ICAC Release Gdansk, Poland September 2003 Schaffner

ICAC Release
Gdansk, Poland
September 2003
Schaffner Technologies offers a cotton fiber quality measurement system with brand name IsoTester®.
The modern technology, modular, internet-ready, IsoTester platform can provide conventional HVI data
products (Length, Strength, Color, Trash and Micronaire). Other measurements, Moisture Content, Neps,
Stickiness*, and Maturity* are available or under development. (Note a)
World-wide, for the 2003 ginning season, there will be 38 or more IsoTester installations (or its predecessor,
RapidTester): 7 in Australia, 5 in Brazil, 1 in Paraguay, and 25 in the US. Most (29) of these instruments
are located in gins, by the bale press (Note b), as intended by the Inventors for initial applications. Several
of these IsoTesters have the associated Gin Wizard™ (Note c). Several of them are internet connected.
The other IsoTesters (or RapidTesters) are in classing or textile research laboratories. (Note d)
Most significantly, a few leading ginners are beginning to use the IsoTester instruments to test mini-ginned
fiber from in-coming seed cotton. Jones County Cotton Gin, North Carolina, has established an “IsoLab” in
addition to the IsoTester by the bale press and Gin Wizard by the control console. These data enable better
optimization of the ginning process (feedback) or meeting Customers’ fiber quality expectations
(feedforward). These data and procedures also enable buying seed cotton rather than ginning for a fee.
These important applications have enormous potential.
Three of the measurement modules, Color, Trash and Length, are color image-based and have been in
production since 2001 (C + T) or early 2003 (Li). These modern, image-based measurement modules
represent technologically significant developments that have only been possible in the past few years. Li
provides conventional Short Fiber Content (SFC) and Long Fiber Content (UHM, LU) data products. More
fundamentally, Li can become an absolute or “true” length reference method. And, of course, C + T + Li
image-based modules provide images for inspection and archival purposes by sellers and buyers.
Micronaire, Strength and Moisture Content measurements, in production since 2001, are more traditional.
New versions of Mic and Str are to be released in 2004.
IsoTester applications are now being extended to laboratories and spinning mills and to more traditional
cotton classing operations. STI is pleased to announce, for the first time, that the USDA, Agricultural
Marketing Service/Memphis, has recently purchased 2 standard IsoTester Color + Trash instruments for
evaluations. Of particular interest to USDA/AMS are the IsoTester’s large area, high resolution, color
images which can provide cost-effective instrumental measurements of trash and other foreign matter for
improved classing purposes.
Please visit schaffnertech.com or contact Dr. Fred Shofner, Chairman, at [email protected], or Mr. Kyle
Shofner, President, [email protected]. Schaffner Technologies, Inc, Knoxville, Tennessee USA.
(a) A new version of Neps is under development. Prototypes are currently being developed and field-evaluated for the Mat and Stk modules (*). Testing
in unconditioned gin or warehouse environments can be enabled by STI’s Ultra Rapid Conditioning, which is internal to the IsoTester. Prototypes of Str
+ URC have been field evaluated; production release is scheduled for 2004.
(b) In gins, cost justifications relate to feedback and feedforward from the uniquely advantageous test position at the bale press, where samples
representing the bale are first available. At this location and at this point in time in the life of a bale of cotton, process controls and sell-buy-distribution
actions can be taken more effectively. That is, feedback enables optimal process controls of the gin and even production and harvesting, as for example,
via testing mini-ginned seed cotton fiber. Feedforward enables optimization of the marketing process, including sell-buy decisions and distribution.
(c) Gin Wizard is a PC-based input/output system for presentation of ginning system performance to one or more operators and/or managers, local
and/or remote, for optimal gin process controls, and for more efficient Internet connectivity. Inputs are from IsoTester and other instruments and sensors.
Outputs are to monitoring and control functions. To enable feedback and feedforward actions, IsoTester and Gin Wizard are network-ready. All data,
including compressed images for C + T and for Li, are archived in a data base in each IsoTester.
(d) Six instruments, owned by Queensland Cotton/Australia (which firm supported early developments), are used in Australia and in the US, by its
subsidiary, Anderson Clayton. This multiple usage is because of Northern/Southern Hemisphere harvesting time differences. These 6 installations are
thus counted in both Countries.
Our mission is TIME:
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GinWizard™
IsoTester®