Work out liquor ratio for dyeing instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
Liquor ratio is bath volume in litres per kilogram of fabric. Running a machine under-loaded raises the effective ratio, wasting water, salt, alkali and steam. The optimal fabric load for a target ratio is machine volume divided by that ratio, which is why full loading is the simplest dyehouse saving available.
Liquor ratio
Liquor ratio = bath volume (L) / fabric weight (kg)
Optimal load
Fabric load = machine volume / target liquor ratio
Dyehouse water and effluent volumes are usually permitted. Verify consent limits and treatment plant hydraulic capacity before changing loading practice.
Jet and airflow machines run 4:1 to 8:1, older winches 15:1 to 30:1. Every unit of liquor ratio removed cuts water, salt and heating energy roughly proportionally.
Yes for auxiliaries dosed in g/L — their total mass falls with bath volume, which is exactly the saving. Dye on weight of fibre is unchanged, but exhaustion and levelness behaviour shift, so recipes must be re-optimised.