For the first time, mills can now intelligently correlate ring quality data and winding quality data in a single system – for significant profitability increases. RSO 3D is the ‘third dimension’ of quality. A case study from practice shows how a mill made real gains, with the vital figures to prove it.
An ambitious spinner was aiming to reach the next level of quality management. For this customer, it was essential that quality, as well as profitability, had to be improved. The medium-sized spinning mill in India installed Uster-Muratec RSO 3D as part of an expansion project. The installation includes 30 compact ring spinning machines with Uster Sentinel, in combination with Muratec QPRO EX/FPRO EX featuring Spin Inspector and Uster Quantum yarn clearers. On these machines, the customer produces 100% combed cotton yarn, in counts Ne 26 and Ne 32.
Advantages in percentages
When the new installation was being started up, a direct comparison between RSO 3D and the standard installation was executed as a trial to demonstrate the difference.
The evidence showed that the spinner was able to reduce yarn faults by 10% and yarn alarms by 12% in both counts with RSO 3D. Quality blocks were reduced by a further 7% and finally clearer quality cuts by 8%.
Overall, this spinner was able to reduce the total yarn splices by 5%, producing about 5 kg more good yarn per machine per month.
Money talks, clearly
The mill’s results are impressive. Some small calculations convert the facts into numbers. Let’s start with energy savings. By reducing yarn joints on the winding machines, the customer needed less compressed air and thus less electricity for the machine compressor unit. These savings together amount to approximately 954 kWh per machine per month. Calculated at about USD 0.08 (INR 6) per kWh, this comes to USD 77 (INR 5,724) per machine per month. With 30 machines, this amounts to USD 27,720 (almost INR 2 million) the whole year.
On top of the financial savings, the mill also noted an increase in the level of ‘good’ material. The 5 kg reduction in waste means there is 5 kg more good yarn per machine every month which can be sold. With 30 machines, this totals 1800 kg more yarn per year. Based on a price of USD 3.77 (280 INR/kg), this achieves an increase in sales worth another USD 6,786 (INR 500,000).
Combining both these calculations, the overall gain for the spinner totals INR 2.5 million per year, equivalent to about USD 35,000 per year, apart from significant savings due to reduced clearer cuts.
Further advantages can also be expected in downstream processes. Fewer cuts mean the yarn has fewer potential weak points leading to less stoppages due to yarn breaks. This makes it possible to adapt subsequent process speeds, while the customer will also benefit from an improved fabric appearance.
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