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Producing Sisal
Take one sisal plant and follow
the instructions!
Part One
To
produce sisal products we need to grow the all important natural
sisal fibres. To do this we need to grow our plant, which is a hardy
species that likes conditions which do not suit
many cash crops. |
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Then
remove the mature leaves. Each plant will provide about 200 to 250
leaves over it's lifetime of five to seven years. Once you
have
the leaves we extract the fibres.
To do this we use a process called decortification. Below you can see
this being done at a mobile unit.
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 This machine is taken out to
the fields in order to strip the waste product off from the fibres.
They
are obviously
taking advantage of the shade here !
On
a more industrial scale you
can use this type of machine.
Awaiting
image.
Once
the fibres have been
stripped out by the machines a they have to be washed to remove sugar
deposits which would cause deterioration.
The
sisal is then allowed to
dry in the sun
The
fibres are combed
out to help straighten them for spinning.
These
are the machines used for
brushing the sisal
 
From
this stage the
fibres are graded and then compressed into bails
 The bails are then unpacked
checked and then carded prior to spinning
 The fibres are teased out using
the spikes. The sisal is strong enough to break the 13mm thick spikes
on the carding machine
The
sisal yarn is then dyed before spinning
The
fibres are drawn out into large hanks
 after carding the fibre goes
into these tubs ready for spinining into yarn.
The
fibres are now ready for spinning and go into the spinning machines for
which ever product range they are destined
 Here
natural sisal is been spun into rough sisal string, to be
used as cordage.
The
spun sisal is then wound into balls for this string.
Balls
of twine finished and awaiting packing.
The
yarns are used for a variety of products here it is green because it is
to be used for buffing cloth, but could just as easily be other colours
when used for other products:-
skeens of sisal are made into flooring products.
the business end of the loom
Rolls of woven sisal after weaving and waiting to be sent to the
backing plant.
THE END so far!
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