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Abstract An automatic method for characterizing the parameters of ring slub yarn is presented. Firstly, size parameters of slub yarn were measured by using a capacitance-type sensor, and data was expressed as voltage signals through a data acquisition card (DAQ) installed in a PC. Then the voltage signals of the slub yarn were transferred to a two-dimensional (2D) image. Consequently, the repetition pattern of the slub yarn was determined by analyzing the 2D image using cluster analyses with an amended similarity-based clustering method. The samples were produced using a practical slub yarn production system. Results were validated by comparison of measurement parameters with set parameters.
Key words slub yarn, geometrical parameter, determination, visualization, cluster, ASCM
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Studies of slub yarn are critically important because fabrics woven from slub yarn have special aesthetic properties [1-4]. These properties are due to the slub effects formed by the variation in linear density in the slub yarn. The aesthetic characteristics of slub yarn fabric are determined by the apparent parameters of the yarn as fancy yarns have a special structure property [5-7]. Therefore, the geometrical parameters of the yarn are extremely significant for designing the aesthetic properties of fabric. A practical method for the parameter analysis of a sample slub yarns is to measure the slub yarn parameters based on yarn black boards. However, such measurement results do not coincide with the setting of the slub yarn mechanism and the method is time-consuming. In fact, there are various reasons for this difference including the production process. Judging slub yarn parameters becomes a difficult process. Liu et al. [8] introduced methods to extract slubs in woven fabric. Richard [9] provided a means to measure slub yarn with the Uster laboratory system. Souid et al. [10] put forward a composite yarn quality index to evaluate slub yarn quality. Liu and Lu [11] and Liu et al. [12, 13] devised a method for the determination of parameters based on a pulse wave signal of slub yarn and obtained reliable results. Visual methods and analysis of slub yarn apparent parameters were carried out [11-15], but these methods provided the parameters by observing a visual image transferred from the slub yarn's apparent parameters only. However, estimation of the parameters...