Comber

Combing
Combing is the process of extraction of short fibres, trash and neps to achieve yarn
regularity, smoothness, strength, cleanliness and visual appearance which otherwise would not be
possible.

The process of combing takes place by means of a comber machine.

A yarn made of comber cotton requires lesser twist than that of carded cotton.
To achieve a high quality yarn, comber must perform the following operations;
1. Removal of short fibres.
2. Removal of dust & other impurities.
3. Removal of neps & trash.
4. Straightening & parallelization of long fibres that are retained.
5. Improvement in uniformity & strength of yarn,
6. The properties of the combed sliver should meet the required standard so that the final
count can be spun.

Fibre Orientation in Carded Sliver

The carded sliver is an untwisted strand of fibres. It is normally stored in cans. This untwisted
strand is held together by the hooked fibres. There are three main types of fibres in the carded
sliver. These are,

1. Leading Hooked
2. Trailing Hooked
3. Double Hooked

These three types constitute the forces by which Leading hooked

the untwisted strand is held together. The fibre
Trailing hooked
orientation of the carded sliver is very poor. Almost
50 % of the total fibres are trailing hooked, 25% are Double hooked

Hooked Fibres
leading hooked and only 5 – 10 % of the total are
straight fibres.

Noil Percentage
The material ejected or eliminated by comber is called Noil.

Total weight = waste weight + sliver weight

waste weight
Noil %age = × 100
total weight

Noil %age varies within the range 5 – 30 %. On the basis of noil %age, following terms are used;

 Scratch comb =5%

 Semi comb = 5 – 10 %
 Ordinary comb = 10 – 18 %
 Super comb = above 18 %
 Double comb = above 25 %

Comber Models Lap Formed Models

1. EG1 Rieter
1. Unilap E32 Rieter
2. EG2 Rieter
2. E2/4a Rieter
3. E715 Reiter
3. DY – 5 Howa
4. Kz – 3 Howa
4. SK4 – A Toyoda
5. CM – 10 Toyoda

Preparation of Stock for Combing

 Raw material delivered by card is unsuitable for combing. Both the material and the fibre
arrangements are concerned in this respect.

 If a card sliver is directly fed to the comber before sheet formation, then the nipping plates
will perform true nipping only on the high points, with a risk that the nippers could not
 retain (hold) the less strongly compressed edge zones of the sliver (as the sliver is in rope
form). These could then be pulled out as clumps by the cylinder combs.

 Therefore, a sheet with a greatest possible degree of evenness is required as an in feed to

the comber. A suitable arrangement of fibres within the sheet is a further pre-requisite.

 In cotton coming, the fibres fed in as trailing hooks generally have a greater chance of being
removed as noil than do leading hooks. This is because they are difficult to straighten. The
probability of removal depends on the extent of the trailing hooks in relation to the length
of fibres fed in the comb. Trailing hooks are also likely to cause some other long fibres to be
pulled forward by entanglement, causing some long fibres to become noil.

 Hence feed with a majority of leading hooks into the comb usually
o Decreases the %age and mean fibre length of the noil extracted and
o Increase the mean fibre length of the combed sliver
This condition may not be true when short detachment settings are used on the comb.

 The cotton comb is highly sensitive to the direction in which the fibres are fed to it and also
to the total hook content of the fibers fed into the comb.

 When there is an even number of m/c b/w the card and the comb, the majority of hooks
will enter the comb as leading hooks. Hence it is usual to employ two m/c b/w cotton card
and comb, using draft to enhance fibre orientation.
 Preparatory Process For Comber Machine

1. Lap Doubling Process

(Classical method)
Sliver Lap m/c Ribbon Lap m/c
Objectives
1 –– Arrangement of sliver in the form of a 1 –– Production of a lap that is more
narrow lap. regular at its cross section.
2 –– Light drafting of fibres to straighten 2 –– Continuation of fibre drafting to
them. increase straightening of fibres.

Specifications

1. Sliver Doubling … = 6
1. Sliver Doubling … = 16 ⟶ 24
2. Drafting System … = 4/4
2. Drafting System … = 4/4
3. Draft Range ……….. = 3.48 ⟶ 8.04
3. Draft Range ……….. = 1.31 ⟶ 3.03
4. Tube Length ………. = 300 mm
4. Tube Length ………. = 250 mm
5. Feeding Material = lap of sliver lap
5. Feeding Material = carded sliver
m/c
6. Delivered Material = lap
6. Delivered Material = lap
7. Lap Net wt. …………. = upto 5 kg
7. Lap Net wt. …………. = upto 20 kg
8. Delivery Speed = 85 ⟶ 100 m/min
8. Delivery Speed = 85 ⟶ 100 m/min
9. Production …………. = upto 480 kg/ hr
9. Production …………. = upto 480 kg/ hr

2. Sliver Doubling Process

(modern method)
Sliver Doubling m/c Sliver Doubling m/c
Drawing Frame Lap Former
Specifications
1. Sliver Doubling … = 6 ⟶ 10 1. Sliver Doubling … = upto 35
2. Draft Range ……….. = upto 8 2. Draft Range ……….. = upto 3
3. Feeding Material = carded sliver 3. Tube Length ………. = 300 mm
4. Delivered Material = drawn sliver
4. Feeding Material = drawn sliver
5. Delivery Speed =
5. Delivered Material = lap
6. Production ………….. =
6. Lap Net wt. …………. = upto 20 kg
7. Delivery Speed = 200 m/min
8. Production …………. = 960 kg/ hr