Research papers

AWTA has achieved a world wide reputation for its research work and now has one of the largest teams of scientists working on raw wool metrology. Our scientists regularly report on their work to the technical forums of the International Wool Textile...

FAQs

AWTA Raw Wool are frequently approached by brokers, wool growers and others who have specific questions about the Company, its services and many other matters which relate to the Wool Industry. A broad selection of questions are available below: AWTA...

Yield & Fibre Diameter

AWTA Raw Wool's key service is the independent sampling, testing and certifying of the Yield and Fibre Diameter of greasy wool before it is sold. Prior to the measurment of Yield and Fibre Diameter, a representative sample must be obtained. A core...

Effect of Snippet Length & Fibre Relaxation on the Mean Fibre Diameter, Fibre Diameter Distribution & Fibre Curvature

Commercial Implications of the Coefficient of Variation of Fibre Diameter on Measuring Mean Fibre Diameter

Effect of Fibre Relaxation on The Mean Fibre Diameter & Fibre Diameter Distribution Measured by Laserscan & OFDA

Raw Wool Laboratory Equipment

The NextGen Laserscan The measurement of wool fibre diameter can be conducted through four distinct methods as delineated by the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO). AWTA Ltd employes the IWTO-12 Laserscan fibre diameter analyser method for...

Implications of the CVD of Fibre Diameter on Measuring Mean Fibre Diameter

Fibre Diameter Profile - May 2015

A comparison of the Australian wool clip fibre diameter profile for the season-to-date (July 2014 – May 2015) with the equivalent period last season shows some interesting changes. The volume of ultrafine wool 16.5 microns and finer has fallen by 19%...

The Effect of Between Fibre Coefficient of Variation on the Fibre Fineness Measured by Airflow

Electronic Services

AWTA offers a wide range of online and electronic services including: Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) TOPMARK TM Benchmarking Combined Certificates & Objectively Matched Lots (OMLs) Electronic Certificates including Chinese translations Online...

5 Micron Fibres Found in an Ultrafine Grower Lot - Implications for Diameter Distribution Measurement

Certification of Standard Deviation of Diameter of Raw Wool Measured by OFDA

Comparison of Diameter Measurement Technologies from Interwoollabs International Round Trials for Wool Tops

Effect of Cell Snippet Position on Laserscan Diameter Measurement

Effect of Fibre Medullation on Laserscan Diameter Measurement

Relationships Between Mean Fibre Diameter Measurements by Airflow, OFDA & Laserscan for South African Wools from Different Breeds

The Measurement Precision & Evaluation of the Diameter Profiles of Single Wool Fibres

The Relationship Between Mean Fibre Diameter Measurements by Airflow & Laserscan for South African Wools

Use of Variable Test Specimen Mass when Measuring Mean Fibre Diameter by Airflow

Fibre Diameter Report 2015 05

Dark & Medullated Fibre

The Dark Fibre Testing service offered by AWTA is targeted at white-wool growers who are attempting to manage contamination from exotic sheep breeds, or who wish to monitor the contamination in lots carrying a high risk of contamination. Two...

IWTO Combined Certificates & OMLs

Wool Exporters and processors are required by purchasers to provide test certificates that show that a consignment of wool meet the requirments specified in a contract. These documents are also used to authorise payments by banks issuing letters of...

Volume and Trends

Wool Production & Measurement Trends AWTA's database contains extensive information for the number of bales tested, the weight of wool tested and associated objective measurements. As almost every lot of wool sold in Australia is certified for Yield...

Update on Fibre Curvature Measurement

Recently, AWTA Ltd’s Raw Wool Laboratories completed a biennial re calibration of all LASERSCAN, OFDA and Airflow instruments as required by the International Wool Textile Organisation, Interwoollabs and NATA as part of part of our ongoing...

Fibre Diameter Distributions

The Effect of the Diameter Characteristics of the Fibre Ends on the Skin Comfort & Handle of Knitted Wool Fabrics

Fundamental Principles of Fibre Diameter Measurement

Importance of the CVD of Fibre Diameter in Selecting Tops

Understanding Fibre Diameter Measurement - Fundamental Concepts

Using Image Analysis to Measure Fibre Diameter Distributions

Using Photometry to Measure Fibre Diameter Distributions

Using Porosity to Measure Fibre Diameter

“Sirolan-Laserscan” Certification of Mean Fibre Diameter - Commercial & Technical Implications

“Sirolan-Laserscan” Certification of Mean Fibre Diameter - Technical Supplement

The Effect of Conditioning Time on Mean Fibre Diameter Results

OFDA4000 - A New Instrument for Simultaneous Measurement of Fibre Length & Diameter in Tops

Mathematical Combination by Subtraction of Measured Fibre Diameter Distributions of Greasy & Scoured Wool

Mathematical Combination of Measured Fibre Diameter Distribution Histograms for Greasy & Scoured Wool

Fleece Measurement

Samples of fleece wool that are taken from individual sheep are submitted by sheep breeders and wool growers for the routine measurement of Fibre Diameter (micron) using a Laserscan instrument. This instrument provides other data in conjunction with...

Brochures and Handbooks

As part of its services to its clients and other interested parties, AWTA publishes brochures and various handbooks featuring information in regard to: AWTA's services Explanations/Reviews of current standard test methods Research & development of new...

Accreditation

AWTA has a strong international reputation for Technical Excellence. AWTA submits its technical performance to external monitoring through an annual publication of Independent Laboratories Round Trials (ILRT) group performance to the International Wool...

Fundamental Principles of Fibre Fineness Measurement - Airflow Instrument

What are the Limits to Wool Fibre Fineness Measurement

Seasonal conditions hold back wool production

The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee forecasts that Australian shorn wool production in 2017/18 will reach 338 mkg greasy. This is a 0.6% decline from the levels in 2016/17 and is largely the result of more difficult seasonal conditions...

Testing the Wool Clip - Chinese

Australian wool production to lift a little in 2017/18

The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee forecasts that shorn wool production will lift in 2017/18 to 345 mkg greasy, up by 1.4% compared with 2016/17. The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee forecasts that shorn wool...

Drought continues to push Australian wool production lower

The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee’s second forecast of shorn wool production in 2019/20 is 285 mkg greasy. This is a 5% decline on 2018/19 is due to lower sheep shorn numbers. The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee’s...

Australian shorn wool production forecast of 324 Mkg greasy in 2023/24

The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee (AWPFC) has updated its forecast of shorn wool production for the 2023/24 season. The fourth forecast is for production of 324 million kilograms (Mkg) greasy, 1.0% lower than the 2022/23 estimate and...

Staple Length & Strength

One of the most important characteristics for determining the value of greasy wool is the average fibre length that will be achieved when the wool has been processed or combed into wool top. This length is known as the Hauteur (fibre length in the Wool...