Spun Silk.

Silk waste

To manufacture Spun Silk we need Silk Waste and we have it in plenty,in fact we export it at a loss.We do not have the support of the Govt to manufacture Spun Silk.The Silk Waste Mafia sees that Govt does nothing as they ( Silk Waste Exporters ) make money in Exporting Silk Waste to JAPAN.

Govt of Karnataka has closed a SPUN SILK MILL in Chanapatana for reasons best known to them.The New Minister for Industry is busy in getting outsiders to come and run industries.

The Spun Silk is made by boiling silk waste a process called scouring in large Vats filled with hot soap suds at more than 90 degrees.The Silk glue ( Sericin ) is removed almost completely,when this occurs 40% of the weight is lost and we will have the balance 60 % pure white soft shimmering fibrous material.This is dryed,beaten to open ans after opening the fiber it is combed and made in to sliver form.

The process is now like Spinning on machines similar to cotton but with different specifications.The yarn that is SPUN is SPUN SILK but not as fine as it is.The Yarn is used for Shirting and Suiting.The Unit under Govt of Karnataka has closed this mills and there is no SPUN SILK MILL in Karnataka or GUJARAT.

All natural fibers during conversion from fiber to fabric gets spoiled due to man or machine defects and in few cases due to material defects.

Silk also makes waste during its passage from reeling of Cocoons to making fabrics.

The waste thus made is converted by special machines like in cotton but different in design in few cases.while cotton gets converted to lint from the cotton balls that are harvested from cotton fields.silk gets converted to silk yarn from Cocoons by a process known as Silk reeling.In this case several cocoons are kept in hot water to kill the worm inside and take out the silk that was made by the worm,no such killing is there in cotton.Silk is a non vegetarian fiber according to a particular community in INDIA.

The number of cocoons that are joined in reeling is according to the Denier of the Silk that is being made.But in case of Spun Silk it is like cotton and the system or technology that goes in Spinning this silk is according to cotton.However please remember that machinery and parts are different but technology is similar to cotton and its up to spinning only.

Waste silk contains many varities of waste and they are all to be cleaned like in cotton.This process is known as Opening and Cleaning in Cotton while in Silk its known as degumming and cleaning.The Silk waste or Scraps are boiled at 90 deg when the silk glue ( Sericin ) is removed almost fully and when this happens the weight of the bulk proceed goes down by 40 percent.The remaining is white shimmering,fine and soft fibrous material which is now ready for further processing,which is drying,beating,opening and combing.The Combed sliver is than made in to yarn with cotton spinning technology process,the specifications of the machines may vary due to the finesse of Silk.

The Yarn thus made is Known as SPUN SILK YARN.

The Making of the Spun Silk Yarn.

Silk Waste is fed in to Vats which contain Enzymes and treated with predetrmined settings as per the quality of the Silk Waste.

After that it is dried.

It is then fed in to Opener machines which are made exclusively to treat Silk Waste and here it is throughly opened and comes out as a sheet.

It is then fed in to what is called as Filling Machines,which is again made exclusively to work for Silk Waste.The sheets comming out from this machine is cut to predetermined length.

It is then Fed to Dressing Machine where it is sorted out as 'S1' Flakes - Fine Count. - The Noils that are formed is taken as 'C2' for course count.

The 'S1' Flakes are processed with 20% of 'C2' on a Machine called Spreader Machine where the Flakes are converted in to Laps and further converted as Sliver on A Setting Machine.The Sliver is processed on several Drawing Machines before Combing and after Combing it is again taken to Post Combing and worked again on a 2nd Drawing Machine.

It now goes to Simplex Machine where the sliver is converted to what is technically called as Rove on a bobbin wound with slight Twist and pre set length.

These Bobbins go to Ring Spinning Machines similar to cotton Spinning Machines with certain changes to suit the Silk and produce Yarn for Weaving.

The 'C2' quality is worked 20% of 'S1' and goes through machines similar to cotton Spinning here again the Machine specifications and process settings are kept to Spin Silk.

The Yarn thus Spun is doubled on Doubling Machines with required Twist and worked on machines similar to Cotton Doubler and made in to cones.

These cones are passed over a burning Gas flame at speeds when it won't get burnt but gets a lusture and is free from protruding silk Fibers.

The Yarn now called as gassed yarn is wound on Cone Winding Machines similar to cotton but worked at lower speeds.The fineness of 'S1' Yarn is 36s and 'C2' Yarn is 20s.Which will be 2/36s and 2/20s.

2/20s goes for Warp and 2/36s goes for Weft.

The Yarn is now Spun Silk Yarn ready to make a FABRIC.