Calendering

What is Calendering
• Calendering is a thermo-mechanical process, i.e. it
involves use of heat and mechanical pressure.

• It is a temporary finish where the fabric is

compressed by passing it between two or more
rollers under controlled conditions of time,
temperature, pressure and a suitable degree of
dampness.

• If we want a smooth, glossy, silky touch and

highly lustrous fabric, it is easy to achieve with
calendaring process.
Objectives of Calendering
Mainly fabrics are calendared to improve its aesthetics properties.

1. To impart a smooth, glossy, silky touch & highly lustrous appearance on the surface of the
cloth.
2. To cause a closing together of the threads by flattening them & thus tending to fill up the
inter stitches between warp & weft.
3. To increase fabric cover.
4. To compress the fabric & reduce thickness.
5. To reduce air permeability by changing its porosity.
6. To increase the opacity of fabric.
7. To reduce yarn slippage.
8. To flattening slubs
9. To surface patterning by embossing

Main elements of calendaring

There are three main elements of calendaring:
• Heavy pressure
• High temperature
• A suitable degree of dampness
Factors affecting Calendaring Effect
The calendaring effects produced depends on-
• The moisture content of the fabric
• The number of bowls of the calendar used
• The composition of the bowls (steel-cotton, cotton-cotton, steel-paper, cotton-plastic)
• Bowl arrangement
• Temperature
• Pressure
• Speed
 Calendar
• Fundamentally, the calendars consist of a series of heavy rollers or bowls mounted vertically in
a robust frame which are compressed by means of hydraulic or pneumatic pressure & have high
temperature.. Calendars with 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 or 11 may be used according to the output and type
of finish required. Three-bowl calendars and seven-bowl universal calendars are the most
popular.
• Many types of calendars are available, featuring anywhere from 2 to 11 bowls or rollers. With a
simple two-bowl calendar, the fabric can pass through only one nip in its passage, but with a
multibowl calendar, the fabric can pass in succession through several nips and is more
completely treated as a result.
• The metal roll is made of fine cast iron or high-quality steel, which is often case hardened and
highly polished. Chrome or nickel-plated steel bowls are used where a high-gloss finish is
required. The bowls are generally hollow allowing them to be heated. When required, the steel
roll can be heated by gas, hot oil, electric or steam up to 210°C. Gas and electric heating need
very accurate control, whereas steam and thermic fluid give level heating profiles.
• When fabric is passed between two metal rolls, the fabric may be damaged, particularly in the
case of thin woven fabric. Therefore most calendars consist of a hard metal roller and a softer
roller. The softer nonmetal bowl is usually termed as ‘calendar bowl’. The calendar bowls are
made out of variety of materials, with each bowl manufacturer offering a specialized bowl
covering. The usual substances used are cotton paper, wool paper or a mixture of the two. They
are made in high tonnage presses as these rolls require up to 120,000 tons of pressure to
compact to the required density in order to use them as calendar bowls. By example a finished
roll 24” in diameter by 90” face with a 12” thru shaft will have 2000 lbs. of cotton compressed
in an area 1/8th of its relaxed space. These rolls are as hard as a Nylon or Polyurethane.
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• Bowls are filled with cotton, combination of wool and
cotton and/or corn husks. Cotton is used to produce very
hard, dense surfaces. These are not very resilient and are
susceptible to being marked or scarred should hard
objects inadvertently pass through with the cloth. Wool
or wool/cotton is used because the surface will be more
resilient and less likely to be damaged if a seam passes
through. A disadvantage of wool is that the scales on the
fiber tends to pick certain fabrics and create surface
defects. Corn husk is a very pure form of cellulose and
makes bowls that are cheaper and more resilient than
cotton, however they are weaker than cotton filled bowls.
Paper is also used to fill bowls. The latest in bowl design is
nylon bowls - a one inch thick nylon shell fitted over a roll.
The advantage of nylon is it resiliency; it is more
resistant to being marked than are the other surfaces.
Seams and wrinkles can run through without having to
refurbish them all the time. Cloth having selvages thicker
than the body of the fabric can be run through without
problems. One disadvantage, however, is that
temperatures are limited to less than 375°F, otherwise
the nylon will melt.
• The calendaring effect on the fabric is usually temporary
and disappears after the first washing. Semipermanent
lustre is sometimes achieved by padding fabric in a
sparingly soluble polyvinyl acetate emulsion before
calendaring, where the solution acts as a binding agent.
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• After scouring, bleaching, mercerizing and printing, the fabric is dried so that it can
transform into its true shape and dimensions. However, it is likely to end up in a form which is
less lustrous, because the threads are left highly crimped or wavy so that the fabric surface
is not smooth and flat. To become highly lustrous, the fabric surface should be perfectly flat
with the individual fibres as parallel to each other as possible. To increase its lustre, the
fabric must be flattened and smoothed.
• In ordinary calendaring, the two bowls are run together at the same peripheral speeds so that
there is no slippage between them. Under these conditions, the surface of the fabric is simply
flattened to the extent that the pressure between the bowls and the plasticity of the cotton
fibres will allow. This can give a considerable increase in lustre. However, this increase can be
made even greater by first impregnating the fabric with waxy and starchy substances, which
can assist by filling up inequalities in the fabric surface and by promoting a certain degree of
polishing. When the maximum increase of lustre is desired, it is arranged by suitable gearing
for one bowl to rotate somewhat faster than the other. This is called friction calendaring, and
under such circumstances, there is a slip between the bowl and the fabric which is equivalent
to an ironing action. If the steel bowl is quite hot and the fabric suitably damp, there is also a
very high increase in lustre. The polishing action closes up the pores of the fabric to make it
appear more solid and highly lustrous.
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• By simple and friction calendaring, the cotton fabric can achieve a greater lustre than that
obtained by mercerization. A defect of a lustrous finish obtained by calendaring is that it is
not fast to washing. When the fabric is moistened, the cotton fibres swell and lose their
flattened state so that during drying, the fabric reverts to its original appearance, with most
of the added lustre having disappeared. By contrast, the lustre produced by mercerization is
permanent and is unaffected by washing. The lustre produced by the calendaring of a
moderately moist fabric can be readily removed by light washing. However, a washfast lustre is
produced by the very hot calendaring of the wet fabric so that drying takes place during the
process.
• When pressure is applied to the journals of both the pattern roll and the bowl, the rolls tend to
deflect. The wider the calendar the greater will be the deflection. To take care of the
deflection, all bowls are crowned,. A crown is a shape or diameter profile necessary to
compensate for deflection in order to obtain a uniform nip pressure distribution.
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It is difficult to specify all of the parameters involved in calendaring, as there are many. A few
important parameters are listed below:
(1) Fabric structure—a more open structured fabric is affected more easily by calendaring.
(2) Nature of the fibre/yarn—a softer fibre or softer spun yarn is affected more easily.
(3) Finish—pretreating the fabric with starch, gums and/or softeners distinctly enhance the
finishing effect.
(4) Moisture content—dry fabric will be less affected than conditioned fabric.
(5) Roller temperature—synthetic fibres react to mechanical deformation in the presence of
heat, and mechanical deformation of natural fibres are also enhanced by heat.
(6) Calendar speed—this determines dwell time in nip and consequently the extent of
deformation.
(7) Differential bowl speed—this determines the friction on the fabric’s surface and
consequently the fabric’s lustre.
(8) Nip pressure—high pressure gives a papery finish while reduced pressure results in a soft
and thready appearance of the finished fabric.
(9) Roller composition—the extent of the hardness and its variation on the roller surface
decides the uniformity of a surface finish.
Types of Caledering

1. Swizzing Calender

2. Chasing Calender

3. Friction Calender

4. Schreiner Calender

5. Embossing Calender

6. Moiré Calender
1. Swizzing Calendar

• It is a British term which denote that fabric runs through all the nips of 5 or 7
bowls universal calendar and then either plaiting or batching.

• It usually consists of 7-10 bowls.

• All bowls rotate at same speed.

• Softening and filling agents can be applied to produce lustre.

• It gives close inter stiches, smooth appearance and gloss without high glaze (which
we get from friction calendar)

• Smoothness and lustre are increased with the increase of bowl temperature (150-
180°C).
1. Swizzing Calender (cont..) Roller Specification:
1. (at the bottom) closed grained
iron bowl
2. Compressed cotton bowl
3. Highly polished chilled iron, steam
heated bowl.
4. Compressed cotton bowl
5. Compressed cotton bowl
6. Highly polished chilled iron, steam
heated bowl.
7. Compressed cotton bowl
1. Swizzing Calender (cont..)

Advantage:

• Uniform calendaring is obtained

• Remove wrinkles and creases

• Smooth fabric surface can be obtained

• Very high glossy fabric is achieved

• No risk of displacing of fabric

2. Chasing Calender

• It is similar with swizzing calender.

• 5-7 rolls are needed & all of them rotate at same speed.

• The major difference is that the cloth makes several passage through the nips
before it exits to a take-up roll.

• The cloth is compressed as 5-6 layers being superimposed and entering into the nip
again.

• At this the weft of one layer will lie in between two adjacent wefts of the next layer
and give additional pressure.

• Roller pressure and this additional pressure soften the fabric and gives a linen
appearance (soft feel).
(cont.……………………..)
2. Chasing Calender (cont..)

Advantage:

• Gives very smooth linen appearance.

• Produce soft handle.

• More the fabric is passed, more the glazy appearance is achieved.

• Removes wrinkles and crease.

3. Friction Calender

• For producing this effect, the top four bowls of a 7-bowl universal calender are lifted
up, disengaging or disconnecting the contact between the third and the fourth bowls, so
as to use only the two or three bottom bowls.

• When the first two bowls alone are used, the arrangement is a two-bowl friction
calender and if the first three are used it is a three-bowl friction calender. The latter
arrangement is shown in the figure below:
3. Friction Calender (cont..)
3. Friction Calender (cont..)

• In this process, the third (top), polished, chilled iron bowl is heated with steam.

• As a further modification, this bowl is rotated by means of special gear wheels such that
its surface speed is double that of the fabric and those of the lower two bowls.

• As a variation, the top bowl may be run at 1.5 times the speed of the lowest bowl, with
the middle bowl running at an intermediate speed.

• Due to the differential bowl speeds, a frictional effect is exerted on the fabric surface.

• A 3-bowl friction calender is generally run at about 30 m/min. A three-bowl calender,

working without friction is run at around 60 m/min, while a seven–bowl calender is run
around 80 m/min.
4. Schreiner Calender
• Schreiner calendar is usually a two bowls calendaring mechanism. The upper bowl is made up of
specially polished steel bowl and the lower bowl is made of compressed cotton.

• The top metallic bowl is engraved with lots of finer line.

• Mercerized fabric when treated in this calendar gives Silk finish.

• Schreinering is a special type of embossing where a heated metal roller engraved with fine
diagonal lines comes in contact with the fabric and presses those fine lines into its surface.
With the correct cloth construction and the correct line direction of the engraving, a soft
lustrous handle can be achieved because of the regular reflection from the fabric surface
along the embossed lines. This calendaring is quite popular for sateen fabric.

• A Schreiner calendar can operate at speeds up to 30 yards a minute with a nip load normally at
about 1200–1500PLI ((pounds per lineal inch, or PLI)) with 1500PLI maximum.
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• The Schreiner roller is usually engraved with 260 lines per inch at a 26.5 degree angle and only
0.001 in. deep. This pattern physically can consolidate the fibres by as much as 4–16%. Highly
lustrous fabrics can be obtained by engraving 500 lines per inch at 20 degrees to the weft as
recommended elsewhere. In principle, the angle of engraving should follow the approximate
angle of the line of the twist of the yarn and also the direction of twist (for S and Z twists,
the lines of engraving should incline to the left and right, respectively). Sometimes vertical
lines (i.e. perpendicular to the roller axis) are used for warp-faced fabrics and plain square-
weave fabrics irrespective of the S or Z twist.

• They may be engraved so as to have a rounded (U shaped) or sharp outline (V shaped). Their
depth in the bowl surface may be limited because if they are too deep and sharp, they may cut
the fibre and reduce the strength of the fabric.

• For a Schreiner calendar, the suggested process conditions are as follow:

(1) Moisture content of fabric: not less than standard regain, 9–15% for cotton, usually ensured
by pre-damping (2) Temperature: 120–160°C (3) Nip pressure: 3.5–5.0 bar (4) Speed: 2–10m/min
4. Schreiner Calender (cont..)
5. Embossing Calender

Fig: Embossing effect

5. Embossing Calendar (cont..)
• This calendar is generally made of two or three bowls. The top chilled iron roll has a design
engraved on it and is heated.

• In two bowl machine, the heated and engraved metal bowl is used in conjunction with a paper or
cotton bowl which is twice the diameter of metal bowl.

• In case of three bowl machine, the engraved metal bowl is placed between two cotton or paper
bowl and are of same diameter which is about three times that of the metal bowl to ensure
repeat of pattern and prevent crushing of the pattern. The metal bowl may be 20cm in dia when
the cotton bowl is 60cm in dia. Smaller bowl provide sharper nip and a deeper embossing effect.

• In general embossing, any design that may be engraved on the surface of metal bowl, may be
transferred on to the fabric as a temporary finish.

• This calender is generally used to produce certain effects on bookcloth, imitation leather and
so forth.

• Embossing produces a raised relief design which is permanent on thermoplastic fibre but
temporary on cotton.
5. Embossing Calender (cont..)

Fig: Three bowl embossing calender

Fig: Two bowl embossing calender

6. Moiré Calender

Fig: Moiré effect

6. Moiré Calender (cont..)

• The moiré finish produces a wood-grain design on the face size of the fabric.

• Moiré finish can be temporary, durable or permanent.

• Cotton or rayon moiré finish is temporary without pretreatment with resin.

• Durable moiré finish requires initial resin treatment followed by calendering.

• Moiré finish on thermoplastic fiber fabrics are permanent if a heated roller is

used for calendering.

• Methods of producing moiré

• Using engraved cylinder

• Using smooth calender roller

6. Moiré Calender (cont..)
Using engraved cylinder
• In this case engraved roller is used on the calendar roller.
• Calender roller flattens one part of the fabric more than other, causing different light
reflectance.
• The different light reflectance cause moiré effect.
• Definite repeat pattern moiré is produced.

Using smooth calender rollers

• Two fabrics, each face to face, are fed through the calender. Ribbed fabrics are mainly
required for this.
• The high pressure on the calender rolls causes the rib to squeeze into each other in
certain areas.
• Creates light reflectance pattern which produces moiré effect.
• The effect is completely random and has no specific pattern.
Effects of Calendering depend on following parameter:

• The moisture content of the fabric.

• The number of bowls used in the calender.

• The composition and arrangement of the bowls.

• Bowls pressure.

• Machine speed.
Schematic diagram of a calendering machine (full range)
Any Question?
Thank You