Yarn Count

Prepared by
Md. Sumon Miah
Assistant Professor
Dept of Textile Engineering
 Linear Density
 The thickness or diameter of a yarn is one of its most

fundamental properties. However, it is not possible to

measure diameter of a yarn in any meaningful way.

 A system of denoting the fineness of a yarn by weighing a

known length of it has developed. This quantity is known as

the linear density and it can be measured with a high degree

of accuracy if a sufficient length of yarn is used.

 There are two systems of linear density designation in use:

Direct and Indirect system.

 Indirect System
 This is the traditional system of yarn linear density
measurement.
 The indirect system of denoting linear density is based on
measuring the length per unit weight of a yarn.

- It is based on the fixed weight system.

- Finer the yarn, higher the count number.

The main systems in use are:
1.English (Cotton) - Number of hanks all 840 yards
long in 1 pound. It is denoted by Ne.

2. Worsted - Number of hanks all 560 yards long in 1

pound. It is denoted by Nw.

3. Metric - Number of hanks all 1000m long in 1 kg.

It is denoted by Nm.
Let, N = The yarn count or number

L = The length of the sample

Lu = Length unit of the system

W= Weight of the sample

Wu = Weight unit of the system

Then, the general formula of indirect systems,

N=
 Relationship between Indirect System
1. Ne = 0.59 × Nm

Make relation between English and worsted count.

 Direct System
 The direct system of denoting linear density is based on
measuring the weight per unit length of a yarn.
- It is fixed length system.
- Finer the yarn, lower the count number.
 The main systems in use are:
1.Tex - Weight in grams of 1000 meters
Decitex - Weight in decigrams of 1000 meters.
Militex - Weight in miligrams of 1000 meters
Kilotex - Weight in kilograms of 1000 meters
2. Denier - Weight in grams of 9000 meters
3. Woolen- Weight in grains of 20 yds.
4. Spyndle-Weight in pounds of 14400 yds
Let, N = The yarn count or number

L = The length of the sample

Lu = Length unit of the system

W= Weight of the sample

Wu = Weight unit of the system

Then, The genera formula of direct system,

N=
Relationship between direct systems
1. Denier = 9 × Tex
2. Tex = 1000 × Kilotex
3. Tex = decitex/10
4. Tex = militex/1000
5. Tex = 3.55 × woolen
 Conversion Formula for the various numbering systems

tex decitex denier Metric No. English

(dtex) (den) (Nm) Cotton No.
(Ne)

  - 10 x tex 9 x tex 1000 / tex 590.5 / tex

dtex / 10  - 0.9 x dtex 10000 / dtex 5910 / dtex

den / 9 den / 0.9   - 9000 / den 5314 / den

1000 / Nm 10000 / Nm 9000 / Nm   - 0.59 x Nm

591 / Ne 5910 / Ne 5315 / Ne Ne x 1.69   -

Measurement of yarn number or count

Irrespective of the system of yarn numbering

employed, two basic requirements for the
determination of the yarn number are required

- An accurate value for the sample length

- An accurate value for its weight
Length measurement
Yarn in package form
 Where the yarn is in package form, such as ring bobbins or
cones, it is usual to wind a number of skeins by means of
wrap reel.
 This is a simple machine consisting of a reel, yarn package
creel, a yarn guide with traverse, a length indicator, and a
warning bell.
 For cotton yarns the reel has a girth (circumference of reel) of
54 inch, so that 80 revolution of the reel as skein of 120 yard,
or a lea.
 In case of jute, wrap reel circumference is quite higher and
required yarn is 300 yds.
 The same lea will be weighed accurately to calculate the
count.
Yarn in short length (from fabric)
 The determination of the count of yarn in fabric is
usually made on a comparatively short sample length
because the piece of fabric available.
 After conditioning in the testing atmosphere, two
rectangular warp way strip and 5 weft way strips are
cut from the cloth.
 In length, the strips should be about 20 inch and wide
enough to allow fifty threads to be removed from each
strip.
 The difference between warp and weft specimen arises
from the fact that 100 threads from two warp strips
resembles 100 warping package and form reasonable
random sample.
 But in weft way, it may represent five different
samples only.
 The yarn removed from fabric will have crimp. So it
is measured first and length should be calculated.
Weight Measurement
Balances

- The analytical balances and any other special yarn

balances used in the determination of count must be
accurate, and it is essential that they are well
maintained.

- The weight should be capable of giving a result to an

accuracy of not less than 1 in 500.
 Regain

The problem of accounting for the presence of moisture in the sample

can be tackled in several ways, two of which are considered here.
i)Determine the oven dry weight and multiply by

ii)Allow the sample to condition in the testing atmosphere long enough

to reach equilibrium, and then weigh in the same atmosphere.

Between the two, first method will give accurate result than second
method.

 
 Count testing methods

Wrap reel and balance method

 When testing spun packages, sixteen are randomly
chosen and a lea from each wrapped on the reel at the
correct tension.
 Leas is to be weighted by balance after oven dried the
leas
 The official regain is added to the oven dry weights
and the individual counts are calculated.
 The operations is repeated 12-16 times, then
calculated the individual counts by means of formula.
 The mean count is then calculated.
Wrap reel and a Knowles balance

A beam balance is used, behind which is a separate rod of

hexagonal section with five of the faces lettered from A to E
and engraved with a count scale to cover a certain range.
 To measure the count of yarn, 120 yds of sample is placed
on the right hand pan of the balance and any of the 5 (A-E)
were placed on the left hand pan.
 Then the turning screw is turned and the corresponding is
kept on pan then the scale is brought in front.
Figure : Knowles Balance
 Contd.

 Suppose a cotton yarn is to be tested and is judged to be

about 36s.
 Face B of the scale is turned to the front, weight B is placed
in the left-hand pan, and rider B put on the beam.
 The position of the rider to be adjusted until the beam is
balanced.
 Then read the count directly from the scale.
 This balance can be, of course, be designed to suit count
systems other than that of cotton.
 Wrap reel and a quadrant balance
 It is another type of direct reading instrument. The count
can be directly measure from quadrant balance.

Figure: Quadrant Balance

 A given length is measured out and suspended from
the hook, the count is then read directly from the
quadrant scale.
 The versatility of this type of balance is improved
by engraving the scale with more than one series of
values.
 For example, one scale may read from 0.1 to 0.19
to give the hank of a 4 yard sample of sliver.
 Second scale may read from 0.4 to 1.2 for 20 yard
samples of roving.
 Third scale may read from 4s to 80s for 840 yard
samples of yarn.
 The scales just mentioned are in the cotton count
system, but other quadrant balances are available
for different ranges and different systems.
 The operation is repeated 16 times and mean is
calculated. The mean will be the count.
Beesleys Balance
 When a cotton yarn is supplied in short length or
removed from fabric, the count of yarn can be
measured by a special type of balance is called
Beesleys balance. Pivot
Beam arm

Pointer Notch
Hook

Beam

Template

Figure: Beesleys Balance

Working principle:
 The instrument consists of simple beam with a
small hook at one end and a pointer at other end.
 The beam is initially leveled to bring the pointer
opposite to datum line.
 A standard weight is hung in a notch on the beam
arm on the pointer side of the pivot.
 A template is used to cut short lengths of yarn, the
length depending upon the count system required.
 These short lengths are added to the hook until the pointer is
opposite the datum line
 The count is the number of the short lengths required to
balance the beam.
 When used in the analysis of small samples of fabric, a rough
estimate of the crimp should be made and the count corrected.

Specimen size:

- For Cotton 4.32"

- For Worsted 2.88 "

- For wollen 1.353 "

- For Linen 1.543 "

H.T

Relation between yarn dia and count.

Folded Yarn
 In the traditional count systems a folded yarn is
denoted by the count of the singles yarn preceded
by a number giving the number of single yarns that
make up the folded yarn.
For example, 2/24s cotton count system implies a
yarn made from two 24s count cotton yarns twisted
together; 1/12s cotton count means a single 12s
count cotton yarn.
 In the tex system there are two possible ways of
referring to folded yarns: one is based on the linear
density of the constituent yarns and the other is
based on the resultant linear density of the whole
yarn.
 In the first way the tex value of the single yarns is
followed be a multiplication sign and then the
number of single yarns which go to make up the
folded yarn, e.g. 80 tex X 2
 This indicates a yarn made from twisting
together two 80 tex yarns.
 In the second way of numbering folded yarns is

R 74 tex / 2
 It means R = resultant, 74 tex is the final yarn
count and 2 is denoting no. of plies twisted
together.