Rieter

The first machines using this system

Index

Fig. 27 – Basic design of the former Rieter UNIlap E 5/3 (lap forming machine)

Fig. 28 – UNIlap E 32

The idea of creating a comber feeding lap by a single web forming process directly in front of the  comber – with a  drawframe passage in front of this web former, of course – can be traced back to a development in 1948 by the former Whitin Company, called the super lap machine. Although all later machines are of different designs they all are based on this idea. That is why modern high-performance preparation systems will now be explained on the basis of the Rieter machines, starting with the first designs. As already mentioned, the web former (e.g. UNIlap) always follows a normal drawframe. On the UNIlap machine the material flow starts with the creel (1, Fig. 27), consisting of two feed rails. In normal operation 12 cans are laid out under each roller-assisted feed table. Altogether, this gives a total of 24 doublings. The pre-drawframe slivers run over a guide bridge above the service alley and also over several guide rollers to the drafting system at 2 (Fig. 30). The web created by the draft of 1.3 to 2.5 passes over two deflecting plates (Fig. 28) onto the web table on which the webs are superimposed. Calender rollers draw these superimposed webs from the table to the  lap winding assembly.

The strong compression created between the calender rollers forms a new web, which is rolled into a lap in the lap forming assembly. Empty tubes are automatically exchanged for full laps.  Transport of the laps to the combing machine is semi-automatic or fully automatic.

See also:  E 32 UNIlap