ARS | Publication request: EVALUATING A FIBERGLASS ROLLER COVERING ON A ROLLER GIN STAND

Submitted to: Journal of Cotton Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: July 18, 2008
Publication Date: July 22, 2008
Citation: Whitelock, D.P., Armijo, C.B., Gamble, G.R. 2008. Evaluating a fiberglass roller covering on a roller gin stand. Journal of Cotton Science. 12:143-149.

Interpretive Summary: Pima cotton is roller ginned to preserve fiber quality, but roller-ginning rate is limited by the characteristics of the roller and roller covering. The spread of high speed roller ginning, especially for upland cotton, has magnified the issues of roller aggressiveness, heating, and durability. An experimental roller covering, made from woven fiberglass, was tested on a roller gin stand and found to be much more aggressive and ginned at twice the rate of the standard covering, and resulted in reduced roller heating. Also, there were very few differences in the ginned cotton quality characteristics between the experimental and standard roller covering. However, the experimental roller covering durability was unacceptable. The experiment revealed some important characteristics of roller gin roller coverings that could affect roller gin throughput. Insight from this work could lead to roller coverings that allow faster ginning and longer roller life, thus reducing ginning cost, while providing higher quality roller ginned cotton.

Technical Abstract: An experimental 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 roller 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 controller 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 roller covering failed after only six hours of normal ginning.