Fibre Preparation
Hackled flax sliver represents the continuous, aligned strand of scutched flax fibres processed through heavy iron combs to remove short residues and impurities. This product establishes the uniform base for fine yarn production by parallelizing long bast fibres into a draftable configuration. The process eliminates tangles and broken ends, ensuring that subsequent spinning stages operate with predictable resistance and elongation properties.
Quality control inspectors verify the resulting mass against a standard document that specifies the maximum allowable proportion of residual shive and short tow by weight.
Production Verification
Mill supervisors measure the consistency of the strand by checking the weight per unit length across different segments of the production batch. Deviation from the target mass triggers an adjustment to the hackling machine settings to restore homogeneity. Operators monitor the output for uniform tension as the material moves from the combs into the collection cans, ensuring that the alignment of individual fibres remains undisturbed.
Proper mechanical handling prevents the formation of knots which otherwise cause breaks during the drafting stage.
Material Specification
Export contracts define the acceptance criteria for this intermediate form based on colour, strength and cleanliness rather than the specific mill of origin. Buyers assess the performance of the bulk material by processing small test samples through a standard spinning trial to determine the actual yarn break frequency. Higher grades of this fibre command premium prices because they reduce waste during the subsequent drawing operations.
The physical integrity of the long fibres dictates the potential fineness of the finished yarn.
