Virgin & Recycled / Prepared for Spinning

Virgin & Recycled Polyester Tops

Aligned long-staple polyester fiber supplied as tops for worsted and semi-worsted spinning. Available in virgin and recycled PET grades for polyester yarns, wool blends and knitting-yarn programs that need a consistent prepared sliver.

Virgin or recycled PETWorsted & semi-worsted spinningBump / bobbin options

What Are Polyester Tops?

The prepared sliver between tow and yarn.

Polyester tow is a bundle of continuous filaments. In a tow-to-top process, those filaments are cut or stretch-broken into long, discontinuous fibers while forming an aligned, coherent sliver. The resulting polyester top is prepared for further gilling, blending and spinning.

A top is not a finished yarn and is not knitted directly. Its buyer is a spinning mill or converter making 100% polyester yarn, wool blends or other long-staple yarns for woven and knitted products.

How Tops Are Made

Crush cutting or stretch breaking?

Both routes can make an aligned long-staple sliver. The converter and the grade determine the length distribution and subsequent spinning behavior.

01 / Crush Cutting

Set the fiber-length diagram

A converter crush-cuts polyester tow and forms an aligned sliver. The cutting setup is selected for the intended length distribution and yarn route.

A documented tow-to-top route used for polyester; qualify the output on the actual machine.
02 / Stretch Breaking

Wool-type distribution

Suitable tow is drawn through controlled breaking zones, producing a range of long fiber lengths rather than a single fixed cut length.

Feasibility depends on tow mechanical properties, machine settings and the desired yarn.
03 / Sliver Preparation

Ready for the mill

Gilling and other process steps can align and regularize the sliver before it is packed as bumps or bobbins. Combing is stated only if the chosen route actually includes it.

Agree sliver evenness, neps, finish and package format.
Length terminology: cut-converted tops may have a nominal cut target; stretch-broken tops require a measured length distribution. The length of the original continuous tow is not the top's fiber length.

Where the Yarn Goes

For worsted yarn, wool blends and knitwear.

Tops are a spinning input. Their final use depends on the yarn made from them and the fabric or garment specification.

100% Polyester Worsted Yarn

Aligned long fibers for spinning yarns used in woven apparel and selected furnishing or technical fabrics.

Wool / Polyester Blends

Prepared polyester sliver can be blended with wool on a suitable long-staple spinning system. Length profile, finish, shade and shrinkage must fit the companion wool and yarn design.

Machine & Hand-Knitting Yarns

A mill can spin tops into yarn for knitwear, sweaters, scarves and hand-knitting. Fiber bulk and softness are evaluated in the finished yarn and knitted article.

Other Long-Staple Blends

Compatible acrylic, viscose or other prepared fibers may be considered for blended yarns after trials on the intended machinery.

Product distinction: “Hand-knitting” describes a yarn made later by the spinner. Polyester top is neither a finished hand-knitting yarn nor the loose fiberfill used in pillows.

Hand Feel & Performance

Engineer the yarn's handle from the fiber up.

A finer, softer result may call for suitable lower-denier fibers, controlled crimp, an appropriate surface finish and a uniform sliver. Bulk depends on the grade, crimp, possible differential-shrinkage design and the yarn or fabric construction. A soft raw top alone does not prove the final fabric's feel.

For wool blends we match the top's length distribution, shade, finish and shrinkage to the companion fiber. Touch, pilling, drape and recovery are then checked on spun yarn and finished fabric under agreed test conditions.

Planning hand-knitting yarn? Share the target yarn count, bulk, softness, color, blend ratio and finishing process. We can select a top for the spinner's trial.

Grade & Supply

Specify the sliver, not just its color.

The ranges below are starting points. An approved sample and product-specific TDS define the supply grade.

Material formVirgin or recycled polyester top / long-staple sliver
Indicative fineness1.5–3 denier, grade-dependent
Fiber length88 / 102 mm cut examples; distribution if stretch-broken
Processing routeCrush cut or qualified stretch-break conversion
Color directionsRaw white / optical white / black / custom shades
Top characterSolid or suitable high-bulk profile by grade
Package formBumps or bobbins, subject to the supply program
Key controlsSliver count / evenness / neps / finish / shrinkage

The indicative denier and cut examples are not a promise that every color, bulk type or virgin/recycled grade can be produced in every combination. Fiber-length distribution, top linear density, packing dimensions and test method are confirmed before the order. For recycled grades, recycled content and supporting documents are confirmed separately.

Do you convert tow yourself?

Polyester tow is the continuous-filament input for your own crush-cutting, stretch-breaking or staple-cutting equipment.

Do you need prepared sliver?

Virgin and recycled polyester tops can be supplied after fiber conversion, ready for the mill's gilling, blending and spinning trials.

Quality & Evidence

Make trial approval repeatable.

Product claims and acceptance criteria follow the selected grade, production site and shipment.

01 / DEFINE

Agree the top

Specify fineness, length diagram, sliver count, shade, finish and packing.

02 / SPIN

Run a mill trial

Assess top handling, blend behavior, yarn count, appearance and pilling where relevant.

03 / CONTROL

Track the lot

Agree lot ID, sampling, inspection methods and the values reported for repeat supply.

04 / VERIFY

Check claims

For recycled grades, confirm GRS scope and shipment records where applicable. Check OEKO-TEX® eligibility against the selected grade and current certificate scope.

Start with Your Yarn

Tell us what your mill intends to spin.

Send the yarn count, wool or other blend ratio, target hand feel, preferred conversion route, fineness, length profile, color, top format, monthly volume and destination. We will review the right sample and supply route.

Discuss Your Tops Requirement