Equipment

Since inception, the ProClass commitment to its customers and the wider cotton industry is to, wherever possible, use the world’s best available technology for the process of cotton classing in order to ensure the highest level of confidence in the results. This means we continue to make significant investments to ensure we have the best available testing equipment and optimum laboratory conditions in which to conduct testing.

To this end we are proud to be the first classing facility in the world outside of the US to invest in USTER’s latest HVI technology, the HVI ClassingQPro. These instrument boast USTER Auto-mic technology and dual colourhead colour and leaf measurement systems. We have installed 4 HVI ClassingQPro instruments, with a view to upgrading the full fleet of HVIs in the near future.

Cotton Testing

It is widely held that the USTER Technologies have established themselves as producing the superior cotton quality testing technology on the market. In 2024 ProClass began the process of expanding and upgrading the HVI fleet with 4 USTER HVI ClassingQPro instruments installed. Additionally, there are 10 HVI 1000’s operating in the Goondiwindi facility, giving ProClass unmatched capacity and quality in cotton testing.

classing20Accredited

HVI Machine

Environment Conditioning

Environment conditions are critical to the cotton testing process. Worldwide standards dictate that cotton testing laboratories environment conditions be held at a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius (+ or - 1 degree) and humidity of 65% (+ or - 2%). Samples are kept in these conditions for 24 hours prior to testing to ensure sample moisture content is at the Best Management Practice (BMP) compliance level (6.75% - 8.25%).

To achieve this we have installed state-of-the-art air conditioning systems at our facility, comprised of:

Carrier Cooling Units (Chiller)
Carrier Air Handling & Distribution Units
Condiar Humidification Units
Carrier Comfortview comfort control software

This system currently conditions a space large enough to house our 14 HVI machines and process in excess of 50,000 samples per day.

Measurements and Calculations

Micronaire	Micronaire Reading Measured by relating airflow resistance to the specific surface of fibres.
Length:	Upper Half Mean Length, Uniformity Index, Short Fibre Index Measured optically in a tapered fibre beard which is automatically prepared, carded and brushed.
Strength:	Strength Elongation Strength is measured physically by clamping a fibre bundle between 2 pairs of clamps at known distance. The second pair of clamps pulls away from the first pair at a constant speed until the fibre bundle breaks. The distance it travels, extending the fibre bundle before breakage, is reported as elongation.
Moisture:	Moisture Content Moisture content of the cotton sample at the time of testing, using conductive moisture probe.
Colour:	Rd(Brightness), +b(Yellowness), Colour Grade Measured optically by different colour filters, converted by USDA Upland or Pima Colour Chart to grades.
Trash:	Particle Count, % Surface Area Covered by Trash, Trash Code Measured optically by utilising a digital camera, and converted to USDA Trash Grades.

ProClass is Australia's leading fully independent cotton classing operation. We operate a large-scale modern cotton classing facility servicing Australian cotton growers and merchants. Located at Goondiwindi, Queensland, the facility is right in the heart of Australia's traditional cotton belt. At present, ProClass classes approximately 70% of the cotton produced in Australia.

Our mantra is "Professional Independent Classing" and that is exactly what we provide. This is done with the help of a team of industry professionals with long term domestic and international experience, a fleet of the most up to date cotton testing equipment (HVI machines), a state-of-the-art humidification and environment conditioning system and a pro-active, forward-thinking Board of Directors.

ProClass is a full participating member of the Cotton Classer's Association of Australia (CCAA). We are fully compliant with the CCAA's Best Management Practice for cotton classing and have been since that program's inception.

In 2016 the Goondiwindi facility was accredited under the International Cotton Association Laboratory Certification Scheme.

The ProClass service is open to all cotton growers and merchants.

Equipment

Cotton Testing

Environment Conditioning

Measurements and Calculations

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