Neps form during opening and carding when fibers tangle into tight balls, from over-processing, damaged card clothing, the wrong crimp or a fiber too fine for the card settings. They spoil the look of light wipes and topsheets and can leave thin spots around them. Nep count per gram or per square meter is a standard measure of card performance.
Nep count doubled after they reground the card wire, so the settings must be off.
Also heard as
- neps
- fiber nep
Related terms
Carding
Combing staple fibers between wire-covered rolls to open them and form an even, mostly parallel web.
Crimp
The waviness built into staple fibers so they cling together during opening and carding.
Rope
Twisted bundle of fibers that forms in a carded or airlaid web and shows as a dense streak or knot.
Loading
Buildup of fiber and finish residue in card clothing, which clogs the teeth and spoils the web.