Shaw Industries, Inc. plants 65
and 70 have both a two-step (Extrusion and Draw Texturing) production process
and a one-step Spin Draw/ Texturing (SDT) process. In all three departments -
Extrusion, Draw Texuring, and SDT – the yarn packages are doffed by an
operator and places on either a U-buggy or a peg cart for downstream processing
or on a rail cart for on-line direct packaging as the final product. The tasks
to doff and transport packages require the operators to frequently perform
bending, lifting, and pushing motions. Doffing is defined as taking off the
spool from the spindle on a winding machine.
In SDT, and depending on the type
of product, the yarn is either placed on a U-buggy to be processed in the
Twisting department or in a tray to be stacked, stretch wrapped, and shipped to
the customer. The U-buggies, stacked with yarn, are usually transported
manually.
When in the Extrusion department,
the undrawn yarn packages are doffed from the winders and then placed on a peg
cart. The peg cart is manually transported to the Draw Texturing process, and
the yarn is then creeled. The creeling process involves putting the yarn onto
spindles to be wound.
During Draw Texturing, the yarn is drawn and wound onto a winder. Depending on the product, the yarn is either placed on a U-buggy to be processed in the Twisting department or in a tray to be stacked, stretch wrapped, and shipped to the customer. For short distances, the yarn is usually transported manually. For long routes, the U-buggies are towed to the Twisting department.