Pin Stenter or Clip Stenter Which To Use

Two ways to hold the cloth

A tenter or stenter is a transport device that carries fabric from one point to another continuously in open width with precise width control. Stenters are of two types, pin stenters and clip stenters, depending on the means of holding the fabric onto the chains.

The choice is not a preference. It follows the article, and on a mixed schedule it is the thing that costs a shift every time it has to be changed.

How each one works

The clip stenter requires a specific edge, preferably a selvedge, to grip, and is usually confined to woven fabrics. At first the clip is open; when the cloth enters, the knife of the clip closes and the cloth is held tightly; at the end of the machine the clip reopens.

The more common pin stenters have pins about 5 mm long, mounted in two rows at about three to four pins per centimetre along the base plate. The pins are thicker near the base to prevent direct contact of the fabric with the hot base plate. The press wheel presses the fabric onto the pins so it stays on them and follows the transmission chain forward.

The trade-off

Clip stenters leave no pin marks in the selvedge. Pin stenters do, and customers will accept pinholes in the selvedges associated with pin stenters, which is the honest summary of the commercial position.

The advantage of using a clip is that the edges of the cloth are relatively flat, which is suitable for thicker fabrics. The advantage of using a pin plate is that it increases the tension of the fabric, so the cloth runs faster, reaching 100 m per minute.

Running both on one frame

A double use part exists that can be used as a pin stenter and also as a clip stenter. On a commission finishing floor where the article mix is not known a month ahead, that removes the bed changeover from the schedule and the cost of holding two complete bed specifications.

How to decide

Ask whether the selvedge is visible in the finished article. If it is, clip. Ask whether line speed is the constraint on output. If it is, pin. If both answers apply on different articles in the same week, look at the double use part rather than at a second machine.