Practices of Cotton Fibre Selection and Procurement for Optimum

Mixing
Email- rajn2001@gmail.com

Textile and Engineering Institute,

“Rajwada”, Ichalkaranji – 416115

Abstract

In view of today’s technology, the process of cotton fiber selection should

undergo an inevitable transition from the traditional pure art to a sound scientific
technique. In order to achieve this transition, fiber selection should be integrated into a
cotton fiber mixing program that attempts to optimise cotton fiber use with respect to
cost and quality of end product. A cotton fiber mixing program should be based on fiber
information that meets quality requirements imposed by the rapidly developing
technology and continuous change in customer demand.

Key words

Cotton mixing- Cotton selection - Advanced Fibre Information System -

Dynamic approach

Introduction

Raw material is the most important factor influencing yarn quality. To a great
extent it can determine whether a product is good and it is also responsible for the
cost factor. Mistakes made at selecting raw material and later at preparing blends,
cannot be made up for in further processing, even if all available means are used.
Each stage of processing in a spinning mill will proceed properly only if the raw
material is uniform and is contained in the acceptable range of tolerance. Subjective and
reasonable savings made at purchasing a raw material are still the most effective
method of cost reduction available to spinning mills. Proper choice and use of a raw
material are the factors that determine whether a spinning mill can operate efficiently,
successfully and competently. After all, it must be understood and taken into account
that raw materials constitute 50-60% of costs of produced yarns.

Traditionally, three fibre parameters have been used to determine the quality
value of cotton fibre. These are grade, fibre length and fibre fineness. The development
of fibre testing instruments such as the High Volume Instrument (HVI) and the
Advanced Fibre Information System (AFIS) has revolutionized the concept of fibre
testing. With the HVI it is pragmatically possible to determine most of the quality
characteristics of a cotton bale within two minutes. Based on the HVI results,
composite indexes such as the fibre quality index (FQI) and spinning consistency
index (SCI) can be used to determine the technological value of cotton; this can play a
pivotal role in an engineered fibre selection programme.

Both fiber selection and blending techniques have been based on art and
long experience. In recent years, revolutionary developments have been made
in the any of fiber testing with the introduction of both the AFIS (Advanced
Fiber Information System) and HVI (High Volume Instruments). These systems,
in conjunction with microcomputers, have made it possible to develop scientific
techniques in this critical area. The Engineered Fiber Selection (EFS)
d e v e l o p e d by Cotton Incorporated represents the program in the area of fiber
selection and bale management.

Cotton

For centuries cotton has had a reputation as the most comfortable fabric
and king of the fibres. Cotton is one of the oldest textile fibers known to human kind.

The direction of cotton fibre research needs to reflect the position that
cotton, as the world’s most popular natural textile fibre, currently finds itself in.
Cotton’s current share of the world textile market is now estimated to be 41.9% with
current projections that cotton’s share will decline. Despite a reversal during the late
1980s, there has been a continuous decline in cotton’s share of the world textile fibre
market since the late 1960s. For cotton to reverse this trend it needs to become
more competitive, both in terms of its quality and the diversity of products that it is used
in.

Theory and Practice of Cotton Fibre Selection

The main technological challenge in any textile process is to convert the high
variability in the characteristics of input fibers to a uniform end product. This critical task
is mainly achieved in the blending process, provided three basic requirements are met
accurate information about fiber properties, capable blending machinery, and consistent
input fiber profiles. Over the years, developments in fiber selection and blending
techniques have been largely hindered by insufficient fiber information resulting from a
lack of capable and efficient testing methods. Accordingly, art and experience have
been the primary tools.

One of the common approaches was massive blending, in which vast quantities
of bales were mixed by grade or growth area to reduce variability. These mixed cottons
were then re-baled and fed to the opening line in random order to further enhance the
mixing effect. The rising cost of labor, storage, equipment, and raw material makes the
old blending approach largely impractical.

Furthermore, modern warehouses require a more dynamic approach to bale

management, in which bales may be supplied to the warehouse on an incremental
basis depending on production requirements, rate of bale consumption, warehouse
space and arrangement, and other cost-related factors. In situations where different
processing lines involving different spinning techniques are used, stricter warehouse
bale management is required to meet various end product demands.

In recent years, high volume instruments (HVI) and the Advanced Fiber
Information System (AFIS) have been developed. Using these instruments, thousands
of cotton bales can be tested for several fiber properties at rates exceeding 150 bales
per hour. Data generated by these instruments can easily be utilised with
microcomputers and powerful software programs. These revolutionary developments
have led to substantial rethinking of cotton fiber selection, driven by the rising costs of
both labor and raw material and the more demanding quality requirements of end
products.
 The consistency of fiber profiles of the cotton mix fed to the processing line is a
key factor in determining blend uniformity and achieving process stability and
acceptable yarn quality. Available fiber information should assist in selecting fibers
based on the technological values of their characteristics. However, inventory
constraints should be considered in the selection process to avoid a surplus of
unfavorable fibers.

New Approach to Cotton Fiber Mixing:-

In view of today’s technology, the process of cotton fiber selection should

undergo an inevitable transition from the traditional pure art to a sound scientific
technique. In order to achieve this transition, fiber selection should be integrated into a
cotton fiber mixing program that attempts to optimise cotton fiber use with respect to
cost and quality of end product. A cotton fiber mixing program should be based on fiber
information that meets quality requirements imposed by the rapidly developing
technology and continuous change in customer demand.

In this program, four main interactive elements are considered: developing cotton
fibre database, cotton purchasing strategy, cotton testing, cotton fiber selection and
formulating the cotton mixing. The cotton purchasing strategy should be based on an
evaluation of the technological value of cotton. In other words, cotton fibers should
primarily meet technological requirements. Depending on the marketing system, cotton
that may have a premium market value may not be the best for the particular process or
end product. Cotton suitable for ring spinning may not necessarily be right for rotor or
air-jet spinning. For a given spinning method, other factors such as yam count, twist,
and end-product specifications also determine what kind of cotton to use. Purchasing
strategies should also optimise cotton blend components under inventory and quality
constraints. Scientific procedures that use parametric linear programming can provide
powerful tools for achieving this task.
Model of the optimum cotton mixing programme:

Figure 1. Cotton fibre mixing model gives the impact of software programme
solution on the cotton fibre mixing quality and cost. For the programming visual basic
language is used and for storing the database SQL Server is used.

The programme is written on the basis of principles of linear programming. The

constraints of the mixing used in the programme are cotton fibre minimum length in mm,
strength in grams per Tex, micronaire value in a range, maximum trash percentage, and
price per kilogram of the cotton. Also some of the practical constrains are considered
while formulating the mixing like maximum and minimum bales to be taken for mixing
from a lot.

Figure 2. Cotton fibre mixing model

This solution is verified by the spinning experts and then laid down. The software
programme is most useful when it is used at the time of cotton fibre procurement. As
software programme give the mixing of satisfying mixing quality parameters and at
lowest cost, you can save maximum amount of mixing cost if you are buying the cotton
fibre required for the mixing.

Conclusion:

As this practice of mixing of cotton gives the cotton fibre mixing solution at
required quality and minimum cost, it is most economic and right practice to be adopted
for the mixing of cotton fibre.

Acknowledgement

The author is very much thankful to Executive Director Dr.C.D.Kane, Principal

Dr. A.I.Wasif, Head of department of Textile Department Prof. P.V.Kadole and Prof.
P.R.Wadje of D.K.T.E.Sciety’s Textile and Engineering Institute, Ichalkaranji for their
valuable support.

References

1. M.N.SURESH, S.M.ISHTIAQUE et al, “A new approach to control cost of cotton

mixing”, NITRA 35th JTC, 1994, p 66-75.

2. Yehia E. El Mogahzy, “Optimizing Cotton Blend Cost with Respect to Quality Using
HVI Fibre Properties and Linear Programming, Part I: Fundamentals and Advanced
Techniques of Linear Programming”, Text. Res. J., 62 (1), 1-8(1992).

3. Yehia E. El Mogahzy, “Optimising Cotton Blend Cost with Respect to Quality Using
HVI Fibre Properties and Linear Programming, Part II: Combined Effects of Fibre
Properties and Variability Constraints”, Text. Res. J., 62 (2), 108-114(1992).

4. El Mogazhy, Y. E., and Gowayed, Y., “Theory and practice of cotton fibre selection,
Part I: Fibre selection techniques and bale picking algorithms”, Text. Res. J., 65 (1), 32-
40 (1995).

5. El Mogazhy, Y. E., and Gowayed, Y., “Theory and practice of cotton fibre selection,
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(2), 75-84 (1995).

6. Christoph Faerber, Zellweger Uster, “Raw Material Management- The Key To

Controlling Quality, Productivity and Cost”, 51st All India and 6th International
Conference, Madras, December 1995.

7. V. V. Poceciun and B. Temkin et al “INTEGRATION OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

INTO A COTTON ANALYSIS AND DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM”, Reprinted from the
Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference Volume 1:670-673 (1999) National
Cotton Council, Memphis TN