Air-Jet Spinning Technology: Principle, Process, and Advantages

Introduction to Air-Jet Spinning

Air-jet spinning is a modern and high-speed yarn manufacturing technology derived from DuPont’s Rotofil process. This innovative spinning method is widely used in the textile industry due to its ability to produce yarns with low hairiness, low pilling, excellent evenness, and good strength. Compared to conventional spinning systems, air-jet spinning offers superior productivity and unique yarn characteristics, making it ideal for weaving and apparel applications.

Principle of Air-Jet Spinning

The principle of air-jet spinning is based on fluid twisting and fibre consolidation. In this system, the drafted fibre strand is transported forward by an aspirating air jet into a torque (false-twist) jet.

The fibres are delivered in a ribbon-like form. During the spinning process:

The core fibres remain mostly untwisted.
The edge fibres are not fully subjected to the false twisting action.
As the fibre strand exits the false twister, the edge fibres wrap around the core fibres.

This action forms a fascinated yarn structure, where wrapper fibres hold the core fibres together through aerodynamic forces rather than mechanical twist.

Air-Jet Spinning Process Explained

The air-jet spinning process consists of the following key steps:

Drafting of the fibre strand
Transportation through an aspirating jet
False twisting in the torque jet
Wrapping of surface fibres around the untwisted core
Formation of a consolidated air-jet spun yarn

This unique structure differentiates air-jet yarns from ring-spun yarns and rotor-spun yarns, offering distinct performance benefits.

Why Air-Jet Spinning? | Key Advantages

1. Balanced Yarn Strength and Stiffness

An increase in wrapping turns improves yarn strength. However, excessive wrapping may increase bending rigidity and reduce compressive softness. Air-jet spinning optimizes this balance to achieve adequate strength with controlled stiffness.

2. Very Low Snarling Tendency

The untwisted core fibres significantly reduce yarn snarling. This property improves process efficiency during weaving, knitting, and fabric formation.

3. Ideal for Air-Jet Weaving

Lightly twisted surface fibres allow the yarn to travel smoothly across the loom shed. Therefore, air-jet spun yarns are especially suitable as weft yarns in air-jet weaving machines, enabling higher loom speeds.

4. Low Pilling Propensity

The lack of twist in the yarn core reduces the anchoring of pills. Although abrasion may form pills, they are not tightly locked into the structure and break away easily, resulting in improved fabric appearance.

5. Reduced Yarn Hairiness

As the number of core fibres increases, the proportion of protruding fibres decreases. This leads to lower yarn hairiness, reduced lint formation, and better fabric smoothness.

Typical Properties of Air-Jet Spun Yarns

Air-jet spun yarns exhibit the following characteristics:

Good tenacity
Excellent yarn evenness
Very low snarling tendency
Low pilling behavior
Low hairiness
High stiffness
High shrinkage

Applications of Air-Jet Spun Yarns

Due to their unique structure and performance, air-jet spun yarns are commonly used in:

Woven fabrics
Apparel textiles
Home textiles
Fabrics requiring low pilling and smooth surfaces

Conclusion

Air-jet spinning technology is a highly efficient and advanced yarn production method that combines speed, quality, and performance. Its fascinated yarn structure, low pilling tendency, reduced hairiness, and excellent weaving behavior make it a preferred choice in modern textile manufacturing. As demand for high-quality and cost-effective yarns continues to grow, air-jet spinning remains a key technology in the textile industry.

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Air-Jet Spinning Technology: Principle, Process, and Advantages