Stenter Cloth Guider and Guider Spares

Cloth guider that works with the feeler to bring the selvedge onto the pins

Stenter Cloth Guider for Even Pinning

A stenter cloth guider is the device at the stenter entry that moves the fabric sideways so each selvedge arrives at the pins in the right position, with an even margin along the whole length. Con-Pap-Tex supplies pneumatic cloth guiders, mechanical cloth guiders, guiders with frame and spare parts of pneumatic guiders. A worn or badly set guider is a common cause of edges that miss the pins or are pinned too deep.

What does a cloth guider do before the pins?

A cloth guider keeps the fabric edge in line as it travels toward the pinning point. Fabric reaches the stenter from a batch, a trolley or another machine, and its edges are never perfectly straight. Edges wander from side to side, the fabric shifts on the rollers, and knits curl. The guider corrects these movements continuously, so the edge meets the pins at the same place on every bar.

The guider works with the selvedge feeler. The feeler senses where the edge is, and the guider moves the fabric to correct it. When both work well, the pins enter the fabric a steady distance in from the selvage, and the pinning is even along both chains.

How does a guider fault spoil pinning?

A guider fault spoils pinning by letting the edge arrive at the wrong place. The pins are in the right place, but the fabric is not. The table lists the common faults and what to check.

What you see	Likely guider cause	First check
Selvedge misses the pins on one side	Guider not correcting, stuck or out of range	Guider movement and air or drive supply
Pins too far into the fabric on one side	Guider holding the edge too far out	Guider setting and feeler position
Edge wanders in and out along the length	Guider slow or hunting	Feeler, guider response and pivots
Torn edge where the fabric shifted suddenly	Guider jerking, worn parts	Rollers, bearings and linkages
Folded or doubled selvedge reaches the pins	Edge curled and not opened before guiding	Uncurling and guider rollers
Fault on both sides together	Fabric fed off centre to the machine	Fabric path before the guiders

Folded selvedges are hard on pins. When a doubled edge reaches the pinning brush, the brush presses extra fabric onto the pins and bends them. If bent pins appear in many sections along one side, look at the guider and the uncurling on that side before renewing the pins. The stenter pin bar replacement and stenter repinning pages explain how to renew the damaged bars once the cause is corrected.

Which cloth guiders are supplied?

Con-Pap-Tex supplies these cloth guiders and parts for textile machinery:

Pneumatic cloth guiders. Guiders worked by air. The pneumatic guider is the most powerful model in the range.
Mechanical cloth guiders. Guiders worked mechanically, for machines where an air supply is not wanted.
Guiders with frame. Guiders supplied complete with their frame.
Spare parts of pneumatic guiders. Parts for keeping existing pneumatic guiders in service.

The guiders are easy to install and operate on textile machinery. Guider types and how each one works are explained in depth on the cloth guider site of the group. The Con-Pap-Tex master site lists cloth guider spare parts in more detail.

How to check a cloth guider on a stenter

Check the guider whenever the edge drifts at the pins, and as part of routine checks at planned stops.

Watch both edges at the entry while running. Note which side drifts and how the guider responds.
Stop and isolate the machine before working on the guider.
Clean the guider rollers and the area around them. Lint and finish deposits make the rollers slip.
Check that the guider rollers turn freely and that their surfaces are not glazed or worn.
Check the pivots and linkages for play. A loose guider responds late and overshoots.
On a pneumatic guider, check the air supply, the filter and the pressure, following the maker’s instructions. On a mechanical guider, check the moving parts.
Check the feeler that controls the guider, as described on the stenter feeler switch page.
Run a trial piece and watch the selvedge go onto the pins along both chains.

How do the guider, feeler and overfeed share the work?

Three systems decide how the fabric edge reaches the pins. The guider sets the edge sideways, the feeler senses it, and the overfeed sets how much fabric is fed in length. A fault in any of them can look like a pin bar fault.

Edge in the wrong place: check the guider and the feeler.
Edge in the right place but lifting or tearing: check the stenter overfeed and the pins.
Fault repeating at the same point of each chain revolution: check the bars and links, not the feeding.

Pneumatics in a guider depend on clean, dry air at steady pressure. Water or oil in the air line makes a pneumatic guider respond slowly, which shows up as an edge that wanders.

When should cloth guider parts be renewed?

Renew guider parts when cleaning and adjustment no longer keep the edge steady. Typical signs are rollers whose surface has glazed or worn, pivots and linkages with play, and, on pneumatic guiders, parts that leak or respond slowly although the air supply is correct.

Keep a written record of each guider repair beside the pin bar record. When edge damage and guider repairs rise together on the same side of the machine, the record shows the link at once and saves a long search at the next fault.

Plan guider spares with pin bar spares. A mill that renews pins after every edge fault, without fixing the guider, spends its pin bars on a feeding problem. All the parts for one stop are listed on the stenter pin bar spare parts page.

What to send for a cloth guider quotation

Send the following details:

The machine the guider is for, with its make and model
Whether you need a pneumatic guider, a mechanical guider, a guider with frame or spare parts
Photographs of the existing guider and its mounting, with a ruler
The part name or a sample, if you need spare parts
The fabric types run on the machine
The number of guiders or parts needed

Send these details through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a cloth guider help stenter pinning?

A cloth guider helps stenter pinning by keeping each fabric edge in the same position as it reaches the pins. The pins then enter the fabric a steady distance from the selvedge on every bar. Without good guiding, the edge wanders, misses the pins in places and goes on too deep in others.

Why are pins bent along one side of the chain?

Pins bent along one side of the chain often come from folded or doubled selvedges on that side. The pinning brush presses the extra fabric hard onto the pins and bends them. Check the guider, the uncurling and the feeler on that side, correct the fault, then renew the bent pins.

What is the difference between pneumatic and mechanical cloth guiders?

A pneumatic cloth guider is worked by compressed air, while a mechanical cloth guider works through mechanical parts without an air supply. Con-Pap-Tex supplies both, as well as guiders with frame and spare parts of pneumatic guiders. The pneumatic guider is the most powerful model.

Why does a pneumatic guider respond slowly?

A pneumatic guider responds slowly when its air supply is poor or dirty, or when its moving parts are worn. Check the air pressure, drain water from the line and clean the filter, following the maker’s instructions. If the supply is good, check the pivots, linkages and rollers of the guider for wear and play.

Can a guider fault look like a worn pin bar?

A guider fault can look exactly like a worn pin bar, because both make the edge miss or tear on the pins. The difference is in the pattern. A guider fault follows the fabric along one side, while a worn bar marks the fabric at the same point of each chain revolution. Check which pattern you see first.

Are spare parts available for existing pneumatic guiders?

Spare parts are supplied for existing pneumatic cloth guiders, so a worn guider can be kept in service instead of being replaced. Send the make of the guider, photographs and the name or a sample of the part. Renewing worn guider parts often cures edge faults that were blamed on the pins.