Method for detecting the effect of clearing points and corresponding system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for detecting the effect of a plurality of clearing points (110) in a fiber preparation system on a fiber material. The method comprises capturing a fiber image of the processed fiber material, extracting fiber characteristics, and labeling the clearing point (110) and the processed fiber material in order to identify the effect of the clearing point (110) on the processed fiber material.

Description

[0001] February 20, 2026

[0002] P13972WO

[0003] 1

[0004] Methods for recording the impact of cleaning sites and their systems

[0005] Technical field

[0006] The present invention relates to a method for setting a plurality of cleaning points by means of sensor detection.

[0007] Technological background

[0008] In a fiber preparation plant at a spinning mill, delivered fibers or fiber flakes are prepared for use in a spinning machine. In this plant, the fibers undergo several processing stages. In the first stage, the fibers are separated from fiber bales in the form of fiber flakes. This is usually done using bale openers. A pneumatic flake conveyor then conveys these fiber flakes from the bale opener to a subsequent cleaning machine, for example. In the following stages, the fiber preparation plant comprises a series of cleaning machines through which the fibers or fiber flakes pass. The sequence and design of these cleaning machines are tailored to the specific fibers being processed and serve to clean, mix, and break down the fiber flakes into individual fibers, as well as to align them.The arrangement of the individual cleaning machines in a fiber preparation plant can vary; this depends, among other things, on the raw material to be processed and the product to be obtained.

[0009] Cleaning machines used include, for example, coarse cleaners, fine cleaners, foreign matter separators, as well as carding machines or combers. Other types of machines, such as storage tanks or mixers, can also be equipped with cleaning modules, which are likewise classified as cleaning machines. The individual points in a machine where a waste product from the cleaning process, the so-called processed fibers, accumulates are aptly referred to as cleaning stations. Thus, a single cleaning machine can have multiple cleaning stations.

[0010] P13972WO

[0011] 2

[0012] For example, in a carding unit, the processed fibers of a pre-tearer can be separated from the processed fibers of a traveling cover unit. Conversely, however, the processed fibers that originate at different points in the machine can also be combined within the machine.

[0013] In the cleaning machine or cleaning station itself, so-called processed fibers are generated. These include dirt particles, foreign matter, seed or stem fragments, dust particles, short fibers, and fiber knots (known as 10 nits) that are separated from the fibers or fiber flakes during the cleaning process. Due to the design of the cleaning stations, good fibers—that is, fibers that could actually be processed in the subsequent spinning mill—also end up in the processed fibers. The proportion of good fibers in the processed fibers from a cleaning station should be kept as low as possible. However, it is not entirely possible to prevent good fibers from being separated from the fiber material during cleaning and ending up in the processed fibers. The more intensive the cleaning of the fiber material, the higher the proportion of good fibers in the processed fibers will be.

[0014] After a certain period of operation, the cleaning points could become misaligned, potentially leading to less efficient processing of the fiber material. It's also possible that the fiber flakes from the fiber bales contain a higher proportion of dirt particles, and adjusting the cleaning point could be counterproductive.

[0015] Summary of the invention

[0016] The object of the invention is to create a method and a system which enables a central recording of the processed fibers and thereby creates an optimization 25 of the operation of the entire fiber preparation plant as well as the individual cleaning stations.

[0017] The problem is solved wholly or partially by the features of the invention. To solve the problem, a method for detecting the effect of a plurality of [20.02.2026] is provided.

[0018] P13972WO

[0019] 3

[0020] Cleaning stations in a fiber preparation plant are proposed for a given fiber material. The fiber material is evaluated at least before and / or after at least one cleaning station. The procedure includes:

[0021] - Recording a fiber pattern of the fiber material processed by the at least one cleaning station;

[0022] - Extraction of fiber characteristics from the fiber material image;

[0023] - Identification of at least one cleaning point and of the processed fiber material; and,

[0024] - Identification of the impact of at least one cleaning point on the processed fiber material based on the fiber characteristics.

[0025] Thanks to the present invention, both natural and recycled fibers can be clearly identified and analyzed with regard to their type and properties. The method can be applied before, during, and / or after the fiber processing to record the effects of the processing line. By recording and analyzing the fiber characteristics before and after cleaning, the effects of each individual cleaning point can be identified in detail. The fibers are preferably spaced apart from one another or with only minimal overlap.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the fiber material comprises natural fibers and / or recycled fibers.

[0027] Thanks to the identification, the impact of the cleaning process on the natural fibers and / or the recycled fibers can be observed.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the identification includes the mixing ratio of natural fibers and / or recycled fibers in the processed fiber material.

[0029] Thanks to this identification, it is possible to observe how the cleaning process can have different effects on natural fibers and / or recycled fibers. 20.02.2026

[0030] P13972WO

[0031] 4

[0032] According to one embodiment, the marking of the processed fiber material includes a measurement of the fiber morphology at the individual fiber level.

[0033] Thanks to fiber morphology measurements, a detailed and precise analysis of individual fibers can be performed. By measuring fiber morphology on a five-fiber basis, specific properties and differences between the fibers can be accurately recorded.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the fiber morphology includes length, width, maturity, waviness, twist, optical brightness and / or birefringence.

[0035] 10 Thanks to the consideration of these diverse morphological properties, the fibers can be precisely analyzed and classified.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the identification includes statistical analysis, machine learning and / or modeling.

[0037] Thanks to the identification, it is possible to trace which parameter and / or which cleaning point has what influence or effect on the natural and / or recycled fibers.

[0038] The problem is solved wholly or partially by the features of the invention. To solve the problem, a system for recording the effect of a plurality of cleaning points in a fiber preparation plant on a fiber material is provided. The fiber material is evaluated at least before and / or after at least one cleaning point. The system comprises:

[0039] - a multitude of cleaning points; the multitude of cleaning points includes at least one cleaning point configured to process the fiber material; 20.02.2026

[0040] P13972WO

[0041] 5

[0042] - at least one sensor; the at least one sensor is designed to capture a fiber image of the fibers processed by the at least one cleaning point; and,

[0043] - an evaluation unit connected to the sensors; wherein the 5 evaluation unit is configured to identify the effect of the at least one cleaning point on the processed fiber material based on the fiber characteristics.

[0044] Thanks to the present invention, both natural and recycled fibers can be clearly identified and analyzed with regard to their type and properties. The system can record the effects of the processing line before, during, and / or after the fiber processing. By recording and analyzing the fiber characteristics before and after cleaning, the effects of each individual cleaning point can be identified in detail. The fibers are preferably spaced apart from one another or with only slight overlap.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the at least one cleaning station comprises a bale opener, a carding machine, a storage unit, a combing machine, a stretcher, a winding device and / or a spinning machine.

[0046] Thanks to this comprehensive system, the impact of each individual cleaning site can be identified in detail.

[0047] 20 According to one embodiment, the sensor is configured to detect visible, near-infrared and / or X-ray fluorescence spectra.

[0048] Thanks to the use of different spectra, detailed information about the structure of the fibers can be obtained. This leads to improved analysis and classification of the fibers. 20.02.2026

[0049] P13972WO

[0050] 6

[0051] Description of the characters

[0052] The foregoing and further objectives, features, aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments, which are illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings and are not intended to be restrictive. Figures 1A-1B show a system 100 according to one embodiment, Figure 2 shows a method 500 according to one embodiment, Figures 3A-3B show a correlation between at least two of the different morphological properties, Figure 4 represents the characterization 590 of the fiber material 910 based on the fiber characteristics, Figures 5A-5B show the distinction between the natural fibers 920 and the recycled fibers 930, and Figures 6A-6B show the identification of the mixing ratio of natural fibers 920 and recycled fibers 930 in the fiber material 910 and a statistical analysis.

[0053] In the following description of the illustrated embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for features that are identical and / or at least comparable in their design and / or mode of operation, even if they are shown in different embodiments. Unless these are explained in detail again, their design and / or mode of operation corresponds to the design and mode of operation of the features already described above.

[0054] 20 Description of an embodiment

[0055] The process for producing textiles from pre-consumer and post-consumer cotton waste can yield first-quality yarns that can be produced from yarns with a cotton content of approximately 30% or more and can be dyed and finished to any specifications. The process can include the 25 necessary steps for producing finished garments and / or other textile products from post-consumer cotton, as described in this document. These steps can include, for example, collecting cotton waste, sorting, and / or yarn production. 20.02.2026

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[0057] 7

[0058] The cotton waste can be mixed after pre-opening and / or moistening to produce a specific yarn, fabric, or garment. This mixture can be used to create specific waste blends for the production of various textile products.

[0059] However, the properties of the cotton waste, i.e., the fiber morphology 950, and / or the properties of the yarn product to be manufactured, i.e., tensile strength, opacity, shear strength, tear strength, and / or others, can be modified by any process. Therefore, it may be important to differentiate between the natural fibers 920 and the recycled fibers 930 before, during, and / or after the fiber processing in order to understand the effects of the processing line on the natural fibers 920 and the recycled fibers 930. This task can be fully or partially accomplished by the present method 500 and the present system 100.

[0060] As mentioned previously, the various recycling processes can produce a waste mixture, or recycled fibers 930, which can be delivered as a bale. A portion of this waste mixture, or a set of recycled fibers 930, where the fibers may be spaced apart or have only slight overlap, can be subjected to process 500 and / or system 100. Simultaneously, a set of natural fibers 920, which are spaced apart or have only slight overlap, can also be subjected to process 500 and / or system 100, as shown in Fig. 1A-2.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 1B, the system 100 can comprise a plurality of cleaning stations 110, which can be designed for processing the fiber material 910. The cleaning stations 110 can be individually connected to a transport line, which can serve to transport the natural fibers 920 and / or the recycled fibers 930. Thus, the cleaning station 110 of the coarse cleaner can be connected to the transport line via the connection. As shown in Fig. 1A, the plurality of cleaning stations 110 can comprise at least one cleaning station 110, such as a coarse cleaner, a fine cleaner, a bale opener 110, a carding machine 110 or a carding machine.

[0062] P13972WO

[0063] 8

[0064] The system comprises a storage unit 110 or mixer, a combing machine 110, a line 110, a winding device 110, and / or a spinning machine 110. According to one embodiment, each cleaning station 110 can be equipped with a sensor 150. The recording 530 of the fibers processed by the cleaning station 110, or the 5 sensor data of the fibers processed by the cleaning station 110, can include a timestamp, so that the sensor data can be classified and the effects of each individual cleaning station 110 can be identified by means of an evaluation unit 190. For this purpose, the at least one cleaning station 110 and the processed fiber material can be marked 560.

[0065] 10 For example, this set, i.e., a set of the natural fibers 920 and / or a set of the recycled fibers 930, can be provided on a collection area 510. By means of a sensor 150, or a camera, a fiber image of the natural fibers 920 processed by the at least one cleaning station 110 and / or a fiber image of the recycled fibers 930 processed by the at least one cleaning station 110 can be recorded on a single fiber for elemental analysis in the visible, near-infrared and / or X-ray fluorescence spectra in order to obtain detailed information about the structure of the fibers. This can simultaneously lead to improved analysis and classification of the fibers. The evaluation unit 190 20 connected to the sensors 150 can identify, based on the fiber characteristics, the effect of the at least one cleaning station 110 on the processed fiber material 910.Therefore, both natural and recycled fibers can be clearly identified and analyzed with regard to their type and properties. The system can record the effects of the processing line before, during, and / or after the fiber processing. By recording and analyzing the fiber characteristics before and after cleaning, the effects of each individual cleaning point can be identified in detail. In particular, during the fiber processing, it is quite possible to have a transport line (not shown) connected to a central container and to have an air inlet at its end opposite the central container. The central container can have a transport air separator and a [missing information - likely a specific feature or feature].

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[0067] 9

[0068] The outlet directed into the interior of the central container comprises, as shown in Fig. 1A. The transport line can be connected to a vacuum source, in the illustrated embodiment a fan, via the central container. The discharge from the various 5 cleaning points 110 can thus be drawn into the central container or onto a collection surface via the transport line and captured by the camera.

[0069] Furthermore, it is quite possible that a background measurement calibration (520) is performed to capture the collection area in the fiber image. This can minimize interference signals and background noise, leading to clearer and more reliable results. This also improves the ability to accurately determine and differentiate the type and quality of the fibers on the collection area. Background measurement calibration (520) and / or fiber image acquisition (530) may include preprocessing (515) by averaging, denoising, reference compensation, and / or baseline correction. Background measurement calibration (520) and / or fiber image acquisition (530) can significantly improve data quality and accuracy. In particular, interference signals and noise effects can be minimized, leading to clearer and more precise measurement results.

[0070] In this way, the fiber characteristics can be extracted from the fiber image 550, and / or 20 can be identified, and subsequently the fiber material 910 can be characterized based on the fiber characteristics and analyzed with regard to its type and properties.

[0071] Regarding detection 570, this single measurement 580 of the fiber morphology 950 can encompass individual fibers to enable a detailed and precise analysis of each fiber. To significantly improve data quality, outliers and noise effects during measurement 580 can be eliminated, resulting in more precise and reliable measurement results. This allows for a more accurate fiber analysis and a better basis for decision-making, not to mention the increased consistency of measurements 580, which can improve the reproducibility of the results. 20.02.2026

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[0073] 10

[0074] By measuring the fiber morphology (580) on a single-fiber basis, the specific properties and differences between the fibers can be accurately recorded. In fact, the fibers can be precisely analyzed and classified by considering various morphological properties such as length, width, maturity, waviness, twist, optical brightness, and / or birefringence.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 3A, a correlation can exist between at least two of the different morphological properties. To decouple this dependency between at least two of the different morphological properties, the full-width-half-maximum method can be applied, for example, as shown in Fig. 3B. The maximum value was defined, and the half-maximum value was derived from it. The lower and upper thresholds were then chosen for the feature where the fiber material 910, i.e., the natural fibers 920 and / or the recycled fibers 930, corresponds to the half-maximum value. The raw data from the fiber analysis were then filtered according to parameters. While this reduces the number of fibers included in the statistical evaluation, it also reduces the correlation between at least two of the different morphological properties.

[0076] The straight line describes the regression of the two parameters; its slope defines the correlation. The elimination of outliers and noise effects can be implemented to eliminate blurred fibers and / or fiber residues from previous measurements on the sampling area and to reduce distortion of the results. The fiber material can be characterized by its length, width, maturity, and waviness, for example, as 80% natural fibers and 20% recycled fibers, as shown in Fig. 4.

[0077] For example, it is possible to determine which and how many fibers are present on the collection surface or in a specific section of the collection surface, and their structure. In particular, this method 500 enables the differentiation between the natural fibers 920, Fig. 5A, and the recycled fibers 930, Fig. 5B, and the determination or identification of the mixing ratio of natural11

[0078] Determine the fibers 920 and recycled fibers 930 in the fiber material 910, Fig. 6B. This determination or identification may involve statistical analysis, machine learning and / or modeling, as in Fig. 6A, to understand which parameter and / or cleaning point 110 has what influence or effect on the natural and / or recycled fibers 930, in order to better control and optimize the quality and properties of the final product, and to identify the effects of the processing line 595.

[0079] By comparing the natural fibers 920 and the recycled fibers 930, identification before, during, and / or after the fiber processing process 10 can determine whether the fiber characteristics of the natural fibers 920 and recycled fibers 930 in the fiber material 910 have changed over time. This perception of changes can lead to the assessment of the effects of the processing line 530.

Claims

February 20, 2026 P13972WO 12 Patent claims 1. Method (500) for determining the effect of a plurality of cleaning stations (110) in a fiber preparation plant on a fiber material (910); the fiber material is evaluated at least before and / or after at least one cleaning station (110); the method comprising: - Recording (530) a fiber pattern of the fiber material processed by the at least one cleaning station (110); - Extraction (550) of fiber characteristics of the fiber material image; - Identification (560) of the at least one cleaning site (110) and of the processed fiber material; and, - Identification (595) of the effect of the at least one cleaning point (110) on the processed fiber material based on the fiber characteristics.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the fiber material (910) comprises natural fibers (920) and / or recycled fibers (930).

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the identification (590) comprises the mixing ratio of natural fibers and / or recycled fibers in the processed fiber material.

4. Method according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the characterization (560) of the processed fiber material comprises a measurement of the fiber morphology on individual fibers.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the fiber morphology (950) comprises a length, a width, a maturity, a waviness, a twist, an optical brightness and / or a birefringence.

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the identification (595) comprises statistical analysis, machine learning and / or modeling.

7. System (100) for recording the effect of a large number of cleaning points (110) in a fiber preparation plant on a fiber material; 20.02.2026 P13972WO 13 The fiber material is evaluated at least before and / or after at least one cleaning station (110); the system encompasses: - a plurality of cleaning points (110); the plurality of cleaning points (110) includes at least one cleaning point configured to process the fiber material; - at least one sensor (150); the at least one sensor (150) is configured to detect a fiber image of the fibers processed by the at least one cleaning point (110); and, - an evaluation unit (190) connected to the sensors (150); 10 wherein the evaluation unit (190) is configured to identify the effect of the at least one cleaning point (110) on the processed fiber material based on the fiber characteristics.

8. System (100) according to claim 7, wherein the at least one cleaning point (110) comprises a bale opener (110), a carding machine (110), a storage unit (110), a combing machine (110), a drawing machine (110), a winding device (110) and / or a spinning machine (110).

9. System (100) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the sensor (150) is configured to detect visible, near-infrared and / or X-ray fluorescence spectra.

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