April | Thomas Foot Fetish

The Ramella carder has a long conveyor for feeding the fiber into the inlet, after which the fiber is carded by the large main drum and 5 worker rollers.
At the exit the doffer roller and high-speed fly comb create a fiber web, which can be rolled to produce a batt or pulled through a twister to produce sliver.

The carder is mounted on a solid steel support structure and is completely enclosed by an external safety cage.
The carder can be equipped with an automatic feeder and/or a can coiler.

We produce carding machines with 2 different working widths:

• 80 cm (32") suitable for small production facilities and laboratories
• 100 cm (40") the standard ideal for typical small mills with medium production

The productivity of the carder depends on the type of fiber worked and the temperature and humidity conditions in the mill, but, for example, sheep wool run through the 100 cm (40") carder can generally be processed at a rate of about 6 kg (13 lb) per hour.

For maximum flexibility the user can produce either sliver or batts from the carded fiber.
In the first case, it is possible to obtain a continuous ribbon (sliver) that can be further processed by drafting and spinning in order to make yarn.
In the second case, the web can be rolled onto a cylinder to create a batt of desired thickness.

Both output devices are included with the standard version of the machine.

With the Ramella carder, several output choices are available.

• Machine mounted twister and batt roller. This is the most economical choice for those who will produce either sliver or batts without switching often between the two.

• Trolley mounted twister, batt roller and rug yarn maker. The wheeled trolley cart allows easy switching between the sliver twister and the batt roller without the need to reconfigure the machine or lift the heavy roller. This choice is ideal for those who will regularly produce sliver, batts and rug yarn.

The batt roller is available in 2 sizes: circumference 100 cm (40") and circumference 200 cm (80").

With the basic version of the Ramella carder you can create sliver and batt from raw fibers but we can also offer optional machines to make the process easier and more automated.

• The automatic feeder weighs the fibers and creates a uniform layer on the carder conveyer, which minimizes the manual work necessary to load the carder.

• The can coiler winds the sliver into a compact, continuous coil, which facilitates transport of the fiber from one machine to the next and allows uninterrupted feeding of the sliver into the drafter or spinner.

We have designed a unique real-twist system that strengthens the output sliver and prevents sliver breakage, especially when carding low cohesion fibers such as alpaca.

This system consists of a rotating funnel with varied speed control, allowing the user to precisely define the amount of twist added to the sliver, which then enters a set of rollers that assist in delivering the sliver to the coiler can.
Three different funnel sizes come standard with the machine, allowing maximum control of the sliver thickness.

The Ramella carder easily handles typical fiber staple lengths from 4 cm (1.5") to 15 cm (6"), with some mills also processing 20-25 cm (8-10") suri fiber.
With standard card clothing, fine fibers with a thickness as little as 2 to 3 microns can be carded.
If required, we can also furnish a carder with a finer wire designed specifically for processing extra-fine fibers, as low as 0.7 micron.

Small production mills use our carding machine to process fibers like sheep wool, alpaca (both huacaya and suri), angora, cotton, yak, bamboo and hemp.
Industrial laboratories test synthetic fibers such as polyester, polyethylene, nylon, and aramid.

The carder is driven by 4 independent motors that are electronically controlled by inverters.
However, the exit speed is electronically coupled to the inlet speed, allowing the user to increase or decrease the carding productivity during a run without changing the weight of the sliver.

The electronic controllers are contained in a panel with filtered ventilation to protect the sensitive electronic parts.
The control dials are easily accessed on the outside of the panel and every parameter can be easily adjusted on a large touchscreen.
Button panels located on both sides of the carder allow simple starting and stopping of the machine at both the entry and the exit.

For maximum safety, our carding machine is fully enclosed by an external frame made of anodized aluminum, which is lightweight, yet sturdy, and resists corrosion.

The protective doors are hinged so they can be quickly and easily opened for cleaning and maintenance.
Three automatic safety devices prohibit the doors from being opened while the machine is running.
The safety structure protects the worker while allowing a wide view and the complete control of the machine during the process.

The carding machine is equipped with a high-speed fly comb that removes the fibers from the doffer roller. The structure of the fly comb is balanced so as to reduce vibrations and minimize wear of the bearings.

The lever control allows easy adjustment and quick maintenance of the blade.
The fly comb is mounted on oscillating bearings with seals that can be easily lubricated, with 4 screws to allow accurate positioning with respect to the distance from the doffer cylinder.
The fly comb blade connectors are covered with a smooth tin plate that eliminates rough surfaces where fiber could catch, ensuring the formation of an even fiber web at the exit.

In carding machines two factors are critical, the solidity of the structure and the precision of the mechanical parts.
The Ramella carder is characterized by a 4 cm (1.6") thick, fully machined steel frame connected by solid steel crossbeams. This structure is approximately 10 times stronger than one formed from welded tubes.

Furthermore, all of the rotating parts are precisely machined and are equipped with micro adjustment, which permits exact roller positioning at micron distances, but more importantly, once the positioning is set, it does not move, resulting in both a consistent, high quality product and longer machine life.
Built to last, all surfaces are painted or chemically treated to resist corrosion.

Every single detail of the Ramella carding machine has been designed using modern 3D CAD.
All of the components have been designed to obtain a high-performance machine with an excellent quality/price ratio.
Even the electric panel has been designed in order to make the use of the carder simple and intuitive.

We use CNC lathes, milling machines and modern laser cutters in the production of the carder components that we make in-house.
The steel used is of premium quality and all of the commercial components come from suppliers with well-known brands.

In addition to the features mentioned above many other details give value to our carding machine:

• The use of sealed bearings instead of bushings ensures a long machine life and continued quality output for many decades.
• The supports of the worker and stripper rollers have an upper cover that can be easily removed for quicker maintenance.
• The use of rigid card clothing allows the machine to quickly self-clean after each run.
• A solid input unit with 3 rollers plus a licker-in roller enhances fiber tuft opening, resulting in effective carding with just one pass.
• Spare parts are readily available on the market.

Electric specifications:

Installed power: 4.5 kW + 0.4 kW (Can coiler)
Power consumption: 3.4 kW
Single phase 230V 50/60Hz (customizable)

Size (length x width x height):

Carder 800 mm: 3110 mm x 1770 mm x 2200 mm (122'' x 70'' x 87'')
Carder 1000 mm: 3110 mm x 1970 mm x 2200 mm (122'' x 78'' x 87'')

Download CAD layout drawing - Carder version 800 mm - 32'' (PDF version)
Download CAD layout drawing - Carder version 1000 mm - 40'' (PDF version)