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Ramtex is also one of the most successful users of MVS (Murata Vortex Spinning) systems. Kenyon says the company bought its first machine about a year ago and purchased five more right after Christmas. The company has since placed additional orders that will bring its total to 27. The company processes a variety of carded cotton and polyester blends, combed cotton and polyester blends as well as 100% carded and combed cotton products. It is common for Ramtex to process 10 different blends at anyone time. Counts usually range from Ne 12 to 40 on the MJS machines and consist of blended products; yarns range from Ne 20 to 50 on the MVS and consist of both blends and 100% combed cotton. It isn't unusual for plants installing the new MVS machines to take several weeks to achieve 95% efficiency, Ramtex had its machines operating at 98% by the second week following installation. Current efficiency ranges up to 99% on the high-speed machines. The plant's 72-position MJS machines operate at about 270 mpm; its MVS machines produce Ne 20 at 355 mpm. For shirting fabrics, Ramtex generally produces Ne 39 warp and Ne 12.5 filling. For pocketing, it's Ne 17 warp and Ne 15 filling. One indication of the direction Ramtex may be moving in the future concerns the current in-plant R&D the company has engaged in spinning. On hand one finds the Rieter K44 ComforSpin compact spinning machine undergoing trials in the plant. One can see Rieter's R20 open-end spinning machine in operation as well. The K44 system came to Ramtex via last fall's ATME-I, following its exhibition in Greenville. Bosch says the machine is designed for fine-count combed cotton and has been used quite successfully for that purpose in Europe. However, Ramtex would like to process some coarser counts in blended constructions on the machine, and it is to this end the company has been conducting its R&D. With all the requirements for its air-jet spinning and air-jet weaving machinery, one could well imagine the need for compressed air at the Ramtex Plant. To this end, the plant employs six Ingersoll Rand air compressors-three 1,500-hp and three 1,200-hp machines. Among other machines in its preparation area, Ramtex has three relatively new Benninger Ben-Vac warpers and recently installed West Point Foundry's latest pre-wet sizing system, the SAS-PW (TW, Mar., p. 28).