basically comprises a relatively massive structure having a plurality of large diameter rolls 38 cantilevered outwardly alternatingly along upper and lower horizontal lines for serpentine travel of the tow 15 peripherally about the rolls 38 in sequence in like manner to that previously described with respect to the pretensioning stand 12 and the drawstands 18 20 the cylindrical periphery of each calender roll 38 which is several times larger than the diameters of the rolls employed in drawstands 18 20 or in the pretensioning stand 12 is heated from the interior by any suitable means to a sufficient temperature selected according to the physical characteristics of the tow 15 its traveling speed residence time on the rolls and other known variables to heat set the tow while it remains under tension due to the configuration of the rolls 38 in the calender frame 34 each side of the tow 15 which is in ribbon form is heated to about 180 205 u00b0 c for typically polyethylene terephthalate fiber other polymers of course have different t g 39 s and require different heat setting ranges immediately downstream of the calender frame 34 is a quench stand 40 having sequential cantilevered rolls 44 extending outwardly therefrom to cool tow 15 sufficiently below the heat setting temperature thereby stabilizing the physical properties of the tow from the quench stand 40 the tow progresses to spray stand 46 in which a spray not shown of suitable finishing composition is applied to the tow 15 to enhance subsequent crimping of the filaments of the tow the tow 15 still remaining in its ribbon like form is.