The Development of a Carding Machine and a Twisting Silk Machine for Eri Silk

The purpose of this research was to develop a carding machine and twisting machine for produce eri fiber and yarn. A carding machine decomposes degumming cocoons and forms it into cohesiveness silk filament. Silk filament was then spun and twisted in twisting machine. Factors to test machine functionality were teeth of carding head which were aligned in straight and zigzag pattern. Speeds of fiber feeding were 0.24, 0.32, and 0.4 meter per minute. From the experiments of carding machine, it can be found that almost cocoons were decomposed when using zigzag pattern. Speed of cocoon feeder was about 0.24 meter per minute. From twisting machine testing, results pointed out different speed of fiber feeding provided different size of yarn. The properties of eri silk obtained from machine were similar with eri silk produced from traditional method. Therefore, carding machine and twisting machine developed in this research can help farmers to increase production and support the eri silk industry development.