USTER AFIS PRO - Measurement Principle & Test Results

USTER® AFIS PRO
Measurement Principle
Test Results
Edas/schulungsunterlagen/AFIS 2
Modules
• Nep Classification
• Fiber neps and seed coat neps
• Count and size distribution
• Length and Maturity
• Length by weight and by number
• Short fiber content
• Maturity ratio
• Immature fiber content
• Trash
• Dust
• Trash
• Total foreign matter
• AutoJet
Measurement Principle:
Fiber Individualizer
Measurement Principle:
Optical sensors/detectors
• Fiber individualizer separates the cotton

sample into three main components:
Lint Trash Dust

Fibers, short trash, dust, fiber fragments,
fibers, neps, very large seed coats with
seed coat little or no attached fibers
neps
• The nep module is able to distinguish

between neps and seed coat neps
• Each event (fiber, nep, SCN, ) has its own
distinct electrical waveform
• Each samples waveform is compared to a
standard waveform to determine which
classification it most resembles
Voltage U
Nep signal
Fiber signal
Time t
6
5
AREA
3 PEAK VOLTAGE
2 THRESHOLD VOLTAGE
1 TIME OF FLIGHT
-1
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Length & nep measurement
• Optical system
• Single fiber measurement
• Measured with an opto-electronic sensor
• Fiber creates signal/impulse  converted to an
electrical signal  analyzed and evaluated by
computer
Trash & dust measurement

• Separate sensor
• Same measurement principle as for the length &
nep measurement
Nep Module
Seed Coat Nep
Measures:
 Fiber neps and
seed coat neps
 Count and size
distribution
Fiber Nep
Nep Module
• Fiber Neps
 entanglements of several fibers
 generated under mechanical treatment of the cotton
fibers during harvesting, ginning, opening and
cleaning in the spinning mill
 amount depends on the cotton origin/variety and
harvesting method
 neps are mainly reduced in carding and combing
 amount of reduction depends on the machinery
performance and the quality the spinning mill wants
to achieve
Nep Module
• Seed Coat Neps

 fragments of cottonseed that still have some
fibers attached
 created mainly in ginning, when the fibers are
separated from the seed
 amount depends on the quality and the
aggressiveness of the ginning process
 removal in carding is very difficult, since the
attached fibers tend to stick with the process
Nep results
Data Product:
 Nep Cnt/ g – Nep Count
 Nep [m] – Nep Size
 SCN Cnt/ g – Seed Coat Nep Count
 SCN [m] - Size
Nep Classification Histogram
Nep Count per gram

Size
(m)
Distribution of
fiber neps (dark)
and seed coat neps
(shaded) by size (m)
Nep Module
• Ranges of Neps and Seed Coat Neps in Raw
Cotton (Upland)
Neps / gram Seed Coat Neps/ Description

gram
< 100 < 10 Very low
101 – 200 11 – 20 Low
201 – 300 21 – 30 Medium
301 – 450 31 – 40 High
> 451 > 41 Very high
Length Module
Meaning and significance of fiber length:
 Fiber length is one of the most important
characteristics of cotton
 Defines the spinnability of the fiber
 Basis for cotton trading
 AFIS length measurement targeted towards
process control of spinning mill
USTER® AFIS measurements:

 Length by weight and by number in [in] or
[mm]
 Summary table and histograms
Length Module
• Difference between by number and by
weight measurement
(n) “by number” (w) “by weight”
4 fibers = 100% 4 fibers = 300 g = 100%
2 short fibers = 50% 2 short fibers = 100g = 33%
Length Module
• Difference between by number and by weight
measurement
2 Systems
Europe USA
Johannsen-Zweigle Suter-Webb
by number by weight
Length Module
Comparison of the length systems
"by number" "by weight"
Measured Calculated
Biased towards the longer
Shows the true fiber length
fibers. Longer fibers "weigh"
distribution in the sample
more than shorter fibers
Short and long fibers are Result is looking "better" than
treated equally the "by number" results.
 used by mills that are used
 gives more accurate to the results of the comb
sorter array methods such as
results for the optimization of
the Suter-Webb-Array
the processes in spinning  UQL is close to the
classer’s staple
Length Measurement
Length by weight Length by number
Length Measurement: Data Product
Length distribution by weight:
L (w) Mean length (weight) of the fibers in the sample

L (w) CV [%] Variation of the fiber length around average (weight) [%]
SFC (w) [%] Short Fiber Content in [%] of all fibers below 0.50 inches or
12.7 mm (weight)
UQL (w) Upper Quartile Length (weight); length of the longer 5% of
all fibers in the sample
Length distribution by number:
L (n) Mean length (number) of the fibers in the sample

L (n) CV [%] Variation of the fiber length around average (number) [%]
SFC (n) [%] Short Fiber Content in [%] of all fibers below 0.50 inches or
12.7 mm (number)
L (n) 5% The 5% Length (number); length of the longer 5% of all
fibers (number)
Length Measurement
• Graphic representation of the length values in the
staple diagram
Fiber length
Short fiber content SFC (n, w)

L2,5%(n) L5%(n)
UQL(w) L (n,w)
L½"
0% 25% 50% 100%
Length (w) Report
L(n) Length (w)

[in]
Distribution of fiber
length (dark) and
short fiber content
(shaded) by weight
Length (n) Report
L(n) Length (w)

[in]
length (dark) and
short fiber content
(shaded) by number
Length Module:
Short Fiber Content
• Cotton length is determined by variety
• first length development, then development of the
walls
 initially, the fibers have more or less the same
length
 length is reduced with any mechanical
treatment (harvesting, ginning, opening,
cleaning)
• mainly reduced at combing
• control of the SFC very important for the spinning
performance and the yarn quality
Length Module
• Ranges of Short Fiber Content (w) and (n)
in Raw Cotton (Upland)
Short Fiber Short Fiber Description

Content (number) Content (weight)
< 18 <5 Very low
19 – 23 6–8 Low
24 – 28 9 – 11 Medium
29 – 33 12 – 14 High
> 34 > 15 Very high
* For long staple cottons, other values apply. The differences

are smaller.
Maturity Module
Measures:
• Maturity ratio
• Fineness
• Immature Fiber Content
• Summary table and histograms
Fiber Maturity
After length development, cellulose is deposited inside
the hollow fiber:
 fiber is maturing
 maturity = degree of cell wall thickness
= amount of cellulose inside the fiber
Fiber Maturity
 Calculation of the fiber maturity
Perimeter P Perimeter P
Lumen
Area A1 Area A2
To calculate the mean degree of thickening theta, a

circular cross-section of the measured fiber having a
perimeter P is calculated, and subsequently area A1 is
divided by area A2.
Fiber Maturity
Example
Cumulative percent Theta Frequency
Mature
fibers (R)
Thinwalled
fibers
Immature
fiber
content (IFC)
Fiber Maturity
For this example, the following apply:
Mature fiber content R = 37.6%
Immature fiber content IFC = 10.3%
Maturity (according to Lord):
R - IFC 37.6  10.3

M  0.7   0.7  0.83
200 200
Fiber Maturity Measurement
• AFIS measures the fiber shape
• Each fiber is measured from two different angles by

the optical sensor
• Depending on the shape, cotton fibers are divided

into:
• Fully mature - typical convolutions of a mature
fiber
• Immature - less obvious convolutions, more flat
• Dead - no convolutions, completely flat, “ribbon
like”
Immature Fiber Content
• IFC = Immature Fiber Content

Percent of all fibers within a cotton sample that
have a cell wall thickness  25% of the full area
• Effects of immature fibers

 Dyestuff is deposited in the cellulose
 immature fibers: no cellulose for the dyestuff to
remain
 color differences, barré, white specs!
Convolution of mature cotton fibers
Cross-section of mature cotton fibers
Mature and immature cotton fibers
Immature cotton fibers
Immature fiber nep in the fabric (shiny nep)
Fiber Fineness [mtex]
• Determined optically by analyzing the fiber shape

passing the sensors
• Algorithm determines fineness based on the shape

and form of the fibers and their specific weight
• Mature fibers contain more cellulose  heavier
Fiber Maturity
Medium perimeter & Large perimeter &
“fairly mature” “well mature”
Small perimeter & Medium perimeter &

“fairly mature” “less mature”
Maturity Measurement
Data Product:
Fine mtex Fineness [millitex]
IFC [%] Immature Fiber Content [%]
Mat Ratio Maturity Ratio [%]
Maturity Report
Maturity [%]
cell wall thickness
(dark) and immature
fiber content (shaded)
Fineness Report
Fineness [%]
[mtex]
fineness (mtex)
Maturity Module
• Ranges of Maturity, IFC and Fineness in
Raw Cotton (Upland)
Maturity Ratio Immature Fineness Description
Fiber Content
(%) (mtex)
< 0.75 <6 < 150 Very low

0.76 – 0.85 6–8 151 – 160 Low
0.86 – 0.90 9 – 11 161 – 170 Medium
0.91 – 0.95 12 – 14 171 – 180 High
> 0.95 > 15 > 180 Very high
Trash Module
Measures:
• Dust particles smaller than 500 microns
• Trash particles larger than 500 microns
• Summary table and histograms
• Count and size distribution
Trash Module
• Definition Trash:
 “foreign” particles, i.e. not related to any
physical properties of cotton fibers.
ITMF
Definition
Dust Trash
Respirable Micro
Dust Dust Dust Trash
15 20 500 Particle
Size [m]
Trash Module
Data Product:
Total Cnt/ g Count of all particles per gram
Mean Size Mean size of all particles [m]
Dust Cnt/ g Dust particle count per gram
Trash Cnt/ g Trash particle count per gram
VFM [%] Visible Foreign Matter [% by weight]
Trash Module: Trash Report
Size Particle Count per Gram

[m]
Dust
Trash Distribution of dust (dark)

and trash (shaded)
by size (m)
Trash Module
• Ranges of Trash, Dust Content and
Visible Foreign Matter in Raw Cotton
(Upland)
Trash Count/ g Dust Count/ g V.F.M.% Description
< 25 < 200 < 0.60 Very low
26 – 75 201 – 350 0.61 – 1.20 Low
76 – 110 351 – 600 1.21 – 2.30 Medium
111 – 150 601 – 1000 2.31 – 3.00 High
> 151 > 1001 > 3.01 Very high
Trash Module
• The amount of trash / dust particles in raw
cotton depends highly on:
• origin of the cotton
• harvesting method
• soil conditions
• The amount of trash / dust particles in cotton

in the processes in the spinning mill depends
highly on:
• the performance of the machinery
• suction systems

USTER AFIS PRO - Measurement Principle &amp; Test Results

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

USTER AFIS PRO - Measurement Principle &amp; Test Results

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

USTER® AFIS PRO

• Fiber individualizer separates the cotton

Lint Trash Dust

• The nep module is able to distinguish

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Trash & dust measurement

• Seed Coat Neps

Nep Count per gram

Neps / gram Seed Coat Neps/ Description

USTER® AFIS measurements:

(n) “by number” (w) “by weight”

4 fibers = 100% 4 fibers = 300 g = 100%

2 short fibers = 50% 2 short fibers = 100g = 33%

Length by weight Length by number

L (w) Mean length (weight) of the fibers in the sample

Length distribution by number:

L (n) Mean length (number) of the fibers in the sample

Short fiber content SFC (n, w)

0% 25% 50% 100%

L(n) Length (w)

L(n) Length (w)

Short Fiber Short Fiber Description

* For long staple cottons, other values apply. The differences

To calculate the mean degree of thickening theta, a

For this example, the following apply:

Mature fiber content R = 37.6%

Immature fiber content IFC = 10.3%

Maturity (according to Lord):

R - IFC 37.6  10.3

• Each fiber is measured from two different angles by

• Depending on the shape, cotton fibers are divided

• IFC = Immature Fiber Content

• Effects of immature fibers

 color differences, barré, white specs!

• Determined optically by analyzing the fiber shape

• Algorithm determines fineness based on the shape

• Mature fibers contain more cellulose  heavier

Small perimeter & Medium perimeter &

< 0.75 <6 < 150 Very low

Size Particle Count per Gram

Trash Distribution of dust (dark)

• The amount of trash / dust particles in cotton

You might also like

USTER AFIS PRO - Measurement Principle & Test Results

USTER AFIS PRO - Measurement Principle & Test Results