Combing — Short Fibre Removal
topic
Combing removes short fibres (below 16–20 mm) and neps from lap stock, producing combed sliver with improved fibre length, uniformity index (from 80–83% to 88–92% UHML), and nep count (50% reduction). Combing waste (noil) is 12–25% of input weight depending on fibre length and quality target. Combing is used for ring yarns above Ne 40 or for premium quality yarns below Ne 40. Comber production: 50–100 kg/hr per machine (Rieter E 86, Toyota CX400).
Role
Combing is the preparation step that enables ring spinning at fine counts (Ne 60–120) and premium quality coarser counts. The decision of whether to use combed or carded cotton for a given yarn count is a quality-vs-cost tradeoff that affects raw material utilisation (12–25% of cotton lost as noil), machine cost, and achievable yarn quality. Understanding when combing is economically justified is a fundamental product costing knowledge for spinning managers.