Heat curing and heat setting are processes used in the textile industry to remove torque and stabilize fibers. Heat sources include steam or dry convection, with autoclaves being an older method. Newer methods like Resch Steamatic, power-heat, and TVP offer more efficient integration into production lines.
Heat curing is a process in the textile industry to remove the torque induced by spinning and wiring and impart dimensional stability to fibers and yarns. The process can also cause synthetic fibers to bulk up or bulk up, and is also used to stabilize fibers after processes such as frying. Heat setting is a thermal process that uses steam or a dry convection heat source to set the fabric or yarn. This process is typically performed in a closed pressure chamber or autoclave or on open conveyors exposed to steam sprays. Steamsetting is a standard post-production process for a large selection of natural and synthetic fibers for the garment and carpet industries.
When fibers are spun, tufted or woven into workable yarns, the process induces a torque reaction that can cause the finished product to kink or twist. To counteract these torque effects, manufacturers expose the yarn to a process known as heat setting or heat setting. During this process, the fibers are exposed to a moist or dry heat source that reduces torque induced by a combination of thermal expansion and chemical or molecular reactions to heat and humidity. The process can also cause synthetic fibers to swell in a reaction known as bulking. Heat setting is also used extensively to stabilize carpet fibers after they have undergone frieze processing.
The heat setting process involves exposing yarns and fabrics to wet or dry heat in the form of sprays of superheated steam or convection of hot air. One of the oldest methods of heat setting fabrics is the autoclave which, although still in use, is being replaced by more efficient methods with higher turnover rates. An autoclave is a closed vessel that heats its contents under high pressure or deep suction. The fabrics or yarn are loaded into the autoclave in hanks, on bobbins or in a separate container and heated to stabilize the fibers. While effective, the autoclave method is slow, labor intensive, and doesn’t lend itself to integration into a seamless manufacturing process.
The latest thermoregulation processes such as the Resch Steamatic inline steamer, power-heat and TVP allow for easy integration into production lines and typically involve passing the freshly spun fiber through the heating stage on a conveyor. The Steamatic system places the thermosetting phase between the ring spinning and the winding phase where the fiber is steam cooked in a vacuum and dried. The power-heat-set method was the first continuous process developed and involves subjecting fabric to superheated steam and atmospheric pressure air blast while on the process belt. The TVP system transports yarn and fabric through a pressure tunnel onto a conveyor where it is heat set with saturated steam. The stabilized yarn is then brought to the winding stage after it has cooled down.
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