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Rieter’s Card C 81 Delivers Breakthrough Performance At Sportking

• By  Textile Excellence
• May 31, 2026

Building on nearly two decades of continuous expansion with Rieter, Sportking Ltd. once again demonstrates how long-term technology partnerships pay off. The introduction of the 1.5-meter Rieter card C 81 delivers a breakthrough production gain of 43% alongside stable, high-quality output. The result is better operational efficiency and stronger competitive positioning.

Sportking Ltd., India’s leading vertically integrated textile conglomerate, operates 3,80,000 spindles with fully integrated operations. Their manufacturing facilities are equipped with the latest machinery, producing yarns and garments that are a benchmark in quality and innovation in domestic and international markets. To drive long-term growth, the company continues to expand its spinning capacity through a structured, turnkey approach in close partnership with Rieter.

Scaling productivity while securing process stability

As spinning capacity increased, Sportking required a carding solution that could integrate seamlessly into phased expansions and perform reliably with diverse raw-material blends. The Rieter card C 81, with its 1.5-meter width, maximum technological carding area with 40 active flats controlled by Carding Gap Control (CGC) and highest cylinder circumference utilization, delivers superior fiber treatment, high sliver quality and strong operational performance.

43% production gain

With the C 81, Sportking achieved a remarkable 43% increase in production compared to earlier card generations, while maintaining excellent and stable sliver quality. This performance leap is particularly evident in the production of Ne 30 combed ring yarn, one of the mill’s core products. Here, the high‑performance card reaches an output of 110 kg/h, while at the same time reducing yarn imperfections by 27%. This combination of higher productivity and improved quality translates into a step-change of performance for Sportking.

More output, efficient mill layout

The C 81’s stellar productivity directly improves mill economics. Higher output per machine means fewer cards are required, resulting in:

• Lower overall energy consumption

• Reduced maintenance and service efforts as well as

• More efficient use of floor space.

At the same time, CGC is Rieter’s latest advancement in intelligent carding technology. CGC uses state-of-the-art acoustic sensor technology and an intelligent data model to proactively and automatically maintain the optimal carding gap to ensure steadily high sliver quality. At Sportking, this has resulted in reliable nep count without any manual intervention, even when wire life exceeds 700 tons. 

For Sportking, the investment in the C 81 is more than a capacity increase, it is a strategic step toward future-ready, efficient and reliable production with measurable benefits from the very start.

“We are impressed by the excellent performance of the C 81. It has it all: outstanding productivity, consistently high quality and smart features.” Munish Avasthi, Chairman and Managing Director, Sportking