Guiding you since 1966

THE NEED FOR CONSTANT DEVELOPMENT OF CERAMIC BODIES FOR YARN GUIDES

The name Ascotex has been synonymous with high quality yarn guides for more than 50 years and during this period we have constantly developed new ceramic bodies and different surface finishes to cope with the ever-increasing diversity of modern yarns and working conditions. The most recent addition to our wide range of ceramics specifically developed for textile applications is polycrystalline sapphire. Although somewhat harder and longer-lasting than A997 alumina, its prime advantage is the perfectly smooth, flawless surface which makes It a superb body for micro and super micro yarns and other fragile and sensitive yarns. The guides already available in this body are marked PCS against the photographs in our catalogue and it is anticipated that a further 20 or 30 will be available soon. Many of the existing tools are suitable for PCS manufacture so if you see an alumina guide in the catalogue which you would like in PCS, please let us know and we shall assess the possibility.

But it is not only the body which is important; surface finish is becoming an increasingly significant factor in the choice of the correct guide and the well known convention of matt finish for flat yarn and polish finish for textured yarn no longer necessarily applies in all cases. The type of polish, the type of matt, the grain size and crystalline structure are all important, even the negative or positive surface charge has sometimes to be taken into consideration. The hardest material is not always the best in any given situation and no single body is suitable for all applications. Since our ceramics are developed solely for textile applications, we are in a position to offer a very wide range of alternative solutions.

OUR MOST POPULAR MATERIALS

PCS Polycrystalline Sapphire (99.9999% alumina). Our hardest material but its greatest advantage is its flawless smooth surface. Ideal for micro and supermicro yarns, especially when diamond polished.
Colour: translucent.

A997 An ultra high purity Al2O3 body, fired at very high temperature, specially developed for very high yarn speeds. Its very fine grain structure eliminates the need for diamond polish in many applications and helps to eliminate snow.
Colour: light pink or white

A964 High purity sintered alumina which, over the years, because of its economical production costs, has become the most popular yarn guide material. Special ceramic additives restrict crystal growth, resulting in an exceptionally fine-grained, smooth-surfaced guide with outstanding wear properties.
Colour: pink or white.

A90 A general purpose alumina which is still highly wear-resistant but less expensive than the high purity bodies.
Colour: red.

T27B Titania was one of the first hard ceramics to be used for textile applications. Not quite as hard as alumina, it has however, an extremely smooth surface and is widely used for delicate yarns where alumina, particularly without diamond polishing, is too harsh.
Colour: cream.

T27C Essential for all applications where there is a danger of build up of static electricity and almost universally used on knitting machines.
Colour: dark blue/black

TOLERANCES: + 2% none less than +0.2mm.

The drawing dimensions are approximate for identification purposes only.

The guides shown on our website illustrate our standard range and most are normally available from stock. There are another 3000 non-standard items and we can also manufacture guides to your own drawings