Optical yarn clearers detect yarn inconsistencies. Their performance is critical   for the quality of rotor yarn. Customers who refurbish their yarn clearer regularly, benefit from improved yarn quality and consistent machine performance. Rieter recommends refurbishing the yarn clearer after five to ten years of operation to restore its original performance.

Rieter’s semi-automated rotor spinning machine BT 923 is widely used among customers and is one of the company’s most popular models (Figure 1). Based on Rieter’s experience, the yarn inspection and clearing function of the yarn clearer IQ+,  may deteriorate after five to ten years of continuous operation, primarily due to ageing of the equipment. This deterioration in performance can lead to issues such as yarn non-cutting, which can cause quality inconsistencies. It can also lead to increased yarn cutting and nuisance stoppage of the rotor spinning position which will significantly increase the workload for machine operators due to piecing and restart. Hence, the overall production efficiency drops.

Uniform and consistent yarn clearing is key

Rieter provides a fast and cost-effective solution with its IQ+ yarn clearer refurbishment which can be carried out at Rieter’s repair service centers around the globe. The special refurbishment kit comprises a new housing and the replacement of broken housings and aged components. After the refurbishment, the yarn clearer is calibrated using specialized test equipment to ensure the best quality. The yarn clearer reference value is recalibrated based on the original equipment specification (Figure 2).

Rieter yarn clearers use advanced optical sensor technology with an integrated microcontroller for an online evaluation. This sensor precisely detects yarn faults and communicates these to the machine software. Refurbishing damaged or non- functioning yarn clearers not only helps reduce maintenance costs but also helps extend the lifetime of the spare parts. The uniform and consistent quality of yarn delivered from each rotor spinning position eliminates the need for operator intervention.

Customers benefitting from refurbishment

“Rieter’s refurbishment of yarn clearer IQ+ helped us regain the original performance of the rotor spinning position. The yarn faults in the packages and false cuts are eliminated. This provides us with assured yarn quality and an improvement in productivity,” says Sriram, Factory Manager, The Kadri Mills (Unit of KG Mills), a vertically integrated textile company located in Coimbatore, India, founded in 1946. The Rieter customer produces cotton rotor yarn counts ranging from Ne 10 to Ne 20 with BT 923 semi-rotor machine.

Chen Shun Ming, Chief Engineer at Zhejiang Huzhou Weida Group Co, China, also benefitted from the yarn clearer refurbishment, ”Through a complete refurbishment of the yarn clearer, its functionality was restored to its like-new function. The overall operation of the rotor spinning machine and yarn clearer is stable, the miscutting is improved, the work of blocking is reduced, the effect is very good, we are very satisfied.” Zhejiang Huzhou Weida Group Co, was established in 1985. The company is specialized in producing eco-friendly rotor mélange yarns such as viscose, cotton, polyester blends, acrylic, Tencel, bamboo, and modal blends.