Working principle of carding machine:

1. Feed roller- taker in zone: From the feed arrangement, the card mat is
pushed into the working zone of the feed roller-taker in. The card mat is
opened to tufts by the taker in wire through combing action.
2. Taker in-cylinder zone: From the feed roller-taker in zone, the opened tufts
are transferred to the taker in-cylinder working zone for opening to small
tuft size. For cleaning, the material is passed over grid equipment and mote
knife attached the underside of taker in. Here points are in face to back
arrangement. Suction ducts carry away the waste from trash box.
3. Cylinder-Flat zone: The small tufts are then transferred to cylinder-flat
zone and opened up into individual fiber which is defined as the actual
carding process. Here points are in face to face arrangement. Neps are
removed in this zone. The flats comprise 80-116 individual carding bars
combined into a belt moving on an endless path and approx. 30-50 flats
are active to the main cylinder. The rest are on the return run. During this
return, a cleaning unit strips fibers, neps and foreign matter from the flat
bars.
4. Cylinder-doffer zone: After the carding operation, the cylinder carries
along the fibers that are opened to single and loose condition as well as lie
 parallel without continuous structure. For the purpose of forming a
continuous structure of the carded single fibers the doffer is required. The
doffer combines the fibers into a web. Here points are in face to face
arrangement.

Actions in carding machine:

1. Combing action: when two close surfaces have same wire direction and
their speed direction is also same to each other, then the action between
two surfaces is called combing action. Opening and cleaning of fibers
is done by this action.

- Action between feed roller and taker in

- Wire direction same
- Speed direction same
- Face to back arrangement of wires

2. Stripping action: when two close surfaces have same wire direction but
their speed direction is opposite to each other, then the action between
two surfaces is called stripping action. Opening and cleaning of fibers
is done by this action.

- Action between taker in and cylinder

- Wire direction same
- Speed direction opposite
- Face to back arrangement of wires

3. Carding action: If two closed surfaces have opposite wire direction and
their speed direction is also opposite to each other, then the action
between two surfaces is known as carding action. Opening to individual
fiber and neps removal is done by this action.

- Action between cylinder and flat

- Wire direction opposite
- Speed direction opposite
- Face to face arrangement of wires
 4. Doffing action: when two close surfaces have opposite wire direction
and their speed direction is also opposite to each other, then the action
between two surfaces is known as doffing action. Web formation of
fibers is done by this action.

- Action between Cylinder and doffer

- Wire direction opposite
- Speed direction opposite
- Face to face arrangement

Functions of carding machine:

1. Opening to individual fibers: whereas the blow room only opens the raw
material to flocks, the carding must open to the stage of individual
fibers. This is essential to enable elimination of impurities and
performance of the other operations.
2. Elimination of impurities: elimination of foreign matter occurs mainly
in the zone of taker in and cylinder. The degree of cleaning achieved by
the modern card is very high. Card sliver still contains 0.05 – 0.3%
foreign matter.
3. Neps removal: while the number of neps increases from machine to
machine in the blow room, the carding reduces the neps by carding
action. Actually neps are not eliminated at the carding, they are mostly
opened out.
4. Elimination of short fibers: elimination of short fibers in the carding
must be viewed in proportion, actually very small, the less than 1%
short fibers.
5. Sliver formation: To deposit fiber material, to transport it and process it
further an appropriate product must be formed. This is the sliver.
Characteristics of card sliver:
1. Not proper uniform
2. Wt. per unit length = 65-80 gr/yd
3. Draft = 90-120
4. More short fibers present
5. More fibers are projected out of the slivers
6. Production/hr = (50-100) kg
 7. Hook is present
8. Carded sliver are oriented in different direction

Carding: Carding may be defined as the reduction of an entangled mass of fibers to

a filmy web by working between two closely spaced, relatively moving surfaces
clothed with sharp wire points.
Neps: Neps can be defined as a small knot of entangled fibers. The structure of
entangled fibers typically ranges from 0.3 to 3 mm in diameter.

Neps removal efficiency (NRE):= × 100%

Card clothing: The pin which is used to cover the surface of carding roller such as
taker in, cylinder, doffer and are of fine in diameter, spaced closely and bended in
shape is defined as card clothing.
Types of card clothing:
1. Flexible card clothing
2. Semi-rigid card clothing
3. Metallic card clothing

Card clothing manufacturers:

1. Graf
2. Trutzschler
3. Lakshmi
4. ICC ( Indian card clothing)
5. ECC (English card clothing)
Wire specification:
T 40 30 090 0367 31 BZ
Where,
T = Trutzschler wire 31 = working height
40 = total height of wire (1/10mm)
(1/10mm) B = banana shape wire
30 = front angle (degree) Z = scale free by special heat
090 = base width (1/100mm) treatment
0367 = PPSI (points per
square inch)
Selection of card clothing:
1. Type and design of card ( jute card, cotton card, woolen card)
2. Rotational speed of the cylinder( for higher cylinder rpm better card
clothing is required)
3. Production rate ( to give higher production better quality card clothing
is needed)
4. Material through put ( through put capacity 800, 900 or 1000 ton)
5. Raw material type (natural or man-made)
6. Fiber characteristics (such as immaturity)
7. Overall quality requirements
8. Price of the card clothing
9. Service offered by the clothing supplier
Effectiveness of clothing influenced by following factors:
1. The quality of wire
2. The gauge of wire ( distance between two wire)
3. The insertion angle of wire in the foundation
4. The grinding of the wire points
5. The density of the wires
6. The height of the wires
Grinding: Grinding is the operation by which the effectiveness of the wire points of
all organs in the carding machine is maintained. Wire points of different organs such
as taker in, cylinder, doffer and flats loss their effectiveness in regular fiber
processing and variable wt. of wire points and get irregular carding action. So,
grinding is necessary to make the points sharp. After grinding, the height of wire
reduced.

Objects of grinding:

1. To increase sharpness of the wire points

2. To keep equal height of wires
3. To get regular carding action and uniform sliver
Types of grinding:
 1. Traverse wheel grinding: Traversing wheel grinding device contains an
emery wheel of 3.5 inch width which performs grinding process by
traversing motion, moving from one end to another across the wire
points of different parts.
2. Roller grinding: This device provides a long roller which moves over
full width of cylinder surface and performs grinding process.
General faults in carding machine:
1. Lower NRE%: If neps are not removed as standard level therefore, card
sliver contain higher neps/gm. This fault is created due to:
- Improper setting between different card surfaces
- Incorrect point density of carding wire
- Damaged carding wire
- Improper geometry of card cloth
- Incorrect speed setting of different carding surfaces
2. Higher sliver CVm%: If sliver mass variation is high in card sliver, then
CVm% is high. This type of fault is produced due to malfunctioning of
card autoleveler.
3. Sliver breakage: sliver breaks due to disruption in material inflow and
incorrect calendar roller pressure.
4. Poor web structure: damaged doffer wire or improper stripping roller
function.
5. Out of levelling limit: If control limit of levelling is exceeded then
machine stops. This type of fault is produced due to disruption in
material inflow from blow room or jamming in chute device.
6. Roller lapping: calendar roller, coiler calendar roller lapping take place
due to improper working ambient condition. (RH%, temp.)
Development in carding machine:
1. Fire detector
2. Continuous suction
3. Chute feed system
4. Electronic control system
5. Each section is driven by separate motion
6. Auto levelling
Auto levelling: For regular delivery or regular output of material changing draft
according to the change of input amount is called auto levelling.
Draft: Draft is defined as the ratio of wt. per unit length of the input material to the
wt. per unit length of output material. Draft reduces the wt. per unit length or
increases the length per unit wt. of the material.
.
Draft =
.

What is auto levelling in carding? How auto levelling is performed in carding

machine? (let card mat wt. 550gm/m and required sliver wt. 70 gr/yd).
Answer: For regular delivery or regular output of material changing draft according
to the change of input material is called auto levelling.
In the spinning mill, carding machine is the effective start of the spinning process
since the sliver is produced here. A relatively high degree of evenness is required in
this product. For various reason, carding machine cannot always operate absolutely
evenly, for example owing to uneven material feed. Spinning mills are therefore
forced to use auto levelling equipment under highly varying circumstances.
Adjusting the feed roller speed usually performs auto levelling. Auto levelling serves
to keep the sliver count constant. Measuring is performed by the sensor in the card’s
sliver trumpet at the sliver delivery. The card control unit analyses and processes the
incoming signals which is produced in the sensor unit and accordingly adjust the
speed of the feed roller to adapt to the delivered sliver via electronic regulating
devices.
.
Draft =
.

Normally if sliver wt. is high (above 70gr/yd) then less card mat will be fed (less
than 550gm/m) by the help of feed roller to keep the sliver wt. constant.
If sliver wt. is low (less than 70gr/yd) then more card mat will be fed (more than
550gm/m) by the help of feed roller to keep the sliver wt. constant.
Blow room and carding wastage calculation:
Let,
Carding machine production = 70 kg/hr
Amount of Dropping 2 in 1 hr= 3 kg
Amount of Dropping 1 in 1 hr = 2 kg
Amount of Flat strip in 1 hr = 1 kg
So, total input in blow room = (70+3+2+1)
= 76 kg

Dropping 2 % = × 100%

= 3.94%

Dropping 1% = × 100%

= 2.63%

Flat strip = × 100%

= 1.31%
Total wastage = (3.94+2.63+1.31)
= 7.88%

1. To increase D2% we have to increase the beater speed and widen the grid bar.
2. To increase D1% we have to increase the taker in angle ( the angle between
feed roller and taker in)
3. To increase F/S% we have to increase the flat speed.
Practice:
1. A spinning mill has 20 carding machines. Each machine deliver 60 kg sliver per
hour. Every one hour 60kg D2, 40kg D1 & 20kg F/S are collected from dust
chamber. Find out blow room & carding wastage percentage for this spinning
mill. Let, efficiency of each carding machine is 98%.
Mathematical problem:
1. If motor rpm is 950, motor pulley dia 6 inch, beater pulley dia 8 inch, then
calculate beater rpm and beats/min. let, no. of spikes of this beater is 30.what can
you do to increase the beater rpm?

Solution: beater rpm = motor rpm × = 950 × = 712.5 (ans.)

Beats/min = beater rpm × no. of spikes = 712.5 × 30 = 21375 (ans.)

2. Find out the draft of a carding machine if card mat wt. is 550 gm/m, card sliver
wt. is 70 gr/yd.
Solution: 15.432 gr = 1gm; 1yd = 0.9144 m
/
We know, Draft = = = = 110.87 (ans.)
/
. × .

3. If doffer rpm is 100, doffer diameter is 27 inch, then what will be the surface
speed of doffer?
Surface speed of doffer = π × doffer dia × doffer rpm
= 3.1416 × 27 × 100
= 8482.32 inch/min
.
= m/min
.

= 215.45 m/min (ans.)

4. If doffer speed is 215 m/min, card sliver wt. is 70 gr/yd, then calculate the
production/hr (in kg) of this carding machine. Let, efficiency of this carding
machine is 96%.
Solution: we know,
× × × .
Production/hr =
. × × .
× × × .
=
. × × .

= 61.43 kg (ans.)
5. A spinning mill has 10 carding machine. Card mat wt. is 500 gm/m. 100 draft
has been given to all machine. Doffer diameter is 68 cm, doffer rpm is 120,
efficiency 95%. Then calculate the total carding machine production/day (in kg)
of this spinning mill.

Solution: Draft =

Or, 100 =
 Or, card sliver wt/unit length = 5 gm/m
Or, card sliver wt/unit length = 5×15.432×0.9144 = 70.55 gr/yd
Again,
Delivery speed = π × doffer dia × doffer rpm
= 3.1416 × 68 × 120
= 25635.45 cm/min
.
= m/min

= 256.35 m/min
× × × .
Production/hr =
. × × .
. × . × × .
=
. × × .

= 73.05 kg
Total production/day = 73.05×24×10
= 17533.07 kg (ans.)

6. If delivery speed of a carding machine is 220 m/min, sliver length/can is 9000m.

Find out the time required for a doff. Let, efficiency 97%.
Solution: (220×0.97) m sliver delivered in 1 min

9000 m sliver delivered in = min

× .

= 42.17 min (ans.)

7. Find out the sliver wt. (in kg) of a doff where doff length is 9000m. card sliver
wt. is 70 gr/yd.
Solution: wt. of 1 yd card sliver is 70 gr

Or, wt. of 0.9144 m card sliver is kg

. ×
×
So, wt. of 9000 m card sliver is = kg
. × × .

= 44.64 kg (ans.)
8. How much time needed for 10 carding machine to deliver 1 ton sliver. Let, sliver
wt. 70gr/yd, surface speed of doffer 230m/min, efficiency 97%.
× × × .
Solution: Production/hr =
. × × .
× × × .
= kg
. × × .

= 66.40 kg
Production/hr for 10 carding m/c = 66.40×10
= 664.03 kg
So,
664.03 kg sliver delivered in 1 hr

1000 kg sliver delivered in =

.

= 1.5 hr (ans.)