Quieting the din at the gin

Agricultural Research, April, 2004

Exchanging solid-wound brush cylinders for the standard doffing brush cylinders used to comb trash out of newly harvested cotton has reduced one source of gin noise. The solid-wound brush can be used in several types of gin machinery, including the two leading sources of noise: lint cleaners and gin stands. Fiber is removed from cotton at the gin stands, then foreign matter and other contaminants are removed by the lint cleaners.

During a field trial, noise levels while using both the standard and solid-wound brushes were measured and compared. They fell from 94 decibels--measured on the logarithmic A-scale used by industry to approximate the human ear--to 78 decibels. Such noise abatement would greatly improve worker comfort and safety in cotton gins. And more than 80,000 test bales were processed using the solid-wound brush without any operational problems. Now other gin owners are using the new technology, and a brush manufacturer interested in cooperation to develop a less-expensive refill for the solid-wound brush is being sought. W. Stanley Anthony, USDA-ARS Cotton Ginning Research Unit, Stoneville, Mississippi; phone (662) 686-3094, e-mail santhony@ars.usda.gov.