This paper on "Application of FE-Analysis to the Ring/Traveller System of Ring Spinning Machines" was presented at the NAFEMS World Congress on Design, Simulation & Optimisation: Reliability & Applicability of Computational Methods - 9-11 April 1997, Stuttgart, Germany.

Summary

The economy of high speed ring spinning is largely dependent on the efficiency of the ring/traveller system. Optimization of ring/traveller systems attempts to increase traveller life and spindle revolutions (i.e. production). The optimum geometry, right material selection as well as the frame specific kind of surface treatment appear to be very important. Therefore, it is necessary to know all kinds of stress the ring and traveller are exposed to. The first stress on a traveller occurs while being clipped onto the ring flange. To clip a 50 mg C-shaped traveller over its flange a tensile force of about 5-6 N is required. Due to its small dimensions this leads to high stress, plastic deformation of traveller material or damage of the traveller surface, or even its plating can result. During normal spinning conditions friction between ring and traveller causes a permanent temperature over 200^oC in the contact zone of the traveller. Sudden heating of the surface of the ring flange results in high heat tension. As the present paper shows, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is not only an excellent tool with regard to classical stress analysis at machine parts but it proves to be also very useful for research purposes.