Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #104853
Title: CHANGING THE SPEED OF THE ROTARY KNIFE ON A ROLLER GIN STAND

Author
item Gillum, Marvis
item ARMIJO, CARLOS - LAS CRUCES NM

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/7/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: An experiment determined the optimum speed of the rotary knife on a roller gin stand. Six treatment levels of rotary knife speed were run: 150, 300, 450, 600, 750, and 900 r/min. (The manufacturer's specification for rotary knife speed is 389 r/min.) There were no significant differences due to treatment on the fiber properties. Overall, fiber strength and elongation by the Stelometer averaged 27.8 g/tex and 6.98%, respectively. Fiber span length and uniformity by the Fibrograph averaged 1.38 in. and 47.5%, respectively. Fiber grade, staple, and micronaire by the USDA-AMS Classing Office averaged 2.17, 46.8 32nd in., and 38.1, respectively. With the exception of linters content, there were no significant differences due to treatment on the seed properties. Overall, foreign matter content of the seed averaged 2.16% and seed grade averaged 114. The 300-r/min treatment had the lowest linters content of 1.67%. Linters content on the 150-r/min treatment was 1.73%, and ranged progressively from 1.83 to 2.88% on the remaining treatments. Ginning rate was significantly different due to treatment; the highest rate occurred on the 300-r/min treatment and was 1.90 bales/hr. The 150-r/min treatment had the lowest ginning rate (1.24 bales/hr). Ginning rate on the 450- through 900-r/min rotary knife treatments ranged decreasingly from 1.83 to 1.31 bales/hr.