rovings

Rovings are a continuous strand of staple fibers that have been drawn and lightly twisted to hold the fibers together, serving as an intermediate product in fiber processing and as a feedstock for spinning. In textile work, rovings are produced after carding (and, in some processes, after combing) and are drafted on a roving frame or flyer to create a long, relatively uniform bundle. The resulting rovings are thicker than finished yarn and are typically wound onto cones or bobbins for further processing.

Structure and properties vary by fiber type. Rovings exhibit improved fiber alignment compared with carded sliver, though they are not as highly oriented as top or worsted slivers produced by combing. They carry a light twist to keep fibers together but remain flexible enough to be drafted again in spinning. The precise thickness, twist, and linear density depend on the fiber present, the drafting ratio, and the desired yarn count. Rovings are sensitive to moisture and handling, and are usually stored on protective packages to prevent fiber abrasion and deformation.

Uses and applications include supplying a consistent, draught-ready feedstock for ring spinning or twist insertion in other spinning systems, yielding yarn with more uniformity than carded fibers alone. Rovings also appear in the production of some specialty yarns and in hand-spinning workflows where intermediate drafting is desirable.

In addition to textile fibers, the term rovings is used in the glass fiber industry to describe a continuous strand composed of many glass filaments, which is wound and later incorporated into composite materials. This broader usage reflects the common concept of a continuous, bundled fiber strand prepared for reinsertion into a fabrication process.