Paper Technology Journal

World paper market:
Quo vadis newsprint?
News from the Divisions:
Stock Preparation, Paper Machinery,
Finishing and Service.

3

A Scandinavian Success Story.
Notable Startups.
Orderbook Highlights.
China, changing times in
the cradle of papermaking.

Contents

Foreword

1

Highlights
Startups, orders on hand

5News from the Divisions
Stock preparation:
Membrane technology for the further
close-up of paper mill water loops

14

Paper Machinery:
Ortviken PM 4 –tomorrow’s technology today

22

Paper Machinery:
Latest generation of cylinder mould
formers – FloatLip former N, NO, S

28

Paper Machinery:
Serang BM3/BM4 –the exemplary commissioning

USA/Germany:
Voith Appleton machine clothing.

55

Austria:
The Andritz Group – partnering thepulp and paper industry

58

Germany:
B+G Fördertechnik thirty years on

64

Germany:
Board and packaging
pilot paper machine upgrade –facing the future withversatility

69

2World paper market
Quo vadis newsprint?

Corporate News

New names, new addresses

30

Hunt & Moscrop: now Voith Sulzer
Finishing Ltd., Manchester

72

Voith Sulzer Paper Technology:
regional representation in Jakarta

72

Gap Former Technology:
No. 26 DuoFormer CFD
installation a success

37

Paper Machinery:
New applications in multilayer
technology

Special awards
for innovation and design

38

Neusiedler Paper wins innovation
award with a revolutionary 3-layer
headbox and NipcoFlex press

73

SPCI ’96 – impressive presence

73

Advertisement of the year in Brazil

73

China:
The changing origins ofpaper – from hand-madeto machine-made75

Paper Machinery:
Brilliant Coating with JetFlow F –data, facts, experience

44

Finishing:Econip – a new generation of deflection
compensating rolls

48

Service:GR 2 cover – next-generation
performance leader

51

Cover picture:
Ortviken – successfull start-up(see article on page 22).

1

Dear customers, dear readers,
It is now two years since Voith Sulzer Paper Technology was founded – a good time tolook back of what has been achieved so far. The merger of the Voith and Sulzer paper
technology divisions has been a complete success, with worldwide recognition of
their combined strength. Order intake, sales and income have substantially exceeded
expectations despite extraordinary restructuring efforts. Our sincere thanks go to all
our loyal customers both old and new for their unwavering confidence in the new
Voith Sulzer Paper Technology Group.

Hans Müller,
President and CEO,Voith Sulzer Papiertechnik GmbH

Since one of our prime targets is complete coverage of all market areas with comprehensive local customer service, we are currently strengthening our engagement in
the world’s main paper producing regions. In North America medium-term businessexpansion of about 30 percent is planned. The same applies to Asia, the fastest
growing market in our business. In China a new joint venture was signed in March
1996 with the founding of Liaoyang Voith Sulzer Paper Machines Ltd, and our new
office in Jakarta has had a successful start. The world is indeed growing together –and we are growing with it. This is illustrated by two key figures from the 1995/96
business year, the second year of Voith Sulzer Paper Technology: with sales totalling2.16 billion DM, the previous year’s result was exceeded by 40%!
We are particularly proud of our new orders and start-ups in Scandinavia – the fruitof our ongoing technical innovations. The paper industry needs these innovations
for continuous, cost-effective quality and productivity improvements. The printing
industry in turn needs this quality to compete against the flood of electronic media –a challenge which the paper and printing industries have to face together. On page 5
you will find some interesting observations in this connection by a long-standing
newspaper publisher.
As we go on tackling the challenge “twogether” with our joint innovations, we shallcertainly succeed. And in this spirit I wish you all the very best for yet another year of
success.
Sincerely

Hans Müller2

HIGHLIGHTSSTARTUPS, ORDERS ON HAND
The following is an overview of outstanding startups from
October 1, 1995 to November 30, 1996, together with mainorders on hand.

STARTUPS
Stock preparation
Waste paper processing systems
and subsystems for graphic papers
Dae Han Paper Co. Ltd.,South Korea.
UK Paper Plc, Great Britain.
Stora Feldmühle, Belgium.
Holmen Paper AB, Sweden.
Parenco B.V., The Netherlands.
Australian Paper Mills Ltd.,
Australia.
Sepoong Co. Ltd., South Korea.
Halla Pulp & Paper Company Ltd.,South Korea.
Hansol Paper Co. Ltd., South Korea.
Trust International Paper
Corporation, Philippines.
Waste paper processing systems
and subsystems forboard and packaging papers
SCA De Hoop, The Netherlands.
Smurfit Townsend, Hook,
Great Britain.
P.T. Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper
Corporation, Indonesia.
Knauf Neg., St. Petersburg, CIS.
P.T. Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper
Corporation, Indonesia.
Zülpich Papier GmbH, Germany.
Corenso United Oy Ltd., Finland.
Thai Kraft Paper Ind. Co. Ltd.,
Thailand.
Papeteries Emin Leydier, France.
S.A. Papeteries de Bègles,
France.

Waste paper processing systems andsubsystems for other types of paper
Australian Paper, Fairfield, Australia.
Chemical pulp processing systems
Hiang Seng, Thailand.

Paper machines
Graphic papers
SCA Graphic Papers AB, Ortviken,
Sundsvall, Sweden.
Holmen Paper AB, Braviken Mill,
Norrköping, Sweden.
Kimberly Clark, Neenah, Wisconsin,
USA.
Halla Paper Co. Ltd., Korea.
Board and packaging papers
P.T. Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper,
Serang, Indonesia.
Zülpich Papier GmbH,Zülpich, Germany.
Visy Paper, Australia.
Shaanxi Machinery & Equipment
Import & Export Corp., Hanzong,
China.
Visy Paper, USA.
VPK Oudegem, Belgium.
Thai Kraft Paper Industry Co. Ltd.,
Thailand.
TissueAl-Keena Hygienic Paper Mill Co. Ltd.,
Al-Keena, Jordan.
Cheng Long Co. Ltd., Tien Long,
Taiwan.
Papeles Industriales, Chile.
Industria Cartaria Tronchetti, Borgo a
Mozzano, Italy.

Rebuilds
Felix Schöller jr., Osnabrück,
Germany.
KZP Kostrzynskie Zaklady
Papiernicze S.A., Kostrzyn, Poland.
Mead Corp. Containerboard Div.,
Stevenson, USA.
Stora Carton Board GmbH,
Arnsberg, Germany.
Schoeller & Hoesch, Gernsbach,
Germany.
PWA Dekor, Unterkochen, Germany.
Consolidated Papers Inc. Biron Div.,
Wisconsin Rapids, USA.
United Paper Mills Ltd.,
Jämsänkoski, Finland.
Alberta Newsprint Co., Whitecourt,
Canada.
Torraspapel S.A., Sarria de Ter, Spain.
Nippon Paper Industries,
Ishinomaki, Japan.
E. Holtzmann & Cie. AG, Maxau,
Germany.
Stora Uetersen GmbH, Uetersen,
Germany.
Zanders Feinpapiere AG, Bergisch
Gladbach, Germany.
Klingele Papierwerke GmbH & Co.,
Germany.
Daishowa Paper Co., Tokyo, Japan.
Honshu Paper Co. Ltd., Matsumoto,Japan.
Chuo-Paper-Board Co. Ltd.,
Nakatsugawa, Japan.
Rigesa, Celulose, Papel e
Embalagens Ltda., Tres Barras,
Brazil.
Stone Container Corp., Missoula,
USA.

Hiang Seng Fibre Container Corp.
Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand.
Schwäbische Zellstoff AG, Ehingen,Germany.
Papeles Bio Bio S.A., Chile.
Cia Suzano de Papel e Celulose,
Suzano-S.P., Brazil.
Krkonosske Papierny A.S.,
Hostinne, Czech Republic.
International Paper Kwidzyn S.A.,
Kwidzyn, Poland.
Repap Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada.
Jiang Yin Paper Mill, Jiang Yin,
China.
Igaras, Brazil.
Sguário, Brazil.
International Paper Co., Augusta,
USA.
International Paper Co.,
Riegelwood, USA.
Westvaco Corp., Covington, USA.
Sonoco Products Co., Hartsville,USA.
Weyerhaeuser Co., Springfield, USA.
Appleton Paper, Newton Falls, USA.
International Paper, Ticonderoga,
USA.
Domtar-Cornwall, ONT, Canada.
Stone Consolidated-Grand Mere,
PQ, Canada.
International Paper, Jay, USA.
Torraspapel, Motril, Spain.
Roman Esteve, La Pobla deClaramunt, Spain.
Papierfabrik Hermes GmbH & Cie
KG, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Smurfit Townsend Hook
Papermakers, Snodland,
Great Britain.

3

Joyce Dayton Corp., USA.
AssiDomän Frövi, Sweden.
Bataan Pulp and Paper Mills,
Makati, Manila, Philippines.
Cartiere del Garda S.p.A., Riva delGarda, Italy.
Coating technology
Hansol Paper Co. Ltd., Korea.
SCA Ortviken AB, Sweden.
Hong Won Paper Mfg. Co., Ltd.,
Korea.
Torraspapel S.A., Sarria de Ter,
Spain.
Torraspapel S.A., Motril, Spain.
Toprak Kagit Sanayii A.S., Turkey.
Hangzhou Shan Xin Paper Co., Ltd.,Fu Yang Town, China.
Vorantim Celulose e Papel, Simao
Jacarei, Brazil.
KNP Leykam, Gratkorn, Austria.
Kymi Paper Mills Ltd., Kuusankoski,
Finland.
Veitsiluoto Oy, Kemi, Finland.
Hua Yang Technology and Trade
Corp., Wuxi, Branch, China.
Machimpex, America Inc. Font Lee,
China.
Genting Sanyen Paper, Singapore,
Malaysia.
Kymmene Kaukas Oy, Kaukas,
Finland.
Jiang Yin Paper Mill, Jiang Yin,
China.

KZP Kostrziynskie Zaklady
Papiernicze S.A., Kostrzyn, Poland.
International Paper, Augusta, USA.
Rhinelander Paper, Rhinelander,
USA.
International Paper, Jay, USA.
Howard Paper, USA.
Winding technology– DuoReel
SCA Graphic Papers AB, Ortviken,
Sundsvall, Sweden.
Holmen Paper AB, Braviken Mill,
Norrköping, Sweden.
Federal Tait, Inverurie Mill, GreatBritain.
August Köhler AG, Oberkirch,
Germany.
Kostrzynskie Zaklady Papiernicze,
Poland.
Al-Keena, Jordan.
– Winders
Halla Engineering & Heavy
Industries Ltd., Korea.
Holmen Paper AB, Sweden.
Fabricadora de Papel de Celulose
S.A., Brazil.
Papeles Bio Bio S.A., Concepción,
Chile.
Haindl Papier GmbH, Schongau,
Germany.
Cia. Suzano de Papel e Celulose,
Suzano, Brazil.

Igaras Papeis e Embalagens Ltda.,
Otacilio, Costa Santa Catarina,
Brazil.
Yue-Li Machine Comp., Tien Long,
Taiwan.
Hygienic Papermill Co., Amman,
Krkonosske Papierny A.S.,
Hostinne, Czech Republic.
Visy Paper Pty., Ltd., Gibson Island,
Australia.
Smurfit Townsend Hook, Snodland,
Great Britain.

FinishingJanus Concept
KNP Leykam Maastricht,
The Netherlands.
Supercalenders
Tianjin, China.
Hansol, Korea.
Daishowa, Japan.
UPM Tervasaari, Finland.
Bosso, Italy.
Yuen Foong Yu, Taiwan.
Soft calendersSCA Ortviken, Sweden.
Hansol, Korea.
Halla Paper, Korea.
Holmen Paper Braviken Mill,
Sweden.
Kymmene Wisaforest, Finland.

Ass Domän, Sweden.
Portals, Great Britain.
Pap. Del Aralar, Spain.
IP Kwidzyn, Poland.
Serang PM 3, Indonesia.
Serang PM 4, Indonesia.
J.R. Crompton, Great Britain.
Munksjö, Sweden.
Milliani, Hungary.
Arjo Wiggins, Great Britain.
Toprak Kagit Sanayii A.S., Turkey.
Machine calendersSCA Ortviken, Sweden.
Townsend Hook, Great Britain.
Crown Packaging, USA.
Serang PM 3, Indonesia.
Serang PM 4, Indonesia.
Rebuilds
Stora Uetersen, Germany.
Stora Kabel, Germany.
Stora Reisholz, Germany.
Cart. Toscolano, Italy.
Yuen Foong Yu, Taiwan.
Koehler, Germany.
Roll handling
Halla Paper, Korea.
Papierfabrik Scheufelen, Germany.
KNP Leykam Maastricht,
The Netherlands.
Cart. del Garda, Italy.
Burgo Ardennes, Belgium.
NDI, The Netherlands.

ORDERS ON HAND
Stock preparation
Waste paper processing systems
and subsystems for graphic papers
Schwäbische Zellstoff AG, Ehingen,Germany.
Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co,
Eltmann, Germany.
Stabilimento di Avezzano, Avezzano,
Italy.
Cartiere Burgo S.P.A. Verzuolo,
Italy.
Stora Hylte, Hyltebruk, Sweden.
Sepoong Co., LTD., Sepoong,
Korea.
Waste paper processing systems
and subsystems for board andpackaging papers
Europa Karton, Hoya, Germany.
Papierfabrik Tillmann, Sinzenich,Germany.

PWA Industriepapier GmbH,
Aschaffenburg, Germany.
Wellpappe Wiesloch, Wiesloch,
Germany.
Moritz J. Weig, Mayen, Germany.
Papierfabrik Meldorf, Tornesch,Germany.
Klingele Papierwerke GmbH & Co,
Weener, Germany.
Danisco Paper A./S., Grenaa,
Denmark.
Danisco Paper A./S., Grenaa,
Denmark.
Papeteries Emin Leydier, Saint
Vallier, France.
Papeteries Emin Leydier, Saint
Vallier, France.
Kaysersberg Packaging,
Kaysersberg, France.
Corenso United OY LTD., Varkaus,
Finland.
Rigid Paper Produkts LTD., Selby,
Great Britain.

Peterson Moss, Norway.
United Pulp & Paper Co. Inc.,
Philippines.

Nampack Paper Ltd., Bellville,
South Africa.

Waste paper processing systems
and subsystems for other types ofpaper
PWA Dekor GmbH, Unterkochen,
Germany.
Steinbeis Temming Papier GmbH,
Glückstadt, Germany.
Papeteries de Begles, Begles,
France.

Paper machines

Waste paper processing systems
and subsystems for tissue papers
Procter & Gamble GmbH & Co.,
Germany.
Kimberly Clark GmbH, Flensburg,
Germany.
Serla Oy, Mänttä, Finland.
LG Cable & Machinery Ltd.,
Dae Han, Korea.

Graphic papers
Halla Pulp & Paper Ltd., Halla,
Korea.
KNP Leykam, Gratkorn, Austria.
Malaysian Newsprint Industries
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Nippon Paper Industries, Iwakuni,
Japan.
Forestiers Alliance Inc., Dolbeau,
Canada.
China National Technical Import &Export Corporation (CNTIC), China
Trans-National Paper Corp.,
Philippines.
Consolidated Papers, Stevens Point,USA.
Sinar Mas Pulp & Paper Ltd., India.

4

Halla Thai, Thailand.
Mazandaran Wood and Paper
Industries, Iran.
Board and packaging papers
Visy Paper, New York, USA.
Guangzhou Victorgo Industry Co.
Ltd., China.
Ningbo Zhonghua Paper Co. Ltd.,
China.
Mazandaran Wood and Paper
Industries, Iran.
CMPC-Cia. Manufacturera de
Papeles y Cartones S.A., Chile.
TissueWepa Papierfabrik, Germany.
Thrace Papermill S.A., Greece.
Strepp GmbH & Co. KG, Germany.
Asia Pulp & Paper, Indonesia.
Papeles Industriales, Peru.
City Forest Corp., Ladysmith, USA.
Bacraft, Brazil.
CMPC, Santiago, Chile.
Consolidated Paper Inc. Stevens
Point, USA.
Genting Newsprint Sdn. Bhd.,
Malaysia.
Guangzhou Victorgo Industries
Co. Ltd., China.
International Tendering Company
CNTIC, China.
Rebuilds
International Paper, Phoenix, USA.
Chuetsu Pulp, Sendai, Japan.
Papel Prensa, San Pedro, Argentina.
Mitsubishi Paper, Hachinohe, Japan.
Chuetsu Pulp, Nohmachi, Japan.
China Banknote Printing & Minting,Chengdu, China.
Volorantim-Piraciaba, Brazil.
Hokuetsu Paper, Niigata, Japan.
EDFU, Egypt.
Nippon Paper Industries,
Yatsushiro, Japan.

Holmen Paper AB, Hallstavik,
Sweden.
Haindl Papier GmbH, Schongau,
Germany.
Stora Kabel GmbH, Hagen, Germany.
Kübler & Niethammer, Kriebethal,
Germany.
Haindl Papier GmbH, Walsum,
Germany.
Forestiers Alliance Inc., Dolbeau,
Canada.
Papel Imprensa S.A., Pisa, Brazil.
Sczetin Skolwin S.A., Poland.
Chuetsu Pulp Co. Noumachi Mill,
Nohmachi, Japan.
PWA, Hallein, Austria.
Crown Van Gelder Papierfabriken
N.V., Velsen, The Netherlands.
CadiDavid, Italy.
Papierfabrik Palm GmbH & Co.,
Eltmann, Germany.
Carl Macher GmbH & Co. Papierund Pappenfabrik, Hof,
Germany.
Zaklady Celulozy i Papieru„Cèluloza“ S.A., Swiecie, Poland.
Felix Schöller Junior, Germany.
Hansol Paper Co. Ltd., South Korea.
SCA de Hoop B.V., The Netherlands.
Mondi Kraft, South Africa.
Assi Domän Carton AB, Sweden.
Korsnaes Aktiebolag, Sweden.
ICEC Papcel A.S., Ruzomberok,
Czech Republic.
Pipsa, Chile.
Strepp GmbH & Co. KG, Germany.
Piet Retief, South Africa.
Westvaco Corp., Luke, USA.
International Paper, Jay, USA.
Appleton Paper, West Carroiton,
USA.
SD Warren, Skowhegan, USA.
Longview Fibre, Longview, USA.
E.B. Eddy, New Westminster, Canada.
Stone Container, New Richmond,
Canada.

Stone Container, Missoula, USA.
Stone Savannah River,Port Wentworth, USA.
Saica, Spain.
Torras Domeneck Flaça Gerona,
Spain.
Daishowa Shiraoi, Japan.

Coating technology
Tianjin Paper, Tianjin, China.
Westvaco Corp., Wickliffe, USA.
KNP Leykam, Gratkorn, Austria.
Felix Schöller jun. Papierfabriken
GmbH & Co KG, Osnabrück,
Germany.
Guanzhou Victorgo Industry Comp.,
Ltd., China
Shin Ho Paper Mfg. Co. Ltd., Seoul,
Korea.
Stora Hillegossen, Germany.
Consolidated Paper, USA.
Champion International Corp., USA.

Winding technology– DuoReel
Halla Pulp & Paper Ltd., Halla,
Korea.
KNP Leykam, Gratkorn, Austria.
Malaysian Newsprint Industries,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Nippon Paper Industries, Iwakuni,
Japan.
Forestiers Alliance Inc., Dolbeau,
Canada.
Tianjin Paper, Tianjin, China.
Shin-Ho, Daejeon, Korea.
P.T. Pindo Deli Pulp & Paper Mills,
Pindo Deli, Indonesia.
– Winders
Fabryka Papieru Szczecin-Skolwin
S.A., Poland.
Halla Thai, Thailand.

FinishingJanus Concept
Lang Papier, Germany.
Shin Ho Paper, Korea.
Oji Paper, Japan.
Confidential, North America.
KNP Leykam Gratkorn, Austria.
SFI Port Hawkesbury, Canada.
Soft calenders
Ningbo PM 2, China.
Ningbo PM 3, China.
Piracicaba, Brazil.
Siam Paper, Thailand.
Ballarshah, India.
Confidential, USA.
CMPC Procart, Chile.
MNI Selangor, Malaysia.
Suzano Rio Verde, Brazil.
Alliance Dolbeau, Canada.
Sappi Blackburn, Great Britain.
Alkim Akali, Turkey
Cascades La Rochette, France.
Dae Han, Korea.
Victorgo, China.
Berghuizer Wapenveld,
The Netherlands.
Machine calenders
Ningbo PM 3, China.
Ningbo PM 2, China.
Shin Dae Yang, Korea.
Dong Il, Korea.
K.C. Beech Island, USA.
J. Cropper, Great Britain.
Rebuilds
Ballarpur, India.
Roll handling
MNI Selangor, Malaysia.
Burgo Ardennes, Belgium.
Papierfabrik Scheufelen, Germany.
Bauer Druck, Poland.

The global paper market

5

CinemaTelevision

Radio

Video
Global paper market:

Quo vadis newspaper printing?
Media competition is increasing, and newspapers are not immune to theconsequences. Although the rationalisation effects of technological development
have essentially resulted in improvements to product content, various questions
remain open concerning the marketing of the newspaper print medium: How are
the demands of readers and advertising customers changing? Which newspaper
should be aimed at which target group? Does colour play a major role for editorial
contents and advertisements? What challenges do future-oriented newspaper
concepts pose to technical processes – and to the paper used? Answering thesequestions is Bernhard Theiss, graduate engineer in printing and media technology,
management partner in the “Süddeutscher Zeitungsdienst Verlagsgesellschaft
m.b.H.” newspaper publishing house, co-publisher of regional newspapers andmember of the German Federal Research Ministry’s “Media 2000” commission.

6

Fig. 1:
Distribution of total advertisement expenditure
for mass media in 1994.

Dialogue between newspaper printers andnewsprint manufacturers is progressing,albeit extremely slowly. Both sides basically agree that neither knows enoughabout the other’s problems.
The following article is intended to givean insight into current perspectives andproblems faced by the newspaper. At theforefront is the interaction between content and technology, especially whereprinting technology and paper come into
contact. I can only touch on the publishing aspect and the wide range of development in terms of content.
The newspaper and its rivals
We live in an era of media pluralism. An
increasing number of competitors areforcing their way onto the market fromwhich newspapers make their money.

USA
70 billion ECUs
RadioTV
Magazines
Newspapers

12%
Western Europe
50 billion ECUs
5%

31%
13%
20%
Germany
15 billion ECUs
5%
22%
21%

39%
44%

52%
Source: Advertising & Media Forecast, NTC Publ. Ltd.

They are threatening the newspaper’s
reader and advertising markets. Television has robbed the print media of muchof its brand product advertising. As wereach the threshold between video andprint, “new” magazines make newspapers look oldfashioned. Radio
has both a national and local effectonnewspapers,
while direct advertising is posing achallenge to theinsert industry.

reading and viewing, but also theirdemand for current information.

Electronic media
have
not
only
changed people’s
habits in terms of“The countdown has begun!” It is hightime that newspaper publishers began
actively participating in developments.
It’s true that the newspaper is still the

The author:
Bernhard Theiss,
Aalen

36%

Newspapers must adapt to these changing requirements, primarily in terms of
their content: they must present in-depth
news with a background rather than simply reselling what appeared on TV theprevious evening, and they must be written in an exciting, reader-friendly way.
Secondly, they must change their image
by employing colour, printing convincing
photos and graphics, and offering a clear
overview. The result should be a neatcombination of text and pictures, laid out
with the readers’ interests in mind.

1

biggest advertising medium in Germany,
Western Europe and the USA, but its
share of overall advertising expenditurein the mass-media sector is sinking.
While daily papers in Germany expanded
by a further 3.4% in 1995, total advertisement expenditure rose by 7.1%. Television even achieved a growth rate of
17.4%. In the USA, advertisement expenditure for television almost equalled thatfor daily newspapers (see Fig.1).
Within the European Union, the newspaper’s share of media advertising
receipts shrunk from approximately
34 percent in 1983 to barely 28 percent
in 1993.
Advertising expenditure for radio, television and print media in Germany,
Europe and the USA may differ in terms

Global paper market

7Fig. 2:
Daily papers,1994.

Copies sold per 1000 inhabitants

Overall daily circulation (in millions of copies)
Japan

71,9

USA

2

59,0

Norway610

Switzerland

575
592

Germany

25,8

Japan

India

21,7

Sweden472

Great Britain

18,7

Finland471

France9,0Singapore

355

Russia8,0Austria

328

Italy

6,5

Great Britain

321

Brazil5,9Germany

317

Poland5,7Denmark

315

Source: World Press Trends, 1995 FIEof media structure and consumption, but
at the same time, there is general evidence of the growth potential for nonprint media. It is not easy to define thesituation in individual countries or zones,
as a glance at the table for overall daily
circulation and copies sold per 1000
inhabitants shows (Fig. 2). Nevertheless,one thing is certain: market conditions
and media competition for consumers(viewers/listeners/users) and advertisingcustomers are similar everywhere.
A media decision is above all a decision
for or against a certain media type. Andin many cases, this boils down to theeven simpler question: electronic or
print? Those who work in the media tend
to be prejudiced against daily newspapers, claiming that advertisements are
difficult to plan, expensive, and often lackthe brilliant colours of other media. Only
gradually are newspapers beginning tooffer improved service with more colour
and greater quality, thereby responding
to competitive pressure from other media
and to the prejudices of advertising agencies and those who decide which medium
to use.

The reader market
In Germany, newspaper circulation
remained at roughly the same level for
years. Now, it is falling slightly: 1995 saw
a loss of 0.7%. In concrete figures, thisrepresents a drop in circulation of some
200,000 copies per year, amounting tomore than 10,000 tonnes of paper.
Newspapers in built-up areas have been
worst hit by circulation problems. There

are many reasons for this: compared withother regions, urban areas contain more
single households, a greater percentageof foreign inhabitants, and an aboveaverage number of unemployed people.
Major factors which are particularly detrimental to newspaper subscriptions inGermany and other West-European countries include the fall in the birth rate andthe number of households and families
being set up, and the increasing age ofthe population. Furthermore, media consumption by people aged below 20 haschanged drastically. This category isdominated by radio, with 121 minutes ofdaily consumption, followed closely by
television (101 minutes). The daily paper
has slipped to merely 15 minutes a day.
Over the years, the newspaper’s audiencein this age group has shrunk more thanin others. On average, only every second
person under 20 in Germany reads thedaily press on a regular basis.
However, the euphoria surrounding radio,
television and other increasingly popular
media is gradually reaching its peak.
According to experts, it is likely to burnitself out shortly after the turn of the century. Newspapers and magazines thenhave a real chance for the future, since incomparison with quality print media,
electronic media reveal distinct weaknesses: consider the fact that 53 percent
of all television viewers avoid advertisements by flicking their remote control.
Young people tend to escape advertisements more than elderly people. Welleducated people with high incomes alsochange channel more frequently whenadvertisements are shown.

8In view of this, it is astonishing that thecost of launching a television advertisement today is almost four times greaterthan it was in 1980, whereas the cost of anewspaper advertisement has not evendoubled in the same period. Moreover,television advertisements are far more
expensive to produce than newspaper
advertisements. It is now the rule morethan the exception that a 20-second long
TV spot costs several hundred thousand
German marks to produce.
Consequently, the newspaper is a more
effective advertising medium than its
rivals, since its readers are more responsive to advertising. Complaints regarding
excessive media advertising are directedprimarily at television (98 percent ofusers), followed by magazines (50.3 percent), and radio (34.7 percent). For daily
newspapers, the figure is only 25.2 percent. Fortunately, words such as zapping,browsing, switching and hopping areunheard of where newspapers areconcerned!
The newspaper is a medium which isavailable everywhere. It does not requirea technical infrastructure such as energy
or communication networks. But one
thing cannot be denied: a newspaper
which is not good will not sell. And most
newspapers are not yet as good as they
could be.
Life is colourful, and the newspaper
should reflect this by using more colour.
Colour is a form of information, and alack of it symbolises “old news”! Nobody
likes to sit in front of a black-and-whitetelevision anymore.

Convincing colour concepts must arouse
the readers’ interest and show advertising customers what a fantastic effectcolours can have in newspapers. If it isnecessary to impress readers and advertisement customers purely through the
product’s appearance, then a little imagination is also required.
The market comes before technology. For
us as technical newspaper specialists,
this means giving our partners a clearer
picture of the connections which exist
between preliminary stage and print technology, and indeed the quality of thenewsprint.
For the newspaper publisher, this means
thinking in the long term and giving
greater consideration to market requirements for quality, not only in terms ofservice, but also as regards the printed
newspaper’s appearance.
For the paper manufacturer, this meansthat the newsprint must stand up to thechallenge. As a modern print medium,the newspaper must not be defeated byoutdated quality standards for paper in
its raw form.
What is demanded of us all is nothing
less than acknowledging this home truth:
the market comes before technology!

Newspaper technology
The demand for improved quality issomething of a tradition in newspaper
printing. And over the last 20 years, averitable technical revolution has takenplace in this sector. Until the mid-seventies, the standard practice was to use line
casting machines (lead) for typesetting,zinc plates for picture reproduction andmetal or plastic plates for printing. In an
amazingly short time during the second
half of the ‘70s (somewhat earlier inGreat Britain and the USA), typesetting
on film was introduced, followed by computer-controlled photosetting. Today,
technology has reached the stage of fully
digital, integrated text-picture production.
Seen against this background, it becomes
clear how much of a role the ideal printing process has played in newspaper
printing. It was also in this sector that
offset printing processes were first introduced in the ‘70s, starting in mediumsized newspaper publishing houses in the
USA and England.
The letterpress-printing process is now
almost obsolete in Western Europe, theUSA, Australia and Japan, while the Flexo
print process (high printing from soft
rubber moulds) continues to play a rolein newspaper printing, albeit subordinate.
However, it is unable to match offset
printing in terms of quality. Rotogravure
is not used at all in the newspaper sector.
The decisive factor in favour of the offset
printing process was its ability to achieve
high picture resolution (half-tone dots),even on rough paper – direct contact withthe paper is no longer made by a metal
printing plate, but by a rubber printing
blanket. By means of film- and photosetting as intermediate stages, the lightsensitive offset printing plate has addedGlobal paper market

9Fig. 3:“Braviken”, the most innovative newsprint
machine in the world, began work at Holmen
Paper AB in Norrköping, Sweden, in mid-1996.
A record holder: 1800 m/min design speed,
9650 mm wire width, outstanding runnability,
perfect flatness and paper quality for brilliant
colour printing.

3

great momentum to the digital preliminary stage. Today, this area is rapidly
developing into a media-neutral data-processing system, whose information canbe used for any conceivable medium.
Offset print processes and preliminary
stage technologies are able to satisfy thedemand for more colour. The standardization of colour-sensitive picture information has today reached a high and stable level, resulting in generally problemfree reproduction of even the highest resolutions. However, transferring this
precise information from the printing
plate to the paper continues to cause
problems based on the process – theinteraction of ink (fat), water, paper andthe machine (printing blanket, inking anddampening system).
Physical dimensions of thepreliminary stage
What information is transferred onto thepaper? The most precise structures
measurable, which must be transferred to
the newsprint in a scale of 1:1, arebetween 30 and 40 µm (e.g. 2% of ahalftone dot or spot on frequency-modulated screen). The layer of printing ink on
the paper is between 1.5 µm and 2.0 µm
thick.
With a scan resolution of 300 dpi (118pixels/cm), a coloured A5-size picture(14.5 cm x 21.0 cm) requires app. 13 MB(mega bytes) of data, which must betransferred onto the printing paper ascompletely as possible.
Subsequent to positive initial trial runs,
computer-to-plate technology (CTP) will
be standardised during the coming years,

with the result that previously unavoidable losses of information (and thereforeof quality) will be eliminated throughtransfer and copying. In other words, theprecise amount of information on theprinting plate, which can be measured
objectively, will constantly rise, and differences in the final print quality will
increasingly be attributable to the combination of ink, water and paper.
Newspaper rotary printing presses
Until recently, the performance of anewspaper printing machine was judged
by its ability to close editorial and advertising content as late as possible, toprocess large volumes in short time periods (high number of pages and printruns), and to distribute them rapidly tothe reader (e.g. in the letter box by5.45 a.m. in Germany). Nowadays, it isalso judged on its ability to print decorative colours and four-colour pictures oncertain pages.
Our world is colourful, and colour isinformation! The newspaper cannot ignore this fact. As a result, the main criterion when configuring a newspaper rotary
printing press today is that it should produce as many four-colour pages as possible in a newspaper, without restriction.
The format of a newspaper is of considerable importance. Newspaper rotary
printing presses have fixed formats. In
Germany, the most common are theBerlin format (315 x 470 mm, web width:1260 mm), the Rhein format (360 x
530 mm, web width: 1440 mm), and theNorthern format (400 x 570 mm, web
width: 1600 mm). In the USA, web widthsof up to 1905 mm can be observed.

The speed of production always depends
on the newspaper concept. Its size, thetime at which it closes for distribution,and the area to be covered are all influential factors. The web speed ofcurrent conventional machines varies
from roughly 9.0 m/s (corresponding toapproximately 30,000 cylinder revolutions/hour) to a maximum of 12.5 m/s(approximately 42,000 cylinder revolutions/hour).
Today, the effective speed of production
is mainly determined by on-line production conditions at the printing machineand further processing/dispatch. In somecases, the system’s speed must be
reduced, especially if large and complex
inserts are to be processed.
Control station
Today, functions such as machine operation, web guiding and reel changing are
carried out for the most part by automated control station technology. But
despite computer-controlled inking anddampening systems, the printing process
still needs to be monitored by machine
staff who, as a rule, should be trained
printers. The main things to be checked
are print quality (register, colour intensity, effect of colour in comparison withoriginal), the results of the interaction
between paper, ink and water (smearing,emulsifying, dusting, formation of air
bubbles, plate abrasion). The latter must
be monitored constantly.
As a rule, the machines are fitted withpaper-web feeding systems, which –depending on the product size and inking– are capable of feeding all paper webs
into the printing machine.

10

Fig 4:
Diagram showing paper guiding in a modern
newspaper offset rotary printing press, from thereel (1) over the stacked modular print units (2)to the folding and cutting device with photoelectric copy check (3).

Reelstands now operate with exceptional
precision, and work with a wide range ofreel diameters above 1250 mm.
A certain problem which affects the web
tension in particular is referred to as“plate-channel runout”. The plate andrubber blanket are laid on or clamped to
the relevant cylinder. The clamps arelocated in channels, which are offset byhalf the width of the roll. Tensioning
problems faced by the web and vibrational problems faced by the machine
have now been minimised by introducing
tiny slots for the pressure plates, madeby so-called “cylinder bearers”. The tension of the rolls in relation to one anotheris determined by no-break metal rings at
speeds of more than 35,000 roll revolutions/hour and modern bearing technology which eliminates bearing play.
Automated machine operation and highquality print reproductions pave the way
for corresponding improvements in web
logistics. The paper web is first pretensioned by an adjustable stretching device, and then pulled into the printing
system mainly by the rubber blanket roll.
One on top of the other, the collected
paper webs are driven by adjustabledrawing webs in front of the folding device. Drawing webs with reversing rodson the upper section are also possible,
depending on the size and complexity ofthe desired web mixture.

Machine configuration
Contrary to earlier, more technicallyoriented decisions regarding the configuration of printing systems, the design ofa newspaper rotary printing press is now

4greatly influenced by the newspaper publisher’s product and marketing concept.
The publishing house is most concernedwith the print quality achieved, the volume and print run capacity, and themachine’s colour capabilities. The following list presents the printing units which
are currently most popular, together with
their combination into machines. Doublewidth machines are taken as standard, inother words 8 pages (4 wide, 2 high) per
plate cylinder or 16 pages per paper web.

As a rule, half or three-quarter webs are
suitable for the printing units as well asfull webs. Quarter webs are seldom used.

9-cylinder satellite
Precise four-colour printing, since fanout effect is practically non-existent .
Problem: complex transmissions, especially when reversing. Complex web guiding. Further printing units needed forback page.

Global paper market

11

Figs. 5 and 6:
The so-called eight-high tower – today, the mostcommonly-used basic configuration for fourcolour offset newspaper printing. Stood one on
top of the other, the H-shaped modules provide
the greatest colour capacity with the shortest
paper path. Each eight-high tower can print
16 four-colour pages or 32 two-colour pages.
The necessary number of basic configurations
are stacked in accordance with the size of theprint run (paper web shown in yellow).

Eight-high tower
2 H-shaped modules on top of one another, greatest colour capacity withshortest paper path (4/4 colour printing
on both sides of web). Problem: fan-out
effect caused by free web guidance between the printing areas.
According to print machine suppliers,
approximately 80% of newspaper rotary
printing presses supplied since 1992
were designed according to the eighthigh tower configuration and delivered as
such.
Further processing and dispatch
Preprinted newspaper sections andadvertising inserts are often added to theprinted newspaper copies, which are thencounted for sales rounds, packed anddispatched in trucks.

5

The processing speed of the technology
in the dispatch department corresponds
6 to the production speed of the rotary
printing press – in England and Australia,
high-performance lines insert, count,
The fan-out effect represents the change
pack and transport up to 80,000 copies
in web size which occurs due to dampan hour.
ening. In the case of free web guiding,the web’s width may increase by as much
The standards which newspaper copies
as three millimetres if dampened several
are expected to meet in terms of precise
times.
folding and clean arrival from the folding
system are correspondingly high – not
10-cylinder printing unit
every newsprint can satisfy such specific
Problem: free web guiding for four-colour
conditions.
printing, resulting in fan-out effectdespite high machine-technical expendiPaper logistics in reel handling is on theture. Complex web guiding, deviations
road to automisation – the continuous(smearing).
process chain from unloading the truck
through high-bay storing, unpacking andpreparation to changing the reel on the
H-shaped printing unit
rotary printing press is already reality in
2 basic modules, 1 upside down. Clear
some printing and publishing houses.
paper path. Short free web guiding.

12Fig. 7:
Rotary printing press for 16-page colour
printing using the offset process: web widths
from 1220 to 1680 mm, 16 pages per paper
web, 70,000 copies per hour per folding system.

Printing process andproduct quality

printing inks and dampening agents
which are precisely matched with one
another and with the printed paper.

The offset printing process evolved fromlithography (Alois Senefelder, 1796). It isbased on the chemical-physical repulsionof fat (= printing ink) and water: thehydrophobic picture areas to be printed
accept ink and reject water, while thehydrophile areas not to be printed accept
and absorb water. Extensive literature isalready available regarding this process,and I will therefore restrict myself tobriefly summarising the main details,
referring in particular to the interaction of
ink, water and paper.

During the printing process, impurities
such as washing agents, ink binding
agents, paper dust or pigment may pollute the dampening agent. Especially inthe case of newspaper printing with
uncoated natural paper, these impurities
can upset the so-called ink/water balance. Considerable problems may also
arise as a result of current development
techniques for inks, e.g. through the useof plant-based fats, and the constantly
increasing amount of recycled material
used in newsprint.

Offset printing is capable of very highpicture resolution and sharp picturesedges, even on rough paper. The problem
lies in the interaction of ink and waterand – especially in newspaper printing –the paper’s reaction to the ink/water balance. During the actual printing process,the effects of surface tension caused by
the interaction of ink and water play adecisive role, as do the boundary layers
and wetting tension of the printing ink/
dampening agent and picture/picture-freeareas.

The parameters must be redefined, andsince two major components are changing at the same time (ink and paper), thesituation at the moment is anything but
clear and standardised. Of course, there
are extensive lists of criteria for theassessment of newsprint quality. Thanks
to their production protocols, paper manufacturers know much about their paper’s
mechanical properties: however, whenpresented directly with this informationby the manufacturer, the printer can only
turn a little of it to his advantage – e.g.
weight, roughness, and perhaps the paper
colouring.

The water’s overall hardness and its
hydrogen carbonate content are of significance, since both parameters have asubstantial effect on the offset process:among other things, they influence thewater’s PH value, which is reachedthrough the use of specially-preparedadditives in the dampening agent. For
technical printing, the water should havean ideal PH value of between 4.8 and 5.3.
The sensitive printing process requires

Up until now at least, most of the otherinformation available has lacked any clear
and specific connection with the problems arising in the printing process.
So far, dialogue between printers andpaper suppliers has established a numberof practical parameters regarding thesuitability of the paper for the printing

machine, printability and the results ofprinting on certain newsprint. These arelisted below:

List of parameters
for newsprint:
Suitability for printing machine
Web passage (creases, wandering)
Runout/manufacturer’s adhesive
Web break/wrong adhesive
Fibre design/stray dust
Washability of design
Printability
Ink acceptanceInk requirement
Water conditions/requirements
Ink/fibre design/second impression
set-off
Ink smearing/main rollers
Wave formation after printing
Printing result
Printout (full surface and screen)
Evenness (no structures)
Spot increase
Show through/strike throughStability against wiping
Paper colouring / lightness
Sheet stiffness
Polluted areas
Further processing
Ink blotting/smearing
Set off
Behaviour in– Conveyor belt
– Buffer (winding)– Drum (or similar)

13

7

The print quality of a newspaper isassessed above all by sharp pictureedges, as well as by uniform and uninterrupted areas, and high print contrast.
Repercussions occur because the ink
does not dry physically in newspaper
printing, but is “absorbed” into thepaper. In order to achieve a brilliant,deep colour, more ink guiding is necessary. This encourages the ink to blot andsmear. The result is a direct connection
betweencertainpaper
properties(absorption, roughness and opacity) withprint quality, enabling the newspaper tohold its own against rival media.
In contrast to heatset-web offset printing(in which the ink solvents are evaporated
at temperatures of 200°C), additional
handling of the printed paper web is generally avoided in newspaper-web offset
printing. In some newspaper printing
houses, the use of infra-red heaters
achieves very good printing results onstandard papers. Brilliant colours can beproduced without smearing, thereby
opening up new markets for newspaper
printing.
Inevitably, scope for raising the quality ofstandard newspapers by using improved
newsprint is extremely limited due to thehigh material costs involved.
A decisive factor for publishing houses
is the newsprint’s register tolerance.

Together with baggy-webs, which are frequently in evidence, and paper reels
which have been wound out-of-round or
slack, this plays a role above all in thecontext of the dampening of the paper
web in offset printing.
Colour printing is increasing. Everycolour means a corresponding dampening of the paper web – e.g. with 4/4
colour printing in a eight-high tower, theweb comes into contact with water eighttimes during the print process. Electronic
register control systems are able to deal
with linear expansion of the web, but notwith lateral expansion, which can amountto several millimetres – this is referred toas the fan-out effect.
As a result, accurate compression in theµm area is no longer possible without
altering the plate positions.
The problem can be solved by using
printing-plate suspension pins with divergent positions. These positions are fixedand correspond perfectly with the centre
of a corridor, which has standardised left
and right tolerance limits. Standard
papers used for high-accuracy print
products must have expansion coefficients which lie within the tolerances ofthis corridor. Otherwise, it is impossible
to achieve a good printing result without
considerable maculation. Folds in the
product are a phenomenen which nolonger appear on complaint lists simply

because printers and publishers havegiven up complaining about them. Nevertheless, the paper manufacturers mustsolve this problem – who wants to buy a“dog-eared” book , for example?
In view of the increasingly tough media
competition, the newspapers are adopting a new position – colour pages are
now a top priority, as are product andprint quality which can hold its own
against rival media.
In both the preliminary stage and printstage, newspaper technology has madeenormous efforts to achieve higher quality, and is now moving in leaps andbounds towards this goal. Progress has
been so dynamic that it could be very
well compared with the development ofrecycling paper for newsprint. This makes
one thing clear above all else – paper
makers (and those who supply their technology) must pay much more attention to
the processing problems of their product.
Printers and publishers must show clearly where their products are heading, andin order to confront problems, they must
give information about the connections
they see between quality demands, printing processes and newsprint. All those
involved are certainly prepared for dialogue, since it is in all their interests. One
thing is for sure: if the newspaper yields
to media competition, the paper industry
will feel the blow too!

14

NEWS FROM TH
Stock Preparation Division:
Membrane technology for the further close-upof paper mill water loops
Modern process

Appr.
Flow/PM

Stock preparation

tailored water

Loop I

Loop III

Loop II

LC-Screen

Cleaner

Disc Filter

Flotation II

Bleaching

Dispersion

Press

Disc Filter

LC-Screen //Cleaner

Flotation I

loop cleaning

Preclean

improved water

Pulperdemands

MC-Screen ømanagement

Paper Machinetechnology withaccordingly.
Thanks to membrane technology,

DAF 1
DAF 2

greater cleaning
potential can be
exploited likewise

RejectHandling

SludgeTreatment
DAF 3

in conventional

Biology

Final Treatm.

processing
1stages.

The authors:
Ralf Mönnigmann
andDr. Michael Schwarz,
Stock Preparation
Process Technology

Current systems – A survey

grades. Several loops separated from one

This article

There are basic differences between theanother by thickening stages enable thereports on thefurnish, technologies and requirements

water to be channelled in a targeted man-latest findings

on finished paper depending on whether

ner in accordance with the counterflow

with selected

graphic grades or packaging papers are

principle. The use of fresh water in theexamples of

involved. In the following systems forpaper machine and sequential additions

various processes

white and brown grades based on theto the front loops in a cascade allow theand effluent

current state-of-the-art are presented.

fresh water in the process to be used toconditions, thus

maximum effect.

giving some idea

White gradesof the cost/

The process diagram in Fig. 1 shows the

The degree of circuit closure normal

benefit situation.

principle of water management for white

nowadays is less than 10 l/kg. At

thisStock Preparation

15

HE DIVISIONS
Fig. 1:
System example for white grades.
Fig. 2:
System example for brown grades.

fresh water added (and consequently the

LC-Screen //Cleaner

Fractionation

Screening

Each further reduction in the amount of

Pulperof water.

Preclean(anionic trash, etc.) from large volumes

Cleaner

for removing disruptive fibre admixtures

Refiner

LF

Paper Machine(DAF)

Dispersion

Flotation

Press

Air

Disc Filter

Dissolved

stages represent an essential component

LC-Screen //level,SF
WWI

production of effluent) must be paid forin the form of more retention agents in

WWII

the paper machine as well as an increased requirement for auxiliary agents

RejectHandling

in the stock preparation for flotation andSave All
Final Treatm.

Biology

Sediment.

bleaching. More disruptions are causedby all types of sediments. As the degree
2of circuit closure increases, the sulphate
content also becomes a limiting criterion.

ducing a range of white grades cannot

shower water in the paper machine, re-

The biological activity already taking

reasonable reduce their specific effluent

ducing the fibre losses after reject ma-place in all parts of any plant would be

production below 7.6 l/kg.

chines and gating out the most heavily
contaminated process water. The specificmultiplied several times over. Precipitation of these would import an additional

Brown gradesamount of effluent produced can be re-burden of chemicals into the system.

In principle, the configuration of systems

duced to 2 - 4 l/kg thanks to suitable

This could cause new problems as a re-for packaging papers is always simpler

process technology for the required

sult of interactions with other process

than for white grades (Fig. 2). The sys-

product qualities.

chemicals.

tems are often single-loop systems andthe stock consistency drops from theEffluent can be avoided completely if the

In summary, it can be said that paper

pulping stage to the headbox. Water

substances contained in the filtrates frommills processing waste paper and pro-management is limited to treating thereject drainage, shower and channel wa-

16

Fig. 3:
Substances in the process water.
Fig. 4:
Principle of membrane filtration.

ter are removed and the water returned tothe process. It is possible to control theRange in µm

technique of completely enclosed circuits

0,001
Ionic
range

with these products 1,2 .

0,01

Molecular
range

0,1

Macromolecularrange

Molecular Weight 100 200 1000 10000 20000 100000

However, the struggle against the negative effects of circuit closure on productquality and manufacturing technology
has been going on for the same length ofable length of time has elapsed, highlyMacroparticles

Colloidale
particles

500000Ultrafiltration

Reverse Osmosis

volatile substances are still liberated
Separation
process

unacceptable odour problems. Retention

Nanofiltration

100

10

Lignins
Lignins
Huminacids
Lignosulphonates
Coating pigments
Monosaccharides Wood extractives
Fines
Poly- andOligosaccharides
Metal Ions
Hemicellulose
TensidesSulfates
Latices, Binders
Chlorides
Virus
Synth. dyes
Bacteria

Relative
size ofsubstancestime. For example, even after a consider-from the paper or are formed and lead to

1,0

FibresParticle filtration
Microfiltration

Evaporation

problems have to be compensated for by

3

the increased use of auxiliary agents. In
addition, only periodical or spontaneous

taken on several plants. It has been

which are known to be of relevance to thetreatment with biocides can usually help

known for a long time that biologicallyprocess. Most of them are organic sub-against uncontrolled biological activity inpurifiedrecirculated

stances (lignins, lignosulphonates, woodthe dead zones of the system.

through the system 5,6 , and in the mean-

extractives, saccharides, hemicelluloses)

time this possibility has been successful-

but there are also inorganic substances

ly put into practice 7 .

such as chlorides, sulphates as well as

The wellknown problem of sticky de-effluentcanbeiron and manganese ions 8,9 .

posits in the paper machine and on otherequipment like motor fans also renders

Current limits on circuit closure

the operating of the plant. These more

The maximum utilization of the water em-

The type of these constituents is basical-

difficultproblems go right through toployed is restricted by various sub-ly the same in all process waters. Howev-

changed thickening factors in the cleaner

stances in the process water which haveer, their composition and quantity varies

system.

a disruptive effect on either the technology or the product. The concentration ofCorrosion problems can never be fullythese colloidal or truly solute substances,avoided in spite of choosing the materials

referred to as “disturbing” substances,

for all machinery and equipment with theincreases at a disproportionate rate to theutmost care 3,4 .

degree of circuit closure until reaching
the specific concentration equilibrium

The advantage of partially opening up(Fig. 2).

Pressure pump

Feed

ModulePressurecontrol valve

Concentrate(retentate)
Clarified water Membrane(permeate)loops and allowing a defined effluent
quantity has been shown by measures

Principle:

Fig. 3 lists several of these substances

4

Stock Preparation

17

Fig. 5:
Membrane filtration processes.
Fig. 6:
Volume reduction coefficient.

greatly from system to system. Amongst
many other parameters, the most impor-

Pressure

60 bar

15 bar

8 bar

3 bar

0,001 µm

0,01 µm

0,1 µmtant indicators for the disturbing poten-

cleaning

80
60

The membrane filtration is one of theprocesses which have to be used in orderto reduce further the limit values stated40
20

many area of effluent treatment and forconcentrating process flows.

TSS

above. Membrane filtration is used in0

Conductivity

Technologies for further circuit water

100

COD

mand (COD) and the cationic demand.

Pore size

Cationic demand

tial are the filtered chemical oxygen de-Reverse Osmosis(RO)

Nanofiltration(NF)

Ultrafiltration(UF)

Microfiltration(MF)

5

The membrane process
In the broadest sense, a membrane canFurthermore, there are important influ-

Pipe modules are not susceptible tobe viewed as a filter which separates theencing parameters which determine theblockages in the inflow and can becomponents of a mixture of substances

economic efficiency of the membraneused with suspensions containing aby purely physical means (Fig. 4).

separation process:limited fibre content. However, theygenerally have a lower packing density

In this process, the feed is separated into

Flow channelling(ratio of the membrane surface area toa permeate (filtrate) and a retentate (con-

I The inlet is parallel to the membrane

the module volume). Plate modules

centrate). Membrane processes are divid-

so as to prevent or at least minimize

with disc-shaped flat membranes at-

ed into four principle methods depending

the formation of a covering layer (“fil-tain a considerably greater packing

on the transmembranic pressure differen-ter cake”) on the membrane which

density. Their power consumption istial and the size of particles which are toleads to a reduction in the through-be separated out.

flow. This cross-flow principle guaranperiods.

80

figure specifies a range of separation capacities for parameters such as COD,

Designs of membrane modules

SCD and conductivity which are relevant

I The core of every membrane plant is ato the process. The flow of permeate is

technically expedient arrangement ofalso used as a characteristic feature ofmembranes, referred to as the module.

the membrane in addition to the retention

There are three principle designs forcapacity.

effluent from a paper mill:

Retentate flux [%]100
Permeate flux [%]Fig. 5 shows the details. In addition, theFeed = Permeate + Retentate

tees maximum filtrate output over long

Permeate

60
40
Retentate

20
0
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10

Reduction coefficient6

18Fig. 7:
Membrane filtration pilot plant.

Fig. 9:Lay out diagram for COD reduction of disk filter
clear filtrate.

Fig. 8:Flux through membranes for paper mill effluent.

Fig. 10:Retention of different tested membranes.

lower thanks to the smaller circulating
volumes. There is a risk of blockages
PI

with suspensions containing fibres.
Spiral wound modules suffer from ahigh risk of blockage. No fibres should

Back washingcylinderModul 1be allowed to enter the module. How-FI
6 bar pressurized air

PI

PIC

ever, spiral wound modules do haveTI

6 bar pressurized air

Permeate

the highest packing density as well asa favourable price/performance ratio.

Modul 2
FIC

Membrane materials
I The main division in this case is be-

PI

Feed

tween organic and inorganic memRetentate

brane materials. Inorganic membranes

Feed pump
0 ... 10 l/min
max. 16 bar

are temperature resistant, strong andpossess a high level of chemical resis-

Circulation pump
0 ... 400 l/min
max. 4.5 bar

Dumpingtance. However, although this results

7

in a longer service life, they are moretures up to 80°C and with high pH values. This means long service lives canusually be expected for applications in
the paper industry.

200

Microfiltration

160
120
80

Ultrafiltration

40

Nanofiltration

2

3

4

5

6

crease in the flow of permeate. The
reason for this effect is the reduction
in viscosity as the temperature rises.

9000

60
Retentate

6000

40
20

3000

Permeate

0
2

3

4

5

6

7

8

7
Reduction coefficient8

significance.

I A rise in temperature leads to an in-

12000

Reduction coefficientoften overlooked. Fig. 6 indicates its

Temperature

80

1
1

I The volume reduction factor (VRF) is

15000

0
0

Volume reduction factor

100

COD concentration [mg/l]

New materials can be used at tempera-

Spec. permeate flux [l/m2h]

membranes are considerably cheaper.

COD load reduction [%]expensive. The broad range of organic

9

Retention [%]Microfiltration

Ultrafiltration

Nanofiltration

COD

20-30

45-65

75-90

Cationic demand

70-80

98

99.9

Conductivity

2-6

15-25

60-75

10

Stock Preparation

19

Fig. 11:
Advanced water treatment for graphic papers(1st concept).

Possible applications and performancecapability
A testing plant built specially in our comProcesspany was used for testing various membranes with some selected waters from

Clear waterpartial flow
(recovery)

Reject and sludge
dewatering

paper mills (Fig. 7). The following equipment was used: ceramic microfiltration

Permeate(recovery)

DAF(0.1 Hm pore width) and ultrafiltration
membranes (separation limit 10,000 Dalton) as a pipe module as well as organic
nanofiltration

membranes

Aerobic biology(except final clarifier)(separation

Biologicalsludgelimit < 200 Dalton) as pipe and spiralPre-filtration

wound modules. The test involved paper(Option)mill water types, these being in general
Ultrafiltration

heavily contaminated circuit waters frompaper mills for brown and white grades.

Effluent to river

In addition, tests were also conductedwith the run-off from biological effluent

11

plants used in the paper industry.
veyed substances and the volume reduc-computer-aided modelling studies andExamples of the principle configuration

tion factor is a significant factor in theaccords well with the empirical data ob-

data which were worked out are shown insubsequent design of a plant and its inte-

tained from many plants. Tests were con-the following diagrams.

gration into the entire system of a paper

ducted with various waters in order tomill. A detailed presentation of all the test

prepare an optimum concept incorporat-

Fig. 8 shows an overview of the through-results would go beyond the scope ofing more thorough purification stages.

flow values achieved. The bandwidth of

this report. Fig. 10 shows a summarized

the through-flow is explained by the con-overview of the retention capacity for the

For purifying highly contaminated rejects

stituents in the different waters. In many

most important parameters.

effluent and sludge from white grades

cases, microfiltration was unable toproduction, microflotation with partial re-achieve significantly greater flux values

circulation to the mill water loops isdespite the larger pore width; the mem-

A feasible system concept for graphic

state-of-the-art today. The processwater

brane became blocked by extremely finegradeswhich has to be replaced due to contami-

particles in the circuit water.

At the start, it was explained why it isnation with dissolved and colloidal sub-impossible to achieve a specific effluent

stances is drained off for biological treat-

Fig. 9 shows an example of the retention

production below approx. 7.6 l/kg using

ment, where in most cases organic load-

capacity of the NF membrane. The inter-standard process technologies. This lim-ing (COD) is reduced by 2-stage agita-

relation between the reduction in con-iting value is the result of comprehensive

tion.

20

Fig. 12:Advanced water treatment for graphic papers(2nd concept).
Fig. 13:
Costs for the effluent treatment..

The resultant bio-sludge is then separated out by sedimentation or sometimes
flotation, and either removed from theProcess

system or returned to the agitation stage
for maintaining the active sludge concentration.

Clear waterpartial flow
(recovery)

Reject and sludge
dewatering

In concept 1 (Fig. 11) biological purifica-

Permeate(revovery)

DAF

tion can be improved by ultrafiltration toSpec.
treatment

the point where the clarified water is suitable for freshwater replacement in the

Aerobic biology

Nanofiltration

Final clarifier

Pre-filtration

paper machine loops. By using tubular
modules, the last sedimentation stage
can be bypassed completely, with direct

Biological sludge
Partial flow recovery

ultrafiltration for removing bio-sludge
amongst others. By feeding back thisEffluent to riverconcentrate, higher sludge concentrations (up to 1.5%) can be set in the sec-12

ond agitation stage, thus speeding up
COD reduction.

Approx. investment costs
DM/m 3 /h

Since production problems due to higher
salt concentrations are practically unknown, and inorganic content largely depends on additives (such as aluminium
sulphate), high recirculation rates are
possible even with ultrafiltration.
Furthermore, part of the ultrafiltered water can be further purified in a nanofiltration stage (spiral wounded module e.g.

Approx. spec. operation costs
DM/m 3 clear water

State of technology
Biological treatment +River water treatment(excl. buildings)

30 000
11 0000.4
0.3

1. Concept
Biological treatment +Ultrafiltration (tubular)(incl. pre-filtration)

30 000
13 0000.4
1.5

2. Concept
Biological treatment +Nanofiltration (spiral wound)(incl. pre-filtration)

30 00030 0000.4
1.5
13

for removing sulphates). Adding “pure”
ultrafiltration

permeateensureshighfor disposal. Although the ultrafiltration

with spiral wounded modules, while re-throughput rates and maximum service

module is not prone to blockage, coarse

taining the last sedimentation stage andlife of the nanofiltration stage. The

filtering is advisable if the residual fibreintermediate filtration. Thanks to the highnanofilter residue has to be separately

content in the intake is high. Another al-

separation capacity of the nanofiltration

processed by precipitation/flocculation

ternative (Fig. 12) is direct nanofiltration

membrane, ongoing concentration in theStock Preparation

Fig. 14:
Futural aspects for the installation of a membrane
filtration.

Literature
1 Mörch, K. A., Steinig, J., König, J.: Erfahrungen mit
einem geschlossenen Wasserkreislauf in einer Papierfabrik. Allg. Papier Rdsch. 110 (1986), Nr. 44,
S. 1532 - 1536.
2 Diedrich, K.: Betriebserfahrungen mit einem
geschlossenen Wasserkreislauf bei der Herstellung
altpapierhaltiger Verpackungspapiere.
Wochenbl. f. Papierf., Nr. 4, 1984, S. 116 - 120.
3 Demel, J., Möbius, C. H.: Korrosion in Papierfabriken.
Allg. Papier Rdsch. 111 (1987), Nr. 24/25, S. 746-756.
4 Börner, F., Dalpke, H. L., Geller, Göttsching:Anreicherung von Salzen im Fabrikationswasser und
im Papier bei Einengung der Wasserkreisläufe in
Papierfabriken. Teil 1, Wochenbl. f. Papierf., 1982,
Nr. 9, S. 287 - 294.
5 Paasschens, C. W. M., Habets, L. H., De Vegt, A. L.:

21

Anaerobic treatment of recycled paper mill effluent in
the Netherlands. Tappi Journal Nov. 1991, S. 109-113.
6 Huster, R.: Anaerobe Abwasserreinigung in derPapierindustrie. Allg. Papier Rdsch. Nr. 46, 1989,
1320 ff.
7 Suhr, M.: Geschlossener Wasserkreislauf in der überwiegend Altpapier verarbeitenden Papierindustrie –Stand der Technik? Vortrag auf der UTECH ’96 am
26.2.96, Berlin im Seminar „Weitergehende Abwasserreinigung“.
8 Linhart, F., Auhorn, W., Degen , Lorz: Störstoffe –neue Aspekte ihres Wirkungsverhaltens, neue
Probleme, Lösungen für die Praxis.
Wochenbl. f. Papierf., Nr. 9, 1988, S. 329 - 336.
9 Hamm, U., Göttsching: Inhaltsstoffe von Holz undHolzstoff. Wochenbl. f. Papierf. Nr. 10, 1995,
S. 444 - 448

although the selection of plant components and the harmonization of individual
sections will have to be undertaken very

Costs for watersupply and treatment

carefully. The situation is different withwhite grades. It is basically technically
The limits by
the legislation

The productfeasible to close the circuit completely.
However, membrane filtration in the formof ultrafiltration or nanofiltration would
be essential in order to remove micro-or-

Membrane filtration processes

ganisms, biological breakdown products
and, in the case of nanofiltration, inorganic substances such as sulphate.
Water
management

The degree of closure

Initial results of long-term trials in paper
mills have confirmed the operating reliaThe chemical
consumption

bility and good availability of membrane
filtration systems.

14

Nevertheless, the system configuration
paper mill loops – except for monovalent

As shown in Fig. 13, both these concepts

for each individual case has to be opti-

salts – is prevented. From the energy

are not exactly cheap. Investment costs

mized carefully, taking account of all in-point of view, using low-cost spiralfor concept 1 – without partial nanofiltra-

fluencingwounded modules with large membranetion – amount to some 13,000 DM per

must go hand in hand here with empiricalareas also allows direct nanofiltration

m 3 /h, with operating costs around 1.5

data evaluation from comparable systems

despite low throughputs. Since these

DM per m 3 of permeate. The second con-and computer-assisted balancing of fibre

spiral wounded modules are liable tocept involves investment costs aroundadditive concepts.

blockage, prefiltration is particularly im-

30,000 DM per m 3 /h, likewise with oper-

portant.

ating costs around 1.5 DM per m 3 perme-

In future the economical and ecologicalate, plus additional costs for treating the

aspects of membrane filtration will be in-nanofiltration concentrate.

creasingly assessed for their affects on

But long-term trials have shown that if

factors.

Development

tests

product quality and chemicals consump-

the membrane filter operating parameters
are carefully adjusted, no blockage will

Prospects

tion (Fig. 14). Bearing in mind the com-occur. The filter cleaning interval should

In future, an integrated biological treat-plexity of paper mill loops, the cost-ef-

be about 4-6 days, and here again, thement stage will come into wide use in thefectiveness of membrane filtration cannot

nanofilter residue has to be separately

manufacture of packaging papers. Therebe assessed simply by comparing invest-

processed by precipitation/ flocculation

are no fundamental problems involved inment outlay and energy costs with efflu-

for disposal.

returning the biologically treated water,

ent treatment costs.

22

Paper Machinery Divisions:
Ortviken PM 4 – tomorrow’s technology today

The author:
Marion Nager,
Corporate Marketing

Early 1996, SCA
Graphic Paper
started up their
new PM 4 atOrtviken,
Sweden. The
goals had been
set high –produce LWC
paper with highopacity, highgloss, highdensity and highbulk using an on-line paper machineprocess including coating and calendering. Voith Sulzer Paper Technology ofGermany is the main supplier, in an
installation program that was completed
in less than five months.
Reasons for the investment
SCA’s twofold strategy is to produce
newsprint paper in regions with a dense
population and a therefore large amountof wastepaper (for example at the Aylesford mill near London), and to produce

LWC papers in regions with a large fresh
fiber supply. This led to the 1990 startup
of SCA’s first LWC machine in Ortviken.
High quality results were achieved immediately, largely because of the superior
properties of spruce fiber, the primary
raw material. This very thin, strong, flexible and bright fiber, has proven superior
to any other fiber for the production of
LWC paper. “It was therefore only aquestion of time for SCA to take the next
step and build a second LWC machine in
Ortviken, the PM 4,” explained Kenneth

23

1

Eriksson, President
Sundsvall.

of

SCA

Graphic

Quality goals
Göran Nilsson, Vice President, Business
Area Coated Papers, explained the reason
for the investment from a marketing pointof view. He sees the trend of increasing
consumption of coated papers, and hismarket analyses showed that SCA customers were interested in a broader
selection of products. It was therefore
decided to create two unique new gradesof
LWC
paper,
GraphoLux
andGraphoMatt, along with the already existing GraphoCote from the first machine.
GraphoLux is a paper designed for users
to whom opacity and stiffness are themost important attributes. It has a highthermomechanical pulp content, whichmakes it bulkier than conventional
LWC’s. Its excellent opacity offers customers the choice of producing a magazine that feels thicker and of superior
quality, or one with reduced weight, with-out risking a decrease in opacity (i.e.,high bulk at low weight).
GraphoMatt is a matt LWC paper with an
attractive combination of low paper
gloss, high print gloss and very good
opacity. It has been specifically developed for magazines where good readability is a must.
Asked if the quality goals have beenreached with the new machine, Nilsson
can only confirm, “Yes, we have reached24

Fig. 2:
While old PM 4 was still producing paper, thecoating and the calendering section of new PM 4
were being erected.
Fig. 3:To shorten erection time a completely
preassembled hood portion at the coating
section was mounted as a whole.

all the specifications. We are now producing the promised qualities and havebeen able to successfully trialprint the
new grades at a number of press-rooms
around the world with good results. Of
course a lot of optimization work was andstill is required in order to get maximum
productivity out of this outstanding,innovative machine.”

Machine Concept
The concept of the new machine wasdeveloped in close co-operation between
Voith Sulzer Paper Technology and SCA.
According to Kenneth Eriksson, Voith
Sulzer Paper Technology made a good
impression during the test trials before
the decision, and during the technicalnegotiations. “Voith Sulzer Paper Technology showed themselves as a very
competent group of people. And they
were well-prepared.” Asked for the reason Voith Sulzer Paper Technology waschosen as the supplier, Anders Johansson, Production Development Manager,answered, “Voith Sulzer Paper Technology is ahead in technology, especially inthe coating and in the calendering area.”And Örjan Petterson, General Manager
LWC Production, simply stated, “Voith
Sulzer Paper Technology agreed to develop a new, unique product with us.”Equipment
The new machine is a complete on-line
production unit, with forming, drying,coating and calendering in one process.
The reasons for this design are obvious.

2

3

The in-line process offers a reduction of
personnel amounting to 30-50% (app. 9
persons per shift), a reduced amount ofwaste and a reduction of production space.
PM 4 is equipped with a ModuleJet headbox, a DuoFormer CFD, a DuoCentri-2Press with three press nips, a CombiDuoRun pre-dryer section, a hard nip

machine calender, a DuoReel with center
wind, and other advanced equipment in
the coating and calendering area. In
addition to the machine, Voith Sulzer
Paper Technology delivered complete
machine-air ventilation with heat recovery, steam and condensate system, central lubrication, hydraulics/pneumatics

Paper Machines

25

Fig. 4:
For the dryer section, steel framing was erected
instead of concrete foundation to reduce downtime.
Fig. 5:
The framing of the wet end was preassembled
before being mounted by crane.

45

and an extensive production monitoring
system, the Technology Monitor VTM
2000.
Civil Works
Civil works for the foundation of the newpaper machine started in October 1994.
The fact that development work, including test trials in Heidenheim and in
Krefeld, were done parallel during thedesign phase, sometimes made work
difficult. “It wasn’t just a normal project
where you knew exactly what themachine would look like in the end,” said
Johansson.
Old machine still producing paper
during first phase of erection
Voith Sulzer Paper Technology started
erecting the new PM 4 on the 12th ofJuly, 1995. The old newsprint machine,which was shorter than the new LWC
machine, was still producing paper when
the reel, calender, hot oil unit for the calender, and two cylinders were being
mounted. On the 3rd of September, theold PM 4, which had been sold to the Far
East, finally was shut down and dismantled in a record time. Fifty-five hundred
tons of steel were carefully removed inonly seven days! Less than five months
later, on the 21st of January, 1996, thenew paper machine started up. “I don’t
think that such a huge machine has everbeen erected in such a short period
before,” said Kenneth Eriksson.
Uno Wallgren, project engineer for thepaper machine, said the project went very

26

well, especially in consideration of thevery short period, “It took only four and ahalf months, and it was in an existingbuilding. It was really hard work for all
involved due to the limited space in thebuilding.” According to Wallgren, theerection crew led by Voith Sulzer Paper
Technology erection manager Alex Rieble
did a very good job. “We had a lot of project meetings. We also checked the manufacturing at Voith Sulzer Paper Technology’s subcontractors, and everything
looked very good.” The good co-opera-tion between SCA’s and Voith Sulzer
Paper Technology’s people helped a lot inthis phase. Anders Johansson remembered that erection manager Alex Rieble
and project manager Andreas Köhler
“never saw a problem, always stayed cooland always found a solution. They areskilled people.”
Startup
A time-schedule had been set up andsteering committee meetings were held.
Here problems were reviewed regularly inorder to find solutions. In the beginningthese meetings took place every day, they
were then reduced to three times a week,
and finally to once a week.
The paper machine early showed its ability to reach the forecasted quality level,
whereas the new on-line coating and calendering technique took some time to getup and running. Several systems(tailthreading and drives) had to be
adjusted, but because of the close cooperation, the changes were smoothly
implemented. Uno Wallgren praises the

27

Fig. 1 (page 22) and 6:
It is done! The new PM 4 is completed
and in operation.
Fig. 7:
Kenneth Eriksson, President of
SCA Graphic Sundsvall AB.
Fig. 8:
Per-Olof Wedin, Production Director of
SCA Graphic Sundsvall AB.

78

work of the Voith Sulzer Paper Technology startup crew led by startup manager
Ricardo Zorzin: “The whole staff is skilledand very open. We work very well withthem.” And Per-Olof Wedin, Production
Director at SCA Graphic Sundsvall, says:“We appreciate the skills of Voith Sulzer
Paper Technology. Especially during
erection the high German standards werevisible.”Today’s performance
Per-Olof Wedin is satisfied with the quali-

ty results: “Quality development since thestart-up was quick. We have reached ourgoals for brightness, opacity, bulk andgloss. Runnability and printability also
seem to be superior.” Wedin adds, “Thepaper is very good and we will soon
reach a maximum production level thanks
to the good co-operation with the Voith
Sulzer Paper Technology team.
We remain convinced that we have madethe right choice regarding the technicalsolution. This is without any doubt the

LWC technique of the future.” Eriksson
confirms, “We feel very comfortable with
the quality we have achieved so far andwith our customers’ reactions, but wewill of course continue to develop the
paper further.”
Further SCA plans
In any case, development work at SCA
will not stop, for as Wedin stated, “Wewant to be in the pole position when thenext race starts.” Well, good luck for the
race!

28

Paper Machinery Divisions:
Latest generation of cylinder mould formers –the FloatLip former N, NO, S
The VSPT short former, widely used for

dewatering characteristics of the stock as

the formation of individual layers ofwell as the slice geometry. Variations inboard grades, has now been superseded

the degrees of refining produce changes

by the FloatLip former – very similar but

in the dewatering pressure. Also imper-

offering substantial improvements.

fections of the cylinder moulds affect theloading tube

floating top lip

dewatering pressure, as the clearanceThis innovative but straightforward andwidth changes periodically in such cas-practical design not only ensures betteres. Furthermore, the forces acting on the

sheet formation on the cylinder mould,

top lip of the headbox in conventional

but also simplifies operation. One of thedesigns cause lip deformation over the

innovations incorporated in this new

width. Although this can be compensat-

development is already revealed by its

ed, readjustments are always necessary

name: the FloatLip former.

when

operatingconditions

turbulence blockchange.

Adjustment of the basis weight profile onoutlet slice remains constant. The pneu-

Like its predecessor, the FloatLip former

a shortformer is made by conventional

matic hose on the top lip also ensuresconsists of a cylinder mould, frame withadjustment of the slice, so that the well-continuous support, thus avoiding defor-

pan and couch roll and the headbox withknown drawback of local changes in fibre

mations due to bending. All in all, these

the supply system. While the cylinderorientation negatively affects breaking

innovations have an extremely positive

mould and the couch roll have been taken

length constancy and thus bending stiff-

effect on end product sheet uniformity

over from the short former without any

ness over the web width.

(fibre orientation, breaking length ratio,formation).

significant changes, the frame and pan of
the FloatLip former now form an integral

All these disadvantages have now been

unit. The real innovation, however, lies ineliminated by systematic development

Another significant innovation comprises

the completely new headbox and distribu-

work on the short former. Although thethe supply system with dilution water

resulting innovations are not obvious atcontrol and centrifugal distributor, which

first sight, they are very important for

supplies stock to the FloatLip former

product quality and operating conve-

headbox through a system of hoses.

tion system.
In

conventional

formers, drainage

nience.
This centrifugal distributor is of similarin the sheet foris

On the FloatLip former the top lip of thedesign to the central distributor, except

determined by the

headbox is no longer rigid, but adjusted

that the stock enters the distributor

predetermined

to the suspension pressure by means oftangentially. Light-weight particles andnozzlegeometry.

a pneumatic hose. This keeps the dewa-

undissolved air collect in the middle ofThis makes sheet

tering pressure constant irrespective ofthe distributor and are removed out of

formationpres-fluctuations in the degree of refining.

the top. Compared with lateral discharge

sure dependent on

Furthermore, the top lip can follow thefrom a cross-distributor, the quantities

the stock flow, theimperfections of the cylinder mould – theremoved are insignificant, but sufficientmationThe author:
Dr. Günter Halmschlager,
Paper Machine Division
Board and Packaging

zone

1

Paper Machines

29

Fig. 1:
FloatLip former headbox.
Fig. 2:
FloatLip former with distribution system.
Fig. 3:
FloatLip former: typical application ranges.

for efficient system deaeration in order toprevent pinholes and irregular sheet

white top:
type N

structuring. The centrifugal distributor

type NO

not only removes the air from the sys-

type Stem, but also eliminates the need for across-distributor and lateral discharge,

filler, back layer, underliner:

thus saving energy in the supply system.

type N

Based on the success of the ModuleJet,

type NOthe FloatLip former was equipped with atype S

dilution water system for adjusting the
CD basis weight profile. The ModuleJet

50

100

150

200

250

300 m/min

FL is a greatly simplified version adapted
to the needs, with manually operated

effects on fibre orientation and hence on

leading position on the market also in

dilution valves. The basis weight correc-

breaking length ratio.

application areas where ultra-high pro-tion effect due to dilution is so large that

duction capacities or operating speeds

only about every fifth FloatLip former

Like its predecessors, the FloatLip former

requires a ModuleJet FL. The Module

is available in the N, NO and S versions,

Jet FL allows precise adjustment of thetype selection depending mainly on oper-

Application range of the FloatLip former

CD basis weight profile without negative

ating speed and type of furnish. FloatLip

I Folding boxboard

formers are best used for layers with a

I Grey board

basis weight of 50 to 100 g/m 2, the num-

I Core board

ber of formers depending on the required

I Gypsum board

basis weight of the finished product.

mixing block
ModuleJet FL

FloatLip

formersections

operateFeatures of the FloatLip former
atspeeds between about 35 and 400 m/min,with basis weights ranging from 15 tomore than 1000 g/m 2. The maximum
working width is approx. 5000 mm.

deaeration
distribution pipe
dilution water

2

centrifugal distributor

are not required.

I Adjustable dewatering pressure byfloating top lip
I Centrifugal distributor with
ModuleJet FL
I Simple operation and maintenance
I High availability

The FloatLip former is an impressive

Technological advantages

demonstration of how well-tried concepts

I Excellent formation with low energy

can be updated through innovations,consumption

without unreasonable outlay. Together

I Uniform thickness profile

with other state-of-the-art developments,

I Good printability

it rounds off the Voith Sulzer Paper

I High specific bulk and CD-stiffness

Technology product range to ensure a

I Adjustable breaking length ratio.

330

Paper Machinery Divisions:
Serang BM3/BM4 – the exemplary commissioning

Last

year

This comprises a multiple stock prepara-

pulping, flotation and disperging, with

Serang, Indone-tionmachines

additional systems for chemical additives

sia, a large Voith

BM3/BM4 arranged back-to-back, which

preparation, water loop treatment andSulzerapart from a few details are identical.

rejects

Paper

Technology

The author:
Alexander Wassermann,
Paper Machine Division
Board and Packaging,
Commissioning

in

line

and

two

board

or-

processing.

Maximum

overallthroughput is 1985 t/day oven-dry stock.

der was handed

Plant components

over with out-

The Serang board machines are supplied

Each board machine operates with a mul-standing

suc-by a total of seven stock preparation lines

tiply 4-wire section, all plies being

cess – a com-

for waste paper, CTMP and chemical

equipped with step diffusor headboxes.

plete
line

productionforpulp. These include all the key compo-

coatednents of Voith Sulzer stock preparation

The press section comprises a double-

folding boxboard.

technology, such as high consistency

felted suction press followed by large

Paper Machines

31

Fig. 1:
Wire section of Serang BM3.

1

diameter double and single-felted rollchine and cross-machine directions), andpresses. These large roll presses may be

After coating and the last drier stage, twopaper feeding times. It also reduces in-replaced later on with shoe presses. The

softnip calenders are installed. For board

vestment costs and brings greater flexi-

board sheet is prepared for coating in a

grades coated on both sides, these oper-

bility for extending existing lines.

hard-nip calender.

ate with alternate soft and thermorolls.
With a total of three calenders, this con-

For market reasons, the BM4 board

The seven coating units (four on BM4

cept gives the same results as a machinemachine mainly produces ivory board

and three on BM3) have a maximum

with yankee cylinder, but with the deci-(GZ1) from bleached chemical pulp andcapacity of 24 g/m 2 , with precoating bysive benefit of higher runnability.

CTMP at the present time. On BM3
duplex board is currently produced, but

stiff blade and top-coating by bent blade.
Two coaters on the back side are onlyThis advantage mainly applies to gradesolid bleached board, art board andused for special grades, with light sizingchanging, humidity profiles (in the ma-

Manila board also feature on the produc-

otherwise.

tion programme.

32

Fig. 2:
Partial view of Serang stock preparation system.

2gineering and production specialists andand control systems are not easy to mas-

Commissioning – a challenge in optimal

all members of the supplier consortium

ter, but thanks to close cooperation withcooperation

was particularly noteworthy. Already dur-the customer’s electricians and instru-

Successfully commissioning a plant ofing the erection phase, which is criticalmentation specialists, the long checklist

this size demands perfect on-site coop-for smooth commissioning, customer

was successfully completed in a very

eration among all concerned. The same

teamwork was outstanding. The first-

short space of time. Operating personnel

applies to erection and installation of in-class workshop facilities provided by thefor the stock preparation line and board

strumentation and control systems, andcustomer also contributed a good deal

machines received training by the cus-to the subsequent technological commis-

toward meeting the tight commissioning

tomer’s papermaking specialists. Thesesioning phase.

schedule.

in turn had attended a training course in

Cooperation between the customer’s en-

The complexities of modern measuring

Europe prior to commissioning, where
they also had the opportunity of inspect-Paper Machines

33

Fig. 3:
Felt threading on second press of BM3.
Fig. 4:Threading of filler wire on BM3.

3

4

ing a board mill in operation. Full prepa-

The stable instrumentation air supply net-rations were thus completed for the com-During the loop checks, control system

work so important for the pneumatic

missioning phase, which commenced inlinks to the line aggregates and vice-systems was also ensured.

November 1995.

versa were checked. With about 5000
control circuits all in all, this took up

After checking all the process control

Functional commissioning

most of the time required for functional

circuits, each function was tested individ-

At the precommissioning meeting incommissioning.

ually and in its process context. This

October 1995, a startup deadline wasphase provided a further check on logicalagreed for mid-February 1996. All checks

To give a better overview and speed up

therefore had to be completed as quickly

progress monitoring, check-sheets wereas possible. The functional commission-

filled out by the test engineers and hand-

The final stage in functional commission-ing phase, which includes loop checks

ed over to the Voith Sulzer team. Any

ing comprised startup tests on the nu-

and dry operation tests, forms the basis

problems noted in these check sheets

merous drive systems. Since more thanfor final commissioning by ensuring trou-

could thus be followed up immediately.

70 drives had to be coordinated on eachblefree control and full reliability of all

By this time all machine motions hadboard machine, this phase was extremely

aggregates and machinery at startup

been checked, meaning that also the hy-

complex and time-consuming. Apart fromtime. This applies to all sections of thedraulic aggregates were operational in-drive rotation tests, checks also had to beprocess control system as well as thecluding a reliable supply of cooling water.

carried out on the central oil lubrication

machine controls.

sequencing of the line components.

34

Fig. 5:
Final section and reel of Serang BM4.

system, steam and condensate systems.
Drives in the wet section were first coordinated in the unloaded condition, since
wires and felts could not be inserted until
after water tests had been carried out.
Technological commissioning
The first stage in technological commissioning comprises wet testing. Both in
the stock preparation lines and in theboard machines themselves, all lines are
first operated with water. This not only
serves for flushing and leakage monitoring, but above all for initial adjustment ofcontrol parameters and stability checkingof the individual systems. Pressures inthe screens and cleaners are preadjusted,valve settings are made, and troubleshooting is carried out.
During the individual group startup tests,
particular attention was paid to ensuringthat all startup steps could be carried out
by the customer’s operating personnel.
The water tests offered a good opportunity for training the customer’s personnel
in technical operating conditions on therunning machines. Here again, the importance of smooth cooperation was impressively demonstrated. Since the operating
personnel were divided into a field group
and a process control system group,
agreement between monitor display data
and the process conditions was likewise
an important theme.
During commissioning a recheck was al-5

Paper Machines

35

Fig. 6:
Great care is taken over examining the quality ofa reel spool.

rect functioning of each stop device also

regulation in the machine direction by

had to be ensured, as well as startup ofcontinuous consistency measurements inthe correct pulpers with the appropriate

each line. Particularly in the stock prepa-

dilution water flow. On a line of thisration line, a large number of consistency

length, five pulpers are required forcontrol devices indispensable for correct

troublefree

product regulation had to be calibrated.

web

feed

and

adequate

flexibility in case of breakage.

In view of the rejects produced during
startup, care was taken that these wereMachine startup

not fed back too thinly to stock prepara-

The production schedule was agreed intion.

good time with the customer. Initially theintention was to produce uncoated grey

This early optimization resulted in ex-

board (in three plies) for the customer’s

tremely stable operation of the board ma-

so carried out on all interlocks. For exam-

spool plant. After a transition to whitechines, certainly also one of the benefits

ple faultless operation of the refiner con-covered duplex board, coated duplex

of a concept without yankee drier. After

trols in the stock preparation line was en-

board was finally to be produced. The

producing grey board and white covered

sured, and dependable stock supplies as

production programme was adapted touncoated duplex for two weeks, produc-a function of production regulation by thecurrent market conditions shortly before

tion was changed to coated grades. The

mixing centre control system. On thecommissioning, however, in order tofirst laboratory test results confirmed ex-board machines, particular attention wascommence production of fresh fibrecellent product quality.

paid during this phase to interlocks in theboard.

6

approach flow and wire section. Since theOptimization of board machine settings

Serang board machines have multiply

This change made some adjustments

The optimization work carried out during

wire sections with 4-ply couching, inter-

necessary in the stock preparation line,

the next few weeks served on one handlock complexity is very high. The vacuum

but the startup deadline was still met. On

to increase production output, and on thesystem in this wire section is much more

February 14, 1996, the first stock arrived

other hand to enhance board quality stillsensitive than in a conventional four-on the wires. Adjustments were then op-

further. Here again, close cooperation

driniermachine,andwaslikewisetimized in the wet section to ensure awith the customer ensured that any ad-

checked very carefully.

stable web transfer to the dry section.

justment changes necessary were carried

Last but not least came a simulation test

Right from the outset of production,on the web breakage control system – ex-great importance was attached to au-

tremely important for startup – and re-tomation of the basis weight and mois-

Machine operation was extremely smooth

jects processing. The light barriers wereture control systems. The process/oper-

right from the beginning. Hardly any

positioned carefully, since any fluctua-

ating control system supplier rapidly car-stoppages occurred, neither due to elec-

tions in tension leading to web sag mustried out scanner adjustments, at thetrical nor mechanical causes. Only three

not be interpreted as web breakage. Cor-same time calibrating basis weight profile

months afterwards, web breakages wereout straight away, with immediate availability of results.

36

Fig. 7:
Production manager Tsai Chuen Hsin (3rd fromthe left) with some members of the startup team.

7

limited to about once every two days. The

case of two almost identical board ma-

detailed statistics kept by the customer

chines in the same line proved very ad-

Theallowed systematic optimization of web

vantageous here both for the erection

received excellent training on the BM4

breakage frequency.

team

and

test

engineers.

The

customer’s

operatingpersonnelfew

machine, and a number of shift leaderschanges required to hardware and soft-were transferred to BM3 during startup of

Production was then adapted continuous-

ware were soon completed, and the re-this machine.

ly to market demands, and in July 1996

vised function plan thus allowed a con-the guaranteed production output ofsiderable reduction of testing time. The

These optimal conditions led to an exem-

650 t/day was exceeded for the firstpre-optimized stock preparation line, al-plary startup of the second board ma-time. Product qualities always complied

ready tested with water, was now started

chine – only 45 minutes after stock feedwith the customer’s specification.

up with waste paper furnish. Of consider-release,

board

was

already

being

able benefit here was the existence in the

produced, which greatly impressed theBM3 startup

same mill of another machine using

customer. The outstandingly successful

During the optimization phase on BM4,

waste paper, which during the test phase

commissioning of the Serang board pro-assembly work on BM3 had been com-

was supplied by the new stock prepara-

duction line thus shows once again thepleted, and loop tests and functional tri-tion line. Stable stock supplies to theenormous importance of first class coop-als had already commenced. The unusual

BM3 machine were therefore ensured

eration between customer and supplier.

easily.

Paper Machines

37

Gap Former Technology:
No. 26 DuoFormer CFD installation a success
Consolidated Papers, Inc.’s Biron Division’s No. 26 paper machine is alreadymanufacturing a first-line product following the installation of a DuoFormer CFD
that was completed in only 18 days.
The gap former rebuild was originallyscheduled to take 30 days. Effectiveplanning and outstanding efforts bycrews involved trimmed 12 days from the
proposed schedule, resulting inmajor savings on
the project.
On
March 7, stock
was on wire andon March 8, themachine officiallystarted up.

James R. Kolinski,
Vice President,
Manufacturing Consolidated Papers, Inc.

Roger L. Wangen,
Division Manager
Biron Division Consolidated Papers, Inc.

“It was a phenomenal job by everyone involved in theNo. 26 rebuild
andgap-former
project, including
engineers, drafting, construction,members of theyard and support
departments,
transfer employees, maintenancecrews, No. 26 production employees, our purchasing
department,
vendors and suppliers, the Voith
Sulzer team andcontractors
onsite,” said Jim

Kolinski, vice president, manufacturing.
“Other divisions sacri- ficed to support
us with their crafts people. Thanks toeveryone who had a hand in this project.
It’s a stellar, outstanding, world-class
effort.”“The prework, installation and start-up
was outstanding,” noted Roger Wangen,division manager. “The entire project wasa success – the first day the coaters wereon, we were shipping salable paper.”
The paper quality from the gap former is

excellent, according to Ken Lepinski,
No. 26 superintendent. There is still somefine-tuning to be done on the machine,
but it is already providing great results.
“The ModuleJet headbox is giving us an
outstanding profile,” Lepinski said. “Fromthe start-up we’ve been selling the paper
as a first-line product.”38

Paper Machinery Divisions:
New applications in multilayer technology

1Multilayer formation with several headboxes and wires isMultilayer headbox designstate-of-the-art at the present time for board and packaging
paper production.

Fig. 1 shows a 3-layer headbox with
ModuleJet consistency control for a CFD

In this connection, the intensive research work carried out by

gapformer. Up to three different pulp

Voith Sulzer Paper Technology in close cooperation withgrades can be fed to the headbox throughcustomers has resulted in far wider applications of multilayer

the large-diameter headers. If a symmet-

technology over the last few years (several pulp grades in arical sheet structure is required, the two

single headbox).

outer pipes are fed with the same kind ofpulp, the lower grade pulp generally

Voith Sulzer Paper Technology now markets a range of inter-being fed through the middle pipe.

esting new designs, suitable for a wide variety of furnishes
The authors:
Dr. Elmer Weisshuhn,
Paper Machine Division
Board and Packaging,
Headboxes.
Ulrich Begemann,
Paper Machine Division
Graphic, Headboxes.

and paper qualities as well as meeting specific customer

The headers are often connected to theneeds.

headbox by flexible hoses. This not only
makes the headbox more accessible, but

A complete report on all these innovations would exceed thealso dispenses with the need for inlet andscope of this article, which is therefore limited to a basic dis-outlet compensators in the headers.

cussion of hydrodynamics in modern multilayer headboxes.

Alternatively, the headers can be directlyPaper Machines

39

Fig. 1:
Schematic arrangement of a 3-layer headbox.
Fig. 2:
2-layer headbox for board and packaging papers.

flanged to the turbulence generator, thus

Main quality criteria:

resulting in a very compact headbox

I Good coverage for a given basis

arrangement with good accessibility.

weight of the liner
I BondAll multilayer headboxes can be swivelled

I Tensile ratio

in the same way as single layer headbox-

I Formation

es for adjusting the jet impingement

I Stock consistency and throughput

angle.

range
I Speed range

At the outlet of the turbulence generator,
two lamellas divide the nozzle into three

Latest achievements in multilayer

separate flow channels. The end of eachheadbox development:

lamella comprises a sandwich structure

I Significant reduction in minimum basis

made of carbon fibre reinforced plastic,

weight required for good coveragewith zero thermal expansion coefficient.

I Operating speed rise of multilayerThis

ensures

invariable

dimensional

machines to about 1200 m/min
I Production at overall basis weights up

accuracy at different pulp temperatures

to 300 g/m 2 on Gapformers

and is essential for a stable and flat fibre 2
orientation profile.
tant for good coverage, is not spoilt by

Thanks to intensive cooperation between

For board and packaging papers, the typeslicer bar deformation due to cross pro-customers and manufacturer, and simul-of headbox shown in Fig. 2 is increasingly

file control.

taneous development work on several

used. The headers are installed in a rigid

Voith Sulzer Paper Technology facilities

support structure and directly connected

The headboxes shown here are a typicalin Ravensburg and Heidenheim, a goodto the turbulence generator.

selection, taken from the wide variety ofmany product-specific solutions havedesigns required for meeting all the dif-been implemented in a relatively shortSince the basis weight of high-grade liner

ferent needs of two and three layer tech-time.

has to be kept as low as possible, thenology for board and packaging papers,

ModuleJet layer usually makes up at least

tissue and graphic papers.

These paper machine test facilities are

50% of the total basis weight. This isequipped with headboxes allowing easy

enough to allow optimization of the total

modification of the type of turbulencebasis weight cross-profile by varying that

New developments in multilayer

generator, lamella and nozzle geometry.

of one layer only. In addition to its gener-

headbox design

The headboxes can be operated with one,al benefits, the use of consistency control

two or three layers on the Gapformer.

on multilayer headboxes producers one

Multilayer product quality depends far

more advantage: the uniform jet thick-more on correct headbox design thanThe first tests on 3-layer production ofness for the liner, which is very impor-single layer products.

copying paper in March 1992 resulted in40Fig. 3:
Factors affecting jet quality R on a multilayer
headbox.
Fig. 4:
Poor coverage due to unsuitable nozzle geometry.

Poor

R

R

Poor

Good

Good
0

200

400

0

Jet length [mm]

20

40

60

80

Lamella extension [mm]
Poor

R

R

Poor

Good

Good
500

700

1

Nozzle length [mm]8End convergency [mm]43unsatisfactory

coveragewithstreaks

when using two different pulp grades.

weight irrespective of operating speed

Since formation and coverage character-and throughput.

istics are often a direct function of jet

During the following months, parameters

surface structure, some jet pictures takensuch as headbox consistency, jet length,

During this phase the advantages of con-on a 120-mm-wide pilot headbox are

nozzle length, lamella geometry and noz-sistency control, already known in single

shown here.

zle convergence were checked for theirlayer technology, were confirmed.

effects on formation, bond and coverage.

Fig. 5 shows the influence of nozzle conAs a result, good fibre orientation andvergence on jet turbulence, and Fig. 6

Fig. 3 shows the jet quality of a multi-

basis weight profiles were also achievedthat of lamella length. On the left handlayer headbox as a function of some ofwith the ModuleJet in multilayer head-side of Fig. 6 the jet spraying effectthese geometrical parameters.

boxes.

caused by excessive wall friction is clearlyvisible. Increasing jet turbulence causes

Fig. 4 shows a 2-layer board sample with

Here again, the essential prerequisite forharder formation, and after exceeding apoor coverage, which was due to unsuit-a flat fibre orientation CD profile is an

critical limit the result is poor coating.

able nozzle geometry. Another task at

absolutely parallel gap. In other words,

Long lamellas, which would otherwisethat time was to develop a user-friendly

the flatness of the lamella ends is just as

seem desirable for better layer separa-

headbox control system, allowing adjust-critical as that of the apron.

tion, are therefore not such a good idea

ment and setting of each individual basis

after all.

Paper Machines

41

Fig. 5:
Jet surfaces with different nozzle convergences
on a test headbox.
Fig. 6:
Jet surfaces with different lamella lengths on apilot headbox.

Standard nozzle
with linear convergence

Convergent nozzle
with extreme acceleration at nozzle end
5Lamella overlap over nozzle end: 60 mm

HeadboxLamella overlap over nozzle end: 0 mm

6

The time exposure in Fig. 7 shows the jet

sioned during recent years alone, which

desired effect is much more pronounced

surface of a pilot headbox fitted with one

also operate with multiple stock grades.

than on single-layer sheets produced

lamella. The right hand side of the lamel-

under optimal operating conditions.

la has an optimized tip in CFRP sandwich

Development work has likewise been

construction, while the left-hand side has

underway for some time now on the mul-

Summary and prospects

a 0.5-mm-thick tip. Table 1 indicates thetilayer production of SCA papers, theMultilayer technology for board andlarge number of Voith Sulzer Paper Tech-

object being to enrich the filler on the

packaging papers has now reached a highnologysheet surfaces. As shown in Fig. 8, thelevel of sophistication, and numerous

multilayermachinescommis-42

Fig. 7:
Jet surfaces with different lamella end geometries(time exposure on a pilot headbox).
Fig. 8:Filler distribution in SCA paper produced on amultilayer headbox.

Lamella end: stepped
35

Fillers content [%]30

Lamella end: optimized

25
Product: SCA paper
Basis weight: 56 g/m 2
Wet section:
3-layer headbox
and CFD former

20

15
US

7

OS

production machines have been sold

Date commissioned Company

Web width [m]Paper grade

08/1994

Visy Paper Inc.
Sydney 6

2.7

Liner
2-layer

01/1995

Visy Paper Inc.
Conyers 12

5.4

Liner
2-layer

01/1995

Willamett Inc.
Campti 2

5.4

Liner
2-layer

speeds up to 1200 m/min. As shown in

09/1995

Neusiedler AG
Hausmening 6

4.9

Copying paper
3-layer

ual layers is good. Furthermore, invest-

01/1996

Taiwan Tissue
Tien Long

3.8

Tissue2-layerly lower than for comparable multi-ply

03/1996

Visy Paper Inc.
Brisbane 8

3.1

Liner
2-layer

06/1996

Industria Cartoria
Tronchetti
Tronchetti 3

2.8

Tissue2-layer

Visy Paper Inc.
New York

5.4

KNP
Zülpich 2

5.4

02/1997
08/1996
12/1996

within a short space of time.
With the plants already in operation,basis weights from 80 to 300 g/m 2 canbe produced on Gapformers at operating
Figs. 9 and 10, coverage between individment and operating costs are significantmachines.
On the whole, basis weight and fibre orientation CD-profiles are much better.
Moreover, this type of machine is as simple to operate as a single-layer machine.

Cartiera di Cadidavid 5.4
Cadidavid 2Liner2-layer

For effective control of MD and CDLiner
2-layerstrength

Testliner
2-layer
Pulp and Paper Europe

range.

characteristics,

thejet/wirevelocity ratio can be adjusted over a wide

Multilayer technology for graphic papers

8Paper Machines

43

Fig. 9:Multilayer liner produced on a pilot machinewith 2-layer headbox and DuoFormer CFD at
550 m/min and 126 g/m 2.
Top side: bleached chemical pulp, 56 g/m 2 .
Back side: unbleached chemical pulp, 72 g/m 2.
Fig. 10:Multilayer liner produced on a pilot machinewith 2-layer headbox and DuoFormer CFD at
900 m/min and 118 g/m 2.
Top side: waste paper/chemical pulp (dyed),
46 g/m 2.
Back side: 100% waste paper, 72 g/m 2.

has likewise reached maturity, but due
to their lower basis weights special
demands are placed on headbox flow
conditions.
Although the use of multilayer headboxes
for board and packaging papers, tissue
and graphic papers will certainly increaseover the next few years, this interesting
technology is also subject to limitations,which are currently as follows:
I The minimum basis weight of top lay-ers is around 25 g/m 2 at the present
state of development. If this limit is
not respected, only a network isformed, but for some applications this9

is sufficiant.
I Even with separate upward and down-

ward whitewater drainage, inter-layer
mixing of the fines and filler in a 2-layer headbox cannot be entirely avoided.
This places limits on the maximum
possible colour difference between layers.
Development potential in this relatively
new field is certainly not exhausted byany means, however. It can therefore be
assumed that future will open new application fields besides the classical multilayer technology. As well these applications will overcome today’s limits. One
example of this is filler enrichment in thesurface layers of SCA grades, as men10

tioned above.

44

Paper Machines Divisions:
Brilliant Coating with JetFlow F –data, facts, experience

The number ofrenowned companies that havedecided in favourof JetFlow F issteadily growing.
In three Finnish
paper mills, six
JetFlow F’s haverecently gone into
operation within a
few weeks of each
The author: Bernhard
other – and all ofKohl, Paper Machine
them meet theDivision Graphic,
customer’s expecCoating Technology
tations in respectof quality and pro-duction. JetFlow F issimply “Brilliant Coating”! Reijo Lindholm, head of Production at Enso Publication Papers confirms: “This technology represents a significant step
forwards.”

For those of you who do not yet know too
much about the new process, its principle is explained briefly below.
A precisely controlled thin film of coatingcolor is applied to the paper as a free jet.
The film is pre-metered, the required coatquantity smaller and the application more
uniform. Operation is cleaner, much
faster, and pre-dewatering of the applied
film is smoother and more uniform
throughout the dwell time. The coatingcolor arrives in a more liquid form at theblade and can be metered better, resulting in an improved coat structure.
JetFlow therefore offers brilliant advantages! What are its benefits? Below aresome interesting facts based on practicalexperiences and opinions received fromour customers.

JetFlow F – advantages at a glance
For paper quality:
I Higher gloss
I Better coverage
I Convincing printing result
I Disturbance-free coating film
I Optimum coat weight profiles
For economic efficiency:
I Less breaks
I Maximum runnability
I More flexibility
I Reduced energy consumption
I Reduced coating color losses
For your production and maintenanceteam:
I Clean operation
I Less maintenance
I Longer blade life
I Longer roll service life
I No wear parts

45

Paper Machines

Maximum runnability
Compared with all other blade coaters,
JetFlow F provides significantly higher
runnability, which means the efficiency ofthe complete production line can beincreased. With JetFlow F, speeds of
2,000 m/min (6550 ft/min) are a reality.

Fields of application…proven successfullyBase paper-wood-freeg/m 2-wood-containing g/m 2

40 -140
24 -290

Coat weight

g/m 2

4 -20

Speed

m/min

330 -2000

Solids content%

45 -70Viscosity

mPa·s

600 -2400(100 rpm Brookfield)
-10%
-36%

6,7

-28%

4,9

4,8
3 months after rebuild

3 months after rebuild

Breaks per day

6,8

1 year after rebuild

7,6

LDTA JetFlow F LDTA JetFlow F
LWC coater(since May ’95)

Art-paper coater(since February ’96)

This means savings in expensive retention agents and trouble-free processingof even critical coating colors.
Reduced energy consumption
JetFlowF can operate with a higher color
consistency. That saves energy. In addition, the color circulation rate is low andcolor thickening is reduced. JetFlow F
therefore cuts operating costs.

Minimum thickening:More flexibility
The free-jet application places no special
demands on coating color rheology. The
color can be optimized for the paper but
does not have to be adapted to suit theapplicator. JetFlow F is suitable for all
customary coating colors and paper
grades.
Users’ experience:“An optimization potential with regard tocoating color formulation was reached
due to the significantly lower color thickening and new degrees of freedom withrespect to color rheology.”

Users’ experience:“Today, color thickening at Coater 1 has
been reduced by 50 to 70 per cent, andat Coater 2 it is almost zero. It is therefore possible to operate with higher

solids contents which is, among otherthings, beneficial to paper quality. In
addition, the previous speed limit due tothe drying limitation of the coatingmachine was distinctly increased for several grades.”

Reduced color circulation rate:
m 3/h · mColor circulation rate

What economic advantages does
JetFlow F offer?

25

AB

-20%

27

20

-30%

19

LDTA JetFlow F

LDTA JetFlow F

LWC coater(since May ’95)

Art-paper coater(since February ’96)mAB

= operating width in m

Not only the lower color circulation rates
but also the smaller color losses during
cleaning reduce operating costs.

Users’ experience:“Color losses on breaks are significantly
reduced. Prior to the rebuild we lost
about 300 l of color with each break,emptying the color pan, whereas 100 l at
the most are now lost with the nozzle
applicator. Based on 5 breaks per day,this corresponds to a reduction of
approx. 1 t of color loss per working
day.”“The total waste water losses could be
distinctly reduced due to fewer breaks
and the reduced color circulation rate.”

46

How does JetFlow F improve your paper?
Higher gloss
The free-jet application ensures a betterstructured alignment of the pigments.
The surface is more closed and has ahigher gloss.

Convincing printing results
Our customers say: “Experience with our
new JetFlow F coater in the ULWC/LWC
rotogravure sector shows improved
printability of our high-quality papers.”“We can save co-binder, as the JetFlow F
produces an improved coating holdout.”

Users’ experience:“After installation of the JetFlow F, flickering streaks in the coating layer havebeen eliminated. The color rate setting is
reproducible. Barring on the blade is athing of the past. The result is anextremely homogeneous and uniform
coat application.”

68
53

SDTA

LDTA

LDTA

JetFlow F

Optimum coat weight profiles
Coat weight profiles can be controlled.
With the innovative Profilmatic 2 F theprofile is controlled before the coatingcolor even reaches the paper. Something
no other system can do.

JetFlow F

Results with LWC offset
40 g/m 2 + 2 x 10 g/m 2 coat application
at 1500 m/min.

Better coverage
The free-jet film provides a visibly more
uniform coverage of the fibers.

Disturbance-free coating film
The coating color is applied without turbulence or film splitting, thus eliminating
associated quality defects.

Coat weightcontrol range+10%
Coat weight

Gloss (Hunter 75°) in %

62

-10%

-30%

Nozzle gap+30%

JetFlow F
As profiling is not done by the blade, theblade tip angle remains constant. Bleeding and non-uniform blade wear are
reduced. This is extremely beneficial forhigh coat weights.

LDTA

1 Jet
2 Nozzle
3 Color application
4 Color returnPaper Machines

What are the advantages for your production team and maintenance?
Clean operation
The compact JetFlow F nozzle produces aclosed film, the coater stays clean.
Splashing, misting and troublesome coating deposits are a thing of the past.

Less maintenance
JetFlow F has no wearing parts. Nothing
has to be replaced continuously. Only thenozzle needs to be cleaned from time totime. And this is fast and easy.

Longer blade life
The coating color gets to the blade in amore liquid form, reducing blade loading
and increasing blade life. Advanced
deckle adjusters minimize blade edge
wear which also contributes to longer
blade life.
A production team: “We have never seensuch a clean edge system before. The
clean, exact coat edges are a great
advantage. They can be adjusted remotely. The wear- and contact-free edge deckles do not stress paper web or backing
roll.”

Users’ experience:“Cleaning of the system has become considerably easier and faster since theinstallation of the JetFlow F. Comparedwith the LDTA used earlier, there is nocleaning of the lead-in roll or a colorpan.”Longer roll life
The clean edge deckles inside the nozzle
of JetFlow F prevent premature wear in
the edge zone of the backing rolls.

“In the past, the edge deckles were very
sensitive to contamination and deposits.
The result were often breaks due to edge
cracks, whereas the integrated edge
deckles of the JetFlow F remain clean
and are wear-free.”See for yourself. During a visit to a reference installation, the users of JetFlow F
will certainly pass on their experience.

47

The nozzle can be rotated towards theuser and opened for cleaning. Experiencehas shown: “The nozzle is cleaned regularly every 4 weeks.”

Users’ experience:“After the installation of the JetFlow F,
the service life of backing rolls has
increased from 6 to 10 months.”

48

Finishing Division:
Econip – a new generation of deflection
compensating rolls
Establishedfor

During the last few years many improve-

Econip-TC

over 30 years, thements have been made to the Swimming

The Twin Chamber (TC) roll is the only

single zone, de-roll offering greater flexibility, improved

roll currently giving extremely accurate

flection

operation and extended service life. It is

control in high speed, low lineforce appli-

sating roll accept-

these

which

cations. In tissue combining, where bulk

ed by papermakers

have initiated this new generation of rolls

loss must be kept to an absolute mini-

worldwideimportantdevelopments

andknown simply as Econip, a name whichmum, this is a vital consideration. These

generally

more accurately reflects their relevancevery demanding machines typically oper-

as the Swimming

to today’s papermaker and which compli-

ate at speeds approaching 2300 m/minroll,ments the already well established NIPCO

and down to virtually zero lineforce!

known

The author:
Nigel Ashworth,Finishing Divisioncompen-hasbeen

manufactured
the

at

roll.

Manchester,

England plant ofA conventional single zone roll is outside
The standard Swimming roll principle isits design parameters under these condi-

well known. This new generation of rolls

tions. Research has shown that control-

has been developed from the standard

ling very low oil pressure (0.1-0.2 bar) inOver 3600 of these rolls have been sup-design and falls into three main cate-

one zone is impractical. It was also foundplied to satisfied customers throughout

gories all derived from the same princi-that as the roll speed was increased, athe world. Without exception they allple.... Econip-TC, Econip-X and Econip-L.

pressure wedge of oil formed behind one

operate successfully in most sections of

A fourth and ultimate roll incorporatesof the seals. This overcame the loading

the paper machine including the wirefeatures from two of the main versions

on the seal lip with a resultant loss ofpart, press section, breaker stack and fin-

and will be marketed as Econip-LX.

pressure in the zone.

ters produced over the years have, of

Installing an Econip roll gives enormous

The simple answer was to add a second

course, varied tremendously with somebenefits to the papermaker which becomezone. This works in the opposing direc-of the more notable ones shown below

obvious once a more detailed examina-tion with the differential pressure of the(Tab. 1).

tion of the new roll designs is made.

zones giving the required crown.

the Voith Sulzer Finishing Division.

ishing calenders. Roll sizes and parame-

More
Table 1:

manageable

pressurescanbeemployed which at the same time exert

Largest diameter:

1300 mmPress roll supplied toTampella Espanola, Spain

Longest face width:

9550 mmCalender roll supplied toAbitibi Paper, Iroquois Falls, Canada

Highest pressure:1050 KN/m

Flexonip press roll supplied to
ThaiKraft, Thailand

Fastest Speed:2286 m/min

Tissue combining calender supplied toFort Howard, USAsufficient force on the seal to overcome
the pressure wedge (Fig.1).
Fig. 2 clearly shows the shaft assemblywith two sets of sealing elements before
fitting into the roll shell. A further application of the Twin Chamber (TC) rolls in
the intermediate position of newsprint

Finishing

49

Fig. 1:
Sealing system of the Econip-TC roll.
Fig. 2:
Sealing elements of the Econip-TC.
Fig. 3:
Econip-TC roll in a newsprint calender.
Fig. 4:
Principle of the Econip-X.

Fixed axle
Outer shell

Pressure zone

Drain

Pressure zone

1

2
F

RelievingF

e’X’tended bearing centres

Loading3

4calenders where additional loading or

Finite calculations show a significant

extending the acceptable machine operat-

relieving of pressure is required (Fig 3).

improvement in

distribution

ing range. These maximised benefits

using an e‘X’tended roll (Fig. 5). This sin-include a more uniform sheet finish andgle nip example taken from a Brazilian

extended roll regrind cycles.

lineforce

Econip-X

paper mill project shows that a standard

The e‘X’tended roll is a simple but

Econip roll was calculated to give a devi-

extremely effective design concept. By

ation of 11.2 KN/m whereas the Econip-X

Econip-L

extending the shell length and positioning

roll gave a deviation of only 4.01 KN/m.

The LoadContRoll (L) is a state-of-the-art

the internal end bearings closer to thosesystem developed for use in Janus andof the opposing roll, an improved bend-

Supercalenders and will identify any dis-ing line of the two rotating bodies can be

These improvements also benefit theruptive forces arising in the calender rollachieved (Fig. 4).

papermaker at low lineforce levels bystack and eliminate them by automatical-

50

Fig. 5:
Lineforce-Deviation of Econip rolls.
Fig. 6:
Econip application with LoadContRoll System.

∆P

Lineforce-Deviation in N/mm

35

Roll
configuration∆P

30

Normaladmissible
deviation

25
20

Control
SystemComputer

15

Econip (STD)
1050

Econip-X
∆P
0

50

100

150

200

250

300

∆P

350

Lineforce in N/mm

56ly regulating pressure in the Econip rolls.

the roll edges. Likewise vice versa exces-

GeneralThis concept with Econip-L rolls installed

sive internal roll oil pressure will lead to

For press section applications, the Voith

in both top and bottom positions isa relieving of pressure at the roll edges.

patented Vibrosoft vibration dampening

shown in Fig. 6.

Errors such as these would be compen-

system can also be engineered into allsated for by the LoadContRoll system

Econip rolls.

Continuous monitoring also means thatwhich has a measurement range of 10%

when rolls are changed in the stack, oilof the total nip force.

A new development currently under testis the Thermo Econip roll. Further details

pressure in the Econip rolls is optimised
for the new stack weight. Hydrostatic

To summarise, the Econip-L roll senses

will be available and completion ismeasuring devices situated underneathdisruptive forces, balances them to zeroplanned for the end of 1996.

the roll shell end bearings measure theby means of the computer control systemforces acting on them. The force on eachand automatically gives the optimumThis continuous programme of design

bearing equals zero when the lineforce

lineforce distribution under all operating

and development enables the Finishingand the Econip roll oil pressure are in

conditions.

Division to offer an unrivalled range atequilibrium. Any force disturbing the bal-

deflection compensating rolls built toance between the internal roll pressure

meetever-increasing

demands

repeatedly asked of technology today.

and the lineforce acts as a reactive force

Econip-LX

on the roll bearings which then leads to a

The ultimate design combination giving

worsened lineforce distribution in thethe extensive benefits of both the Econip-nip.

X and Econip-L rolls is designatedEconip-LX.

the

This

roll

providesboth

Excessive external loading induces a

improved lineforce distribution and bear-

reactive force at the bearings which

ing load sensing and is readily built into

results in an increased compression atdeflected nip Janus and Supercalenders.

51

Service

Service Division:
GR2 cover – next-generation performance leader

1

In the late 70’s and early 80’s it was evi-

ed severe vibration and wear problems

various rolls con-dent that the paper industry needed afor the granite roll. These safety andductedunderreplacement for their granite rolls. There

operational issues were the impetus for

operatingcondi-

were several rolls which had failed inindustry to examine granite roll alterna-

tions in produc-

operation, and in some cases had caused

tives. In one case, a group of fivetion

injury and death. Furthermore, the indus-

Swedish paper mills formed a task force

chines.

try was beginning to use increasingly

called the Granite Roll Group (GRG). Thisabrasivequantities,group had a goal of finding and promot-

In 1990, the GRG

increasing roll wear and reducing time

ing the best working and most safely reli-ended their orga-

between grinds to an unacceptable level.

able press rolls for large, high-speed

nization, but their

Finally, higher machine speeds combinedmachines. The GRG carried out several

workwith higher loading in the presses creat-

years of intensive study, with trials of

published and pre-fillersinlarger

paper

has

ma-

been

The author:
Paul S. Haller,
Service Division

52

Fig. 1:
Inspection of the completed GR 2 -Cover.
Fig. 2:A magnified comparison of the GR 2 Ceramic
Cover (right) and granite (left) showing GR´suniform texture.

sented on several occasions. Earlier thisyear, an update on the state-of-the-art in
granite replacement rolls was presented
by a member of the GRG, Hans M. Ericsson, former Chief Engineer at Holmen
Paper in Hallsta, Sweden. Entitled “Manmade Press Rolls,” the paper was presented to the Swedish Association of
Pulp and Paper Engineers in Stockholm,
Sweden during SPCI-96, World Pulp &Paper Week.
2

In his presentation, Ericsson describes
the history of both synthetic resin covers

few ceramic rolls in operation. The

Applying

and ceramic rolls. By 1991 there were

ceramic roll cover’s entry into the market

process. The roll body is first ground toaround 60 synthetic resin covers in oper-

was made more difficult since it was

the correct finished profile. Any locking

ation among 13 surveyed mills in Europe.

being compared with the synthetic resin

grooves

These rolls exhibited acceptable vibration

covers, rather than the natural granite it

repaired prior to grinding. Once ground,

and wear characteristics, and although

was intended to replace.

Nevertheless,the surface is cleaned and textured to theseveral cover failures occurred, none

Ericsson notes that paper machines using

correct roughness for application of thewere of catastrophic proportions. Someceramic rolls began to set speed and pro-barrier coating. This coating is thenof the cover failures were repaired at theduction records across Europe. In Northapplied using special guns to create amills, while others required a complete

America, Voith Sulzer Paper Technology’s

very dense, impermeable corrosion barri-roll recovering.

Portland Service Center, having been iner approximately .030’’ thick. This barrier

the Yankee coating business and on thelayer enhances the bond characteristics

Wood resin, chemical additives and fines

leading edge of thermal spray technologyof the ceramic layer while protecting thewere still accumulating on some rolls,

for 25 years, had also been developing asteel or iron shell from corrosion.

and there had been sheet release prob-

ceramic press roll cover. Having devel-lems that could only be solved throughoped stainless steel coatings for wet felt

Ericsson notes in his paper that the sin-

the use of expensive release agents.

rolls in the 1970’s, they applied theirgle documented failure of a ceramic cov-

Often, the synthetic resin covers wereexperience in this area to develop a coat-er (of Japanese manufacture) was due toalso susceptible to thermal shock, anding that would not only function, but sur-corrosion of the roll core beneath the

could not be used in conjunction with avive long-term operation in a paper

applied ceramic cover. He also comments

steam box. However, overall, the mills

machine press application. The result ofthat VSPT’s GR ® cover is the only rollconsidered the difficulties minor in com-this intensive development was the GR ®

cover to have a “corrosion barrier” baseparison with the danger of natural graniteroll cover, a plasma-spray applied ceram-layer applied over the original core before

roll failures. Until 1991-1992, there were

ic coating.

the ceramic layer is applied. Once the

the

or

cover

shell

is

an

exacting

imperfectionsareService

53

Fig. 3:Paper Quality Improvement

types of paper. Because the same rollcover can be used in multiple positions,Tensilethere is greater flexibility in the design ofmachines and a reduction in the numberof spare rolls maintained by a mill. Other

Smoothness

ceramic cover manufacturers require different grades and applications of ceramicfor differing machine positions. For in-Internal Bond

stance, one supplier requires one coating
formulation for heated center press rolls
Stretchand another for extended nip presses.

MD Tensile Energy Absorption

Finally, Ericsson comments that the yearsof experience gained at the Portland facility have been transferred to the other ser-

Lint Reduction
0%
3

5%

10%
15%
Level of Improvement

20%

vice centers, with VSPT now producing
25%

the GR ® cover on three continents: at theService Centers in Portland, Oregon,
USA, St. Pölten, Austria, and São Paulo,barrier coating is applied, the GR ® coat-possibility to grind away cover damage

Brazil. VSPT now has over 65 GR ® rolls

ing is applied with a different type of

resulting from objects passing throughinstalled or on order worldwide, used inplasma spray coating system to produce

the nip. Since the cover has a minimum

all plain press roll applications, as well asa very open porous coating, offering supe-thickness limit of 0.10’’, there is ample

with variable crown rolls and profile rolls.

rior release characteristics. This coating

material for multiple regrinds. This prop-

is applied with a thickness of .060’’.

erty becomes somewhat a moot point

To conclude his presentation at SPCI-96,

with GR ® rolls operating up to six years

Ericsson summarizes the operating data

VSPT’s operating experience with thewithout a regrind. One such roll has beenfrom 1987-1995, stating that synthetic

GR ® rollcover is exceptional. The firm

inspected twice during that time, once atresin and ceramic covers are at the fore-

has produced the GR ® cover since 1990

one year and one at four years, and there

front of press roll technology. With one

and has never experienced a cover fail-were no detectable differences in diame-

type of roll for every possible grade ofter or profile from when it was new.

paper and position on the machine,ure. The rugged endurance of theGR ®

GR ®’s wear resistance, durability, coat-

cover is the result of careful applicationof the corrosion barrier combined with a

Ericsson discusses several advantages ofing thickness and ability to withstandceramic layer thicker than most compet-

the GR ® cover over other ceramic covers

high temperatures make it the leader ining covers. This additional cover thick-in his report. One is that a single compo-

ceramic roll cover technology.

ness allows for crown design changes

sition of applied ceramic is suitable forover the life of the roll, as well of theall positions on the paper machine and all

54

GR 2 Technical data

I Consistent operation

Solution:

Physical properties:

I Surface characteristics do not change

Replace the third press granite roll with a

I Hardness (no nip deformation)

I More durable

cast iron roll with a GR 2 cover.

I Color: gray/blue

I Higher loading capability

I Thickness: overall about .090’’.

I No water cooling required.

GR 2 -layer approx. .060’’

Results after 28 months of continuous
operation:GR

I Porosity: 5% to 6% open

Particle hardness: Approximately 9 onHigher Loading CapabilityGa moe scale. Diamond is 10.

Reduced Vibration

G

Longer Life Between
GrindsG

Not Susceptible to Corrosion
or Bond Failure

G

Comparison to granite:
I Longer life between

grindsI Lower vibration
I Reduced web tension over time inmost cases
I Usable around a steam box
I Not susceptible to thermal shock

Useable with a Steam Box

Gthe market:

Paper machine:

I More cover for changes in crown or for

grinding out damage
I Consistent surface properties
I Not susceptible to corrosion or bond

I No special wash water temperature

requirements.

I Sheet quality improvements.

Paper machine:

I Newsprint
I Speed 4500 f/m.

I Fourdrinier, 276’’ trim

Problem:

I Twinver center press

I Center press

I Two roll third press

I Release

I Third press 800 pli, single felt, granite

I Vibration

against steel vented cover
I Off machine coaters
I Speed 3900 f/m.

failureI Usable with a steam box

last over two weeks and are changed

I Tri-nip center press

Comparison to other ceramic covers on

I Less susceptible to thermal shock

I No hole problems due to doctoring

I Twin-Wire Gap Former

Case history one:

I Better release

I No sheet marking

Case history two:time.

I Larger porosity

I No felt barring

only during scheduled outages)
G

Consistent surface and properties over

I Felt life up 25%

Excellent doctor blade life (the blades

No Change in Surface
Characteristics During
Operation

I No safety concerns

I No vibration at press

Problem:
I Third press vibration

I Holes
I Breaks.

Solution:
Replace the existing cover on the center
press roll with a GR 2 cover.

I Felt barring

Results:

Comparison to composite covers:

I Sheet marking

I Draws reduced

I No release chemicals required

I Grind frequency on press rolls

I Vibration caused by the center roll

I Usable around a steam box

I Sheet quality

I Not susceptible to thermal shock

I Doctoring/holes.

eliminated
I Holes and breaks reduced.

55

CORPORATE NEWS

USA/Germany:
Voith Appleton machine clothing
1

Voith Sulzer Paper Technology is theworld’s only paper machine manufacturer
to operate its own clothing group –Voith Appleton Clothing Group – whichcurrently incorporates five production
companies.

The author:
Raimund Waberski,
Managing Directorof Appleton-Pohl

A start was madein 1983 by taking
overAppletonMills,
Appleton,
USA. This company is now one ofNorth
America’s
leading producers
of press felts, withthe biggest press
felt manufacturing
plant in the USA.
Two years later
Pohl & Co. of

Düren, Germany, were taken over tobecome Appleton Pohl, who now makepress felts and dryer screens for all
grades of paper.
A special role is played by Appleton Pohl
as clothing supplier for tissue machinery,a field in which the company has
achieved technological leadership.
Like the other group members, Binet Feutres of Annonay, France has a longstanding company tradition. Taken overby Voith in 1988, the firm was renamed
Appleton Binet in March 1996. Its products are likewise press felts and dryer
screens, and this company is one of theleading manufacturers of dewatering felts
in particular.
The smallest group member is Binet Sul

Liri in Italy, which belongs to Appleton
Binet and specializes in equipping paper
machines in the narrow size range.
Lindsay Wire, Florence, USA joined Voith
Appleton Clothing Group three years ago.
This company manufactures forming fabrics and dryer screens and was acquiredby Appleton Mills, whose name it now
carries. The innovative approach of Lindsay Wire is documented by the numerous
patents taken out on its products – someof them exclusive – delivered to reputed
tissue manufacturers.
The group is becoming increasingly
known in all markets under the common
name of Appleton Mills. Together withstate-of-the-art production facilities, thecollective know-how of some 750 group
employees meets the highest demands

56

Fig. 1 (page 55):
Appleton Mills, USA.
Fig. 2:Heat setting machine for wet felts and screens.
Fig. 3:
Needling machine.

23

Corporate News

57

Fig. 4:
Principle of flow control felting.
Fig. 5:Pressure characteristic in a classical rollpress.
Fig. 6:
Pressure characteristic in a NipcoFlex press.

I Sales responsibility is in the hands ofpaper engineers trained in applications
technology, including specialized servicing, Scan-Tech analyses, vibration
measurements and dry section investigations. In other words, sales and servicing are no longer treated as separate fields.
I Groupmembers market the entire
range of paper machine clothings,
including forming fabrics, press felts
and dryer screens, via a common salesorganization in their respective areas.
There is no competition between groupmembers in the various markets.

the same way as dynamic pressing in aclassical roll press as shown below:

Line force

In Kunshan, China, a new production
facility is currently under construction for
supplying this rapidly growing paper
market with clothings. Here again, thegroup adopts an unwavering philosophy:
I Full integration in the Voith Corporate
Identity.

At the present time the group is technological leader in press felt production,
particularly for tissue-making applications and for third and fourth presses.
This leadership has been attained thanks
to innovative flow control drainage felts
which drastically reduce or prevent antirewetting effects in the press section.
The group has taken out worldwide
patents on this product, whose operating
principle derives from the sealing effectof a microscopic fibre membrane worked
into the felt. This prevents water flow –back into paper after leaving the press
nip.

Pressing zone length

In the same way as a non-return valve,
this membrane releases the water when
under pressure in the nip, but closes assoon as pressure is released in the press
outlet.

I Strict

Paper rewetting

Pressing zone length

Water

Water

Water
Water

Assuming appropriate selection of theother felt parameters, the result is without exception an increase of 0.5% to 2%
in dry content, and less felt contamination.

I R&D

activities are concentrated at
Appleton Mills, Wisconsin.

Paper drainage

Paper

I Manufacturing in each production cen-tre is concentrated in defined phases,
thus reaching the highest possible
quality standards through specialization.

5

The drainage mechanism in a NipcoFlex
press is as follows:This innovative idea was derived from nippressing theory, according to which thepaper drainage mechanism behaves incompliance with the rules of
total quality management, particularly
with regard to environmentally friendly
manufacturing methods, leading toearly fulfilment of the ISO 1401 ecoaudit.

Paper drainage

Paper rewettingLine force

for all kinds of paper machinery worldwide.

4

6

Corporate News

69

Germany:
Board and packaging pilot paper machine upgrade –facing the future with versatility

1Higher, better, further: these were theOlympic-sounding targets of extensions
completed last September to our board
and packaging pilot paper machine in theRavensburg R&D centre.
Higher means raising the limits on customer trials and system tests, thanks toshorter setup times and greater flexibility. Better means more accurate results,
and with the upgraded test facility we can
now go further with our technical developments.

The main objects of this upgrade were as
follows:
I To allow trials on various sheet
formation concepts: single/multilayerand single/multi-ply
I Greater availability through shorter
conversion and setup times
I Longer testing times, particularly withmultiple furnish operation
I Higher dry content before the press
sectionExtension work started in April 1996 bydismantling the existing wire section,

after which themachine foundations were completely excavated.
This made roomfor higher vacuum
and greater capacity required toincrease the drycontent before thepress section.
The paper machine
is supplied with

The author:
Jürgen Prössl,Paper Machine Division
Board and Packaging, R&D

70

Fig. 1 (page 69):
Pilot paper machine, wire section.
Fig. 2:
Pilot paper machine, wire section layout.

2

stock from three approach flow systems.
In the course of the extension stock
capacity was increased with three newstorage chests. This doubles or triples
available testing time in batch operation,
depending on the number of different furnishes, and with higher stock capacity,
customer trials can now be carried out
under even more realistic production
conditions. Thanks to the link with thestock preparation division’s R&D centre,
up-to-date technology is available for
optimizing product characteristics overthe entire process, from raw materials
preparation to finished paper sheet.
Incorporated in the extension is a 2-layer
Step Diffusor Headbox for the DuoFormer
CFD, whose design allows numerous possibilities for further optimization of all
main influences on sheet structuring.
These include individual layer separation,
stock consistency in each layer, individual jet velocities, and geometrical parameters such as nozzle shape, lamella
overlap and turbulence generation.

The new wire section was added (Fig. 1)– a cantilever frame design – allows thedevelopment and optimization of various
different sheet formation concepts.
Fig. 2 shows two examples of possible
trial arrangements in this connection:I A DuoFormer CFD with DuoFormer DK(top of Fig. 2)
I A fourdrinier and DuoFormer DK(bottom of Fig. 2)

Corporate News

71

Fig. 3:
Pilot paper machine, press section.

The DuoFormer DK can be converted intoa DuoFormer D, which can be installed invarious positions to allow for predrainage
sections of different lengths.
For operating the secondary headbox(Fig. 2, top) and running the bottom fourdrinier as a hybrid former (Fig. 2, bottom), a further DuoFormer D is available
which can likewise be installed in various
positions.
The press section after sheet forming
allows for testing all the current press
concepts applicable to board and packaging paper production. The influence ofline force on dry content and technological properties can be tested under realistic conditions, for example using various
types of felts. At the time of writing, a
DuoCentri 2 press and a NipcoFlex press
are installed (Fig. 3).
After the press section, the sample
sheets or webs are dried on a separate
dryer unit. In the up-to-date Ravensburg
paper laboratory, stock and sheet samples are tested according to international
methods (DIN, TAPPI, SCAN) as well as
Voith Sulzer Paper Technology standards.
This allows customers to check the suitability of our machinery and components
for their products according to the test
methods most familiar to them.
Our test recording and evaluation systemenables the connection of all mainmachine and process control data withthe respective laboratory figures. This
ensures fast and reliable evaluation of3

test results, which are available to thecustomer in tabular form on modern datacarrier systems.
Important technological parameters, suchas plybond and compression strength ofmultilayer and multi-ply board and packaging papers, can now be optimized more
precisely by using the customer’s raw
materials. Furthermore, trials can be carried out to answer some typical questions
as follows:
I How to reduce cover layer basis weight
as a function of raw material and formation?
I Sheet structure optimization, single
and multilayer/multi-ply – how does it
affect strength, properties, coverageand formation?
I How do the fourdrinier, hybrid former

and gap former compare with respect
to product characteristics?
I Effect of raw material on plybond inand between individual layers/plies?
I Influence of headbox stock consistency, jet/wire velocity and drainage conditions on product characteristics?
The test results supply the necessary
data for drawing up guarantees, and indicate possible solutions to troubles arising in practice. In addition the pilot plantalso serves as a training facility for commissioning personnel and customers’
operating staff.
The substantial investments made byVoith Sulzer Paper Technology in extending the pilot plant reflect the importance
we attach to board and packaging paper
developments in future.

Corporate News

73

Special awards for innovation and design
Neusiedler Paper wins innovation award
with a revolutionary 3-layer headbox
and NipcoFlex press.
The first Pulp and Paper Europe Awardwas recently won by Austrian paper producer Neusiedler AG, Hausmening – forthe world’s first office paper machinewith 3-layer headbox and shoe press.
This has introduced a new era and acompletely new type of paper. The innovative technology – known as Triotec ® –is the result of intensive research efforts
by Neusiedler AG and Voith Sulzer Paper

SPCI ‘96 – impressive presence

advertiser of the year for 1996. This prize

Technology, with more then 1000 joint

The exhibition organizers set two “bestwas awarded for the high level of techni-tests. The new 3-layer headbox now

stand” award criteria at last year’s SPCI:

cal innovation and information incorpo-

makes it possible to produce 3-ply officefor the most convincing technical presen-

rated in our advertising. According to astationery made of different raw materials

tation, and for the most inviting atmos-

reader poll, both text and graphics gave

– rather like a sandwich. Each fibre is

phere

and

the most convincing impression of prod-

positioned where its properties are bestexchange experience. Voith Sulzer Paper

uct benefits. Edgar Horny (right) of Voith

utilized. And the shoe press specially

Technology’s stand – in the new corpo-

Sulzer Papiertechnik Sào Paulo, wasdesigned for this purpose allows bulk

rate design – met the jury’s high stan-delighted to receive the award from Clau-retention of the 3-ply structure during

dards as one of the best at the SPCI ‘96.

dio Vielva, “Anave” spokesman.

pressing at high production speeds.

And visitor figures confirmed this vote:forvisitorstodiscussthe Voith Sulzer Paper Technology standwas a favourite rendezvous – much to thesatisfaction of our marketing managers
as well as the exhibition “backroomboys”, whose design and planning worknormally stays behind the scenes.

Advertisement of the year in Brazil
Wolf-Dieter Baumann (left) Managing Director of
the Paper Machine Division Board and Packaging,in St. Pölten, Austria, congratulates Director
Josef Welsersheimb of Neusiedler AG (right).

The Brazilian paper, pulp and carton
association journal “Anave” has cited
Voith Sulzer Paper Technology as best74

1

China: the cradle of paper in times of change

75

CHINA
The changing origins of paper –from hand-made to machine-madeAccording to the National Bureau of
Statistics, total paper and paperboard
production in China for the year 1995,
the last year of the Eighth Five Year
Plan, was 24 million metric tons (1),equivalent to a growth of 12,2% over
1994. Yet, for a population of 1211 million in the country, this amount ofmachine-made products, plus around
200,000 metric tons of handmade paper
and an additional 3 million metric tonsof imports, would mean only about 22
kilograms percapita consumption, farbehind the world average of close to 48
kilograms.
It took the Chinese hundreds of years toswitch over from handmade paper practices to machine-made production. And
tremendous efforts had been undertakenby the Chinese papermakers, especiallyduring the last half of this century, tokeep pace with the developments in the
global paper circle. It has been mostgratifying for the Chinese, therefore, tohave found that their efforts had at lastbrought the Chinese paper industry ranking third place among the major paper
producing countries in the world, rightafter the United States and Japan.
There is no doubt that more and more
paper and paperboard will be needed in
the future years to satisfy the everlasting
growth of the national economy. Chinese
papermakers are well aware of the burden

on their shoulders to meet the challenges
in the coming centuryspan period.
Handmade Paper
It has been unanimously acknowledged
among paper historians that the art ofpapermaking was originated in China (2).
Ts’ai Lun, an eunuch in the Imperial
Court, was given cred it for the inventionof the art of papermaking. It was said
that Ts’ai Lun presented the very firstsheets of paper in the world to Emperor
He of the East Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D.)in the year 105 A.D. At that time, Ts’ai
Lun happened to be the official in the
charge of the Imperial Workshops formaking almost all major necessities of
the Imperial Court, from daily needs toweapons. As recorded in the history ofAncient China, Ts’ai Lun was awarded thehonorary title of Marquis for this particular achievement in the art of papermaking. And, for a rather extended period oftime, paper made following the method
practiced by Ts’ai Lun was named by the
public as “Paper of Marquis Ts’ai”.
“Paper of Marquis Ts’ai” was so verymuch applauded by the scholars of thetime that the art of papermaking began tospread to many parts of the country tosatisfy the need of scholastic circle, aside
from supplying the governmental officials. This eventually led to an end ofwriting on heavy and clumsy wooden
strips and bamboo slips. Scholars at thetime were very
pleased to have
paper available ata cheap cost, andwriting on expensive silk cloth was
eventually
being
abandoned.
In the advent ofyears, during the
spread of the artof papermaking in
the country, a number of importantachievements
were
being
claimed.
Among
them, there were acouple worth mentioning. The first
one
was
the
exploitation
of
new
fibre
resources other thanthose used in Ts’ai
Lun’s
time.
It
turned out that,besides bark, flax,
rags and usedfishing nets exclusively used in theearly days, successful attempts
were reported formaking paper with

The Authors:
Xiang-Ju-Zhong,Prof. Emeritus of Beijing
Institute of Light Industry
and Senior Advisor ofInternational Liaison, China,
Technical Association of thePaper Industry. (CTAPI).
Walter A.J. Müllner,
J.M. Voith Beijing
Representative Office.

76

Fig. 1 (page 74):
Traditional Chinese papermaking with bamboo,
showing how the bamboo rods are supported
and soaked in pure water.

Fig. 2:
Tsai Lun.

paper, sanitary paper, firecracker paper,
fireworks paper, spiritual paper and others. It was reported that total handmade
paper production in 1949 was 120,000
metric tons. Then, in the fifties, there wasa slight increase in handmade paper production. From the fifties to the eighties,
handmade paper production fluctuatedbetween 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons
perannum, and seemed to have becomestagnant at around 200,000 metric tons
since 1988.

rattan, bamboo, paper mulberry and others. The second major achievement ofinterest was the use of bamboo screensin place of linen cloth as a dewatering
medium in web forming.
Paper historians beiieve that there wereseveral eras of prosperity in the growthof handmade paper in the country. It wassaid that from the later years of the fifth
century to the seventh century, dyeing,
sizing, surface coating, and, possibly,
calendering of paper were being developed. Such historical recordings wereconfirmed by contemporary archaeological excavations of relics of paper, identified to be dated as far back as the later
years of the East Jin Dynasty (317-420
A.D.). Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) andSong Dynasty (960-1127 A.D.) wereregarded as the most prosperous eras ofhandmade paperproduction in ancient
China. It was in the early days of theTang Dynasty when Buddhism was introduced into the country, and copying of
the Buddhist Sutra was very popular.
Later on, people began to have theBuddhist Sutra carved on wooden blocks
and printed on paper. The demand for
paper was thus greatly increased. Then,type printing, initiated by Bi Sheng of theSong Dynasty and further improved in
the subsequent years, had apparently
served as another driving force in promoting handmade paper production. It
was also known that in the days of theTang and Song Dynasties, a variety of
fancy paper with decorative patterns
became very popular among the intellectuals, the poets in particular. Most ofthese fancy grades were dyed and/or surface coated with attractive coloration.

2

Such interests and liking in fancy papers
persisted through the years up to thedays of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911
A.D.).
The art of papermaking was inherited andlasted for hundreds of years without any
innovative changes in its method of processing. Handmade paper managed to
become a big business. It was not until
the later half of the nineteenth century
when Chinese handmade paper suffered
its first impact from imported machine
made products.
Handmade paper dealers began to realizethat they were not in a position to compete with the less costly and high quality
machine-made paper. The situation
seemed to get worse and worse everyday. A number of handmade paper workshops were forced to close down. The
market for printing, writing and packaging paper was almost totally taken overby machine-made paper. It followed that
handmade products were forced to confine to such traditional grades as Chineseart paper, Chinese writing paper, window

It goes without saying that Chinese
papermakers value highly the inheritanceof this art of papermaking from theirforefathers. But they also realize, at thesame time, that traditional manual operating process of low productivity will
have to give way to highly efficient modern technologies. When machine-madepaper began to flood into the market,
heavy blows were being experienced by
the Chinese handmade paper industry.
But, lucky for the handmade paper workshops they had never lost their market in
Chinese art paper. They managed to keep
their foothold firmly in the Chinese artistic circle. Chinese art paper has always
been favored by the Chinese painters andcalligraphers. And, among the various
Grades of Chinese art paper, Xuan paper
bears the highest fame, not only in China
proper alone but also in many othercountries.
Xuan paper, normally composed of a furnish with refined rice straw pulp andwingceltis, is reputed by its persistingsnow-whiteness, excellent receptivity for
Chinese ink, superior dimensional stability and indisputable permanency. It has
been regarded as the “Precious Rose” ofChina: the cradle of paper in times of change

77

Fig. 3:Paper made by the Tsai Lun process.
I Dispersing of the pounded mass withhandmade paper in China. It is said thatsince the later years of the seventeenth
century, almost every piece of artistic
work composed by famous painters
and/or calligraphers was done on Xuan
paper. This goes true with contemporary
Chinese artists as well.
Presently, the production of Xuan paper
is monopolized by the Xuan Paper Mill
company, located at Jinxian in Anhui
Province. Imitation Xuan and othergrades of Chinese art paper, mostly bamboo-based, are also being produced elsewhere in the country. Chinese writing
paper, primarily for penmanship classes
in schools, constitutes the second major
handmade grade.
Other minor handmade products still
managed to have a share in the market
include firecracker paper fireworks paper,and religious paper. In recent years, decorative napkins are being made in a few
workshops, primarily for exportation.
Traditionally, most handmade paper
workshops are located in the provinces ofZhejiang Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Anhui
and Sichuan, though one can always findhandmade paper workshops still operating also in every province in the country.
The art of papermaking
Handmade paper had long been regarded
as an important craftsmanship industry
in China. It is not surprising, therefore, tonotice that the art of papermaking wasentered as one important chapter in thevolume “Tian Gong Kai Wu”, translated
as “The Development of Materials andProducts Through Workmanship” in English. This is an eighteen chapter volume,

water to form a dilute fibrous suspension in a vat.
I

Dipping of a mould, with a bamboo
screen on it, into the dilute fibroussuspension to pick up a certain
amount of fibre plus water.

I Taking out of the mould, held in a hori-zontal position, form the fibrous suspension.
3compiled by Song Xing-Xing in 1637 during the reign of the Ming Dynasty (13681644 A.D.). It is a comprehensive collection of written descriptions on the craftsmanship of a number of important products. The volume has been regarded asamong the best manuscripts dealing withcraftsmanship techniques.
Chapter Thirteen of the Volume is totally
dedicated to the description of the art ofpapermaking. In this chapter, a general
presentation of the various vegetablefibres for making paper and method ofprocessing is given, followed by moredetailed specific discussion on bamboobased paper and bast fibre paper, accompanied by illustrations. The basic procedure for making paper, totally manual
operating, can be summarized as follows
as entered in the chapter.
I Retting of the vegetable fibre, with orwithout lime, followed by washing in arunning stream and whitening under
the sun.

I

Holding of the mould horizontally inthe atmosphere and above the vat toallow dewatering from the wet web
with momentary vibration of the mould
to regulate fibre orientation in the web.

I

Transferring of the bamboo screen
from the mould to a piece of linen
cloth which is previously place on abottom wooden board, (or, alternatively, onto the top of a wet web pile
formed during preceding operations).

I Taking away of the bamboo screen with

the newly formed wet web left on thelinen cloth. (or, onto the wet web pile).
I Repeating of steps 3 through 8 until

the wet web pile reaches a certain
desired height.
I Placing of another piece of linen cloth

and, then, another wooden board on
the top of the wet web pile.
I Loading of weights on the top wooden

board to effect further dewatering of
the wet webs in the pile.

I Pounding of the retted mass in a mor-

tar with a wooden or stone peg.

I Removingof the weights, the top

78

Fig. 4:
Traditional Chinese papermaking with bamboo,
showing how the bamboo rod is boiled in a
mixture of pure water and slaked lime.

digesters instead of retting with lime.
And beating in beaters has replaced
pounding in mortars. But, the proceduresof web formation, pressing and drying
are being carried out in the traditionalway.
The fundamentals of the proceduredescribed above have even been kept
quite closely in modern pulp and paper
technology. Digesting has taken over theprocess of retting. Pounding has been
replaced by beating and refining. And,
web formation, pressing and drying combine into a continuous operation on a
Paper machine. The essentials of the
traditional art of papermaking have seemingly been sustaining through the years
and everlastingly.

4wooden board and the top linen clothfrom wet web pile.

(or, from the hangers) and having
them stacked as a pile of finishedproduct.

I Peeling off of the wet web one by one

from the wet web pile.
I Brushingof the individual wet web
onto the surface of a fire wall. (or,alternatively having them hung in the
air for loft drying).

I Taking away of the dried sheets one by

one from the surface of the fire wall

Such a general procedure for producing
handmade paper has been adopted for
hundreds of years without any majorchanges and can stili be seen practised inan number of handmade paper workshops in present day China. Most of theexisting handmade paper workshops,
however, have resorted to the cooking of
the vegetable fibres in rotary spherical

Machine-made paper
The art of papermaking was eventually
spread eastwards to Korea and Japan aswell as westwards to the Arab countries
and, then, to Europe. It was in Europe
where the manufacture of paper began tostep over to machine-made. It was not
until in the years of the late nineteenth
century when machine-made operations
found their way, reversibly, back to
China.
China Paper Mill Company, (Huazhang
Paper Mill for its Chinese name), foundedin 1881 and started operation in 1884,
was claimed to be the very first fullymechanized paper mill in China (3). This,
presumably, was a kick-off in the historyof contemporary machine-made paperindustry in China. The Mill was invested
by Chinese merchants and two Americans
were employed to oversee the operations.
Maithand served as mill manager andChina: the cradle of paper in times of change

79

Fig. 5:
Traditional Chinese papermaking with bamboo,
showing how the sheet is formed with flexible
bamboo screen out of the brickwork vat.
Fig. 6 (back cover):Traditional Chinese papermaking with bamboo,
showing how the paper sheet is dried on a heatedcavity wall.

T.J. Waters as engineer. The 2 tpd capacity mill employed rags as its major
fibrous raw material. Major facilities in
the mill included a rag cutter with a railroad duster, a 730 cubic feet rotary
digester, another cylindrical digester,seven beaters, a 96 inch fourdrinier
Paper machine and a sheet cutter. Writing paper was the principal grade produced in this mill in Shanghai.
For an extended period of over one hundred years, the mill had experienced successful hours and sorrowful failures,changed hands in ownership many atime, reformed and retrofitted and managed to survive to the present day as theoldest contemporary paper mill in the
country, still operating energetically atthe original old site. Tianzhang Recording
Paper Mill, the present name of this hundred year old mill, is now devoted to the
production of special coated grades.
For a period of 30 years from 1881 to
1911, a total of around 32 machine-madepaper mills were reported to have been
built. They were all located in cities,
including Shanghai, Yanbo, Tianjin andHankuo. The capacities of these mills
were all very small, mostly around 2 tpd.
Longzhang Paper Mill, in Shanghai, producing 13 tpd writing paper, was said tobe the largest mill in those days. No statistical figures are available for the paper
production in those years. Not any morethan 200,000 tpd may possibly be a good
guess.
Almost all of the 32 paper mills wereusing rags for making their paper. Eventually, rag supply became so very acutethat searches for alternative fibrous raw

5materiale were undertaken by several
mills. And, in 1901-1903, Shanghai Paper
Company, (Huachang Paper Mill in Chinese), initiated the production of
bleached rice straw pulp on their own. It
may be interesting to note that thisShanghai Paper Company happened to be
the first joint venture paper mill in China.
The mill was financed by American,
French and Chinese merchants. Another
innovation of the time was the manufacture of newsprint with groundwood madein a three pocket grinder purchased fromthe United States. This happened in the
East Branch of the Tianzhang Paper Millin Shanghai. In 1921, presumably, thiswas the first time the Chinese ever madegroundwood and newsprint on their own.
After the downfall of the feudalistic Qing
Dynasty in 1911, civil war persisted forquite some years. Moves toward national
industrialization were very much held up.
Nevertheless, the Chinese paper industry
managed to move ahead, rather slowly
though. 89,000 metric tons of paper

80

Table 1: Total Paper and Paperboard Production (1949-1995)(machine-made) were reported for theyear 1936, the year before the outbreakof the Sino-Japanese War 1937.
It was some hard time for the Chinese
economy during the years of the Second
World War. The Chinese paper industry,both machine-made and handmade, suffered heavy blows. The year of maximum
paper production was reported to be1943, when 165,000 metric tons ofmachine-made paper were claimed. It
should be pointed out, though, that thisfigure had taken into account the manufacture of paper in Japanese occupied
areas. The situation was not muchchanged in the subsequent years after theWar. And, total paper and paperboard
production dropped to 108,000 metrictons in 1949.
The leaps and bounds in the developmentof the Chinese paper industry did not
begin until the later help of the fifties ofthis century (Table 1). It took the Chinese
papermakers quite some effort to arriveat the current production level. During
the past decades, the Chinese paperindustry managed to develop at a comparatively high rate of growth, averaging
around 10% perannum (Table 2).
To meet the everlasting growth indemand, a preliminary goal of 30 million
metric tons of paper and paperboard production has been set for the turn of the
century. This would mean an averageincreases of 1.2 million metric tons
capacity every year in the next five years,
equivalent to an average annual growth ofaround 8%. Evidently, much strenuous
efforts will have to be undertaken by the
Chinese papermakers to reach this goal.

Year

Total MachineMachine-mademade + Hand-made Amount% ShareHand-madeAmount% Share

1949
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995

228
380
2037
2637
5626
13530
14989
17451
18879
21554
23200

120
239
235
220
280
200
200
200
200
200
200

108
141
1801
2414
5346
13330
14789
17251
18679
21354
24000

47.50
37.10
88.50
91.65
95.01
98.50
98.67
98.85
98.94
99.07
99.17

52.60
62.90
11.50
8.35
4.98
1.50
1.33
1.15
1.06
0.98
0.83

Source: 1996 Almanac of China’s Paper Industry, China Technical Association of the Paper
Industry, Beijing P.R. China (In Print).

Table 2: Average Annual Growth Rate (1950-1995)
Year Span

Average Annual Growth Rate %Machine-made Hand-made1950-1960
1961-1970
1971-1980
1981-1985
1986-1990
1991-1995

22.60
9.75
8.84

Machine-madeHand-made

10.65
8.89
12.50

– 6.20
1.56
0

6.84
3.24
2.93

Chinese papermakers are well aware of
the challenging confrontations they arefacing. The Chinese paper industry has
been non-wood based for many a year.
Over 80% of the current production are
made from reed and its homologues,
wheat straw bagasse, bamboo and othercereal stalks, usually with woodpulp as asupplement in the furnish. It has beenrealized that for upgrading papermachine
speed and for quality product production,
more woodpulp should be used in thefurnish. Therefore, for the healthy growthof the industry, more and more woodpulp
will be needed. This would call for the
better management of the government
owned forestry plots such that the problem of pulpwood availability can be better
tackled. It should also be noted that over
50% of the current production comesfrom contributions by small pulp andpaper mills. Yet, admittedly, small enterprises are actually operating with deficient cost-effectiveness and are heavy
pollutant contributors, since they aremostly running with out-dated facilities

and traditional technologies. Furthermore, most of the small pulps are operating without any chemical recovery. Trueenough, the small enterprises did contribute greatly in the past years in easing
up the local demand, especially in theprovincial level in many cases. However,more stringent environmental regulation
enforcement will eventually bring about
pressure on small pulp mills operating
without chemical recovery. And, it isgoing to be unavoidable that small millmanagers will, one of these days, findthemselves noncompetitive in the market.
Merging of small pulp mill to form into
one sizable enough to warrant the economical feasibility of incorporating some
sort of chemical recovery appears to be alogical approach for the future years.
Being sizable would also mean betterchances in competing in the market, bothin selling price and in product quality. It
would be unavoidable that some small
enterprises will have to close down andthousands of employees will find themselves disemployed. Appropriate mea-sures will have to be taken to have such aproblem of unemployment solved.
It has been known, recently, that any
greenfieldprojects
submitted
forapproval must not have less than 15,000
tpy capacity and must be accompanied bysome sort of chemical recovery. Construction of sizable wood-based pulp
mills will be greatly encouraged. As amatter of fact, this has been carried out
in the past years. This includes the Hexian Pulp Mill in Guangxi, and Qingzhou
Paper Mill (expansion project) in Fujian,both being on stream since late 1994.
New projects under construction are Nanning Pulp and Paper Mill in Guangxi,
Siamo Paper Mill in Yunnan, Guangning
Paper Mill in Guangdong, Yueyang Paper
Mill (expansion project) in Hunan etc.
On the environmental side, recent reports
have disclosed the immediate closing ofover a hundred small pulp mills along thebanks of the Huaihe (river Huai) and in
the regions upstream of the Three Gorgeson the Yantze River (Changjiang). An
overall dredging of the Huaihe, a major
tributary of the Yellow river, calls for ageneral clean-up of all pollutant contributing enterprises along its banks. The
three Gorges Project, which involves theconstruction of a huge water dam and ahydraulic power station, requests theelimination of all polluting sources
upstream. Small pulp mills are facing thefate of shutting down, and, many small
mill managers are now talking about
merging together at some new site.
A number of greenfield and expansion
projects have been proposed for theNinth Five Year Plan period (1996-2000).

China: the cradle of paper in times of change

81

Most of them are seeking for the needed
capital investment. Obviously, most millmanagers will feel contended if they can
get foreign loans, soft loans in particular.
And, of course, joint venture partners will
be most welcomed.

cially during the last half of the century.
And, most Chinese papermakers are convinced of the performances and reliabilityof Voith equipment. For instance, theVoith Duoformer has been runningsmoothly with reed furnish at the
Jincheng Paper Mill in Liaoning province.

J.M. Voith AG and the Chinese Paper
Industry
There is no doubt whatsoever that thedevelopment of the Chinese paper industry before the turn of the century as wellas in the first years of the twenty-first
century, will include a number of sizable
greenfield and/or expansion projects.
Needless to say, it is going to be a challenge not only to the Chinese alone but
also to suppliers all over the world. Evidently, the Chinese market for advanced
equipment and innovative technologies
will be highly competitive. And, to get
oneself into a more advantageous position, one needs to understand better theoriental mentality. Make your company
known to the average Chinese papermaker, the managers and young engineers inparticular. True enough, you may findyourself handicapped by a language barrier. But, do not worry too much about
this, you can always find some English
speaking Chinese willing to help you. Furthermore, there is always the international engineering language there (engineering drawing) at hand. It is a fact thatmost Chinese papermakers have comeacross the name of Voith at one time oranother. Most young engineers learned
about the specific features of the Voith
beater. As a matter of fact, there are still
a number of Voith beaters operating inmany small mills in the country. Voith
has been engaged in business dealing
with the Chinese for many a year, espe-

Voith, undoubtedly, will be involved, one
way or another, in some of the projects
drawn for the development of the Chinese
paper industry in the years to come.
There will be much for Voith to do in thecompetitive Chinese market.

References
1. Economics Daily, March 1st, 1996.
(in Chinese).
2. Dard Hunter: Papermaking – The History andTechnique of an Ancient Craft. 2nd ed. (Dover
Publications Inc., New York, N.Y. U.S.A. 1948),
pp. 4 49-50 (in English).
3. Dai Jia-Zhang: Brief Account on the History of
the Art of Papermaking in Ancient China. (Light
Industry Publishing House, Beijing, P.R. China,1994) pp.76-77 & p. 255-256 (in Chinese).

Published by:Voith Sulzer Papiertechnik GmbH
Editor:Dr. Wolfgang Möhle, Corporate Marketing,
Voith Sulzer Papiertechnik GmbH,
P.O. Box 1970, D-89509 Heidenheim
Tel. (++49) 73 21 37 64 05
Fax (++49) 73 21 37 70 08

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