The objective of the Engineering Doctorate project was the development of a continuous yam dyeing system which could meet the needs of a changing textile industry. Through an examination of the changes in the industry, it was found that the system must incorporate waste minimisation principles, be flexible and responsive to the demands of the fashion industry and provide the yam dyer with short lead times. Two yam processing systems were identified and investigated to determine whether they could be used to fulfil the aims of the project. The first system was based on the Fibre 'M' Yam Texturing and Dyeing process previously developed at UMIST. The second was a new development referred to as the Sealed Applicator Device (SAD). It had been shown in the past that the Fibre 'M' based system could simultaneously texture and dye polyester yam to a relatively high standard of fixation and bulk. However, through the process investigation presented here it was found that the system lacked flexibility, ease of use and, in addition, its environmental impact could be considerable. The investigation of the SAD process proved to be more fruitful. It was found that the SAD process could be used to impregnate single ends of yam with liquor to a high degree of accuracy and control. Laboratory trials sho~ed that the SAD system could be used to impregnate worsted yam with dye liquor levelly at yam speeds up to 500 m1min at liquor to goods ratios as low as 0.3 : 1. Also it was shown that the SAD system could be used as a high speed yam washing device as well as a yam drying device. Through a combination of the impregnation, washing and drying capabilities of the SAD process, in conjunction with an autoclave stage, it was demonstrated that the SAD process could be used to continuously dye, wash and dry yams at high speed to commercial standards of penetration, levelness and fastness. The potential savings for a yam dyer through the use of the SAD system were explored. It was also shown, through commercial trials, that the SAD system could be used as an integral part of a simultaneous yam folding, setting, conditioning and lubricating process for worsted yams. Comparable levels of setting, conditioning and lubricating to the industry standard were achieved using the SAD process, with the potential for considerable saving for the spinner.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:601466 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Sumner, Mark |
| Publisher | University of Manchester |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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