Wool Glazing Machine | Process of Wool Glazing

Wool Glazing Machine

This special machine is used to perform functional finishing on wool fabrics after raising finishing. The machine is made up of two different units. 

1.Starching Unit

2.Glazing Unit

The Starching Unit Includes:
1) a vat containing water and silicones;
2) a variable-speed extracting cylinder to reduce the quantity of liquid to be passed onto the fabric;
3) a brush coated with horsehair adhering to the extracting cylinder and passing the liquid onto the fibre ends of the fabric, simultaneously combing and lining up the fibres.

The Glazing Unit Includes:  

•  A crenellated polishing cylinder (made of steel and coated with hard chrome) heated by means of electric resistances at temperatures up to 220°C and four spiral grooves on which hard-steel combs are assembled. These combs have very fine teeth to enhance the efficiency of fibre ironing during the process;

• A felt sleeve, rotating at the same speed of the fabric, presses the fabric onto the polishing cylinder. The contact arc on the polishing cylinder can vary and the cylinder can reach a temperature of 130°C.

Wool glazing machine

The fabric with the fibre ends already combed and wet come under the polishing cylinder, which dries and irons the pile, and confers a lustrous appearance by giving a soft and smooth hand, also thanks to the silicones added to the starching vat (thanks to this process the fabric acquires a hand similar to the precious wool one).

By adjusting the temperature and the speed of the polishing cylinder, the contact arc of the fabric on the cylinder and the contrasting pressure of the felting material, it is possible to obtain different types of finishing (from the laid down to the perfectly lined up one).

Raising or Napping Finishing | Working Process of Raising FinishingProcess

Raising or Napping

A finishing process that raises the surface fibers of a fabric by means of passage over rapidly revolving cylinders covered with metal points or teasel burrs. Outing, flannel, and wool broadcloth derive their downy appearance from this finishing process. Napping is also used for certain knit goods, blankets, and other fabrics with a raised surface.

The raising process is a very old technique known also to Romans (as pictured in some paintings found in Pompeii). This operation is particularly suitable for wool and cotton fabrics; it gives a fuzzy surface by abrading the cloth and pulling the fibre end to the surface. During those last years this process has also been applied on polyester/viscose blends and acrylic fabrics. 

By means of this process a hairy surface can be given to both face and back of the cloth providing several modifications of the fabric appearance, softer and fuller hand and bulk increase. This enhances the resistance of the textile material to atmospheric agents, by improving thermal insulation and warmth provided by the insulating air cells in the nap. The fuzzy surface is created by pulling the fibre end out of the yarns by means of metal needles provided with hooks shelled into the rollers that scrape the fabric surface. The ends of the needles protruding from the rollers are 45°-hooks; their thickness and length can vary and they are fitted in a special rubber belt spiral-wound on the raising rollers. These rollers are generally alternated with a roller with hooks directed toward the fabric feed direction (pile roller), and a roller with the hooks fitted in the opposite direction (counterpile roller).

Raising rollers

The machine also includes some rotating brushes, which suction-clean the nibs in pile and counterpile directions. Actually the trend goes towards a ratio of raising rollers/pile rollers equal or 1/3. The two series of rollers have independent motion and can rotate with different speed and direction thus carrying out different effects.

Raising (napping) machine

1: roller; 

2: rollers equipped with hooks;
3: fabric;

4: nib cleaning brushes;

5: fabric tension adjustment

The action of these systems is almost powerful and the results depend upon the effects and the type of fabric desired . The raising effect can be obtained by adjusting the fabric tension (5) or by adjusting the speed and the roller rotation direction (2).

Once a certain limit has been exceeded, the excessive mechanical stress could damage the fabric: it is therefore better, when carrying out a powerful raising, to pass the wet fabric through the raising machine many times (dry when processing cotton fabrics) and treat the fabrics in advance with softening-lubricating agents. 

Raising the face of the fabric

The pile extraction is easier when carried out on single fibres: it is therefore suitable to reduce the friction between the fibres by wetting the material or, in case of cellulose fibres, by previously steaming the fabric. For the same reasons, it is better to use slightly twisted yarns.

The same machine allows different options of independent motions:  

1. Fabric moving between entry and exit 

2. Motion of large drum 

3. Motion of raising rollers

The raising intensity can be adjusted by suitably combining the above mentioned independent motions, the tension of the textile material, the number of .pilewise. or . counterpile. raising rollers and their relative speed. It is possible to obtain .combed pile. raising effect, “semi-felting” effect with fibres pulled out and re-entered in the fabric, and complete felting effect.

The raising machine is equipped with two overlapping drums each one featuring 24 rollers, which can process two faces or face and back of the same fabric. The drums assembled on a standard machine can rotate separately one from the other in the fabric feeding direction or in the opposite direction by carrying out a counter rotation. In this model all the functions are carefully monitored and controlled by a computer system; in particular all the commands are driven by alternating power motors controlled by “Sensorless” vector inverters. 

The control electric system features:
1).  PLC programmable controller for machine and alarms automation; 

2).  Touch screen to program and update all processing parameters; 

3). Operating conditions of each single raising process (up to one million .recipes”) that can be stored to facilitate the batch reproduction. 

Furthermore, a series of special pressure rollers can be assembled on the feeding cylinders to prevent the fabric from sliding, thus granting an extremely smooth raising. The raising process ability lies merely in raising the desired quantity of fibre ends without excessively reducing the fabric resistance. For this reason, the technique applying the alternated use of pile and counterpile rollers is the most widely used since it minimises the loss of fibres from the fabric and the consequent resistance reduction.

Standard raising machines have been designed to work with fabrics powerfully tensioned essentially because they are not equipped with an efficient and reliable tension control. 

This gives rise to the effects detailed below:

1) The contact surface between the fabric and the raising cylinders is quite small;
2) The hook nibs work only superficially on the fabric and the raising effect is quite reduced;
3) The fabric width is drastically reduced.

The above mentioned inconveniences have now been eliminated thanks to the last generation of raising machines, which reduce the number of passages and carry out the raising process by gently tensioning the fabric.

Introduction of Merchandiser/Merchandising | Objects of Merchandising |Qualities of Merchandiser | Function of Merchandisers

Merchandise means goods bought and sold; and trading of goods. Merchandising is an activity of selling and promoting the goods.

Merchandiser is a person who interacts with the buyer and seller, and also puts efforts into proper relation between buying offices/ buying agents/ agency and seller/ exporter in terms of executing an order.

A garment export unit generally has many departments like stores, cutting, production, packing, checking etc. Merchandising department is the star of the department among all the working departments in the Export concern, because Merchandising is the only department having maximum control over the departments and total responsible for Profit and loss of the company.

The job of a merchandiser is to co ordinate with the entire department in the office as well as the customers. Merchandiser meets the buyers and collects the details of their requirements etc., to develop the relationship with the customer.

Objects of Merchandising
Merchandising denotes all the planned activities to execute and dispatch the merchandise on time, taking into consideration of the 4 Rs to replenish the customer.

Right Quantity: To dispatch right quantity of product what buyer ordered.
Right Quality: It should be with right quality as accepted both parties.
Right Cost: Everybody wants more from what they are paid.
Right Time: No one wants to wait idle even in a Restaurant. Keeping delivery schedule is mandatory.

Qualities of Merchandiser

Planning Capability: Merchandiser should be capable of planning, based on the planning the order is to be followed. If the planning is not done properly it will directly affect the delivery time of the order.

Decision making: For a Merchandiser, decision making power is most important. He should think about the decision to be taken and to act in a right way.

Communication Skill: The communication is very much important to promote the business activity. The merchandiser should remember that communication must be lurid and should having face to face conversation with the buyer.

Loyalty: Loyalty is an essential character of human beings. Especially for the business people like merchandiser it is a must.

Knowledge about the field: Merchandiser should have adequate knowledge about the garments, Computer knowledge, and technical knowledge to communicate with different people in the business is a must.

Co-ordinate & Co-operate: Merchandiser is the person who is actually co-ordinate with the number of departments. To Co-ordinate with different people in the industry he should be co- operative.

Monitoring ability: Merchandiser should monitor to expedite the orders.

Other qualities: Education, Experience, Situational Management, Ability to Evaluate, Dedication, Knowledge of expediting procedures.

Function of Merchandisers

1. Developing new samples, execute sample orders
2. Costing
3. Programming
4. Raw materials / Accessories arrangement
5. Production scheduling (or) route card drafting
6. Approval of various Process, Pattern and size set
7. Pre production follow up
8. Meet Inspection Agencies
9. Production controlling
10. Identifying shortages and make arrangement for the shortages
11. Following quality assurance procedures, quality control procedures
12. Monitoring the in-house, sub-contractors and junior activities
13. Buyer communication
14. Communication with sub-contractors, processing units & other 3rd parties
15. Proper reporting
16. Highlighting to the management
17. Record maintenance
18. Developing samples
19. Placement of orders to suppliers
20. Taking measures for consistent production
21. Taking preventive action to maintain the targeted performance in all areas of activities
22. Attending meeting with superiors and furnishing the required details about merchandising

Purchase order (PO) is received from the buyer which includes:
• PO no/date
• Buyer/Consignee
• Garment no
• measurement
• the description of the garment
• L/C date
• Last date within which shipment to be reach the destination.
• Sign and seal
• Order validity date

After receiving PO from the buyer merchandiser issues PO for the fabric unit, buttons, thread, dyeing unit, printing, embroidery and other raw materials. These raw materials’ are checked and color, quality and size approved by the merchandiser.

Skein Dyeing Machine/Arm Dyeing Machine | Working Process of SkeinDyeing Machine

This is the most suitable machine for dyeing delicate yarns (Silk, Bemberg, etc.) since it prevents the material being too tightly packed; in fact other skein dyeing systems frequently produce an excessive packing of the dyed material. The machine is equipped with horizontal arms perforated in the upper part; skeins are stacked and suspended on this rack. The liquor, forced through the arm holes, penetrates the skeins and is then collected in an underlying vat. Standard machines are equipped with a rod which moves the skeins at preset times, changing the bearing point to obtain a more uniform dyeing. During the skein motion, the flow of the liquor is stopped to avoid the formation of tangles in the yarn; since yarns are not fixed to rigid supports, they can thoroughly shrink. This machine does not run under pressure. It is possible to dye at steady temperatures since the liquor is contained in a separate tank. 

Skein Dyeing Machine

Modular skein dyeing machine with pullout arms. Pullout arms also allow the loading and unloading of skeins far from the dyeing machine, without manually intervening in the intermediate dyeing, squeezing and drying operations. It can be used for silk, cotton, viscose and Cashmere yarns.

The operating costs of this machine are generally very high because it require a very high liquor ratio (1:15 . 1:25 . 1:30 ). Standby times for loading and unloading operations are also very high and the arms must be often cleaned. This machine can be used also for scouring and finishing processes.

Some machine manufacturers have designed machines with slant covers to avoid unwanted liquor dripping on the skeins; the skein rotation is determined by the perforated arms, and not by the rotation of the skein-lifting device when the arm is stopped; it is therefore possible to eliminate the sliding contact with the skeins and preserve them perfectly.

There are also package dyeing machines with triangle-shape arms, arranged radially on a variable-speed rotor. When the dyeing process has terminated, the material can be centrifuged and dried, by forcing a hot air flow into the arms and through the skeins.

Winch Dyeing Machines | Working Process of Winch Dyeing Machines |Advantages/Limitations of Winch Dyeing Machine

A dyeing machine consisting essentially of a dye vessel fitted with a driven winch ( usually above the liquor level) which rotates and draws a length of fabric, normally joined end to end, through the liquor.

Winch dyeing machine

Winch dyeing machine is a rather old dyeing machine for fabrics in rope form with stationary liquor and moving material. The machine operates at a maximum temperature of 95-98°C. The liquor ratio is generally quite high (1:20-1:40). Winch dyeing machines are a low cost design that is simple to operate and maintain, yet versatile in application proving invaluable for preparation, washing or after treatments as well as the dyeing stage itself. In all winch dyeing machines a series of fabric ropes of equal length are immersed in the dye bath but part of each rope is taken over two reels or the winch itself. The rope of fabric is circulated through the dye bath being hauled up and over the winch throughout the course of the dyeing operation. Dyestuff and auxiliaries may be dosed manually or automatically in accordance with the recipe method.

A winch dyeing machine

Description and Dyeing Method on Winch Dyeing Machine
The basic principle of all winch dyeing machines is to have a number of loops or ropes of the fabric in the dye bath, these ropes are of equal length , which are mostly immersed in the liquor in the bath. The upper part of each rope runs over two reels which are mounted over dyebath. At the front of the machine , above the top of the dye liquor , is a smaller reel, which is called jockey or fly roller.

The fly roller remain free wheeling along with fabric rope. At the back of winch tank is the winch wheel, which pulls the fabric rope from the dye bath over the jockey reel for dropping in the dye bath for immersion. From the dropped location , the fabric rope travels back . to be lifted and fed to winch wheel.

The dyeing process on winch dyeing machines is based on higher M:L as compared with other dyeing machines. The process is conducted with very little tension . The total dyeing time is lengthier as compared to other machines.

Advantages of Winch Dyeing Machine
1. Construction and operation of winch are very simple.
2. The winch dyeing machines are suitable for types of wet processing operations from desizing to softening.
3.The winch dyeing machine is suitable for practically all types of fabrics ,which can withstand creasing in rope form processing.
4. Thr tension exerted on winch is less than jigger dyeing machine,the material thus dyed is with fuller hand.
5. The appearance of the dyed goods is clean and smooth on winch dyeing machines.

Limitations of Winch Dyeing Machine
1. Batch dyeing operations needs trimming, sewing, opening out the rope , loading and unloading for individual lots separately.
2. Since several lengths of fabric are run over the winch reel into the liquor and sewn end to end,Continuous length processing is not possible in a single batch.
3. Fabric is processed in rope form which may lead to crease marks , particularly in heavy , woven , thin and light synthetics.
4. Most of the machine work under atmospheric conditions.