Yarn Count and Evenness Checks before a Cone Lot Ships
Verify conditioned skein count, capacitive CVm evenness, and cone hardness against ISO tolerances to stop defective flax yarn before freight release.
Wrap Reel
Standard Reel
A standardized mechanical device of known perimeter is used to measure out precise lengths of yarn for the determination of yarn count and skein strength. Laboratory technicians use a wrap reel to wind a specific number of turns of flax yarn, creating a skein of precise dimensions. The circumference of the reel is tightly controlled, usually measuring one meter or one and a half yards, to ensure consistency in test results.
This measurement is fundamental to the quality control of spun linen yarn because it establishes the basis for all gravimetric yarn count calculations.
Winding Routine
The operator threads the yarn from the supply package through a tension guide and attaches it to the reel’s crossbars. As the reel rotates, a traversing guide distributes the yarn evenly across the width of the reel to prevent overlapping. A mechanical or electronic counter stops the reel when the required length has been wound.
For linen, a standard length of eighty yards or ninety meters is often used to prepare the sample for weighing. The tension must be maintained at a uniform, low level to avoid stretching the yarn during the process, which would lead to an artificially high yarn count.
Count Calculation
Weighing the completed skein on a precision balance follows its removal from the collapsed reel arm. This weight is used to calculate the yarn count in tex, decitex, or linen lea. This verified count is then recorded on the laboratory test report to confirm that the batch meets the buyer’s specifications.