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What happens during carding in textile production?

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Diagram titled Spinning jenny showing an operator using a hand wheel to rotate a cord-driven roller, drawing and twisting fibers from multiple clamped rovings onto tilted spindles; numbered callouts trace the process from roving to thread. — textile An annotated diagram showing how an operator uses a hand wheel, rollers, and spindles on a spinning jenny to draw and twist unspun fiber into thread.

In textile production, carding is a critical process used to prepare fibers—such as cotton, wool, and synthetic staples—for spinning or other fabric-making activities.12

During this process, fibers undergo a series of dividing and redividing steps that achieve three primary objectives:
* Separation: Individual fibers are separated from one another.12
* Alignment: Many of the fibers are oriented to lie parallel to one another.12
* Cleaning: Most remaining impurities, such as foreign matter, are removed.12

Mechanically, the process involves brushing loose fibers into rows that are joined into a thin, uniform sheet or web. This sheet is then condensed into a thick, continuous, and untwisted strand known as sliver. While carding can be performed by hand using paddles, modern mills utilize mechanical carding machines to process materials efficiently. If very fine yarns are required, the carded sliver may subsequently undergo combing to remove shorter fibers and further improve the smoothness and luster of the material.312