Joining Method
Compressed air combined with a precise micro-spray of water to soften and blend inelastic yarn ends creates a high-strength joint in linen yarns. This technique of wet air splicing is essential for long-staple flax yarns, which are too stiff to be securely joined by dry air alone. The moisture temporarily plasticizes the natural gums in the flax, allowing the fibers to interlock tightly during the air blast.
Technicians verify the splice settings by inspecting joints on the automatic winder’s control panel.
Process Control
Regulation of the water volume and air pressure ensures that the joint does not become too thick or weaken the yarn. In mills utilizing wet air splicing, operators adjust the moisture injection timing based on the yarn count, recording these values on the machine’s winding configuration log. Too much water can cause yarn mildew during storage, whereas insufficient moisture results in a weak splice that will fail during loom operations.
Achieving the correct balance requires regular testing of the spliced joints on a tensile testing machine. This routine testing is recorded in the mill’s daily quality assurance ledger to guarantee batch consistency.
Cloth Suitability
Cloth produced from yarns joined by this method exhibits fewer surface flaws and higher structural uniformity. Unlike mechanical knots, which create unsightly blemishes and catch in the loom’s reed, joints created by wet air splicing are nearly invisible in the finished linen fabric. This high quality is particularly prized in fine apparel linens, where buyers enforce strict limits on the number of knots or thick spots permitted per roll.
