Abstract
Exploring relationships between characteristics of a yarn and influencing factors is momentous subject to optimize the selection of the variables. Different modelling methodologies have been used to predict spun yarn properties. Developing a prediction approach with higher degree of precision is a subject that has received attention by the researchers. In the last decade, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) has been developed successfully for textile nonlinear processes. In spite of the precision, ANN is a black box and does not indicate inter-relationship between input and output parameters. Hence, Gene Expression Programming (GEP) is presented here as an intelligent algorithm to predict breaking strength of rotor spun yarns based on draw frame parameters as one of the most important stages in spinning line. Forty eight samples were produced and different models were evaluated. Prediction performance of the GEP was compared with that of ANN using Mean Square Error (MSE) and correlation coefficient (R2-Value) parameters on test data. The results showed a better capability of the GEP model in comparison to the ANN model. The R2-value and MSE were 97% and 0.071 respectively which means desirable predictive power of GEP algorithm. Finally, an equation was extracted to predict breaking strength of the yarns with a high degree of accuracy using GEP algorithm.