18 XERIUM EUROPE
Pulp Paper & Logistics
Playing it safe during felt changes
lowest possible energy consumpti on. Papermakers who meet these challenges best
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are those who will survive in the current tough economic conditi ons. PMC suppliers have recognised these challenges and the strong infl uence that their products have on these key parameters at relati vely low investment costs with a fast return on investment. In additi on to operati onal and economic challenges, the most important priority for paper mill managers is safety. Paper machines conti nue to present a number of risks for the machine crew because of their huge size, high operati ng speeds, use of dangerous chemicals and the elevated temperatures required for the producti on process.
November 2013
he top prioriti es in paper producti on today are easily defi ned: achieving the highest possible effi ciency at maximum machine speed with the
During normal operati on the risk of accidents or health hazards on a paper machine is quite low because no human interventi on is required in the dangerous areas. One of the highest risks that sti ll prevails is when the machine clothing is changed. For the installati on of endless felts, up to ten crew members are required to climb into the open machine at great height and in slippery conditi ons.
Increasing safety on the paper machine The latest developments in seam felts addresses this aspect of safety and with today’s technology the high potenti al risk during a felt changeover is minimised. Led by PMC suppliers in North America, where in 2010 the share of seam felts was already more than 65 per cent of all felts consumed by the paper industry, Europe is following this trend.
One hour for a safe, quick and resource effi cient felt change
with only two operators
Seam felt technology is increasingly being adopted to improve safety during the process of changing machine clothing, as outlined by Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Haiden and Ing. Christi an Küberl*
The strong and steady growth of seam felts
is proving that European papermakers have become increasingly aware of the safety benefi ts of seam felts and they no longer want to miss using their advantages. The use of seamed felts has been increasing over the past six years, as shown in Figure 1, and currently 28.9 per cent of the total felts shipped to the paper industry in Europe are seamed felts. The strong rise in demand suggests that 30 per cent will be exceeded within the next two years.
No limits for seam felts Xerium has placed a strong focus on seamed felt development over the past 15 years. Conti nuous opti misati on of seam stability, fl ap anchorage and the development of new, high- performance base structures have substanti ally opened up the applicati on fi eld for seam felts. In additi on to conventi onal applicati ons,
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