technology

Spinning

Hand spinning:

The origins of spinning fiber to make string or yarn are lost in time, but archaeological evidence in the form of representation of string skirts has been dated to the Upper Paleolithic era, some 20,000 years ago. [1] In the most primitive type of spinning, tufts of animal hair or plant fiber are rolled down the thigh with the hand, and additional tufts are added as needed until the desired length of spun fiber is achieved. Later, the fiber is fastened to a stone which is twirled round until the yarn is sufficiently twisted, whereupon it is wound upon the stone and the process repeated over and over.

Spindles:

The next method of twisting yarn is with the spindle, a straight stick eight to twelve inches long on which the thread is wound after twisting.

Spindle whorl:

A spindle containing a quantity of yarn rotates more easily, steadily, and continues longer than an empty one; hence, the next improvement was the addition of a weight called a spindle whorl at the bottom of the spindle. These whorls are discs of wood, stone, clay, or metal with a hole in the center for the spindle, which keep the spindle steady and promote its rotation. Spindle whorls appeared in the Neolithic era. [2][3]

Industrial revolution:

Modern powered spinning, originally done by water or steam power but now done by electricity, is vastly faster than hand-spinning.

The spinning jenny, a multi-spool spinning wheel invented c. 1764 by James Hargreaves, dramatically reduced the amount of work needed to produce yarn of high consistency, with a single worker able to work eight or more spools at once. At roughly the same time, Richard Arkwright and a team of craftsmen developed the spinning frame, which produced a stronger thread than the

spinning jenny. Too large to be operated by hand, a spinning frame powered by a waterwheel became the water frame.

In 1779, Samuel Crompton combined elements of the spinning jenny and water frame to create the spinning mule. This produced a stronger thread, and was suitable for mechanization on a grand scale. A later development, from 1828/29, was Ring spinning.

In the 20th century, new techniques including Open End spinning or rotor spinning were invented to produce yarns at rates in excess of 40 meters per second.

Some of the machineries includes in various departments of Textile Industry such as:

• Blow room• Carding• Combing• Weaving• Bleaching• Testing• Finishing

I BLOWROOM

The blow room is expected to provide smooth operation. Any malfunction of a cleaning machine can very quickly immobilize ten to twenty cards. A high level of reliability is thus one of the first priorities. Massive consequential costs can result from faulty material being produced in the blowroom. Such faults right at the beginning of the processing sequence must be avoided.

Every blow room machine puts additional strain on your fibres; consequently cleaning must be matched exactly to the raw material. In every cleaning process there is an interdependence of waste quantity, fibre

damage and loss of sound fibre. Improved cleaning performance cannot be achieved by more beaters but only by increased intensity of the beaters. While higher roller speeds do result in more intensive cleaning, they also result in greater strain on the fibres. Waste and its composition can be optimally matched to the requirement of your spinning operations. You choose whether you want light or dark-coloured waste...

The highlights of pin roller are used as the first or only opening position. With microfibres a second opening position is required in principle. However, a bypass should be provided if the equipment will also be used for coarser fibres. At every further cleaning stage, there is an increased degree of opening the cotton, therefore the point density of the roller becomes increasingly finer (i.e. in the case of saw-tooth rollers, the population of the clothing increases). Rollers with a cutting angle of 10° are used for cotton; for man-made fibres and mixtures of cotton and man-made fibres, rollers with a cutting angle of 0° are used.

II CARDING:

The demands on the quality of the card sliver have been increasing continuously. The ring spinner wants to have as few neps as possible in the card sliver while preserving natural fibre properties such as length of fibre, firmness and elasticity. Fibre preservation, i.e. minimum shortening of the staple is of particular importance. In addition, rotor spinning requires a very pure sliver and low dust

content because otherwise deposits build up in the rotor groove.

TREX System (TREX = Trash Extraction) improves fine

cleaning by using additional extraction points in the operating area of the cylinder. With great reliability it removes trash, dust and short fibres. Combinations of carding and guide elements, which can take a wide variety of clothing rods, as well as the special arrangement of integrated mote knives, optimize the carding process to suit your requirements.

In the case of cards of the type C 4, C 50 and C 51, TREX elements can be installed in the pre- and post-carding zone. In the pre-carding zone the tufts are opened properly. In this way the card clothing’s are protected and treated gently. Fibre parcels which the licker-in conveys to the cylinder are broken up in this zone. Any trash particles still present can then be eliminated more efficiently by the flats. In the post-carding zone, the alignment of the fibres is improved by “final combing” or “fine carding”. This is also the zone where the highly bound micro dust is dispersed and removed.

In contrast to the usual mote knives used with the cylinder, the TREX uses a special guide element. This significantly improves the selection of trash and dust elimination. Waste composition is up to 15% trash, seed-coat fragments, fibre fragments and dust. The advantage for TREX is clearly evident in the type of fibres removed: 75% of them are short fibres. A reduction of up to 6% of short fibres can be achieved in the card silver and Up to 15% less imperfections in the yarn.

III COMBING:

The range of circular combs is characterized by a combination of time-tested and proven state-of-the-art solutions. The correct circular comb provides the basis for first-class fibre selection and thus economical production. Accurate graduation of the clothing, both in regard to population and depth of the clothing is characteristic for all types of circular combs. It offers you

several types, both in relation to segment design and to work surface, irrespective of the raw material to be processed. You will be pleased to find that neps, snicks

and nibs are things of the past. It full range of circular combs to meet all his combing needs, combing surface 90° and 111°, application range from short staple 1 inch up to 1 9/16 and combing nails to 22%.

» 23% more combing areaWith fibre staple length greater than 1 ¼”» Up to 18% fewer thick places in yarn» Up to 25% fewer neps in yarnWith fibre staple length less than 1 ¼”» Up to 10% fewer neps in yarn

Short fibres, neps and trash are extracted from the back part of the fibre tufts. This completes the work of the circular comb to perfection. Top combs are available with a range of needle density to suit your individual combing noil requirement and the cotton is being processed or whatever combing quality is desired. Extremely tough,

ideal hardening and excellent self-cleaning effect are additional arguments in favour of top combs.

IV SPINNING:

During the 1970s, there appeared to be a myriad of spinning systems, such as twistless spinning, self-twist spinning, fascinated yarns, composite yarns, wrap-spun yarns, pot spinning, continuously felted yarns; and the many possible variants in open-end spinning such as rotor, electrostatic, friction spinning, and vortex spinning (the original “Polish” system). At the same time, there were continued developments in ring spinning, with ventures into rotating ring and traveler systems, individual spindle drives, high draft systems, modified travelers, double roving spinning, and hybrid systems.

A look at today’s industry reveals that while some systems have established a successful but small niche — wrap spinning for fancy yarns, and friction spinning for specialty industrial markets — very few systems have survived. Indeed, this is also true of the manufacturers of these machines.

It represents the current offerings in spinning machines and their comparative

spinning speeds. The number of spinning positions for the major technologies, together with their share of the spun yarn market. It is evident that, when judged from the perspective of the number of installed spindles, ring spinning is still the most dominant spinning system — there are about three times more spindles than installed rotors. If judgment is based on the quantity of yarn produced, it is clear that even though there is only one-third as many positions of rotors installed, rotor spinning produces three times more yarn than ring spinning.

a. Ring Spinning

The technology behind ring spinning has remained largely unchanged for many years, but there have been significant refinements. Changes, which on their own offered only slight advantages, provided the following synergies when combined:

• The introduction of longer frames reduced the relative costs of automatic doffing.• The combination of spinning frame and winding (link winders) further enhanced the adoption of automation.• The introduction of automatic doffing meant that doffing time was reduced and thus package (and ring) size was less critical.• The introduction of splicing on the winder meant that yarn joins became less obtrusive — again offering the potential of smaller package.• Smaller rings meant that for a limiting traveler velocity (40 meters per

second [m/s]), higher rotational speeds (and hence twisting rates) could be achieved.

These combinations meant that the potential maximum speed of ring spinning was raised from about 15,000 to 25,000 revolutions per minute.

There also have been several other proposed developments that have met with mixed success.

Drafting systems: While double apron drafting dominates, the system can be tweaked to enable higher drafts. Recent exhibitions have featured machines operating at potential drafts of 70 to 100. The use of high drafts has significant impact on the economics of the total system.

Individual spindle drives: Several manufacturers demonstrated this possibility in the 1980s. While the concept offered advantages with respect to lower energy requirements, less noise and better control of speed, it suffered higher initial costs and bigger spindle gauge.

V WEAVING:

ITMA(Institute of Trade Mark Attorney’s) 2003 brought to weavers major technological advances that help them control their machines electronically via user-friendly interfaces, produce a broad range of woven fabrics, manufacture intricate jacquard designs at the speed of commodity fabric production, form leno fabrics faster, inspect fabrics on-loom, use optical and laser warp-break detection, reduce downtime by offering a higher level of automation, and perform quick style and warp beam changes.

The success of weaving and weaving preparation machinery makers at ITMA 2003 may be attributed to the realized advances that offer weavers low power consumption, flexibility and versatility while weaving at high speeds. Despite the absence of some weaving machine manufacturers, a

significant number of machines were shown at ITMA. The weaving speed and rate of filling insertion (RFI) remained about the same as for machinery shown at ITMA ’99. Today, the cost of jacquard weaving manufacturing is almost the same as that of weaving commodity fabrics. Additionally, the variety of fabrics woven at ITMA 2003 was broader than ever before, and was characterized by intricate designs and industrial applications.

Design and development of shuttleless weaving machines and ancillaries

India has world’s largest installed base for looms. But it has the lowest proportion of modern shuttle less looms (0.18 %) compared with competing countries like China (6.35 %), Indonesia (9.28 %), Pakistan (4.26 %), Japan (15.3 %), Russia (77.97 %) and USA (90.67 %). Value addition and the manufacturing of fabrics according to customer’s compliances, is not possible due to obsolete technology of looms in India. So the present power loom sector has to be modernized with cost effective shuttle less loom suitable for Indian condition.

b. a. Air-jet weaving:

Air-jet weaving machines are characterized by a jet of compressed air which is used to insert the weft into the warp. Air-jet looms are highly productive but less versatile than rapier looms. They are best suited to lightweight fabrics. They are moderately versatile and can be used to produce a significant variety of fabrics although heavy fabrics like denim significantly increase the energy consumption. Energy consumption is relatively high (compared to rapier or water-jet) but because of a relatively low number of moving parts, replacement costs for spare parts are relatively low. They require considerable infrastructure involving air compressors and high pressure air-piping in order to become operational. This infrastructure can cost between 5% and 25% of the overall machine value. Typically they are used by weavers catering to a predictable and unchanging demand for a particular fabric. They are produced by Promatech, Picanol, Dornier, Tsudakoma and Toyota.

Switzerland-based Sultex Ltd., also a member of the ITEMA Group, featured the other of the two widest air-jet machines. The new 5.4-meter-wide L9400 P 540 N 2 L was shown weaving leno fabric for carpet backing at a width in reed of 5.33 meters and a speed of 420 ppm, or 2,238 m/min RFI.

Over at the Stäubli booth, Sultex showed another fast air-jet machine — the L5400 S 210 N 4 SP TL — weaving women’s wear fabric at a width in reed of 2.1 meters and a speed of 990 ppm, or 2,079 m/min RFI.

b. Projectile weaving:

Projectile machines are characterized by a projectile which is used to insert the weft into the warp. Projectile looms are relatively expensive, with a wide range of application and relatively low energy consumption, and are suitable for the production of high to medium quality textiles. Projectile looms accommodate larger widths than other looms. They also have a longer life span than any other loom. Projectile looms have similar technical characteristics to rapier looms but are also significantly more expensive than most other looms (with the exception of multiphase looms). Due to their relatively high price and average productivity levels projectile looms are a product for niche markets. This machine type is almost exclusively produced by sulzer.

As usual, Sultex was the only company that showed a projectile weaving machine. Two machines were exhibited. The fastest is its P7300 B 390 N 4 SP D12, a 3.9-meter-wide machine, shown weaving a

five-harness cotton sateen cloth at a width in reed of 3.51 meters and at 370 ppm, corresponding to 1,300 m/min RFI. The machine was equipped with four-filling insertion with individual feeder, guides and tension control for each yarn. The actual filling insertion rate considering the four simultaneous insertions is 5,200 m/min. The other machine was the P73 RSP B 360 N 4 SP D12, shown weaving a cotton canvas cloth at a width in reed of 3.65 meters and a speed of 330 ppm, corresponding to 1,205 m/min RFI.

The cotton making process

The manufacture of cotton cloth is a complex process, involving many highly skilled workers, each performing a particular critical step in the overall process. The many complex steps can be divided into three general categories - Preparation, Spinning, and Weaving. In addition to this, there is the process of preparing the design that will be applied to the woven cloth. Cotton cloth manufacturing was indeed a "high-tech" venture in the 1880s!

PREPARATION

1. Bales of cotton of various grades are moved from the WAREHOUSE to the BALE OPENING room.

2. Selected bales are opened and placed in position beside the BREAKING and OPENING machine. This is actually a line of machines, working as a unit, that tear apart and partially clean matted, compressed, and baled cotton. The result is small loose bunches of cotton.

3. The cotton is then placed into the BLENDING MACHINE. This is a group of devices that are synchronized to proportion definite amounts of various grades of cotton which are to be blended together.

4. At this time, matted cotton and waste yarn salvaged from operations in the mill are placed into the WASTE MACHINE. This machine beats, pulls apart, and fluffs up waste cotton to prepare it for re-use.

5. Cotton from both the BLENDING MACHINE and the WASTE MACHINE is fed into the BREAKER PICKER. In this unit the raw cotton is partially cleaned by beating and fluffing and then fed into the FINISHER PICKER.

6. The FINISHER PICKER receives partially cleaned cotton in the form of LAP from the BREAKER PICKER and completes the cleaning and fluffing process. LAP is a general term used to designate wide sheets of loosely matted cotton.

7. The cotton is next processed by a CARDING MACHINE, where dirt and short fibers are removed; other fibers are laid parallel and formed into a ropelike strand called a SLIVER. The SLIVER is deposited in large cylindrical containers called CANS.

8. Subsequent processing depends on whether better grade (combed) yarn, or lower grade (carded) yarn is desired. For the lower grade, processing continues at the DRAWING FRAME (see step 12 below)

9. For better grade yarn, the SLIVER is first processed by the SLIVER LAPPING MACHINE, which draws and combines several strands of SLIVER into a sheet of LAP and winds it on a spool ready for RIBBON LAPPING or COMBING.

10. The LAP is processed by a RIBBON LAPPING MACHINE which draws and combines several rolls of LAP into one roll of RIBBON LAP, straightening the fibers slightly and making the lap more uniform in weight and texture, ready for feeding to a COMBING MACHINE. RIBBON LAP is a roll of closely matted cotton fibers, about 10 inches wide.

11. COMBING is the process of extracting fibers below a predetermined length and removing any remaining dirt. Output of the COMBING MACHINE is deposited in CANS.

12. The cotton is next processed by the DRAWING FRAME. It is a machine in which several strands of SLIVER are combined into one strand and DRAWN OUT so that the combined strands approximate the weight and size of any one of the original strands. The term DRAWN OUT means to stretch a strand of cotton, usually by

running the strand between several pairs of rollers, each pair turning faster than the pair before it.

13. The SLUBBING MACHINE then draws out strands of SLIVER and twists them together loosely in order to give the strands (now called ROVING) sufficient strength to withstand subsequent operations.

14. The ROVING is processed by the FLY FRAME. This machine progressively combines two strands of partially processed ROVING into one, draws out the combined strands until they are of prescribed weight, and twists them loosely in order to give them sufficient strength to withstand subsequent operations.

SPINNING

1. The cotton is now ready for SPINNING. Spinning is the process of making YARN from cotton fibers by drawing out and twisting the fibers into a thin strand. That is, one or more strands of slightly twisted ROVING are used to produce one strand of spun YARN. The yarn is wound on bobbins.

2. The next step is to produce either WARP or FILLING. WARP is the set of yarn strands which run lengthwise in a piece of cloth. FILLING, also called WOOF and WELT, is the yarn which is interlaced through the WARP to produce cloth.

Making FILLING:

a. FILLING may be single-ply or multiple-ply. For multiple-ply, steps (a) and (b) for making WARP below are completed before the yarn is conditioned. For single-ply, the yarn is immediately conditioned after spinning. Conditioning is the act of exposing bobbins of FILLING YARN to steam or to a spray of conditioning solution in order to set the twist, to remove kinks from the yarn, and to prevent its kinking in subsequent processes.

Making WARP:

a. The DOUBLING MACHINE winds two or more strands of yarn onto one PACKAGE without twisting them. PACKAGE is simply a general term for any wound arrangement of YARN.

b. The yarn is then TWISTED. The TWISTING MACHINE twists two or more strands of spun yarn into a heavier, stronger, single strand. This process may be repeated until the desired number of plays is produced.

c. The WINDING MACHINE winds yarn from several bobbins in a continuous length onto a spool. Output is CHEESES or CONES of yarn to be used for WARP. The term CHEESE refers to a roll of yarn built up on a paper or wooden tube in a form that resembles a bulk cheese. A CONE is a tapered cylinder of wood, metal, or cardboard around which yarn is wound.

3. The WARP may, or may not, be dyed. If not, then it is next processed by the WARPING MACHINE. This machine takes about 500 strands of yarn and winds them side by side onto one large spool called a SECTION BEAM. The SECTION BEAM is about three feet in diameter. Processing continues at step 6 below.

4. If the WARP is to be dyed, it is processed by the BALL WARPING MACHINE. This machine takes about 500 strands of yarn and gathers them together into a large, loose, rope-like strand, and winds it on a wooden core preparatory to dyeing. The yarn is then dyed in a different location, producing rolls of dyed WARP YARN.

5. The dyed yarn is processed by the BEAMER MACHINE which separates the individual strands of dyed yarn and winds them onto one large spool (BEAM). The result is the same as step 3 above.

6. The SLASHING MACHINE takes the yarns from several SECTION BEAMS and winds them side by side onto one wider spool called a LOOM BEAM.

WEAVING

1. WEAVING is the interlacing of WARP and FILLING YARN to form a cloth.

1. The inputs to the weaving process, performed on a LOOM, are (1) the WARP YARN from the LOOM BEAM (2) the FILL YARN from a bobbin, and (3) the mechanism that controls the design to be applied to the cloth (see Designing below).

2. If there is no LOOM BEAM currently in the LOOM, the new BEAM must be DRAWN-IN. DRAWING IN is the process of threading the WARP filaments from the LOOM BEAM into the LOOM in the order indicated by the design to be applied to the cloth (see Designing below). If the current LOOM BEAM has been exhausted, the yarn ends from the new BEAM are twisted or knotted to the ends of the exhausted BEAM.

3. As the LOOM runs, the longitudinal strands of WARP YARN are positioned so that every other strand is raised. A pointed block of wood called a SHUTTLE pulls the FILLING YARN through the strands. The position of the WARP YARN strands is then reversed and the SHUTTLE pulls the FILLING YARN in the reverse direction. This process then repeats. Note that this description is for a simple weave.

4. As bobbins are emptied, any remaining yarn is removed from them and returned to the waste machine for salvage. The clean bobbins are then returned to the spinning operations.

5. Cloth produced by the loom is wound on a large roll and sent to the STITCHING MACHINE, where lengths of cloth are stitched together.

6. The SHEARING MACHINE cuts away knots and loose yarn ends from the surface of the cloth to give it a smooth surface.

7. Finally, the cloth is inspected, graded for quality, and delivered to shipping.

DESIGNING

1. Designing is the process of deciding on the pattern that is to be woven into a cloth and also the basic weave (plain, twill, or satin). The design is drawn on cross-section paper and called a DESIGN DRAFT.

2. There are two primary types of LOOMS - the DOBBY LOOM and the JACQUARD LOOM. The former is adequate for simple weaves, while the latter is required for more complex weaves. The main difference in the two LOOMs lies in how the individual WARP YARN threads are controlled, as explained below.

DOBBY LOOM

a. The HEDDLE is a fiber or metal strand, pierced with a whole (eye), through which a WARP YARN strand is threaded.

b. The HARNESS is an assemblage of HEDDLES attached to a HARNESS FRAME. A separate HARNESS is used for each group of WARP YARN strands that must be moved independently to weave a desired pattern.

c. Each HARNESS FRAME is fastened to a mechanism that raises and lowers it in proper sequence to form the SHEDS through which the SHUTTLE carries the FILLING YARN to produce cloth of a specified pattern. The SHED is the opening made across the WARP by the raising of some threads and the depressing of others. It is through this opening that the SHUTTLE passes and lays the cross of FILLING YARN of a fabric.

d. A two-harness LOOM (one with two sets of HEDDLES) can produce plain weaves. Three or more HARNESSES are required to produce twill fabrics. Other types of fabrics may require a minimum of five HARNESSES.

e. The cloth designer converts the DESIGN DRAFT into a PATTERN CHAIN, an arrangement of wooden crossbars and metal pegs which is used to control the WEAVING of cloth designs and patterns on the DOBBY LOOM. The metal pegs, about an inch long, determine which HARNESSES are raised and when.

JACQUARD LOOM

a. Each strand of WARP YARN can be individually controlled. The HEDDLE HARNESS of the DOBBY LOOM is replaced by a series of upright wires with hooks at their upper ends. The hooks are attached to a controlling head high above the loom. The Jacquard head is controlled by a punch card system.

b. The cloth designer converts the DESIGN DRAFT into punched cards. The presence or absence of holes in each card determines whether each WARP YARN strand is raised or lowered. The cards are fed through the Jacquard head at the rate of one card for each pass of the SHUTTLE.

c. Since the cards are small, and each one can control only a few WARP YARN strands, a number of cards are laced together to control the full width of the LOOM.

c. Rapier weaving:

Positive rapier looms are the most versatile weaving machine available. Weft insertion is achieved through the use of metal grips, called rapiers, which pull the weft thread to the centre of the loom, where it is actively transferred to the other rapier head which brings it to the other side of the loom. The rapier head is mounted on a rod. They are intended for specialized textile production of high quality. Productivity levels are lower than for negative rapier looms while energy consumption is comparatively higher making them among the more expensive machines not only to buy but also to run. They are currently produced by Dornier and, to a lesser extent, by Promatech and Panter.

Negative rapier machines come second (after positive rapier) in terms of versatility and are able to produce high quality fabrics of sophisticated design. Weft insertion is achieved by the use of metal grips, called rapiers, one of which transports the weft thread to the centre of the loom, where it is transferred passively to the other rapier which brings it to the other side of the loom. The design and development of the rapier head itself involves sophisticated technology involving both patents and know-how. The rapier head is mounted on a tape. These machines are moderately expensive, have average energy consumption and an average speed. They are produced primarily by Promatech, Sulzer, Picanol and to a lesser extent, Panter. Tsundakoma is manufacturing a limited number of negative rapier looms exclusively

for the Japanese market, where they are used to manufacture traditional Japanese textiles.

d. New jacquard shedding concepts:

The shed formation in the UNISHED, shown mounted on a Dornier LWV6/J air-jet weaving machine, is achieved using leaf springs. Each leaf spring is connected to a heddle that controls one warp end. The leaf springs, which are controlled by actuators, control the bottom shed as well as the top shed (a positive jacquard shed type). The configuration of the jacquard head and the individual control of each heddle (or warp end) allow the heddles to be set vertically. These settings eliminate the need for harness cords, magnets, hooks, pulleys, springs and the gantry. This results in lower building and air-conditioning costs.

The jacquard head is mounted directly on the side frames of the weaving machine, thus making quick style change (QSC) possible in jacquard weaving, as it is easy to exchange the entire jacquard head, including the heddles.

Harness cord (or warp end) selection is performed electronically, and hence, fabric design is achieved in the same way as on any other current electronic jacquard system. The dimensions of the jacquard head — the jacquard head and tie width are the same as the reed width — and the control of individual warp ends by a stepping motor permit the harness cords to be set vertically. The design of the UNIVAL 100 eliminates the need for hooks, knives, magnets and pulleys, as each harness cord or heddle is directly attached to a stepping motor.

The UNIVAL 100 seems to have advanced significantly. In fact, it demonstrates the highest rate of filling insertion in jacquard weaving history. The UNIVAL design provides weavers with new opportunities that have never before been available in jacquard shedding. With such a system, the shed height can easily be set, and several sheds can be formed. All settings can be conducted electronically through a user interface without the need for mechanical adjustments. Another significant feature of the UNIVAL is its independence from the weaving machine drive, because it has its own drive without mechanical coupling to the weaving machine. According to Stäubli, UNIVAL’s modular construction enables a jacquard capacity range of 5,120 to 20,480 warp threads (stepping motors).

Jakob Muller AG Frick, Switzerland, showed for the first time the MDL/C, an impressive new harness free jacquard shedding concept (international patents pending) that represented one of the main attractions at this ITMA. The shedding concept is based on individual electronic selection of warp yarns using special heddle wires. The company showed the system on its MDL/C label machine. The machine has no traditional jacquard head, harness or comber board. Additionally, the new concept eliminates the need for hooks, pulleys and returning springs. With such elimination, machine parts and size are dramatically reduced.

While the machine is still being developed and is not yet available commercially, it was running efficiently during the short demonstrations at ITMA. Other features of the MDL/C include: weft insertion using needles, thus allowing soft selvage formation; up to eight colors of filling yarns; and electronic warp tension adjustment and control.

CONCLUSION:

Modernization through automation may not be after all such an uphill task if the Indian industry has to do so. Therefore, there is a dire necessity for these sectors to push up our sleeves and get into action before our whole industry starts dwindling. The level of technology related to the automation of textile machinery has changed a lot and indigenous efforts are near about the technology of machines manufactured in industrially advanced countries. Substantial and sustained efforts to strengthen indigenous efforts and technological backup were made a today the major manufacturers supply modern machines.

Indian textile machinery manufactures are able to produce at competitive prices sophisticated machines (of higher speed and productions) provided technological support and economic and continuous demand is forthcoming. Microprocessors and computers gained pride of place in modern machines. Most of the latest

technologies in automation are concentrating largely on making the new version more flexible, energy efficient and perfect. One can only hope and wish that the future changes will be for the better because the cry for existence during the ongoing battle is "Modernize or Perish".