Today, nearly all raw or seedcotton harvested from the field is stored in modules, which look like giant loaves of bread. Gins place modules in front of machines called "module feeders". The module feeders literally break the modules apart and “feed” the seedcotton into the gin. Once in the cotton gin, the seedcotton moves through dryers and cleaning machines that remove the gin waste such as burs, dirt, stems and leaf material from the cotton. Then it goes to the gin stand where circular saws with small, sharp teeth pluck the fiber from the seed. The ginned fiber, called lint, is pressed together and made into dense bales weighing about 500 pounds.
For more information, visit Cotton Classing and Ginning.
