ADVANCED FIBER INFORMATION SYSTEM

(AFIS)
 Introduction: AFIS
In textile industry raw material is the most dominant factor as it
contributes 50-75% in total manufacturing cost.
Conventional techniques is very laborious and time consuming.
Hence the researchers focus their attention towards the
inventions of such instrument, which gives accurate and quick
result and one of the wonderful development is AFIS - Advanced
fibre information system.
AFIS provides basic single fibre information and is distinguished
from earlier and existing methods by providing distributions of
the basic fibre properties.
 Various Modules in AFIS
Nep Classification
Fiber neps and seed coat neps
Count and size distribution
Length and Maturity
Length by weight and by number
Short fiber content
Maturity ratio
Immature fiber content
Trash
Dust
Trash
Total foreign matter
AutoJet
 BASICS PRINCIPLE:
The AFIS method is based on aeromechanical
fibre processing, similar to opening and carding,
followed by electro-optical sensing and then by
high speed microprocessor based computing and
data reporting as shown in Figure.
Measurement principle
Measurement principle
Measurement principle
 Measurement principle
A fibre sample is introduced into the system and is processed
through a fibre individualizer, which aero mechanically
separates the sample into three components consisting of
cleaned fibre, micro dust and trash.
Each of these components is transported in a separate
pneumatic path and may be analysed electro-optically or by
other means.
Measurement principle
 Measurement principle

As illustrated in
Figure, the fibre
individualizer
separates the
sample in to
three main
components:
lint, trash, and
dust.
Measurement principle
Measurement principle
Measurement principle
 AFIS - WORKING
The fibres are opened and cleaned using specially designed,
pinned and perforated cylinders, which are similar to open end
spinning beaters and stationary carding flats.
Airflow into the perforations of the cylinder allows for
thorough engagement and efficient dust and trash removal.
A specimen of fibre is hand teased into a sliver-like strand and
is inserted into the feed assembly
It passes between a spring-loaded feed roll/feed plate
assembly and is engaged by the pinned and perforated cylinder.
 AFIS - WORKING
The fibres are combed and carded;
dust is released and removed through the perforations in the
cylinder.
Trash is released after the carding action by the "counter flow"
separation slot.
Heavy trash particles are separated from fibres and transported out
of the system, whereas,
the smaller dust and fibres are returned to the cylinder
aerodynamically by the air drawn into the slot, thus the term
"counter flow slot".
 AFIS - WORKING
A secondary stationary flat is used to further clean and comb
the fibres.
They are then directly transferred to a second cylinder.
A second "counter flow" slot removes additional trash.
Its counter flow air is used to transport fibres out of the system
after a final combing from a third stationary carding flat.
The separated components (cleaned fibre, micro dust and
trash) are transported along three different production paths.
 AFIS - WORKING
Fibre individualizer motor/Motor controller
Feed motor/Motor controller
Sliver detector
Electro-optical sensors
 Fibre individualizer motor/Motor controller:
Versions 3 and 4 units have a separate drive motor for fibre
individualizer.
These brushless DC motors are noiseless in operation, allow for
direct monitoring and control of the motor speed, and are
easier to service and replace.
The brushless DC motor has its own motor controller board
which monitors and controls motor speed.
The motor speed can be adjusted by a potentiometer located
on the board.
 Feed motor/Motor controller:
Versions 3 and 4 units feed belts and feed rollers are driven via
worm gear with a stepper motor.
The motor speed is variable from 140 steps/sec to 1116 steps/sec.
The feed motor controller is a motor driver that accepts pulses and
direction information from the control board.
The initial direction of the stepper is determined by the orientation
of the motor's 7-pin plug on the controller.
If the direction is "backward" after installation, reverse the plug.
 Sliver detector:

The sliver detector is located between the feed tray and

feed plate.
Its function is to signal the control system when sliver is
being presented to the individualizer and when sliver is no
longer present.
The sliver detector consists of an infrared LED source and
detector.
 Sliver detector:
During operation, the sliver (fibre specimen) passes between
the source and detector 'breaking" the beam which signals the
control board to slow the feed rate to the sampling speed.
When the trailing end of the sliver passes through the
source/detector the beam is "made" once again.
A 15second delay is triggered to allow the remaining sliver to
continue processing through the system before the "end of
sample" sequence is initiated by the control board
 Electro-optical sensors:

The electro-optical (E-O)

sensors consist of three
basic elements tapered
entrance and exit nozzles
(on Version 4 lint sensor, a
single piece accelerating
nozzle) beam forming and
collection optics.
The detection circuitry (in
Figure).
 Electro-optical sensors:
Individualized fibres (and neps) are transported pneumatically
from the fibre individualizer by an air stream.
They enter the E.O. sensor through an accelerating nozzle
which straightens, separates, and aligns the fibres in proper
orientation to the source detector.
The fibres penetrate a collimated beam of light and scatter and
block that light in proportion to their optical diameter and in
direct relation to their time of flight through the sampling
volume.
 Electro-optical sensors:
Generally, rectangular waveforms are produced by the light
scattered by individual fibres.
Nep signals are much greater in magnitude and duration and
generate a characteristic nep "spike".
Trash particles produce smaller spiked waveforms, which are
distinguishable from neps in magnitude and duration.
From these waveforms, which are microseconds in duration, the
pertinent data are acquired, analyzed and stored in the host
computer. Distributions based on size, length or diameter can be
generated.
LENGTH MODULE
 AFIS Nep Module
Fiber Neps
entanglements of several fibers
generated under mechanical treatment of the cotton fibers
during harvesting, ginning, opening and cleaning in the
spinning mill
amount depends on the cotton origin/variety and harvesting
method
neps are mainly reduced in carding and combing
amount of reduction depends on the machinery performance
and the quality the spinning mill wants to achieve
 Data Product: Nep Module
Nep Cnt/ g Nep Count
Nep [m] Nep Size

SCN Cnt/ g Seed Coat Nep

Count
SCN [m] - Size
AFIS Nep Module
LENGTH MODULE
 Length Measurement: Data Product
Length distribution by weight:
L (w) -Mean length (weight) of the fibers in the sample
L (w) -CV [%] Variation of the fiber length around average (weight)
[%]
SFC (w) -[%] Short Fiber Content in [%] of all fibers below 0.50
inches or12.7 mm (weight)
UQL (w) Upper Quartile Length (weight); length of the longer 5% of
all fibers in the sample
 Length Measurement: Data Product
Length distribution by number:
L (n) Mean length (number) of the fibers in the sample
L (n) CV [%] Variation of the fiber length around average
(number) [%]
SFC (n) [%] Short Fiber Content in [%] of all fibers below 0.50
inches or 12.7 mm (number)
L (n) 5% The 5% Length (number); length of the longer 5% of all
fibers (number)
FIBRE MATURITY AND FINENESS
TRASH MODULE
 AFIS - ADVANTAGES
High degree of accuracy, which gives precise results.
Testing speed is high.
It avoids laborious time work needed for measurement of nep
count.
The results are free from human and machine error.
It can analyze process performance
 AFIS Uses - process control
Optimizing card maintenance cost by monitoring card sliver nep
levels to manage grinding and reclothing schedules better. Card
wire maintenance analysis- We can judge the grinding frequency
required for card wires by appropriate checking of sliver quality
Optimizing comber noil removal by monitoring short fiber, trash
and nep removal efficiencies
Optimizing cleaning efficiencies by monitoring trash removal
efficiency in the blowroom and carding machines
Optimizing machine settings by monitoring variability and
reduction in fiber quality properties throughout processing
 AFIS Uses - process control

Reducing yarn imperfections by monitoring short fiber, fiber

fineness, and nep level variability throughout processing
Improving spinning efficiency by monitoring short fiber, trash,
neps, seed coat neps, fiber fineness level and variability
throughout processing
Reducing fabric dyeing defects by monitoring fiber maturity
level and variability throughout processing to prevent fabric
barr faults