Carding Knives

Mote knives and suction hood knives are critical waste separation interfaces in the carding process. They govern the clean release of short fibres, neps, and contamination without disturbing the primary fibre stream. Proper execution ensures waste exits predictably while preserving sliver quality and downstream consistency.

Interface Role

These knives work at the boundary between wanted fibre and waste. The mote knife separates waste from the cylinder or doffer surface, while suction hood knives control extraction geometry under airflow. Both must maintain stable clearance and angle — variation causes either incomplete waste removal or good fibre loss.

Execution Requirements

• OEM-defined knife geometry, edge profile, and mounting position
• Stable knife-to-wire clearance without deflection under airflow
• Consistent waste trajectory into the extraction system
• Material selection for wear resistance without edge breakdown

Common Failure Patterns

When mote or suction knives degrade:

• False cleanliness — the card appears clean but short fibre remains in the web
• Gradual sliver quality drift (CV increases before visual detection)
• Good fibre loss into waste (higher production cost per kg)
• Cylinder or doffer wire compensates under uneven load and wears asymmetrically

Selection Logic

Knife performance is machine-specific. The same knife geometry behaves differently on different card models due to wire speed, suction pressure, and interface positioning. We supply based on:

1. Machine make and model
2. Interface location (mote box / front suction / back suction)
3. Current waste behavior or quality change observed

If you are working from a drawing, we can execute it exactly. For behavior-critical applications, OEM specification remains the safest reference — deviations are supplied as customer-defined execution.