Long-staple yarn production

Sheep
Wool comes from sheep. They grow a wool coat and once a year this wool coat is sheared off the
animal.
There are three major types of long-staple yarn production systems; these are called

1. Worsted,
2. Woolen,
3. Stretch-breaking.

In practice, some worsted and woolen manufacturing plants also make their own staple
by cutting or stretch-breaking tow. There is much more variation in plant layout for long-staple
yarns than there is for short-staple ones.
The worsted system was devised for twisted yarns made from wool but it has been
adapted for man-made fibers such as acrylic and its blends. In principle, it is similar to the short-
staple systems just described except that a wet scouring operation precedes the mechanical
processes, different types of card are used, and the machine elements are generally larger than
for short staple. It is an important process.
Woolen processing, despite its name, can also involve the processing of a variety of long
fibers ranging from wool to man-made fibers. The process (one of the original short-process
lines) consists of a card set comprising several roller-top cards assembled in series on a single
frame as well as spinning frames; and winders. The yarns are softer and weaker than worsted
yarns.
Stretch-break systems use only man-made filament tows and usually start with a
stretch-breaking machine, omitting the carding and preceding processes. It is a relatively short
process line. In carpet yarn production, the system is in competition with bulked filament
production, which has limited its growth as a system. Very occasionally, the stretch-broken
material is fed to a card when there is a desire to blend it with a natural fiber.

1. Fleece
The shorn wool coat is called a fleece. It is also called "grease wool" because of all the oil
and lanolin in the wool. This fleece must be cleaned before it can be processed into wool
yarn. There is much vegetable matter, manure and natural oil that must be removed.
Sometimes as much as 50% of the weight of the fleece is not wool.
2. Skirting a fleece
The wool from the back end of the sheep, their legs and sometimes their belly is too full
of manure to use. These are referred to as "tags" (as in the phrase "tag end"). These are
removed first before washing the fleece; this process is called skirting, as all the edges of
the wool coat are removed.
The fleeces are also sorted into the various types: fine from coarse and short from long.
– Wool sorting is done by expert skilled workers who distinguish the different
qualities by touch and sight.
– Twenty different grades are obtained from one fleece.
– Each grade is determined by type, strength, length, fineness, elasticity and
strength.
– The grading system on the world market is based upon the British numbering
system which relates the fineness or diameter of wool, etc.
3. Scouring
 “A thorough washing of raw wool in an alkaline solution is called scouring.”

a. The scouring machine contains warm water, soap and a mild solution of soda-ash
or other alkali and is equipped with automatic rakes which stir the wool.
b. Rollers between the vats squeeze out the water.
c. Valuable by products are obtained from the spent liquors in the scouring of wool.
d. The most important by product is lanolin which is largely used in manufacture of
cosmetics, adhesive plasters, disinfectants, ointments,etc This removes the grease
and oil in wool and makes it absorbent to dye.
4. Drying
Wool is not allowed to dry completely; 12-16% of moisture is left over.
5. Oiling
Wool becomes unmanageable after scouring, the fiber is usually treated with
various oils, including animal, vegetable and mineral or a blend of these to keep it from
becoming brittle and to lubricate (oil) it for the spinning operation.
6. Dyeing
If wool is to be dyed in the raw stock, it is dyed at this stage whereas wool fabrics
are piece-dyed, yarn skin dyed and some are top-dyed.

7. Blending
a. Wool of different grades may be blended or mixed at this stage.
b. Inferior grade of wool mixed with better grades of wool or a small amount of cotton is
blended with a raw wool and a greater amount of twist is increase the strength in the
fabric.
c. Manmade fibers such as nylon, polyester or acrylic may be blended with wool and the
wool helps in contribution of warmth, absorbency, drape and handling.
8. Carding
a. The carding process introduces the classification of woolen yarns and worsted
yarns.
b. At this point, of manufacturing process, it should be decided weather wool fiber is
to be made into a woolen or a worsted product, because manufacturing of woolen
and worsted is different
9. Gilling
a. The carded wool which is to be made into worsted yarn is put through gilling and
combing operations.
b. The gilling process removes the shorter fibers (called as combing noils and of 1-4
inches in length) and places
c. The longer fibers (tops) as parallel as possible and further cleans the fibers by
removing any remaining loose impurities.
10. Combing
a. Combing operation removes the shorter fibres and places long fibres parallel to
each other.
 b. Combing noils (shorter fibers) are used for ordinary and less expensive fabrics
and tops (longer fibers) for manufacturing worsted fabrics as gabardine,
whipcord, serge and convert and produce fabrics with good colour, feel and
strength,
11. Drawing

a. It is done only to worsted yarns. It is an advanced operation which doubles and

redoubles slivers of wool fibers. The process draws and twists the fibers and
makes the slivers more compact and thin.

12. Roving

a. It is a process to hold the thin slubbers intact.

b. The fiber passes between the rollers, over the coarse wire teeth of the first card
clothing, and over progressively finer toothed card clothing.
c. The fiber that leaves the machines are in the form of untwisted ropes known as
‘ROVINGS’.
13. Spinning:-
a. Roved wool is drawn out and twisted into yarn.
b. Woolen yarns are spun on mule spinning machine.
c. Worsted yarns are spun on any kind of spinning machines.
Difference between Woolen and Worsted Yarns

S.NO WOOLENS WORSTED

1. Fibers are short (2”length) Fibers are long (2-8 inches)
2. Woolen yarns are only carded, less Worsted yarns are carded and combed, highly
twisted and hence weak in strength twisted and stronger.
3. Woolen fabrics are woven with plain Worsted fabrics are woven chiefly with twill
weave and sometimes twill weave. weave and weaving construction is close and
Weaving is not compact and fabric is compact and as such more strong fabric.
not durable or strong.
4. Woolen fabrics are soft, fuzzy, thick Worsted fabrics are flat, rough, harsh when
and warm but not durable. worn next to the skin, but more durable.

5. Woolen can be easily adulterated and Worsted can not be easily adulterated as it has
napping finish is given to produce soft a hard finish on the surface.
surface.
6. Less expensive than worsted. More costly or expensive than woolens.
7. These fibers are warmer than worsted. It wrinkles less than woolen, holds creases and
-It has no luster and is less durable. shape, and become shiny with use
-The napped surface tends to catch -They re amore durable and more
and hold dirt but stains can be easily resistant to
removed