Glossary of textile manufacturing terms

This glossary of textile manufacturing terms explains vocabulary used at Mohan Spintex India Limited (MSIL) and across the textile industry. It is written for people joining the company from outside the industry. Figures for MSIL's own equipment are from the company's published information.

In the Ne (English count) system a higher number means a finer yarn: 60s is finer than 30s.

Spinning

Blowroom

The first stage of spinning. Cotton bales are opened, cleaned of trash and mixed to an even blend before carding.

Carding

Separating fibres to a near-individual state and forming them into a continuous rope called a sliver. Removes short fibres and trash.

Combing

An optional extra step after carding that removes more short fibres and neps. Yarn made this way is combed; yarn that skips it is carded. Combed yarn is finer, smoother and stronger - and costs more.

Compact spinning

A modification of ring spinning that condenses the fibre bundle before twist is inserted. Produces yarn that is stronger, cleaner and noticeably less hairy.

Count

How thick or fine a yarn is. See Ne.

Doubling

Combining two or more yarns into one. See Ply and TFO.

Drawing

Combining several slivers and drafting them to even out thickness variation.

Lea

A fixed length of yarn (120 yards) used in strength testing. See CSP.

Nep

A small tangled knot of fibres. Neps show as visible specks in fabric, so removing them is a quality objective in carding and combing.

Ne (English count)

The standard count system for cotton yarn. It is the number of 840-yard hanks per pound of yarn.

Open-end spinning (rotor spinning)

Spinning in which fibre is fed into a rapidly rotating rotor rather than twisted on a ring frame. Much faster and cheaper than ring spinning, producing bulkier yarn at coarser counts. MSIL has 6,272 rotors.

Ply

The number of single yarns twisted together. 40s/2 is two-ply: two 40s singles twisted together.

Ring spinning

The mainstream spinning method. Roving is drafted to final thickness and twisted into yarn by a traveller moving on a ring. Gives the highest strength and best appearance. MSIL has 1,21,488 ring spindles.

Roving

The lightly twisted intermediate product fed into the ring frame.

Sliver

The continuous untwisted rope of fibre produced by carding and drawing.

Spindle

One yarn-producing position on a ring frame. Spindle count is the standard measure of a spinning mill's size - MSIL has 1,21,488.

TFO (Two-For-One twisting)

A twisting machine that inserts two turns of twist per revolution, used to make plied yarn. MSIL has 4,800 TFO drums.

Winding

Transferring yarn onto cones while electronic yarn clearers detect and cut out faults.

Weaving

Air-jet loom

A loom that carries weft yarn across the fabric on a burst of compressed air. Very fast, and well suited to wide lightweight cotton fabric like bed linen. MSIL has 324.

Beam

The large roll holding thousands of warp yarns at the back of the loom.

Drawing-in

Threading each warp end through its drop wire, heald and reed. This sets the weave pattern.

Ends

Warp yarns - the ones running along the length of the fabric.

Greige (grey fabric)

Fabric that has been woven but not yet bleached, dyed or finished. Pronounced "grayzh". Still contains the size applied before weaving.

GSM

Grams per square metre - the standard measure of fabric weight.

Picks

Weft yarns - the ones running across the fabric width.

Plain weave

The simplest interlacing, one over one. Strong and stable; the basis of percale bed linen.

Reed

The comb-like part of the loom that spaces the warp ends and beats each pick into place.

Sateen

A weave where warp yarns float over several wefts, giving a smooth lustrous face. Common in premium bed linen.

Sizing

Applying a protective film to warp yarn so it survives the abrasion of weaving. Removed later by desizing.

Thread count (TC)

Ends plus picks per square inch. The number quoted on retail bed linen packaging. Useful, but yarn quality matters more - see Fabric.

Twill

A weave producing diagonal lines on the face. Denim is the best-known example.

Warp

Yarns running lengthwise in the fabric. Held under tension on the loom.

Weft

Yarns running across the fabric width, inserted during weaving. Also called filling.

Processing

Bleaching

Removing the natural colour of cotton to give a uniform white base for dyeing.

Calendering

Passing fabric between heated rollers to smooth it and add lustre.

Desizing

Removing the size applied to warp yarn before weaving. The first wet step.

Dyeing

Applying colour. Piece dyeing colours woven fabric; yarn dyeing colours yarn before weaving, which is how woven stripes and checks are made.

Fastness

How well colour resists fading - to washing, light, rubbing and perspiration. Tested and graded; buyers specify minimum grades.

Finishing

The final treatments setting fabric handle and performance - softening, calendering, sanforising and functional finishes.

Mercerising

Treating cotton under tension with caustic soda. Increases lustre, strength and dye uptake.

Sanforising

Compressive shrinkage applied in advance, so the finished product does not shrink significantly when the consumer washes it.

Scouring

Removing natural waxes, pectins and impurities from cotton.

Singeing

Burning off protruding surface fibres so fabric is smooth and prints cleanly.

Stenter

The machine that holds fabric to width while drying, heat-setting or applying finishes.

ZLD (Zero Liquid Discharge)

An effluent system in which no liquid waste leaves the site - water is recovered and reused, solids are separated for disposal. MSIL recovers 98% of process water. See Water.

Make-up and commercial

CMT

Cut, Make, Trim - a manufacturing service where the customer supplies the specification and the manufacturer supplies production. See CMT Services.

Duvet cover

A removable washable cover for a duvet or quilt.

Fitted sheet

A sheet with elasticated corners shaped to fit over the mattress.

Flat sheet

A plain rectangular sheet with no shaping.

FOB (Free On Board)

A shipping term. In textile trade it usually signals full package supply - the manufacturer provides fabric and trims as well as labour, rather than working on customer-supplied material.

Made-ups

Finished sewn textile articles - sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, quilts - as distinct from fabric sold by the metre.

MOQ

Minimum Order Quantity.

Vertical integration

Owning consecutive stages of the production chain. At MSIL: spinning, weaving, processing and make-up under one company. See About MSIL.

Quality and measurement

Classimat

A system classifying rare yarn faults by size and length, letting mills and buyers describe yarn defects in a common language.

CSP (Count Strength Product)

Yarn count multiplied by lea strength. A traditional combined measure of yarn strength.

CV%

Coefficient of variation - a statistical measure of how much a property varies. Lower is better and more consistent.

Hairiness (H)

The amount of fibre standing out from the yarn surface. Compact yarn scores low, which is why it looks and feels cleaner.

Imperfections (IPI)

Thin places, thick places and neps counted per kilometre of yarn.

RKM

Yarn breaking strength expressed in kilometres - the theoretical length at which a yarn would break under its own weight.

U% / Unevenness

Variation in yarn thickness along its length. Lower is better.

Uster Statistics

A published global benchmark database of yarn quality. Lets a mill state where its yarn sits as a percentile in a way any buyer worldwide can interpret. See Machinery & Technology.

Certification abbreviations

Main article: Certifications of Mohan Spintex

Abbreviation	Full name
BCI	Better Cotton Initiative
C-TPAT	Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism
GOTS	Global Organic Textile Standard
GRS	Global Recycled Standard
IGBC	Indian Green Building Council
ISO	International Organization for Standardization
SCAN	Supplier Compliance Audit Network
SEDEX	Supplier Ethical Data Exchange
SMETA	Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit
WRAP	Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production
ZDHC	Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals