Saw-Type Lint Cleaner Damage As Related to Saw Speed

Abstract

Abstract Saw-type lint cleaners are commonly used to improve the overall quality of ginned lint by removing foreign matter and less desirable short fiber. Saw-type lint cleaners inflict damage on some good lint. The removal of foreign matter improves the leaf grade of the lint and removal of short fibers improves the mean length and overall fiber length distribution of the ginned lint while the lint damage increases the short fiber content. Reduced short fiber content and increased fiber mean length increase the value and improve the textile processing of the lint. Previous work examined the effect of individual components of the lint cleaner on the quality of the cleaned lint. This paper describes a lint cleaner which has been equipped with a variable frequency drive to allow the saw speed to be precisely controlled and easily changed, separately from the feed works. Saw speeds were able to be increased and decreased without altering the other settings of the lint cleaner. Altering the saw speed changes the interaction of the lint with the saw, as well as alters the air flow through the lint cleaner. Fiber quality was measured utilizing several techniques such as High Volume Instruments (HVI) and Advanced Fiber Information Systems (AFIS). The quality of the material ejected by the lint cleaner was also studied. The saw-type lint cleaner is an efficient cleaner and a more thorough understanding of the effect of the saw speed on fiber quality will allow for effective design improvements.