Cotton Fiber Cleaning Process

From the opening and blending processes, the open fiber tufts are transported to the first of what may be multiple cleaning machines or steps. The first cleaning machines are usually designed to be coarse cleaners. That is, they are designed to remove the larger and heavier trash particles. Fine cleaners will be found last in the cleaning line and just before carding. Cleaning machines use a number of very basic principles in order to accomplish their goal. The trash or unwanted contents in the opened tufts of fiber are normally denser and heavier than the good fiber. These principles take advantage of this. The machines’ designs use gravity, centrifugal force, and airflow combined with some type of beating action. Usually, grid bars may be found under the beaters in most cleaning machines. The unwanted trash falls out between the bars and is sucked away to a central collection point. The grid bars can be adjusted to take out more or less trash depending on the fiber being used, the spinning process, and the end product requirements.