An apparatus and method for splitting a high filament count carbon fiber tow into a set of tows with reduced filament counts. The apparatus is comprised of an electrolyte bath assembly and a splitting assembly comprised of at least one blade. The preferred embodiment of the blades being Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The splitting assembly being positioned within the electrolyte bath or adjacent to the exit of the electrolyte bath.

An apparatus and method for splitting a high filament count carbon fiber tow into a set of tows with reduced filament counts. The apparatus is comprised of an electrolyte bath assembly and a splitting assembly comprised of at least one blade. The preferred embodiment of the blades being Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The splitting assembly being positioned within the electrolyte bath or adjacent to the exit of the electrolyte bath.

A cable tensioning system including: a body defining a balance point; a cable receiving area having gripping elements configured to grip and bias a cable relative to the cable tensioning system; and a sensor configured to sense changes to a balance of the body about the balance point, wherein the cable tensioning system is configured to maintain the cable within a preset range of tensions.

A cable tensioning system including: a body defining a balance point; a cable receiving area having gripping elements configured to grip and bias a cable relative to the cable tensioning system; and a sensor configured to sense changes to a balance of the body about the balance point, wherein the cable tensioning system is configured to maintain the cable within a preset range of tensions.

A tether management system is disclosed. The tether management system includes a spool, a tension sensor, a controller and a moveable pulley. The spool is rotatable to reel in and reel out a tether. The tension sensor measures a tension of the tether. The controller receives a desired tension of the tether and controls the rotation of the spool to reel in and reel out the tether based on a difference between a measured tension from the tension sensor and the desired tension of the tether. The moveable pulley is disposed to engage tether between the spool and the tension sensor. The moveable pulley being able to be biased and moveable along a linear path to adjust a tension of the tether when the tension of the tether deviates from the desired tension. A method for managing tether is also disclosed.

A yarn tension control method includes a bobbin ascending or descending on sliding rails on a yarn carrier module. When the pattern is designed, the ascending or descending speed, time and distance of the fixing frame is calculated directly according to a yarn carrier stop, the quantity of redundant yarn and the speed of the carriage. When the carriage contacts a yarn carrier, a contact sensor feeds a signal back to the carriage, a signal emitter emits an instruction, and when a signal receiver receives the instruction, the fixing frame is controlled to ascend along the sliding rails. When the carriage drives the yarn carrier to enter a knitting area, needles are elected by a needle selection electromagnetic valve, knitting motion information is fed back to the carriage, the signal emitter emits an instruction, and when the signal receiver receives the instruction, the fixing frame is controlled to descend.

A method for monitoring a texturing process for producing crimped threads is presented, in which a thread tension is measured continuously on the textured thread and in which the thread tension measuring signals are captured and analyzed continuously, at least in one time interval, characterized in that a sequence of the thread tension measuring signals occurring in the time interval is analyzed with a machine learning program for the early diagnosis of one of a plurality of fault sources.

A method for monitoring a texturing process for producing crimped threads is presented, in which a thread tension is measured continuously on the textured thread and in which the thread tension measuring signals are captured and analyzed continuously, at least in one time interval, characterized in that a sequence of the thread tension measuring signals occurring in the time interval is analyzed with a machine learning program for the early diagnosis of one of a plurality of fault sources.

An apparatus and method of automatically moving yarn packages between yarn processing stations in a textile environment that includes the steps of providing a yarn package elevator, transporting a yarn package on the yarn package elevator from a textile machine position to a common transfer location, and holding the package in a stationary position on an elevator tray. A label is applied to a surface of the package and the elevator tray and package is moved to a knot-tying location, the package is removed from the elevator tray to a knotting head apparatus at the knot-tying location and a knot is tied in a package yarn tail of the package to secure the package tail from unraveling in subsequent package handling steps. Correct application of the knot to the yarn tail is either validated, or in the alternative, if the knot is not validated, the package is forwarded to a location for manual reworking to apply a correct knot to the yarn tail.

An apparatus and method of automatically moving yarn packages between yarn processing stations in a textile environment that includes the steps of providing a yarn package elevator, transporting a yarn package on the yarn package elevator from a textile machine position to a common transfer location, and holding the package in a stationary position on an elevator tray. A label is applied to a surface of the package and the elevator tray and package is moved to a knot-tying location, the package is removed from the elevator tray to a knotting head apparatus at the knot-tying location and a knot is tied in a package yarn tail of the package to secure the package tail from unraveling in subsequent package handling steps. Correct application of the knot to the yarn tail is either validated, or in the alternative, if the knot is not validated, the package is forwarded to a location for manual reworking to apply a correct knot to the yarn tail.