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The combing process is a key step in the spinning of cotton, wool, or synthetic fibers. It is
employed to improve the quality of yarn by eliminating short fibers, aligning the fibers, and
reducing the amount of impurities, leading to smoother, stronger, and finer yarns. Combing
enhances the overall texture, uniformity, and strength of the yarn, making it suitable for high-
quality fabrics.
Objective:
The primary objective of the combing process is to produce high-quality yarn with improved
characteristics, such as increased strength, uniformity, and smoothness, by removing short
fibers, neps (tangled fibers), and contaminants. It prepares the fibers for spinning into finer
counts, which are used in premium fabrics.
Preparation of Fiber:
o Raw fibers (usually cotton, wool, or synthetic) are cleaned and carded before
the combing process.
o Carding aligns fibers in a relatively parallel arrangement and removes large
impurities.
Combing Machine:
o The fiber is fed into a combing machine, which consists of a set of rollers and
a comb (a series of fine needles or metal pins).
o The comb removes short fibers (those that are too short to spin into yarn) and
neps (tangled or knotty fibers).
o The longer fibers, which are more suitable for spinning, are separated and
further aligned.
Separation of Short Fibers:
o Short fibers (less than 1.5 inches) are separated from the longer fibers during
the combing process.
o The short fibers are removed and collected as waste, often called "comber
noils."
Fiber Alignment:
o The remaining longer fibers are aligned in a parallel orientation, which helps
in reducing friction during spinning.
o This alignment improves the spinning efficiency and ensures a more uniform
yarn.
Drafting:
o After combing, the aligned fibers are drafted (pulled) further to reduce the
thickness and increase the length of the fiber strand.
o This step ensures that the yarn has a consistent thickness and texture.
Formation of Sliver:
o The combed fibers are collected into a continuous, uniform bundle called a
"sliver."
o The sliver is then sent for further spinning processes, such as roving and
finally yarn spinning
Types of Comber:
Manual Combers: These are typically operated manually and are less
operations where low volumes and high precision are manageable manually.
allow for high output and consistency in quality. They offer adjustable
settings and are suitable for producing large quantities of fine-quality yarn.
Combing Cycle:
1. Lap Feed by the Feed Roller: The feed rollers (S) move the sheet (W)forward while the
nippers (Zo/Zu) are open.
2. Lap Nipping by Nipper: The upper nipper plate (Zo) lowers onto the cushion plate (Zu),
clamping the fibers between them.
3. Combing by the Cylinder: The combing segment (k) on the rotating cylinder (Z) sweeps its
needles or saw-teeth through the fiber fringe (B), removing unwanted materials not held by
the nippers.
4. Nippers Forward: The nippers open and move towards the detaching rollers (A).
5. Web Return: The detaching rollers (A) reverse rotate to return part of the previously
drawn-off stock (web v), making it protrude from the back of the detaching device.
6. Piecing: During the forward movement of the nippers, the projecting fiber fringe (B) is
placed upon the returned web (V).
7. Detaching: The detaching rollers rotate forward again, drawing the clamped fibers out of
the sheet (W) held by the feed rollers (S).
8. Combing by the Top Comb: Before detaching, the top comb (F) inserts its needles into the
fiber fringe. As fibers are pulled through the top comb during detaching, the trailing part of
the fringe is combed, compensating for the cylinder combs’ inability to reach this part.
9. Nipper Assembly Retraction: The nippers retract and open for the next feeding step, and
the top comb withdraws. A new combing cycle begins.
Technical Data of Combing Machine:
being processed.
These parameters help determine machine efficiency and the quality of the
final sliver.
Main Components of the Combing Machine:
Feed Roller: Controls the rate at which fibers are fed into the machine.
Top and Bottom Combs: These are used to separate fibers and remove
impurities.
fibers.
Combing Process:
sliver production:
Combing: Short fibers and impurities are removed, while longer fibers
are aligned.