Engineering & Ginning: Evaluating a Fiberglass Roller Covering on a Roller Gin Stand.

An experimental ginning roller covering, made from woven fiberglass, was tested on a roller gin stand to evaluate its ginning performance and effect on fiber quality. The experimental covering was much more aggressive than the standard covering; it ginned at twice the rate (2.4 vs. 1.2 bales per hour) at a much lower automatic feedrate control setting and resulted in reduced roller heating (32.7 vs. 67.2 °C [91 vs. 153 °F] average). Higher levels of trash, based on HVI and AFIS measurements, were found in the lint from the experimental roller, but no significant differences were detected between the two coverings in the other raw fiber measurements or the white speck counts for dyed fabric. However, in a commercial roller gin, the covering failed after only six hours of normal ginning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]