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Spinners know only too well the cost of defects leading to off-quality yarn. Neps are among the more difficult defects to deal with. Raw cotton inevitably contains some neps, but the problem can be made worse at any stage in processing by poor maintenance and incorrect machine settings. To control this and avoid customer complaints, spinners need a reliable, effective and comprehensive method of measuring nep levels.
The USTER® MN100 nep tester provides the solution, monitoring the complete production sequence and helping to trace the source of the neps at each stage. What makes the USTER® MN100 special is its range of application across processes from raw material through roving. The USTER® MN100 is based on the industry-standard AFIS® and offers many of the same nep measurement advantages. It is a tool spinning managers can use as the basis for key decisions about quality, maintenance, and process settings. All the following benefits from USTER® MN100 features come at an affordable price.
Small instrument with big impact on production cost optimization
Knowledge of nep variability within and between processes is the key to preventing costly processing difficulties – which results in greater profits through maximum efficiency and consistent quality. Control charts provided by the USTER® MN100 give an overview of all processes, to identify machines that are not optimized, as well as checking the effectiveness of maintenance programs. An example is the tracking of card sliver neps to determine the card clothing
grinding schedule, to maintain a consistent nep level. The traditional method of scheduling the grinding/replacement cycle, based on kilograms of cotton processed over time, is a costly proposition. Savings can be realized through less machine downtime and lower usage of materials, by controlling maintenance cycles with the help of the USTER® MN100. Neps in yarn are counted according to their size, and the yarn’s sensitivity to the size of the nep is determined by the fineness of the yarn. For this reason, the Critical Nep Size feature is included in reports from the USTER® MN100. Vital in ring spinning is the size distribution of neps in the roving being fed to the ring spinning machine. The USTER® MN100’s unique capability to measure roving material allows for the determination of the average nep size. This average nep size is compared to the critical size limit for a given yarn count, which is crucial in controlling neppiness in fabric, saving costly quality claims, lost orders and reduced profitability. “Neps, left uncontrolled, will contaminate all processes and rob a mill of profit, which is why the USTER® MN100 is a smart investment,” says David McAlister, Product Manager – Fiber Testing within Uster Technologies.
USTER instrument standards turn to further benefits
Simple operation and a user-friendly interface make the USTER® MN100 ideal for the daily task of monitoring and controlling processes in the laboratory. Proven hardware and software are behind the accuracy and precision of the USTER® MN100, making it a reliable tool you can count on to improve the consistency of your yarn quality. Long-term reports provide the basis for quality improvement from a historical view. The spinning manager is able to trace back in time to the source of neps. A further benefit of the USTER® MN100 is that the system produces data comparable to the world referencebenchmarks, the USTER® STATISTICS, as it uses the AFIS® standards. Test results correlate to USTER® STATISTICS AFIS® neps/gram for benchmarking purposes. Controlling fiber neps with the USTER® MN100 provides cost-efficient benefits for spinners – in terms of both reduced waste and lower raw material costs – but weavers also profit from quality management focusing on neps. ‘Nep-free’ yarns enhance the efficiency of weaving due to lower stops. The benefits are higher productivity and reduced costs in subsequent process, as well as better fabric appearance – which itself is a direct result of a better yarn appearance. “So, we can see that the USTER® MN100 even makes the customer’s customers happy,” affirms McAlister.
