SUMMARY REPORT ON THE AUSTRALIAN STAPLE MEASUREMENT ADOPTION PROGRAM (ASMAP)

This paper is a preliminary report on a 3 year project known as the Au stralian Staple Measurement Adoption Programme (ASMAP), funded by AWC and managed by representatives from AWC, AWTA Ltd. and CSIRO. The prog ramme was commenced in 1989, to enable topmakers and combers to gain e xperience with staple measurements. A more detailed study will be repo rted in due course. It involved topmakers and/or combers worldwide. Up take was affected by adverse market conditions but the majority of inv ited topmakers and combers in the Asian region participated. There was less active participation from European mills. Participating mills su pplied combing results for 321 consignments which could be matched wit h raw wool data. Approximately three quarters of the active participan ts had sufficient consignments to warrant a full analysis of processin g information and preparation of technical reports by the Management C ommittee. Visits to these mills have or will be made by members of the Management Committee to explain and discuss the outcomes. The range o f raw wool characteristics used in consignments during the ASMAP progr amme were similar to those observed in the TEAM trials and thus the us e of the TEAM predictive formulae was applicable. When differences bet ween predicted and actual results for Hauteur were adjusted for mill e ffects, 80% of consignments were within +/- 4mm. Similarly for CV of H auteur, differences when adjusted for mill effects, showed 81 % of con signments to be within +/- 4%. Results for Romaine showed 91% of consi gnments to be within +/- 2% of the mean value. Differences in the Roma ine results, for non-fleece wool consignments, were observed for the k nown skirting consignments. When these were removed, 94% of consignmen ts were within +/- 2%.