-yarn treatment with single-driven friction aggregates. To allow the additional yarn ends to be further processed, the feed system, the string-up as well as the first and secondary heaters had to be redesigned in addition to the general changes applied to the take-up unit. Optimised yarn handling was the primary focus of the development.

The eAFK HQ in the standard cross section offers the customers a process window of 30-300 den at a maximum mechanical speed of 1,200 m/min. The yarn ends per section have been increased from 24 to 48, with the expansion of take-up positions per deck from 4 to 6 while adding a fourth deck. All single components have been re-engineered with this space optimisation in mind:

• The G1/G2/G2x godet feeds have been redesigned, decreasing the diameter to allow proper single-feed treatment. 
• The pneumatic string-up device has been redesigned to accommodate 24 single yarn ends.
• The first heater has been redesigned to provide greater savings and with a higher number of yarn ends in mind, resulting in 10-15 per cent energy savings potential compared to a conventional 2 m first heater. The new energy-saving secondary heater has been introduced, also with up to 10-15 per cent energy savings compared to conventional secondary heaters.
• The eAFK HQ ATT is the next generation of the Advanced Take-Up solution. The new system further improves the package formation for conventional and dye packages.
• The individual automatic doffer ensures up to 99 per cent doffing efficiency.
• The Jumbo Rotary Creel, included as standard, has been improved for easier handling and loading for the higher number of POY bobbins.

Highest yarn density with up to 576 positions

In comparison to its peers, the eAFK HQ has a m²-to-yarn-end ratio of 0.68 m² per yarn end in its most space saving design, which saves up to 15 per cent of space at the same throughput per position in comparison to alternative machine concepts. A production machine with 12 sections now offers a maximum of 576 positions. Each side has 288 positions equal to a complete machine of today’s standard. Drastically reduced space requirements are combined with the highest energy-saving potential. With the eAFK HQ, Oerlikon Barmag today already shows manufacturers how they can optimise the production processes of the future.