TT 403 Ginning Technology

Departm e n t of Fi bre & Texti l e Tech n ol og y, Un i versi ty of Agri cu l tu re, Fai sal abad
• Lecture Presentation
• T.T 403 3(2-1)
• Ginning Technology
• Muhammad Qamar Tusief

World Cotton Production and Consumption

World Cotton Production and Consumption

Major Cotton growing Countries

Major Cotton growing Countries

Different cotton varieties grown in Pakistan and

their characteristics
Varieties approved for the crop season 2012-13
Different cotton varieties grown in Pakistan and

their characteristics
Varieties approved for the crop season 2012-13
Cotton Harvesting
• It is defined as picking of opened bolls from cotton plant.
• About 35% of the over 100 million bales of cotton produced
globally is harvested by hand.
• Following are the types of Hand Harvesting
1. Hand Picking
• It is standard by which all other
methods of harvesting are assessed.
• A higher grade of cotton is obtained
by good hand picking and no other
method can get more cotton from
field than careful gathering in this
way.
Cotton Harvesting
• It is often most expensive method of harvesting.
• However, losses in field and at the gin caused by
machines can some times make hand harvesting
cheaper.
• The amount of cotton one picks by hand depend
upon the following factors:
 yield and percentage of open bolls
 The ability of the picker
 Size and type of bolls
 Height of bolls from ground
 Weather conditions
Cotton Harvesting
2. Hand Snapping
• The practice of pulling off the entire opened boll by
hand is called hand snapping.
• In area where the cotton bolls open during the cold
period, gloves must be used to protect hand.
• Since picking while one is wearing gloves is difficult,
the bolls are snapped or pulled.
• Hand snapping is much faster method of harvesting
than hand picking.
• One man on an average can snap about 225 Kg of good
cotton in a day, as compared with only 100 Kg by hand
picking.
Cotton Harvesting
Although 40 countries harvest some cotton by
machine, only three (United States, Australia and
Israel) harvest 100% by machine.
• Two types of mechanical harvesting equipment are
used to harvest cotton
1. The spindle picker
2. The cotton stripper harvester
• Plant height should not exceed about 1.21m (4 ft)
for picked cotton and about 0.91 m (3 ft) for
stripped cotton
Cotton Harvesting
• In fact, a height of 0.6 m (2 ft) is preferred for
stripper harvesting.
Cotton Harvesting
• Typically, spindle and stripper-harvested seed
cotton contains about 6% and 30% plant parts,
respectively.
• Some stripper harvesters are equipped with field
cleaners or extractors that are similar to stick
machines used as pre-cleaners in the cotton gin.
These units are capable of removing 60–70% of the
foreign matter and can thus reduce the amount of
material processed at the cotton gin.
• Spindle pickers are available to harvest row spacing
from 38.1 cm (15 in.) to 106.7 cm (42 in.) as well
as skip-row patterns.
Cotton Harvesting
• Spindle picker was initially used as a one-row
machine that harvested less than one bale per
hour, it is now available as a six-row machine
capable of harvesting over 12 bales per hour.
• They can harvest at 95% efficiency but are
commonly operated at 85% to 90% efficiency.
• Moisture is added to the spindles to keep them
clean and to enhance the adherence of the fiber
to the spindle.
• Harvesting should begin after the dew has dried
and the relative humidity is below 60%.
Cotton Harvesting
Cotton Harvesting
• Cotton strippers have evolved from two-row, one
bale per hour machines to eight-row, 15 bale per hour
machines.
• The cotton stripper is a simple and efficient machine
for harvesting cotton and has the capacity to harvest
up to 99% of the cotton from the plant.
• Cotton strippers use either finger-type or roll-type
harvesting mechanisms.
• The finger-type
• mechanism utilizes multiple fingers made from metal
angle iron and operating at a 15∞ to 20∞ approach
angle with the ground.
Cotton Harvesting
• The roll-type strippers utilize two stripper rolls
angled 30∞ with the ground and rotating in
opposite directions with the upward direction next
to the plant.
• Each roll consists of three brushes and three
paddles mounted in alternating sequence
Harvesting Management
• The output of a typical 32-ft, picker-type module
builder can reach 15 bales/hr but averages 11-13
bales/hr.
• Modules vary in height and weight but they
typically contain 10-14 bales of picked cotton (in
picker-type modules) or 8-10 bales of stripped
cotton (in stripper-type modules).
• The optimum number of harvesters per module
builder depends on crop yield, row length, and
operator proficiency.
Harvesting Management
• Six picker heads or six to eight stripper heads per
builder is a good ratio.
• Module-hauling trucks are expensive to own and
operate. High annual usage is necessary in order to
keep costs low.
• Therefore, many gins own trucks and haul modules
for their customers.
Over View of Cotton Ginning Process:

• Cotton possesses its highest fiber quality and
best potential for spinning when it is on the
stalk.
• Lint quality of the cotton in the bale depends
on many factors, including variety, weather
conditions, cultural and harvesting practices,
moisture and trash content, and ginning
processes.
Over View of Cotton Ginning Process:

• The principal function of the cotton gin is to
separate lint from seed.
• But the gin must also be equipped to remove from
the cotton a large percentage of the foreign matter
that would significantly reduce the value of the
ginned lint.
Objectives of Ginners
A ginner must have two objectives:
(1) to produce lint of satisfactory quality for
the grower's market.
(2) to gin the cotton with minimum reduction
in fiber spinning quality.
Accordingly, quality preservation during
ginning requires the proper selection and
operation of each machine that is included in a
ginning system.
Major mechanical equipment and processes

in cotton ginning
• Green-Boll Trap
Cotton is transported from a trailer
or module into a green-boll trap in
the gin. The trap removes green
bolls, rocks, and other heavy foreign
matter.
These heavy materials are removed
early in the ginning system to
prevent damage to machinery and to Green Boll
preserve fiber quality by removing
immature cotton contained in
unopened bolls.

in cotton ginning
Green-Boll Trap

in cotton ginning
Seed cotton unloading
• Unloading systems remove seed cotton from
the transport vehicle and feed cotton into the
gin at a constant and uniform rate.
• An auxiliary function is to remove rocks,
metal, or other hazardous material and to
remove wet green bolls and some sand and
dirt.
• There are two types of seed cotton unloading
systems associated with module storage:
1. Pneumatic suction through swinging
telescopes that remove cotton directly from
the trailer or module

in cotton ginning
Seed cotton unloading
2. Module disperser systems that break
up the module mechanically and
deposit the seed cotton onto a
conveyor that delivers it to a fixed
suction pickup point.
• For seed cotton stored on trailers,
the suction system is used.

in cotton ginning
• Automatic Feed Control
The automatic feed control provides
an even, well-dispersed flow of
cotton so that the gin's cleaning and
drying system will operate more
efficiently. Cotton that is not well
dispersed can travel through the
drying system in clumps, and only the
surface of that cotton will be dried.

in cotton ginning
• Driers
In the first stage of drying, heated air
conveys the cotton through the shelves
for 10-15 sec. The temperature of the
conveying air is regulated to control the
amount of drying. To prevent fiber
damage, the temperature to which the
cotton is exposed during normal
operation should never exceed 350 °F.
Temperatures above 300 °F can cause
permanent physical changes in cotton
fibers.

in cotton ginning
• Driers
Dryer-temperature sensors should be
located as near as possible to the point
where cotton and heated air mix together. If
the temperature sensor is located near the
exit of the tower dryer, the mixpoint
temperature could actually be 100-200 °F
higher than the temperature at the
downstream sensor. The temperature drop
downstream results from the cooling effect
of evaporation and from heat loss through
the walls of machinery and piping.
Major mechanical equipment and processes in

cotton ginning
• Cylinder Cleaners (Inclined Cleaners)
The drying continues as the warm air moves the seed cotton
to the cylinder cleaner, which consists of six or seven
revolving spiked cylinders that rotate at 400-500 rpm. These
cylinders scrub the cotton over a series of grid rods or
screens, agitate the cotton, and allow fine foreign materials,
such as leaves, trash, and dirt, to pass through the openings
for disposal. Cylinder cleaners break up large wads and
generally condition the cotton for additional cleaning and
drying. Processing rates of about two bales per hour per foot
of cylinder length are common.

cotton ginning
• Cylinder Cleaners (Inclined Cleaners)

cotton ginning
Extractors
Bur Machine
• The bur machine is based on a
dislodging or stripping principle
• Seed cotton is presented to a large-
diameter saw cylinder by a kicker-
conveyer equipped with special
flippers.
• Seed cotton adheres to the saw
cylinder and is carried past a stripper
roller that dislodges burs and sticks
from the cotton on the surface of the
cylinder.
• The dislodged material finds its way
through the incoming stream of seed Bur machine. A, Kicker conveyor; B, Spiked
cotton to the kicker-conveyer, which conveyor; C, Saw cylinder; D, Stripper
roller; E, Doffing brush; F, Hull conveyor;
moves the material to one end of the
G, Cotton auger
machine.

cotton ginning
Extractors
Bur Machine
• At this point the material falls onto a
spiked conveyer and is moved back
along the entire length of the saw
cylinder so that seed cotton can be
reclaimed from the dislodged material.
• Fine particles and dirt shift through a
screened trough to an auger located
underneath the spiked conveyer.
• Bur machines manufactured by the
various gin machinery companies are
similar in design and size.
Bur machine. A, Kicker conveyor; B, Spiked

conveyor; C, Saw cylinder; D, Stripper
G, Cotton auger

cotton ginning
Extractors
Bur Machine
• The saw cylinder is approximately 30
inches in diameter and operates at a
speed of 110-140 rpm.
• The stripper roller is approximately 12
inches in diameter and operates at a 4-
to-l speed ratio with the saw cylinder.
• The operating speeds of the kicker-
conveyer and doffing brush are
approximately equal to the speed of
the stripper roller.
• Bur machines generally operate at
capacities of 0.50-0.75 bale/hr/ft of
length. Bur machine. A, Kicker conveyor; B, Spiked
conveyor; C, Saw cylinder; D, Stripper
G, Cotton auger

cotton ginning
Stick Machine
• Stick machines use the sling-off action of
high-speed saw cylinders to extract burs
and sticks from seed cotton by
centrifugal force.
• Seed cotton is fed onto the primary sling-
off saw cylinder and wiped onto the saw
teeth by one or more stationary brushes.
• Foreign matter and some seed cotton is
slung off the saw cylinders by centrifugal
force 25-50 times the force of gravity.
• Grid bars are strategically located about
the periphery of the saw cylinder to help
control the loss of seed cotton and to aid
in the extraction process. Gravity-fed three-saw machine. A,
Saw cylinders; B, Stationary brushes;
C, Grid bars; D, Reclaimer saw cylinder

cotton ginning
Stick Machine
• However, some loss of seed cotton is
inevitable to obtain satisfactory cleaning.
• Additional saw cylinders are used to
reclaim the seed cotton extracted with
the burs and sticks.
• Reclaimer saw cylinders resemble the
primary saw but usually operate at
slower speeds and are equipped with
more grid bars.
• Stick machines are usually preceded by
one or two stages of drying and at least
one stage of cleaning.
• A preceding cylinder cleaner will open
stripped cotton for more efficient Gravity-fed three-saw machine. A,
cleaning by the stick machine and reduce Saw cylinders; B, Stationary brushes;
seed cotton losses. C, Grid bars; D, Reclaimer saw cylinder

cotton ginning
Stick Machine
• Stick machines may be fed by air or
gravity; the trend in recent years has
been toward gravity feeding by a
separator or cylinder cleaner.
• Gravity feeding is more uniform and less
troublesome than air feeding.
• Depending on capacity requirements,
stick machines may be employed as
single units or multiple parallel units.
• Generally, stick machines are classified
as either two-saw or three-saw machines
• In addition, a five-saw stick machine has
recently been developed.
• Machines are available in widths of 6, 8, Gravity-fed three-saw machine. A,
10, and 12 ft for single-unit capacities of Saw cylinders; B, Stationary brushes;
about 10, 14, 18, and 21 bales/hr, C, Grid bars; D, Reclaimer saw cylinder
respectively.
Development of Cotton Gin

Previous to the introduction of Modern Machinery, ginning was
performed by hand or by machines of a primitive character such as the
"Foot Roller" and its improvement the "Churka".
Churka gin (circa 1940)—used

to pinch fibers from the seed


Metal saw gin stand patented by H. Ogden Holmes as an

improved version of the gin developed by Eli Whitney

• Holmes' continuous-flow gin created an obvious need for
continuous-flow mechanical feeders.
• The first successful gin feeder was developed by Alex Jones in
1834. In 1884, systems to handle bulk seed cotton came on the
market and made it possible to feed several gin stands
simultaneously.
Different types of Ginning Machines

As the Cotton industry developed,
greater production than these were
capable of was necessary, and machines
driven by power were introduced.
Numerous forms of gins have been
tried, but at the present time only two
are used to any large extent. They are
1. Knife Roller Gin
2. Saw Gin

SAW GIN
• WORKING
• The seed cotton is fed upon
the lattice and carried
forward to the spiked roller,
which loosens the cotton
and throw; it into the
hopper.
• In hopper, the seed cotton
comes into contact with
rapidly revolving saw roller.
App.70 saws are threaded
on a shaft.
• As the saws revolve, the teeth carry the fibres forward, but it is impossible for
the seeds to follow and also, due to the heavier beating of the rapidly revolving
saws on the seed cotton.

SAW GIN
• WORKING
• The fibres are separated
from seed and taken round
until the brush strips the
fibre from the teeth.
• Empty seeds husks and
other broken seeds are
thrown into grid, through
which they pass into
suitable receptacle.
• An air current from the cage
draw the fibres along the trunk passage, and on reaching the revolving cage are
brought under the pressure roller and delivered as a sheet, from which it is taken
to the baling press.

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Departm e n t of Fi bre & Texti l e Tech n ol og y, Un i versi ty of Agri cu l tu re, Fai sal abad

• T.T 403 3(2-1)

• Muhammad Qamar Tusief

World Cotton Production and Consumption

World Cotton Production and Consumption

Major Cotton growing Countries

Major Cotton growing Countries

Different cotton varieties grown in Pakistan and

Different cotton varieties grown in Pakistan and

Over View of Cotton Ginning Process:

Over View of Cotton Ginning Process:

Major mechanical equipment and processes

Major mechanical equipment and processes

Major mechanical equipment and processes

Major mechanical equipment and processes

Major mechanical equipment and processes

Major mechanical equipment and processes

Major mechanical equipment and processes

Major mechanical equipment and processes in

Major mechanical equipment and processes in

Major mechanical equipment and processes in

Major mechanical equipment and processes in

Bur machine. A, Kicker conveyor; B, Spiked

Major mechanical equipment and processes in

Major mechanical equipment and processes in

Major mechanical equipment and processes in

Major mechanical equipment and processes in

Development of Cotton Gin

Churka gin (circa 1940)—used

Development of Cotton Gin

Churka gin (circa 1940)—used

Development of Cotton Gin

Churka gin (circa 1940)—used

Development of Cotton Gin

Metal saw gin stand patented by H. Ogden Holmes as an

Development of Cotton Gin

Different types of Ginning Machines

Different types of Ginning Machines

Different types of Ginning Machines

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