Improving reliability, cutting loses

While some papermakers have seen the benefits of moving from manual to automatic control, others may need to tackle profiler reliability problems that come with age. Also, a supply of spare parts to keep them running may be hard to find. For example, Swiss Quality Paper in Balsthal, Switzerland recently started up a replacement cross-direction slice actuator system on PM3, with 42 motorised actuators and control cards supplied by Tasowheel Systems. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the system server interfaces to the existing QCS system through an OPC link. The 23,000 t/y PM3 produces specialty papers for adhesive tapes in different colours and shades, fine paper for cigarette filters and hygiene papers.

The new actuators replaced aging twenty-year-old actuators, originally supplied with the headbox in 1996. They were no longer operating troublefree and were causing production losses. The start-up in January 2018 was successful in solving the profiling problems whilst also eliminating the production losses. Mill personnel estimate the return on investment will have a payback period of twelve months.

By Mark Williamson, Journalist Engineer