Precision Manufacturing of a Linear Fiber Assembly with Axially Varying Compositions and Structures by Using Computer Numerically Controlled Ring Spinning

Ring spinning is an effective technology for forming multi-component spun yarns. There is an increasing need for multifunctional textiles with characteristics, such as antibacterial properties, UV protection, easy cleaning, and color alteration, which can be achieved via various physical and mechanical processing approaches, such as electrospinning, friction spinning, hollow spindle spinning, and ring spinning. In particular, ring spinning is based on the mechanical processing of fibers, and it is suitable for mass customized production systems. However, conventional ring spinning involves a fixed fiber blending ratio and yarn linear density, which limits its usefulness for fabricating multifunctional textiles due to the uncontrollable composite yarn structure. In the present work, we propose a new method for manufacturing a three-component spun yarn by combining a computer numerical control system with a ring spinning frame, which increases the flexibility of yarn production. The as-prepared composite yarns possess axially varying compositions and structures, which can be readily tuned by changing the feeding speeds of the back rollers, and these aspects can facilitate the fabrication of multifunctional textiles for mass production at a low cost. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating a three-component spun yarn with tunable compositions and structures by employing a ring spinning frame.