Wool top preparation
Wool is received in bales and has to be scoured to eliminate all foreign substances. Prior to scouring, wool is prepared in a plant including a bale-breaker and an opener (Fig. 8). The bale-breaker has an opening and evening cylinder running at variable speed as well as a stripping roll. The opener has a step structure without watertight elements, so that wool can reach the scouring bowls thanks to the simple action of the beating cylinders. To prepare blends of various types of wool ensuring an optimal price/performance ratio, prior to scouring a blending system is used.
The line is composed of a heavy-duty bale-breaker, of a drum beater which cleans and opens up the greasy wool (raw wool). A system of conveyor belts transfers the wool to a set of storage bins with a capacity of 10 tons each. In this way it is possible to form layers of different types of wool.
From these bins the wool is automatically conveyed to the feeder of the scouring line. After passing through a step cleaner, the scoured and dried wool is pneumatically conveyed to into storage bins having a capacity of 7 tons. Wool is taken out from these bins and transported to the feeding hoppers of the cards by means of mechanical systems. The technological cycle from the wool bale to top is described in Chart 4.
Opening - blending - oiling
For the processing of small lots (100 to 1000 kg of fine and delicate fibres), a monobloc line is used; this carries out all following working stages:
· bale-breaking
· mixing of different components
· fibre opening and intimate blending
· dust exhaustion
· batching oil spraying (fibre is oiled to facilitate subsequent processing stages)
· proper baling for the semifinished product.
