Novel Method for Dynamic Yarn Tension Measurement and Control in Direct Cabling Process

SHANKAM NARAYANA, VIVEK PRASAD. Novel Method for Dynamic Yarn Tension Measurement and Control in Direct Cabling Process. (Under the directions of Dr. William Oxenham, Dr. Abdelfattah Seyam and Dr. Edward Grant). Yarn tension control is an important parameter for quality and efficiency in textile processes. It has a significant influence on productivity in various processes such as winding, twisting and cabling. There have been several articles based on theoretical models, which discuss the effect of various factors on yarn tension variation in direct cabling, but very few have addressed the possibility of measuring and controlling it practically while the yarn is being twisted. Quality control system manufacturers like TEMCO (Textile Machinery Components) and BTSR (Best Technologies Studies and Research) have come up with smart tension scanning systems that perform online tension monitoring in various textile machines. However, these systems cannot be installed on the direct cabling machine due to their size and cost. The fact that the supply yarn package is housed inside the rotating yarn balloon restrains any wired tension sensor from performing online measurement. As such, there is an immediate need for using a wireless sensing device to perform online yarn tension measurement and execute a control mechanism that will control yarn tension adaptively. The objective of this research is to demonstrate the possibility of applying MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) technology with radio frequency (RF) transmission to effectively carry out dynamic online measurement for the control of yarn tension. A novel technique to achieve online control using the measured real-time data has been implemented. A device that ensures uniform tension in the yarn has been designed and developed. Ways of measuring twist in the cabled yarn using optical micrometers and digital imaging systems have also been explored, because variation in tension manifests variation in twist. Using the twist values obtained from these sensors, the individual tensions in the component yarns can be adjusted, resulting in the formation of a uniform cabled yarn with equal lengths of both component yarns. Novel Method for Dynamic Yarn Tension Measurement and Control in Direct Cabling Process