2009 journal article
Wireless yarn tension measurement, and control in direct cabling process
JOURNAL OF THE TEXTILE INSTITUTE, 100(5), 400–411.
Abstract An online yarn tension sensing and control device has been designed and developed. The system was specifically devised for use in a direct cabling machine, wherein yarn tension in the spindle or pot yarn is highly critical and dictates the uniformity of the cabled yarn. Since a balloon formed by the creel yarn always encompasses the pot yarn in a direct cabling machine, yarn tension measurement using a wired sensor is far-fetched. Accordingly, a wireless yarn tension sensor was developed to address this problem and perform online yarn tension measurement. The wireless sensor can be used as an active monitoring tool for measuring online yarn tension in both component yarns, while the closed loop control system replaces passive yarn brakes used in the current direct cabling machines and executes a control mechanism that can control yarn tension adaptively. The device uses Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology with radio frequency (RF) transmission to effectively carry out dynamic online measurement. The control system in conjunction with the wireless sensor ensures equal tension in the component yarns, resulting in the formation of a uniform cabled yarn with equal lengths of both yarns. Keywords: direct cablingMEMSyarn tensionRFwirelessclosed loop control Acknowledgements We would like to express our since thanks to National Textile Center for its unflinching financial support through the entire project. We would also like to thank the technical support staff at Microstrain Inc., Micron Instruments and National Instruments for their assistance with trouble shooting issues. We would also like to extend our special thanks to Saurer Inc. for arranging a plant visit, and BTSR, Checkline and Temco GmbH for providing helpful information on their websites.