Optimizing Wet Pick up Values in Flax Warp Slashing
Optimizing flax wet pick-up between 80 and 95 percent balances film encapsulation with core penetration, minimizing loom warp breaks and sizing liquor cost.
Size Box Refractometer Control
Concentration Measurement
In-line optical measurement of dissolved solids in sizing bath liquor maintains uniform chemical pickup on flax warp yarns. Situated on the sizing machine supply recirculating loop, size box refractometer control measures the refractive index of the hot starch and binder solution to calculate dissolved solids percentage. Slasher room operator logs record hourly Brix readings to verify that size concentration stays within recipe tolerances.
Flax yarns require precise liquor concentration to ensure full bundle encapsulation without over-coating. The control protocol governs liquid phase concentration in the application box and does not measure total wet pickup weight on the yarn.
Refractive Deviation
Steam condensation entering the size box dilutes the size bath over continuous production runs. Dropping solids concentration reduces yarn abrasion resistance, leading to increased warp breakage on the loom. Automated dosing valves trigger high concentration size concentrate injection when refractometer optical sensors detect Brix drops below setpoint values.
Temperature compensation algorithms adjust refractive index readings to account for thermal expansion in hot size solutions.
Target Threshold
Sizing specifications for linen warps enforce target solid concentrations between eight and twelve percent Brix depending on yarn count. Variation exceeding zero point five percent Brix triggers manual chemical adjustments on the slasher control unit.