The Optical yarn break sensor

The STAR-Y PT detector is a reflection-type optical sensor developed for application on ring spinning frames for real-time monitoring of each individual spindle.

The STAR-Y PT detector is fixed directly on the spindle's original "pig-tail" thread guide.

The main feature of the STAR-Y PT sensor is the detection of the presence of from the complete range of commonly used colours and counts, and signalling breaks

End breaks are signalled in the following ways:

• A 3-colour (Green – Orange – Red) column indicator lamp fixed on the heads of the ring spinning frame (one per side) goes on. Each colour represents a different break threshold. This type of signal allows the operator to identify the face with most breaks immediately.
  
• A red lamps lights up on the sensor itself next to the spindle.

This type of signal facilitates patrolling, by simplifying the search for spindles with breaks and reducing the time needed for seeking the breaks themselves.

Spindle speed control is carried out by setting a percentage of tolerance and comparing the speed of each spindle with the reference speed.

Spindles whose speeds are found to be out of tolerance are indicated on the display of the UCF/1B-CN control unit. It is also possible to make the second colour of the column indicator lamp blink when spindles are found with speeds which are out of tolerance.

The way the STAR-Y PT detector is fixed means that it can also be used on machines other than spinning frames, such as two-for-one twisters.

Detector enabling/disabling is carried out by means of a reed magnetic contact. By acting on the contact (one for every 8 spindles) by means of a magnet, the detectors next to the spindles with breaks, or not in production for other reasons, will be disabled automatically.
Reactivation of the detectors can be:

• Automatic: the detector will reactivate itself automatically when its detects the presence of yarn.
  
• Manual: by means of the magnet acting on the reed contact.

It is possible to detect and display the following information by means of the U.C.F./1B-CN control unit, an integral part of the monitoring system:

• Starting up, running and actual breaks.
  
• The eight spindles with the highest number of breaks.
  
• The eight spindles found with speeds out of tolerance.

The system composed of the STAR-Y PT detectors and the UCF/1B-CN control unit can be integrated with the following FANI products:

• The roving stop-motion device for stopping roving feed under the drafting arm following a break.
  
• Archimede JSpin software for processing the production, breakage, spindles with speed out of tolerance and machine stoppage data.