SELECTING MATERIALS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF THREAD GUIDES FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY

The choice of thread guides for textile machinery was a secondary problem in the past. Nowadays ever-faster production speeds, synthetic fibres and wearing technical yarns have led to ever-higher demands on thread guides.
In fact a mechanically perfect textile machine can undergo a drastic reduction in performance due to thread guides made from unsuitable ceramics. “Snow” formation on thread guides and high friction values lead to a reduction in process economic efficiency.
It is thus important to choose the right ceramic material on the basis of:
– yarn type;
– yarn count;
– number of fibres in the yarn;
– yarn speed.

The choice of materials should also depend on different applications of the thread guide itself.
The selection of materials depends on the various applications of the thread guides.
The design of metal thread guide elements enables the selection of the base material, both on the basis of hardness and resistance, as well as the most practical forming technology (shearing, bending, turning, fusion, etc.)
Lastly the combination of the base material and coating should be considered, with the option of heat treatments prior to coating and the alternative between treated metals or stainless steel.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THREAD GUIDES

Some of the most important properties a thread guide has to meet are:
– wear resistance;
– corrosion resistance;
– fracture strength;
– surface structure (not to damage the yarn).