Following initial trials at its SpinCenter in Winterthur, Switzerland, Rieter will install a full system at the plant of Spinnova in Jyväskylä, Finland, by the end of 2022.

The industrial scale spinning facility will enable Spinnova to streamline its commercial textile development, enhance brand collaborations and further improve market entry capabilities.

The sustainably sourced raw material Spinnova processes comes from the same wood pulp that is used to make paper, drawing from Finland’s long-standing expertise in the paper industry. The company is also exploring other sustainable sources for fibre production, including leather and agricultural waste.

Spinnova’s technology uses a mechanical process where the fibres are produced by extruding the pulp through a nozzle, and in contrast to viscose − also a wood-based fibre − requires no harmful chemicals. In addition, the process requires 99% less water and has low carbon emissions compared to conventional viscose fibre production methods.

Rieter will continue to support Spinnova in defining the material characteristics required to create a wood-based fibre that can be spun into a yarn that meets the necessary textile properties.

The spinning line comprises a complete system of Rieter machines. The UNIblend A 81 will start with an initial mix of 70% cotton and 30% wood-based fibre on its way to achieving a 100% wood-based yarn.

“The proximity of a spinning facility will make a huge difference in our commercial phase,” said Spinnova’s CEO and co-founder Janne Poranen. “We can make fast trials, not lose lead time, and test smaller batches than before. This will significantly improve the textile R&D with our wood-based Spinnova fibre.”

In-house trials with the G 38 ring spinning machine already showed promising results. Thanks to its COMPACTdrum compacting device, the G 38 is fully flexible in producing both high quality ring and compact yarns. It is linked to the Autoconer X6automatic winder and thanks to the compacting device, Spinnova can easily switch between ring yarn and compact yarn production.

The fully automatic R 70 rotor spinning machine, known for its productivity, outstanding raw material utilisation and low energy consumption, can produce up to four different yarn types at once, which will be important as the trials proceed.

Rieter’s system is ideally positioned to support Spinnova’s quest to achieve disruptive circularity as it is roughly 20% more energy efficient than lines made up of machines from different suppliers, helping to keep carbon emissions low.

www.rieter.com