From Yarn to Thread: Exploring the Process of Thread Manufacturing
by Coats Group Best Sewing Threads and thread manufacturing compaThe
art of thread manufacturing is continuously evolving to meet the
changing quality standards and trends in the clothing and apparel industry.
Modern manufacturing practices have introduced new techniques like air jet
texturising, intermingling, and texturising, which have allowed for the
creation of continuous filament constructions in a single-ply format.
Materials
Most sewing threads nowadays
are predominantly made from synthetic materials such as polyester or nylon, largely
superseding the traditional use of natural fibres like cotton and linen. That
said, cotton remains the preferred choice when it comes to handicraft threads. But
in instances where machinery is used to achieve the handicraft effect—such as in
logo embroidery— synthetic threads are quickly becoming the go-to replacement
for cotton and rayon.
Filaments and fibres for sewing threads are chosen based on these characteristics:
·
Recovery and
elasticity
·
Elongation at
break
·
Abrasion
resistance
·
Flammability
and heat resistance
· Tenacity or the strength relevant to thread size
Spinning cotton and polyester fibres involves several steps:
1.
Opening - The bales of staple fibre are opened and blended in this
initial step.
2.
Cleaning - This step, applicable only to cotton, aims to remove dirt,
leaf, and seed fragments mixed with the fibres.
3.
Carding - In this stage, fibres in lap form pass through Cards, which
separates and purifies them further. They are then formed into a sliver or a
tow, akin to a rope of fibre.
4.
1st Stage
Drawing - Generally, six or eight
slivers are merged and stretched out into a single sliver using a drafting
roller system. This machine operates by spinning the front rollers faster than
the back ones.
5.
Sliver Lap
Forming - Only for cotton, multiple
slivers are fed into the Sliver Lap machine, which aligns them, draws them out,
and rolls them up into a lap.
6.
Ribbon Lap
Forming - In this step, again specific
to cotton, several laps are stacked and fed into a Ribbon/lap machine. The
resulting product is another lap, serving as the input for the combing machine.
7.
Combing - The laps are presented to the Comber, which combs out short
fibres and aligns the remaining long ones, returning them to a sliver form.
8.
Draw Frame - 2nd Stage Drawing - After combing (only for cotton), several
slivers are combined and fed through the post-comb draw frame to reduce
irregularities and to parallelize fibres.
9.
Slivering 2 - For polyester fibres, the second drawing stage replaces the
sliver lap, ribbon lap, and post-combed drawing steps, leading to a shorter
process route.
10. Roving - The sliver
from the previous step is then drawn down to a weight appropriate for ring
spinning, producing a thinner sliver known as a Roving. A light twist is added
to provide the Roving some strength.
11. Ring Spinning - In this
final stage, the Roving is thinned to the required weight or thickness, and a
twist is added for strength. The resultant yarn is then wound onto a ring tube.
12. Core Spinning - If the thread
is to be a Corespun thread, then a pre-stabilised yarn of Continuous Filament
Polyester is introduced into the spinning process.
13. Tow Spun Polyester Threads - These threads, also known as Schappe, Craq, or Tow Spun
yarns, are produced by stretching a tow of continuous filaments to the breaking
point, resulting in variable but longer staple fibres.
14. Clearing, Splicing, and Winding - Post-spinning, yarn is taken from the ring tubes, checked for
faults, spliced together to produce longer lengths, and then wound.
15. Assembly Winding - In
this stage, "cleared" yarns are assembled into a suitable package for
the twisting machines.
These processes are designed to blend the staple fibres, align
them in parallel, and enhance regularity, thereby preparing them to be
converted into "grey" or "greige" thread.
Got questions?
Coats is a leading manufacturer of threads with extensive
experience in producing many different types using proven and advanced
construction methods and technologies.
The team at Coats is ready to address questions or concerns
about thread
manufacturing, so feel free to contact them. With
their help, you can be assured that you are using high-quality sewing threads
that can increase your sewing line’s productivity.
About the Author:
Coats
is the world’s leading industrial thread company. They are headquartered in the
UK, with a workforce of 17,000 in 50 countries across six continents around the
world. Coats provide complementary and value-adding products, services and
software solutions to the Apparel & Footwear industries. Coats apply
innovative techniques to develop high technology Performance Materials threads,
yarns and fabrics in areas such as Transportation, Telecoms and Energy, and
Personal Protection.
Our vision is to be the world’s leading industrial textiles company
delivering innovation, digital solutions and sustainable value to all
stakeholders.
Sponsor Ads
Created on Jun 1st 2023 01:38. Viewed 166 times.