Rieter

Follower rings

Index

The problem that limits the productivity of ring spinning machines is the generation of heat in the  traveler. There are two possibilities for avoiding this:

  • by preventing heat generation or
  • by rapid dissipation of the heat generated.

Since increasing performance via heat dissipation is only possible in very small steps, attempts are repeatedly made to prevent heat generation. However, this is only possible to a large degree if the relative speed of the ring and the traveler can be reduced to almost zero or even zero, i.e. the ring must also rotate. The result is the follower ring.

In this design the rings are mounted on ball bearings or rotate as rotors in an air bearing. These rings usually follow the traveler. However, at start-up only the traveler rotates initially until the centrifugal force and thus the contact pressure are sufficient to start the ring rotating. The ideas on which this system are based are convincing, but its realization is difficult. The following problems arise in particular:

  • the machine is considerably more expensive
  • larger gauge
  • possibly controllable spinning start-up and spinning-out speed
  • possible braking device
  • possible change in spinning geometry
  • very delicate and complicated bearing.

In addition, rotating rings often permit only an inadequate increase in spindle speed in practice, since other limits of the ring spinning machine (yarn tension, specific energy consumption) are very quickly reached. Since the effort invested is often greater than the potential benefit, rotating rings have not become established in practice today.