The latest open prism technology for splicing covers a universal range of applications. It is easier to handle, as fewer time-consuming adjustments are needed. Splices are more even and possess greater strength. This is also good news for elastic yarns. The real highlight comes at the end, when the splice zone exhibits an impressive elasticity in the fabric.

Yarn splicing is one of the central functions of the winding machine. Splicing takes place not only when a quality cut is made, but also every time a cop is changed. For this reason, splice quality and process reliability are key issues in spinning mills. The latest open prism technology in the automatic winding machine Autoconer X6 represents a big step forward in this regard.

The main advantage of the open prism technology is that it can be applied universally. With only two prisms spinning mills can splice the entire spectrum of cotton yarns – carded, combed or compact – as well as blends. The prism OZ1 covers the count range from Ne 30 to Ne 120 and finer, the prism OZ2 mainly covers the coarser count range from Ne 3 to Ne 40. These two open prisms are also used for the splicing of cotton-based elastic core, duo-core and multi-core yarns in combination with the Elastosplicer.

Excellent splice quality

The open prisms OZ1 and OZ2 ensure strong splice joints for warping, weaving and knitting with yarn-like appearance. Compared to conventional covered prisms the average splice strength is higher and more even. Using the new open prism, a Turkish customer increased the average splice strength by approximately 7 per cent for his 100 per cent cotton yarn with count Ne 24. The splice process itself is more stable while the fault rate and number of splice cuts are reduced. This results in an efficient process and optimum splice quality.

Special advantages for elastic applications

Customers producing cotton based elastic core, duo-core and multi-core yarns benefit particularly from the open prisms in combination with the Elastosplicer. Great improvements have been achieved both in splice quality and in the splice process. An Indian customer achieves an average splice strength of 89 per cent for a cotton/elastane yarn Ne 14 with fully embedded Lycra ends and elastic splice zone with open prism dry splicing. These improvements can be measured up to the final fabrics: customers positively highlight the elasticity of the splice zone in the fabrics. In addition, the splice joints could be dyed well for a uniform appearance. Most elastic yarns have been spliced without the usage of water or only using little water.

Easy handling and less maintenance

The system is easy to handle for operators. The settings are nearly the same for a wide yarn count range. Mechanical and central adjustments are reduced, and the open design requires less cleaning and maintenance. Customers are successfully working with only one scissor distance ‒ this means that no time-consuming settings per spindle are necessary. However, if minor adjustments are still necessary, these can be made centrally on the operating unit at the touch of a button. The universality of the Autoconer splicing principle allows the new open prism technology to be used as a retrofit for machines up to the winding machine Autoconer 338. As a result, customers with older models also have the possibility to boost their splicing performance.