Sperotto Rimar exploited its long experience in textile finishing to develop innovative technologies in the Denim finishing. As a matter of fact, the know-how acquired along the years in manufacturing many different types of finishing machinery has enabled Sperotto Rimar to take advantage from the synergetic effects deriving from its articulate expertise. This leading Italian company has an ability to develop, design

Speratto-Flexa Hi-Tech denim line

and control both the hardware and the software aspects to fulfil the most diversified requirements of many application fields in the textile finishing industry. The company offers technology of the steam control, fabric tension control, fabric surface treatment control, chemical treatment control, as well as the automation of the process equipment.

Today, they provide highly innovative technological plants, which are able to anticipate the rapid evolution of the fashion and the market as this aspect becomes crucial for the survival of the textile finishing industry itself. In this context, Sperotto Rimar offers:

1. Denim sanforizing lines, including preparation and shrinkage. (Flexa Denim section view next page).
2. Development of new technical and technological solutions according to new kind of fabrics, such as elastic denim fabrics and non-blue denim fabrics.
3. Engineering and supplying of full know-how projects for hi-tech denim lines, as well as for partnership-supplying of complete "turn-key" plants (Flexa Hi-Tech Denim line).
4. Denim surface finishing machinery for fashion fabrics, by both wet and dry sueding machines, special pattern sueding technique and brushing treatments.

Denim sanforizing line The configuration of a basic denim sanforizing line is given as under: · Fabric inlet and outlet sides with J-box for non-stop operation, not only because of production purpose, but also to preserve the fabric quality level. · Brushing and suction unit with relevant dust collecting unit (typical sueding machines synergy). · Singeing unit according to customer's needs (specialist supplier). · Fabric beater for dust/carbon residues removal.

Speratto-Flexa standard

· Washing and rinsing section, eventually followed by a vertical drums-type pre-dryer.
· Padding mangle unit for chemical finish application (a 10,000 kg type is suggested for a higher operation flexibility).
· Fabric skewing device with different configurations, eventually equipped with automatic controls.

Sperotto-Flexa denim (section view)

· Vertical drums-type drying units (8 drums each) with special drawing system for Denim to avoid creases and fabric narrowing, temperature control.
· Optional device for the fabric moisture control up-stream the shrinking operation.
· Optional clip stenter to make the fabric tension uniform.
· Shrinking bench specially designed for Denim with a completely innovative system for the rubber belt guiding, aligning and squeezing.
· Felt calender (diameters available of 1500, 2000, 2500 mm) completely renewed.
· Cooling section comprising one, two, or three cylinders according to customer's needs.
· Batching unit for big rolls on "A" frame with J-box for non-stop operation.
· Optional accessories as dry and wet filters, chillers for the rubber belt cooling water and recovery system, dust suction and collecting device, chemical preparation tanks, etc.

Analysing the plant's most critical parts, it is fundamental to consider the following points:

· Maximum flexibility of the line, with the possibility to treat all the different kind of fabrics having different compositions, colours, weights, and therefore needing different working parameters.

· Necessity of controlling all the parameters and the whole working process.
A modern and reliable control system based on an adequate PLC and, eventually, an industrial "touch screen" PC give the machine operator the possibility to set and store the main parameters, either in the preparation step and/or in the shrinkage step.

So, the main parameters of the preparation are the following:
· Fabric tension control by means of load cells to synchronise all the units drives and control the fabric width along the whole treatment.
· Fabric width automatic and electronic control.
· Impregnation bath temperature and chemical products dosing can be memorised in the PC recipe archive file.
· Total control of the skew-stretcher, either by a separated automatic device or by the PC software, allowing to memorise in the recipe the working position of the inclined cylinders.
· Correct and constant fabric moisture level controlled via the drying drums temperature.
The main parameters for the shrinkage are:
· Fabric tension control as in the preceding preparation step.
· Fabric humidity control by a special steaming system that guarantees a deep effect with a remarkable steam saving (typical steaming machines synergy).
· Rubber belt compression unit complete with automatic shrinkage control.
· Shrinking bench cylinder temperature control.
· Felt calander temperature control.
· Fabric cooling.
· Fabric tensionless winding system.

The denim finishing line can have three different configurations as follows:
1. Basic line of modular type, with a production speed of about 35 up to 50 metres per minute, highly flexible but entirely manufactured for denim fabrics only

2. A classic sanforizing line, not only for the denim finishing, but having also the possibility to work as independent shrinking line. The production speed can be about 35 metres per minute (Flexa standard)

3. A complex plant expressly manufactured for high production capacities, as the last ones sold to POLGAT - Israel and FRAME - South Africa. The finishing and shrinking lines are separate, with the possibility to have a production speed up to 120 m/min. in the finishing line, and up to 80 m/min. with the lightest fabrics in the shrinking line (Flexa Denim twin line section view)

All Sperotto Rimar plants have been developed to be modular, therefore customers can implement them to meet new specific needs. Consequently, the end user can initially buy a rather simple and not too expensive plant, then expand it when his production need increases.
Courtesy: Sperotto Rimar, SRL (Santex Group)

Sperotto-Flexa denim twin line (section view)