Belfast Mini-Mills Ltd., in association with International Spinners Ltd., designs and manufactures fiber processing machines. Mini-Mills further specializes in developing mills for exotic fibers Alpaca, Llama, Mohair and Qiviut. The company is located in Prince Edward Island, Canada and is becoming recognized worldwide for the advanced technology incorporated in their specialized machinery.
A "Cottage Industry" size mill is intended to produce a wide range of top quality products in small quantities. The modularity of the available mill configurations allows typical production to be from a few pounds of spun yarn per day up to almost any required amount. The advantage of these small mills is that producers can have their own yarn returned to them which is usually not possible in any other way.
The popularity of Camelids is making people aware of the luxury fibers available and demand is increasing as fiber artists develop products such as fashion garments. However, the driving force to create "Demand" is "Supply" and this means that the fiber clip must be converted into sale-able and usable yarns. This is where the Mini-Mills fit into the picture. Being able to make a completely unique product from fiber produced locally can create an identity. This has been successfully marketed with names like "Harris Tweed" and "Icelandic Wool" and it offers opportunities for Camelid breeders. Mini-Mills Ltd has a fully operational mill for demonstration and training purposes and can offer processing. If any producer does not have a conveniently located mill to serve them they may contact Mini-Mills to have fiber turned into yarn of their choice or into sheets of Felt.
Electronics have eliminated almost all the setup time and the addition of computerized displays gives the operator continuous awareness and control of the yarn being produced. Almost any size yarn can be produced and we regularly spin at 10,000 yds per lb in very fine fiber. The most important feature of yarn production is consistency. To achieve the desired size and consistency without breakage it is necessary to proceed through several carefully controlled processes, from Carding through Drafting and this is the purpose of the several machines that make up a Mini Mill.
Operating a Mini Mill is a fairly simple business and one person can usually operate several machines at one time. Productivity depends on the configuration of machines and on the end product. It takes longer to produce fine spun yarn than any other product. Successful management of a mill requires knowledge of fiber that is to be processed and it is generally agreed that in this area one never stops learning. As any fiber artist will tell you it is the infinite variations in natural fibers that are the joy and challenge. Mini-Mills Ltd is a company dedicated to establishing "Cottage Industry" mills and they have 20 different machines from which to choose in designing a mill to suit particular requirements. In order to introduce the excellent quality products available, Mini-Mills offers a sampling program where producers can have their own fiber processed and returned. Individual machines, complete mills, information and training are available from Mini-Mills Ltd. Before purchasing a Mini-Mill we recommend a visit to our demonstration facility where the operation and performance of the machines can be properly evaluated for the specific fibers and intended products. It is our opinion that every installation should include this pre-purchase visit for effective planning. Following purchase, we offer training by qualified instructors in the use of the machines and where possible this should be on the customer's premises. This on-site, hands-on experience is so important that we consider it to be almost a necessity. It enables the technical aspects of the machines to be mastered and their relationship to different fibers to be understood.
After installing, continuing support is available to provide advice and handle any problems that arise due to fiber variation or in the use of the machines. The textile industry uses products that are not available in every locality and we endeavor to stock supplies of these for our customer's convenience. These include conditioning oils and consumable items. You may have known us as International Spinners Ltd., which is our sister company housing our research, development and manufacturing of our fiber processing machines. Mini-Mills Ltd. has been incorporated to develop and install our mills. Please direct all administrative enquiries to Mini-Mills Ltd., Thank you.
 

SUPPORT

As manufacturers of mill equipment we offer services and assistance to our customers not readily available from alternative sources. During the pre-sale period we encourage thorough research and provide a demonstration site to help prospective customers fully appreciate the requirements of setting up and operating a mill. At time of delivery we offer on-site assistance to correctly set up the machinery. Instruction in fiber processing and machine operations is usually available on-site or at our demonstration mill. All of this assistance, pre-sale, set up and training is, in our opinion, essential to help new operators through the learning period. Post sale we are available for consultation and we endeavor to stock and supply any consumable products needed for continuous operation.