Evaluation of Prototype High-Capacity Roller-Gin Reclaimers

High speed roller-ginning technology has been applied in ginning both Pima and Upland cotton. Operation of high speed roller gins at or near their potential ginning rates necessitated a higher rate of seed cotton carryover with the seed than was normal for conventional roller-gin stands. Existing seed cotton reclaimers cannot adequately handle the increased carryover and either become a bottleneck for production or do not adequately separate the ginned seed from the seed cotton resulting in excessive lint and seed loss. This presentation summarizes work to develop a high-capacity roller gin reclaimer. Several modifications to two experimental cleaners were tested. It was determined that the experimental reclaimers lost less cotton fiber than the conventional reclaimer, but the conventional reclaimer lost less seed. Further analysis showed that the estimated cost of the lost fiber was more than the cost of the less valuable lost seed. The new reclaimers may be more beneficial to the producers.