Sustainability is transforming every aspect of the way people live and work, from renewable energy or electric vehicles through to packaging-free supermarkets. In the textile industry, the market for recycled fibers is growing at high speed because it taps into two contradictory trends: First, consumers buy more clothes but throw the clothes away much sooner; this is known as “fast fashion”. And second, consumers are increasingly eco-conscious and want more sustainable textile products.

Due to this high demand, as well as lower raw material costs and potentially higher profit margins, many companies are now exploring ways of producing high-quality yarns from recycled fibers – but it’s a difficult task. Waste from yarn or garment production, as well as used textiles or garments, present a wide range of challenges in spinning preparation, where the later quality of the yarn is being determined. Known as “hard waste”, secondary fibers from torn waste contain unwanted yarn or fabric particles that reduce the quality of the final output and can impair the carding performance. They also contain a high amount of short fibers, which can have a negative impact on yarn strength.

Here’s how the TC 19i is able to achieve these results:

• Gentle but effective tuft opening: Our new WEBFEED has components such as the wired licker-in with stationary carding segments and improved profile geometries that are specifically designed for recycling applications. The recycling knife ensures the removal of disruptive particles and minimizes the loss of good fibers.
  

• Robustness and reliability: Secondary fibers from torn waste may adhere to the surfaces of material carrying parts and lead to fiber blockages. With TC 19i for Recycling, this cannot happen because all material carrying parts consist of stainless steel. Moreover, the robust design and innovative coatings of key parts guarantee reliable performance in almost any application.
  

• More value from waste: Our gap optimizer T-GO for Recycling uses sensors and algorithms to monitor and automatically adjust the ideal carding gap for the material involved, even under changing production conditions. In this way, it maximizes quality and productivity during recycling.
  

• Flexibility: Our MULTI WEBCLEAN system enables fast, flexible and customized adjustments to recycling applications. Eight elements in the pre- and post-carding zone can be configurated either as carding or cleaning element or cover profile. This flexibility empowers customers to achieve the best possible configuration for their specific process.
  

• Good advice and hands-on service: The TC 19i for Recycling, as well as Truetzschler installations for recycling as a whole, stand out due to their high number of possible configurations. Truetzschler supports each customer with recommendations for ideal settings and makes sure that customers’ production goals are actually realized.