ABSTRACT
The percentage of the United States cotton crop pressed to universal density (UD) at the gin has been above 85 since 1988. Within the last year, most domestic textile manufacturers have indicated that they will no longer buy recompressed UD bales. Domestic textile mills use more than half of the U.S. crop. The gin UD press represents a sizable business investment, and thus cost recovery at some smaller gins would not be possible. Consequently, a feasibility analysis regarding the installation of a gin UD press was conducted. Feasibility of installation was analyzed using a net present value approach. The analysis indicates that gins may financially benefit from switching to a gin UD press depending on the volume of cotton ginned, installed cost and other factors.
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