USTER® INTELLIGIN-M
APPLICATION REPORT
Monitoring of the ginning
process
THE GIN PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM
S. Dönmez Kretzschmar, A. Ellison
April 2010
SE 639
THE STANDARD FROM FIBER TO FABRIC
Copyright 2010 by Uster Technologies AG
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, translated or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of the copyright owner.
veronesi\TT\Schulung_Dokumente\On-Line\INTELLIGIN\SE-439_Monitoring of the ginning process
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Contents
1
Introduction ................................................................................ 5
2
The total quality control of the ginning process ..................... 5
2.1
What is the function of a cotton gin? ............................................ 5
2.2
Why we should monitor the ginning process?.............................. 7
2.3
Benefits and the opportunities of the USTER® INTELLIGIN ....... 8
3
System Features ...................................................................... 10
3.1
The USTER® INTELLIGIN –M organization ............................... 11
3.2
The USTER® INTELLIGIN-M Reports........................................ 14
4
Field Test .................................................................................. 16
5
Conclusion................................................................................ 19
6
Literature................................................................................... 19
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1
Introduction
After the harvest, a producer wants the optimum yield possible and the
spinner wants the highest quality fiber available. The ginner is asked to
make both happen. Cotton ginning is an important step in the cotton production sequence. The purpose of the ginning operation is separating the
cotton seed from the lint and removing sticks and coarse trash from the
input material. Input materials coming from a variety of growing areas are
processed together and the process acts as a first blending of massive
quantities of fibers [1]. The true art of ginning is knowing when and how to
use a technical advantage. Because not all cottons are the same, the ginning process requires constant monitoring based on incoming harvest
qualities, fiber characteristics, picking methods and growing conditions.
The USTER® INTELLIGIN-M monitors and/or controls the ginning process
through a system of online sampling stations located throughout the gin
from the module feeder to the bale press. Information on fiber moisture,
trash and color are fed into a main console where software analyzes fiber
value for optimum dryer temperature and lint cleaning practices. Optional
bypass valves automatically reroute cotton only through necessary equipment preserving fiber quality and reducing processing costs. From an easyto-use console, the ginner has a complete picture of all variables and can
manually adjust the process or set perimeters to allow the process to run
automatically. The USTER® INTELLIGIN-M provides total quality control of
the ginning process.
2
The total quality control of the ginning process
2.1
What is the function of a cotton gin?
The principal function of the cotton gin is to separate lint from seed. The gin
must also be equipped to remove foreign matter, moisture, and other contaminants that significantly reduce the value of the ginned lint.
Gins (Fig. 1) must produce a quality of lint that brings the owner of the cotton maximum value while meeting the demands of the spinner and consumer. Cotton seed is an important by-product of cotton manufacture and
most of the seed is crushed for oil or used for animal feed. According to the
yarn producer, cotton seed represents hazard and excessive seed-coat
fragments make the spinning process more difficult.
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Fig. 1
Gin
On the other hand, the economics of ginning are affected by the sale of byproducts, and thus they have some effect on the cost of the cotton mill. The
cost of the cotton in the mill represents roughly half of the yarn cost. Not
only the cost but also the quality of the product depends the total quality
control of the ginning process Therefore the yarn producer must have a
strong interest in the basic fiber production [1].
Fig. 2
Cotton lint and cotton seed
Cotton Ginning
Transportation to
warehouse
Warehousing / Storage
Preparation in Mill
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Transportation
to mill
Fig. 3
Fiber Flow – Field to Sliver
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2.2
Why we should monitor the ginning process?
We should monitor the ginning process because the cotton is a huge variable with different:

Cotton Varieties

Fiber Characteristics

Picking Methods (Spindle – stripper – hand )

Growing Conditions

Harvest Conditions

Market Changing Requirements

Domestic

Export
Because not all cottons are the same, the ginning process requires constant monitoring based on incoming harvest qualities, fiber characteristics,
picking methods and growing conditions. The USTER® INTELLIGIN-M
monitors and/or controls the ginning process through a system of online
sampling stations located throughout the gin from the module feeder to the
bale press. Information on fiber moisture, trash and color are fed into a
main console where software analyzes fiber value for optimum dryer temperature and lint cleaning practices. The USTER® INTELLIGIN provides
total quality control of the ginning process (Fig. 4). Thus the ginner has a
complete picture of all variables and can manually adjust the process or set
perimeters to allow the process to run automatically.
High Moisture – Max Drying
Intelligin Zone
Maximum
Advantage
High Trash
Domestic
Export
Low Trash
Intelligin Minimum
Advantage
Low Moisture – Min Drying
Fig. 4
Process Control Decisions
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2.3
Benefits and the opportunities of the USTER®
INTELLIGIN
In Table 1 and in the following figures (Fig. 5 to Fig. 9) we can see the
measurement and control opportunities and benefits of the USTER® INTELLIGIN-M during the ginning process.
Control
Opportunites
Benefits
Figure
- Incoming Moisture
- Incoming Trash
- Feed Rate Seed
Cotton
- Gin Performance
- Trash Levels –
Cleaning % Efficiency
Fig. 5
- Temperature for
Drying
- Quantity of PreCleaning Stages
- Maximized Yield
- Gin Performance
- Fiber Quality (Length,
Neps, Trash,
Strength
- Energy Costs
Fig. 6
- Temperature for
Drying
- Optimized Moisture
for Ginning
- Fiber Quality
Fig. 7
14. Centrifugal Cleaner - Trash Level in Lint
15. 24-D Tandem Lint - Color
Cleaners
- Moisture
- Quantity of Lint
Cleaners
- Quantity Grid Bars
(Louver Control)
- Maximized Yield
- Fiber Quantity – No
Unnecessary Cleaning
- Fiber Quality
- Maximized Value
Based on Market Criteria
Fig. 8
16.
17.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
- Feedback to Prior
Measurements
- Moisture Restoration
- Maximized Yield
- Immediate Knowledge Grades for
Merchandizing
- Final Color & Trash
Grades for Allocation
& Storage
- Final Moisture Optimized
- Warehousing Efficiencies
Fig. 9
1.
2.
3.
Module Feeder
Suction Telescopes
Big-J Feed Control
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Vertical Flow Drier
Incline Cleaner
Stripper Cleaner
Stick Machine
Tower Drier
Incline Cleaner
Impact Cleaner
11. Conveyor Distributor
12. Feeder
13. Gin Stand
Baling – Final Package
Trash Removal From
Lint
Seed Cotton
Entry Into
Gin
Measurement
Opportunities
Seed Cotton Cleaning & Drying
Sections of Gin
Ginning –
Separation
of Seed and
Ginning
Process
Table 1
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Battery Condenser
Covered Lint Slide
Moisture Addition
Belt Feeder
Bale Press
Bale Tying
Bale Bagging and
Conveying
- Moisture
- Trash Final
- Color Final
- Moisture in Lint After
Cleaning
- Moisture in Bale
The measurement and control opportunities and benefits of the USTER® INTELLIGIN -M
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Fig. 5
Seed Cotton Entry Into Gin
Fig. 6
Seed Cotton Cleaning & Drying
Fig. 7
Ginning - Separation of Seed
and Lint
Fig. 8
Trash Removal From Lint
Fig. 9
Baling - Final Package
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3
System Features
The basic USTER® INTELLIGIN-M system is for monitoring, information,
and database collection purposes only. The system includes one measurement station at lint flue. The USTER® INTELLIGIN-M system provides
leaf grade, % trash, color grade, extraneous matter identification, and lint
moisture measurement at lint flue. Reports on machine use, moisture, leaf
and color as well as gas & electricity use on a per bale basis if outputs are
provided.
There are also some additional available options or measurements:

Louvered Grid Bar Control

Incoming module moisture

Final Bale moisture

Energy Monitoring

Machine Efficiency Monitoring
The “Monitor” system gives gins with hands on management the necessary
tools for processing quality cotton. This system will monitor the gin process
from manual changes and adjustments. Ginners can use realtime information to make decisions for setting dryer temperatures and determining leaf
grades. The “Control” system constantly controls the gin to set specifications without constant manual changes, leaving the ginner to focus on labor
and maintenance issues.
Monitor or Control system

Real-time measurement of fiber color, trash and moisture

Patented color and trash sensor technology to HVI modules

Reporting software for an up-to-the-minute data analysis
Control system only

Patented decision making software algorithms

Main console with touch screen controls that integrates into current gin
control database

Automatic control of dryer temperature for optimum fiber moisture

Automatic control of seed cotton and lint cleaner bypass valves
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3.1
The USTER® INTELLIGIN –M organization
The following diagrams shows us the USTER® INTELLIGIN-M organization
and the system layout of the sampling station and the USTER® INTELLIGIN
host console in the gin (Fig. 10 and Fig. 11).
Gin Office
Gin
Real Time
Display
Real Time
Display
Internet
Remote
Service and
Support
Process
Measurements
Reports
Remote
Monitoring by
Gin Mgmt
USDA
Information Input
for Calibration
Gin Console
Sampling Station
Fig. 10
®
The USTER INTELLIGIN –
M organization
IntelliGin host console
Sampling Station
Fig. 11
System layout in the gin
The system has a sampling station and a host console. Positioned just past
the lint cleaners, this station gives a final reading of fiber moisture, trash
and color to ensure the accuracy of the decisions made before cotton enters the bale press. This information is used to give feedback to ginners so
that they might make adjustments to the ginning process to optimize fiber
qualities, yield and moisture content (Fig. 12 and Fig. 13)
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Fig. 12
Lint Flue Sampling Station
Fig. 13
Lint Flue Sampling Station
In Fig. 14, we can see the sampling station and all sensors such as paddle
sampler, moisture measuring sensor and the USTER® HVI color head.
Paddle Sampler
HVI Color Head
Moisture Measuring Sensor
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Fig. 14
Sampling Station
Open, showing all sensors
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The main console gives the ginner a complete summary of the ginning
process. It provides information that is necessary for the ginner to make
informed decisions to improve fiber moisture levels, and preserve fiber
properties (Fig. 15).
Fig. 15
Gin Host Console
By using this system, the user can make reliable cotton value decisions by
using real time information which is obtained by the USTER® INTELLIGIN –
M.
Classer‘s
Leaf Grade
Trash
Measurement
(% area)
1
2
3
4
5
<= 0.08
<= 0.12
<= 0.18
<= 0.34
<= 0.55
Too little cleaning
may allow higher
grade creating
discount
Lint
Cleaners
Bale
Weight
0
516
1
498
2
490
Too much cleaning
costs yield, as much
as 8# for second LC
The ginner will learn that
in some cases better leaf
grade is not possible.
Then the best strategy is
to maximize yield by
accepting the discount.
Length
32nds
HVI Length
32
0.99 - 1.01
33
1.02 - 1.04
34
1.05 - 1.07
35
1.08 - 1.10
36
1.11 - 1.13
37
1.14 - 1.17
(Inches)
Too much cleaning
will shorten fiber.
Fig. 16
the USTER® INTELLIGIN –M
Organization
In Fig. 17 we can see the special model of the USTER® INTELLIGIN-M
which is primarily for Texas developed. The benefits are given in Table 2.
Fig. 17 shows the indication of bark and grass in the cotton.
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Specification
Measurement
Opportunities
Control
Opportunites
Benefits
Indication of bark and
grass
Automatic Bark & Grass
Detection
Quick feedback to producer
Optimized ginning decisions
Reduced discounts if
ginning procedures will
reduce contamination
Table 2
The measurement and control opportunities and benefits of the USTER® INTELLIGIN-M Texas
Fig. 17
Indication of Bark and Grass
3.2
The USTER® INTELLIGIN-M Reports
The USTER® INTELLIGIN-M gives the user easy-to-read graphical reports
and provide summaries and in-depth analysis of bale characteristics for
producers (Fig. 18).
Fig. 18
Report
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The trends for process improvement are also available for gin administration (Fig. 19).
Fig. 19
Display of the USTER® INTELLIGIN
The reporting package delivers analytical reports that detail every level of
the ginning process. Reports such as color grade, leaf grade and moisture
provide value to producers, while production and shift reports are essential
to improving gin profitability.The monitoring of the final bale moisture enables the ginner to see the realtime results of the ginning process as it affects the moisture of cotton (Fig. 20).
Fig. 20
Graphs of the bales
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Moisture of cotton is critical when decisions are being made to optimize the
dryer settings. The final bale moisture sensor also allows the ginners to see
the results of any supplemental moisture restoration system. Research
shows that optimum moisture level in a bale is 7.5%, matching USDA conditions for classing cotton. Achieving this balance depends on accurate
measurements throughout the ginning process (Fig. 21).
Fig. 21
Actual dryer temperatures
4
Field Test
During a field test, we have taken cotton from the same cotton field. The
yield has been made under the same conditions and the same amount of
raw material has been processes first time by using (active) the USTER®
INTELLIGIN and the second time without using (passive) the USTER® INTELLIGIN.
These cotton bales are tested by using the USTER® HVI. When we look at
the percentage of the total measured bales which are ginned with the
USTER® INTELLIGIN, the fibers shorter than 34 mm are only 1%. The
bales which have fiber lengths of 37 mm or more have a percentage of
70%. On the contrary, the bales which are ginned without the USTER® INTELLIGIN have generally lower mean length values (Fig. 22).
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Without Intelligin
80
With Intelligin
70
70
58
60
50
40
30
29
24
18
20
10
1
0
< 34
35 - 36
Fig. 22
USTER® HVI length values
> 37
When we look at the percentage of the total measured bales which are
ginned with the USTER® INTELLIGIN, the fibers with a strength value of 28
or less are only 24%. The bales which have fiber strength of 30 [cN/tex] or
more have a percentage of 52%. On the contrary, the bales which are
ginned without the USTER® INTELLIGIN have generally lower mean
strength values (Fig. 23).
Without Intelligin
60
With Intelligin
52
50
41
40
34
30
24
25
24
20
10
0
< 28
29
> 30
Fig. 23
®
USTER HVI strength
values
In Fig. 24, we can see that the bales which are ginned with the USTER®
INTELLIGIN have generally better uniformity values.
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Without Intelligin
90
With Intelligin
77
80
70
55
60
44
50
40
30
14
20
9
10
1
0
77 - 79
80 - 82
83 - 85
Fig. 24
®
USTER HVI uniformity
values
In Fig. 25, we can see the quality characteristics of the cotton fibers. The
mean values of neps, the upper quartile length (w) and short fiber content
are given. According to the USTER® AFIS values, we can easily see the
positive effect of the USTER® INTELLIGIN on the fiber quality (Fig. 25).
350
Without Intelligin
With Intelligin
310
300
250
206
200
150
100
50
30
16
1.13 1.21
12.4 8.3
0
Neps [1/g]
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Seed Coat Neps
[1/g]
UQL [mm]
SFC [%]
Fig. 25
USTER® AFIS values
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5
Conclusion
The USTER® INTELLIGIN -M provides a cotton ginner with critical data,
enabling the gin to process for weight and grade optimization. Using patented sensor technology, the USTER® INTELLIGIN-M monitors the ginning
process quality through a system of online sampling stations. Online measurements provide information on moisture, color and trash for optimum
processing. The special software analyzes the fiber quality for optimum
dryer temperature and cleaning practices. Cotton is not over- or underdried
or over- or undercleaned – preserving grade and bale weight. With the optional final bale moisture system, the USTER® INTELLIGIN also ensures
that producers get the most value for their cotton while preserving fiber
quality.
6
Literature
1. Lord, P. R., “Handbook of Yarn Production: Technology, Science and
Economics”, Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2005.
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Uster Technologies AG
Sonnenbergstrasse 10
CH-8610 Uster / Switzerland
Phone +41 43 366 36 36
Fax
+41 43 366 36 37
www.uster.com
[email protected]
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