News

Bioclip Update

In the August 2005 newsletter, our article “A Brief History of Wool Harvesting Research” included a short outline of biological defleecing, which sprung from a CSIRO breakthrough in 1981: the discovery of a naturally occurring short-chain protein (epidermal growth factor – EGF) that could mimic the self-shedding of wool - as occurs in primitive breeds of sheep.

We reported that this process was commercialised in 1992 as Bioclip®. We have since been supplied with more material on the process, which is reproduced here.

Introduction

Since 2000, Bioclip® has developed into a wool harvesting process that provides significant benefits to the Australian sheep and wool industry.

The process has the potential to harvest approximately 50% of the national flock (45-50 million sheep) based on bodyweights, with a further 25% (20-25 million) of the sheep in Australia to be suitable in the near future.

Bioclip® has harvested in excess of 500,000 sheep in the past couple of years with benefits extending from animal and fleece presentation, improved growth rates and processing yields.

In the next 2 years, Bioclip® is expected to harvest in excess of 2 - 2.5 million sheep in Australia, primarily lambs and hoggets.

Bioclip® - On Farm

Practically, the process is broken down into 3 processes:

• Vaccination and Netting;
• Harvesting; and
• Wool Preparation.

The process has been designed to be easy to use and cost effective (not only in the cost of the process, but also in the up-front machinery costs).

Vaccination and Netting

Sheep are turned upside down in the netting cradle and injected in the inguinal region (inside the back leg) with a naturally occurring protein (Bioclip®). The protein performs the same process to that experienced by all other animals that shed their ‘winter’ coats, such as goats, dogs, cats etc.

The net is then stretched over the outside of the cradle (with the sheep inside the confines of the cradle). The legs are then pulled through the leg holes prior to the sheep being pulled out the front of the cradle.

It takes approximately 2 people 30 seconds to inject and net one sheep.

The Bioclip Sheep Handler used is similar in design to a mobile crutching cradle, and can be operated on both sides. This allows 2 sheep to be netted every 30 seconds, or 2000 per day (8 hour shearing day) using 4 people on the machinery.

The netting process does not require electricity and can be completed anywhere on the property. The wool break occurs within 24 hours after injection and netting, however the sheep are returned to the paddock for approximately 28 days to allow adequate wool regrowth to develop prior to harvesting.

Harvesting

Sheep are turned upside down in a harvesting cradle and the net and wool is removed (in one piece) from the sheep (just like pulling a kid’s jumper off over his head).

The fleece/net can then be separated and skirted/classed immediately or stacked for preparation at a later more convenient time.

Each sheep is ‘harvested’ in approximately 30 seconds by one person.

The Bioclip Sheep Handler requires only one person to harvest each sheep (compared to two people per sheep for netting). This allows 2 sheep to be harvested every 30 seconds, or 2000 per day (8 hour shearing day) using 2 people on the machinery.

The harvesting process does not require electricity and should be conducted in an area where the wool can be adequately prepared.

Wool Preparation

The wool and net are attached at the point of harvesting due to the mesh nature of the net. The fleece is easily removed from the net at skirting (similar to pulling a cobweb off your shirt).

Bioclip® allows the preparation of the fleece to be delayed (if desired) away from the harvesting process. This provides greater time to prepare the wool harvested and also allows for more attention to be paid to the sheep being returned to the paddock as quickly as possible.

1 person, taking approximately 60 seconds per fleece, skirts each fleece.

Source:
Ben Swain BCS Agribusiness Solutions
M: 0427 100 542 T: 02 6743 2306 F: 02 6743 2307

Editor’s Note:
This is an edited version of material supplied by an agent for the distributor of Bioclip®. AWTA Ltd does not endorse the product or the comments made in the text.
Recent publicity has indicated that the price of the system has increased from $5.50 to approximately $9.00 per sheep, raising questions about its competitiveness with conventional shearing. Ultimately the market will dictate its adoption.

Wool Sold for Kidney Health

Fleeces donated by wool growers from across Australia and New Zealand were sold at a wool auction late last year, raising $2,714 for Kidney Health Australia.

The fleeces were originally entries in the Fleece Competition held at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo during July 2004. Following the competition, many of the entrants chose to donate their valuable fleeces to charity rather than return home with them. Stud sheep breeders and commercial growers of wool entered over 400 fleeces into the competition from all Australian states and from New Zealand.

The competition, now in its fourth year, is jointly organised by wool brokers Landmark Ltd, AWTA Ltd and the Victorian Sheep Breeders Association. It has quickly evolved into the largest fleece competition in the world. The main appeal of the popular contest is that entries are mainly scored and ranked on prospective commercial processing performance, which is calculated using a comprehensive set of objectively measured characteristics. The competition organisers intention was to establish a meaningful competition with a strong relationship to commercial reality. This has meant less reliance on the subjective opinion of judges than was once the case. Last years competition was won by Westvale Stud, Wollun NSW.

The decision to donate the proceeds of the sale to Kidney Health Australia was prompted by a suggestion by Mr Pino Trimboli, a long serving employee of AWTA Ltd. As a recipient of a Kidney transplant nine years ago Pino has first hand experience of the valuable work performed by Kidney Health Australia.

TEAM-3

 

The final TEAM-3 report was presented to IWTO in Evian last year and shortly afterwards AWTA Ltd released a printed version of the report for distribution to the industry as well a limited print run of all the TEAM reports. Both publications are available in PDF format from AWTA Ltd’s website (http://www.awta.com.au). The significant difference between this and the previous TEAM reports was the large number of participants from China, reflecting the geographic shift in wool processing that has occurred since the completion of TEAM-2. AWTA staff visited each of the TEAM-3 participants from June to December 2004. The purpose of these visits was to present and discuss a confidential report where the individual mill’s results in TEAM-3 were benchmarked against the rest of the participants. Of course the confidential report maintained the anonymity of all the other participants. In addition, each mill was presented with printed copies of the TEAM-3 report and complimentary copy of the combined TEAM reports. The general presentation made to each of these participants can be viewed online or downloaded from the AWTA Ltd Website: http://www.awta.com.au/ Publications/Marketing/ Marketing.htm#TEAM3. This is a PowerPoint display converted to HTML and is best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer. However, a link is provided so that users of other browsers can download the display for viewing within PowerPoint rather than over the internet. The TEAM-3 formula adds Coefficient of Variation of Diameter (CVD), Coefficient of Variation of Staple Length (CVL) and simplifies the formula by using M (actual position of break) instead of M*, the adjusted position of break. The Shanghai conference also agreed to accept a recommendation that the TEAM-2 coefficient for the vegetable matter base term (V) be used instead of the coefficient derived from the analysis of the TEAM-3 database. The range in VM in consignments processed under TEAM-3 was considerably less than in TEAM-2 and therefore the TEAM-3 coefficient was less meaningful. The recommended TEAM-3 formula for Hauteur is: H = 0.43L + 0.35S + 1.38D – 0.15M – 0.45V – 0.59CVD – 0.32 CVL + 21.8 Formulae for CVH and Romaine were also derived and are detailed in the report. These recommendations were considered by IWTO in Shanghai and technically it was agreed to move to the new formulae developed by TEAM-3. However, the final commercial decision will be made in Hobart in April.

 

TEAM Participants

Australia Australian Topmaking Services Ltd Fletcher International Exports Pty Ltd Geelong Wool Combing Ltd GH Michell & Sons (Aust) Pty Ltd Lempriere (Australia) Pty Ltd Port Phillip Wool Processing Pty Ltd Riverina Wool Combing Pty Ltd Czech Republic Nejdek Wool Combing, A.S. Korea Cheil Industries Inc Singapore Nankai Worsted Spinning Co Ltd Taiwan Reward Wool Industry Corporation China Australia Harvest Wool Textile Co Ltd Jiangsu Changzhou Tops Mill Jiangsu Sunshine Group Lanzhou Sanmao Textile Group Co Ltd Reward (Ningbo) Wool Industry Co Ltd Shanghai No 1 Topmaking Company Wuxi Xie Xin Group Zhangjiagang Free Trade Zone -    Concord Wool Textile Industrial Co Ltd Zhangjiagang Free Trade Zone -    Tianyu Woollen Textile Co Ltd Zhangjiagang Wool Combing Co Ltd Zhejiang Xinao Group

France Peignage de la Tossée Ets A Dewavrin Fils & Co India Global Wool Alliance Pty Ltd Indoworth India Limited Jayashree Textiles Unit Oswal Woollen Mills Ltd Raymond Limited Italy Pettinatura Europa 90 S.r.l. Vitale Barberis Canonico S.P.A. Slovak Republic Merina j.s.c Thailand Indorama Group Japan Nippon Keori Kaisha Ltd

New Wool Testing Laboratory for Europe

 

We reported in the August 2004 Newsletter that, in conjunction with NZWTA (New Zealand Wool Testing Authority), the British Wool Marketing Board had established an independent test laboratory, Wool Testing Authority (Europe) Ltd, at Caernarfon in Wales. Roger Jones OBE, Chairman of the Welsh Development Agency, opened this ‘state of the art’ wool testing centre, which offers the most modern and efficient wool testing available in the northern hemisphere, in late 2005. The Laboratory is now providing an objective, cost effective service to providers and users of wool throughout the Northern Hemisphere. WTAE will provide both independence and integrity of wool certification, based on IWTO

Determination of Residual Grease   Determination of Residual Mineral Matter

Specifications. This is already enjoyed by the major wool producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere, where independent laboratories such as those operated by AWTA Ltd, NZWTA Ltd and Wool Testing Bureau South Africa have operated for many years. The centre will also provide valuable training, technical and quality support to its customers.

Support from the Welsh Assembly Government through the ‘Regional Selective Assistance Grant’ enabled the laboratory building to be purchased on the Cibyn Industrial Estate, Caernarfon. The considerable assistance and advice from both the Welsh Development Authority and the Welsh Assembly Government throughout the project was recognised as key to its successful fruition.

Chairman of WTA (Europe) Ltd, Dr Alan Folwell commented, “This is a major move in the quality certification of greasy and scoured wool which will lead to the improvement of wool's competitiveness world wide by giving users, sellers and buyers high integrity product information. It is particularly appropriate to have the laboratory sited in Wales where sheep farming plays such a vital part and we extend our thanks to those bodies that have helped us in getting this project up and running.”

WDA Chairman, Roger Jones said, “This is a project that stands at the crossroads of the global economy and we are delighted that of all the many locations that could have been chosen for this venture, Wales and Caernarfon have come out on top. One of the key strategies of the economic policy of the Welsh Assembly Government is to add value to Welsh business and Welsh farming and support the precious communities of rural Wales, which are so important for our nation's distinct culture and way of life. This is one project that does just that.”

Tim Parkes (General Manager), who has a strong background in measurement and strategic management and who has also completed extensive training at NZWTA in New Zealand, will run the centre.

Further Information:
Tim Parkes, General Manager
WTA (Europe) Ltd
Ph: 01286 678097 email: info@wtaeurope.com

New Test for Fabric Friction

 

Friction in materials plays an essential role in manufacturing, new product development, quality and product marketability. The smaller the frictional forces, the smoother the fabric surface, leading to a softer and higher quality material. Research has shown that characterisation of the friction of viscoelastic materials, such as fibre, textiles etc., is difficult and slow, requiring complex calculations by professional specialists. Seshadri Ramkumar, Ph.D., research associate for The Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University, and his associates have developed simple friction factor software which removes the complexity of these calculations thereby making the friction factor calculation user-friendly and within the capability of laboratory technicians.

Dr Seshadri Ramukar

The software automatically calculates the friction factor and is compatible with Windows based operating systems such as Windows 98, 2000, ME and XP. The software uses a Microsoft Access database for storing and retrieving results.

The software should be of immense use to fibre, fabric, nonwoven, polymer, leather and related industries as it provides an easy solution to friction evaluation in materials produced by these industries.

Further Information:
Seshadri S. Ramkumar, Ph.D., Research Associate
The Institute for Environmental and Human Health
Texas Tech University
Ph: 1 806 885-0228 email: s.ramkumar@ttu.edu
Texas Tech University is making the product available.

IWTO Shanghai Wool Forum

Technical Issues

Technically oriented news from the IWTO Shanghai Wool Forum was relatively sparse.

However, one item of good news is that electronic distribution of IWTO Specifications on CDROM is now in operation. This will reduce the upfront costs for producing the Specifications as well as allow more rapid deployment of amended versions and new Test Specifications.

Copies of the CDROM, and information about pricing can be obtained from:

Mrs. Georgina Hopkins,
Phone : 44-1943- 886 244 or Fax : 44-1943- 886 293
E-mail : Georgina_Hopkins@wool.com

Other Matters

At its meeting in Nice in 1995 and in Cape Town in 1996 IWTO commenced a restructuring of its Conferences/Congresses to streamline information flow and decision making.

Recently, under the leadership of the current President of IWTO, the organisation has been further developing this structure to place more emphasis on the demand side of the wool pipeline, and also a mechanism for providing feedback of demand side requirements to the supply side.

http://www.awta.com.au/Publications/Newsletter/
2004_August/opinion.htm

The key element of recent changes is the separation of the various Committees/Forums into a Supply Chain Group and a Demand Chain Group. The Demand Chain Group contains the Forums that cover the three major market sectors for wool textiles: Apparel; Interior Textiles; and Technical Textiles. These Forums provide informational presentations and discussions on developments and activities that are occurring in these sectors.

New Structure for IWTO

The Supply Chain Group incorporates the Technical & Commercial Committees responsible for developing and maintaining Testing Specifications, associated Regulations and Arbitration Agreements. Licensing of IWTO Laboratories is also included here.

The new Commercial Suppliers Forum is another key change.

It supplants the former:

• Spinners & Weavers Committee;
• The Growers, Traders and Early Processors Committee; and
• Merino & Crossbred Breeders Committee.

Via the Commercial Suppliers Forum, Wool Producers, Wool Exporters and Traders and Wool Processors can provide comment on decisions before the Contracts & Regulations Committee. The Technology & Standards Committee Chairman who provides briefings to the forum on technical issues and decisions relating to these issues by his committee, and which will be considered by the Contracts & Specifications Committee, assists this forum in making this commentary.

The Contracts & Specifications Committee has itself absorbed the former Commercial Regulations Committee.

The new Product Group has absorbed the former Yarn & Fabric Group and the Special Topics Group.

The Supply Meets Demand Zone Committee is also new. In this Committee the Supply Chain Group and the Demand Chain Group come together via the committee/forum chairpersons (and other invited personnel) to share and discuss their work, thereby providing direct feedback between the two groups. This Committee also develops overall strategies for various activities of IWTO for consideration by the Assembly.

The Market Intelligence Forum supports the Supply and the Demand groups with regular updates and analysis concerning world-wide markets relevant to the wool industry.

The IWTO Congress in Hobart in April will be the first Congress to operate totally under the new structure and this is reflected in the Congress programme (see www.iwto2005.com).

IWTO Congress Hobart 2005

 

Early Bird registration for the IWTO 2005 Congress closed on 2nd February. At that stage just under 300 delegates and partners had taken advantage of the cheaper rate and registered. At the time of writing registrations were rapidly approaching 400. The programme for the Congress has been finalised. A printed version of the programme was available before the Shanghai Wool Forum but some minor alterations to this were made in Shanghai. The final version can be viewed on the Congress website: http://www.iwto2005.com/htm_ english/Full_Delegate.htm A PDF version is also available: http://www.iwto2005.com/ Downloads/Congress_Brochure.pdf The venues for the social events have also been finalised and the location map now includes the locations of these events in Hobart or the embarkation point if the event is outside the city. The map does not include embarkation points for bus tours – this will be at the Congress venue, the Grand Chancellor Hotel. The locality map can be viewed on: http://www.iwto2005.com/htm_ english/Accommodation.htm A high resolution of this map can also be downloaded in PDF format. http://www.iwto2005.com/ Downloads/Hobart_Map.pdf The organising committee has approached a leading travel agent, Abercrombie and Kent, to provide some tours either pre or post Congress for those delegates and partners who would like to spend a short holiday in Australia as well as attending the Congress. Tours that may be arranged include: visits to our major cities of Sydney and Melbourne; the Great Barrier Reef and the tropical mainland rain forests; Hayman Island or the Red Centre Outback; Adelaide and Kangaroo Island; and a seven day self-drive trip in Tasmania.

Congress Brochure IWTO Congress Hobart 2005 main website page at www.iwto20005.com The locality map now includes the locations of the social events

More information on these tours, including itineraries and cost can be obtained from:

http://www.iwto2005.com/htm_english/Pre_Post_Tours.htm

Abercrombie and Kent will customise tours to suit particular requirements if requested.

Towards an Automated Dark & Medullated Fibre Test

In the News section of the last Newsletter (August 2004) we included an article titled “Protecting the Reputation of Australia’s White Wool”. In this article we provided a detailed update on the “Dark & Medullated Fibre Risk Scheme” and another titled “AWTA Ltd Slashes Dark Fibre Testing Costs”. The For Technophiles section included a detailed description of the new test method (“How does the Improved Dark & Medullated Fibre Test Work?”).

This method is still very labour intensive and still requires the judgement of trained testing officers to identify and count dark fibres and medullated fibres. We indicated that the logical next step in developing this system is to use image analysis to replace the operator to identify and count these fibres, and that further development by CSIRO towards this was underway.

Since then considerable progress has been made. The basic process is very similar to the manual system we reported in August 2004. The sample preparation and presentation system using carded sliver immersed in Benzyl Alcohol within a flat transparent plastic bag is exactly the same.

The new component is an imaging system based on a conventional flat bed scanner developed by scientists and computer imaging experts at CSIRO.

The presentation of the sample in flat transparent plastic bags was a key development to facilitate this approach.

The sample bags are simply laid on the scanner and scanned in the same way as these scanners are normally used to scan documents or images against a white background.

A black background is then placed over the sample bag and another image is scanned. Both images are sent to the computer for processing.

Thus the scanner and computer is emulating exactly the same process as the manual system except that electronic ‘eyes’ and an electronic ‘brain’ are replacing human eyes and a human brain.

The CSIRO software captures the scanned images. This software analyses the white image for dark fibres and the dark image for medullated fibres, and counts the fibres it identifies.

The image analysis software uses a number of algorithms to remove extraneous clutter from the images so that the dark and medullated fibres become more visible. The software then applies other algorithms to determine whether or not the ‘fibres’ it isolates are real.

This description of the image processing is very simplistic, but it broadly describes what actually happens.

Of course, processing complex images requires a considerable amount of computer power. This power is readily available in modern PC’s, whereas only 10 years ago the required power would only have been available in much larger and much more expensive machines.

Nevertheless the analysis is not completed stantaneously. A significant period of time is required. However, with further development it is highly probable that this time can be reduced.

AWI, AWTA Ltd and CSIRO have jointly agreed that this ‘first cut’ of the image analysis system is ready for evaluation.

The system will shortly be set up in AWTA Ltd’s Sydney Laboratory and used to measure samples in parallel with the manual system currently in use. To assist in this process CSIRO have provided tools with the software that can highlight the ‘fibres’ that it locates and identifies.

This tool will allow AWTA Ltd’s scientists to manually verify what the software ‘sees’, or alternatively to manually identify when it makes an error.

It must be stressed that this is still early days. A considerable amount of research and development is still required to ensure that the automated system is adequate to the task and sufficiently robust.

The facts about Dark & Medulated Fibre testing brochure

Proposed Automated System Four pecimens of scoured and carded wool (each of 5 grams) are prepared from the core sample. The carding process is specifically designed to present the sample as a thin, carded sliver with a relatively uniform thickness. These samples are placed in rectangular transparent plastic bags. A volume of Benzyl Alcohol is added, and the top of the bag is heat sealed. The sample is immersed in the solvent by placing the bag on an inclined surface and squeezing the bag between two rollers as the bag moves down this surface.   The lower section of the bag contains the wool fibres totally immersed in the solvent in a thin and relatively uniform layer. The wool sliver becomes transparent (righthand image). This lower section is placed on a flat bed scanner. Two images are scanned – one with a white background and one with a black background. A computer captures the images. Software developed by CSIRO then analyses each image to identify and count any dark or any medullated fibres. A scanned image is captured  by software. For dark fibre detection the software processes the image to remove extraneous background. In the above processed image a dark fibre can readily be seen. To assist in evaluation the software can highlight detected fibres so that these can be cross-referenced to the original sample.

 

Ermenegildo Zegna Awards – 2005

 

Ultrafine wool, finer than cashmere and vicuna, has been produced by Australian wool growers Barry & Helen Finch, "Legend" Glen Innes, NSW to win the 2005 Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum Trophy - Australia. The winning fleece measured 11.5 micron. The award was presented at the 26th Ermenegildo Zegna Awards by Ermenegildo Zegna Australia, Managing Director, Mark Sinclair at a dinner at Sir Stamford at Circular Quay, Sydney. This was the second win for Barry & Helen Finch who, in 2002, were awarded the inaugural Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum Trophy for an 11.7 micron fleece. The Legend Superfine Merino Stud, situated on the Northern Tablelands of NSW, was founded in 1995 on pure"Ledgerton" bloodlines and runs some 1,700 fine wool sheep. The winning fleece is eligible to enter the 2005 Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum International Trophy to be announced and presented at a Gala Dinner in 2006. The winner of the International competition, open to wool producers from Australia, Argentina, New Zealand & South Africa, will receive gold to the weight of the"Golden Fleece" and a replica of the Swiss artist Not Vital's sculpture created in 2002 for the Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum Trophy. In another category, the highly prized 2005 Ermenegildo Zegna Unprotected Wool Trophy was won by extrafine wool producers, Allan & Carolyn Phillips, "Glen Stuart" Deddington, Tasmania. Previously from Victoria the Phillips family moved to Tasmania some six years ago to"Glen Stuart", a 2,600-hectare property which runs some 5,000 fine wool Merino sheep.

Helen & Barry Finch, "Legend", Glen Innes, NSW, winners of the Ermenegildo Zegna Vellus Aureum Trophy - Australia pictured here at the Ermenegildo Zegna Boutique for cocktails prior to the dinner and presentations. Winners of the Ermenegildo Zegna Unproected WoolTrophy, Allan & Carolyn Phillips, "Glen Stuart" Deddington, Tasmania at the Ermenegildo Zegna Boutique in Sydney prior to the presentation dinner.

Another keenly contested category, the 2005 Ermenegildo Zegna Protected Wool Trophy was won by New England wool producers, Stuart & Annie Pearson, Ambermala" Uralla, NSW."Ambermala", a property on the Northern Tablelands of NSW, runs some 1,500 sheep based on Merryville bloodlines.

In this 26th year of the national Australian competition, established in conjunction with the Australian Superfine Wool Growers' Association (ASWGA) in 1980, attracted 234 entries from all fine wool growing areas of the continent. All fleeces entered will be purchased by the Zegna Group and made into the finest quality cloths produced under the Ermenegildo Zegna and Agnona labels.

Updated Wool Statistics/Micron Profiles

The amount of wool available within specific ranges of micron has been changing significantly since 1991. A table indicating the proportion of the clip tested within specified micron categories is shown below.

Additional links to display a distribution comparing quantities of wool tested within all micron categories for a specified period is vailable at (http://www.awta.com.au/Publications/Statistics/
Trends/Micron_Profiles/Micron_Profile.htm).

Wool Technology & Sheep Breeding Goes Electronic

Established in 1954 by the University of New South Wales, the Journal of Wool Technology & Sheep Breeding (JWTSB) became a key publication for desseminating scientific developments in sheep breeding, wool technology and wool metrology. The Journal is now published electronically by the University of New England, Armidale, Australia using bePress technology, under the new title ‘The International Journal of Sheep and Wool Science’. The new publication is a journal for the publication of original articles about the wool and sheep meat industries and all aspects of sheep and small ruminant breeding and husbandry including:

• On-farm production;
• Handling;
• Transport;
• Measurement;
• Marketing; and
• Processing of wool and meat.

While the emphasis is on wool and meat production by sheep, articles are published on fibres from other animals. Review articles and letters to the Editor are invited. Submission of papers and editorial matters are via the website (www.une.edu.au/sheepjournal).

State of the art 'EdiKit' technology enables papers to be reviewed and published very quickly so research results are made available as soon as possible. To facilitate this the editorial board has been expanded, and includes experts from all sectors of the industry.

Papers from 1954 to the present can be freely downloaded from the site as PDF files. Subscription to the Journal is available to wool growers and other commercial participants in the industry as well as scientists and is only AUD50 per annum.