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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #192296
Title: PERFORMANCE TESTS OF AN EXPERIMENTAL ROLLER GIN STAND COVERING MATERIAL

Author
item Whitelock, Derek
item Armijo, Carlos
item Gamble, Gary
item MCALISTER, DAVID - USTER TECHNOLOGIES

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/2006
Publication Date: 6/9/2006
Citation: Whitelock, D.P., Armijo, C.B., Gamble, G.R., McAlister, D.D. 2006. Performance tests of an experimental roller gin stand covering material. In: Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, January 3-6, 2006, San Antonio, Texas. 2006 CDROM. p. 646-650.

Interpretive Summary: Pima cotton is roller ginned to preserve fiber quality. Roller-ginning rate is limited by the rate that fibers adhere to the roller and slip under the stationary knife. Increasing roller speed increases ginning rate, but produces higher roller temperatures due to friction. Roller covering material currently used is made from layers of woven cotton fabric bonded together with a rubber compound. An experimental roller covering, made from woven fiberglass, was tested to evaluate its ginning performance and effect on fiber quality. The experimental roller covering was much more aggressive than the standard covering; it ginned at twice the rate and its surface temperature while operating was 40% less than the standard roller. There was more trash in the lint from the experimental roller, but there were no differences in other fiber measurements between the experimental and standard roller coverings. A more aggressive roller cover with increased ginning rates could impact the ginning industry by reducing operating costs; mainly by reducing the total time required to gin a cotton crop; which in turn reduces labor, power, and other costs associated with longer ginning seasons. Higher roller ginning rates could also make it more attractive to roller gin more cottons that are normally saw ginned, producing higher quality upland cottons.

Technical Abstract: An experimental roller covering, made from woven fiberglass, was tested to evaluate its ginning performance and effect on fiber quality. The experimental roller covering was much more aggressive than the standard covering; it ginned at twice the rate (2.4 vs. 1.2 bales per hour) at a much lower controller setting and resulted in reduced roller heating (91 vs. 153 °F average). Higher levels of trash, based on HVI and AFIS measurements, were found in the lint from the experimental roller, but no significant differences were detected in either the other raw fiber measurements or the white speck counts for dyed fabric between the two coverings.