Tops Cleaning System with Rotary Brush [TCS]

During production, fibre condition, raw material mix, and pre-opening variation can cause microdust to accumulate on the tops foundation. If those embedments are not cleared, the rocking motion of the tops needles is affected. Compressed-air cleaning only shifts the dust around the card and department, adds labour dependency, and can even damage needles if moisture-laden air is used. This system provides a continuous safety fallback that keeps the tops foundation clean and preserves consistent tops behaviour.

The unit uses a spiral brush together with a cleaning fillet. The fillet acts as a fallback where pre-cleaning correction is needed, while the brush penetrates the foundation and continuously cleans it. The assembly is driven from the cylinder at slow speed, so power consumption is negligible compared to compressed-air usage and manual cleaning effort. Vaamana builds the unit using seasoned wood and laser-cut components for durable service life.

It extends the life of expensive flat tops, preserves consistent needle behaviour, reduces manual cleaning effort, and avoids spreading microdust around the department. It also removes the risk of corrosion caused by accidental water condensation in compressed air. The system is simple, robust, and low-maintenance, with only the two fillets normally requiring replacement as they wear. For mills processing different fibres, it acts as an essential protection and process-stability mechanism.