Rieter

The traveler material

Index

The ring traveler should:

  • generate as little heat as possible
  • quickly distribute the heat that is nevertheless generated from the site where it occurs (contact surface) to the traveler as a whole
  • dissipate the heat quickly to the ring and the air
  • be elastic, so that the traveler can be pressed onto the ring without breaking
  • display high wear resistance
  • have a slightly lower hardness than the ring, since the traveler must wear rather than the ring.

The travelers used in short staple spinning are therefore made almost exclusively of steel. However, pure steel does not ideally fulfill the first three requirements. Traveler manufacturers have therefore been attempting for decades to improve running conditions through surface finishing.

The following methods are suitable for this:

  • electroplating, in which the traveler is coated with one or more layers of metal, such as nickel and silver, or
  • chemical treatment to change surface properties in order to reduce friction and scoring.

The Bräcker company has developed a new process for introducing certain treatment components into the traveler surface by diffusion and fixing them there (sapphire traveler). This layer reduces heating and increases wear resistance.