Cotton Fiber Length Distribution Metrics and Carded Yarn Quality
AFIS short fiber content by weight in raw cotton must remain below 8.5 percent to prevent severe mass variance and tenacity drop in carded yarn spinning.
Carded Yarn Quality
Spinning Performance
Evaluation of spun yarn properties determines the suitability of ring-spun or open-end strands for subsequent knitting or weaving operations. In short-staple spinning mills, carded yarn quality is measured by evenness, tensile strength, and defect frequency. The resulting metrics dictate whether the yarn can be used for premium apparel or restricted to coarse utility fabrics.
Fibre Distribution
Carding actions align the bulk cotton fibres roughly parallel to the sliver axis while removing short fibres and trash. Because this process does not include the combing stage, the raw yarn retains a higher proportion of short fibres. This higher variation in fibre length leads to a more fuzzy surface structure and greater diameter variation along the package.
Defect Classification
Laboratory testing instruments identify thin places, thick places, and neps along a standard length of one thousand metres. These irregularities, often quantified by the coefficient of variation, influence the appearance of the finished dyed fabric. Mill technicians run capacitance tests to ensure these defects do not cause needle breakages or machine stops during high-speed circular knitting, which would otherwise ruin entire fabric rolls.
Commercial Grading
Yarn sellers negotiate bulk transactions based on these laboratory test results and standard deviation values. The grading does not apply to combed cotton yarns that undergo extra combing passes to remove short fibres. It establishes the base price for industrial denim and heavy canvas production.