16 HEIMBACH
Fast and faster forward, with a ‘turbo effect’
Huge financial savings are said to be possible if the start-up efficiency of a paper-making line is improved. Heimbach has announced a new component that makes this possible. PPL reports
D
ewatering in the press section of a paper making line requires high levels of energy consumption, as we all know. However, great savings can be made if the optimum dewatering process and the right press felts are used in
combination. Heimbach has developed an innovative concept that enables quicker and more effective start-ups. PPL talked to Franz Kiefer, strategic product manager for pressing at Heimbach about a start-up innovation with the ‘turbo effect’.
PPL: What was the motivation for developing the new technology? FK: In reality we are continually striving for efficiency increases in all sections. Where the press section is concerned we mainly look at the best possible reduction that we can make considering the so-called ‘money triangle’ as the felt starts up. An optimum start-up is one of the targets, the other is energy savings: Depending on paper grade, 10-20 per cent of the electricity consumed on the machine is due to the creation of a vacuum in various machinery components. Of this vacuum energy 25 per cent is normally needed for the UHLE boxes.
PPL: In the past Heimbach has often reported on press felt concepts and the potential for energy savings. What is the current state of development? FK: Development continues all the time. We never run out of things to think about, as in our team we are permanently considering ideas that can be developed further and lead to innovations. One such example would be: How do we improve felt saturation and dewatering behaviour? How do we increase product efficiency?
PL: It’s always about the money triangle, yes? FK: Yes it is! This is in fact a term that is heard frequently but in an ideal process would not be employed at all. Achieving optimum dewatering – from the first minute onwards – from nip dewatering would be the perfect scenario, as this is in most cases the most efficient method of achieving the highest possible dryness after the press section.
PPL: So a central point is that dryness after the press section should be as high as possible, correct? FK: That is the aim – in order for paper makers to benefit in several ways: On the one hand breaks are reduced, and on the other runnability is significantly improved. One single measure: with lots of gains to be made.
March/April 2019
PPL: Back to the money triangle – could you explain its significance? FK: Okay, let’s take a basic arithmetical example: On a large, 10 metre- wide paper machine producing wood-containing papers, approximately 85 tons are lost in production if the start-up speed has to be reduced by just 100 metres per minute. This shows how important maximum dewatering is. If we don’t achieve it, reduced machine speeds have a negative cost effect.
PPL: Can you put a figure on it in euros? FK: With a price per ton of 500 euros you lose approximately 42,500 euros in sales every single day that your felt does not reach full speed – this amounts to a loss of more than half a million euros per year (if we factor in one felt change/month)!
PPL: Extraordinary figures. How do you prevent these losses? FK: With our latest development ‘ff’, which stands for ‘fast forward’. It’s a new component in Heimbach’s portfolio that increases start-up efficiency. From now on ‘fast forward’ will allow our customers to delete
Pulp Paper & Logistics
Franz Kiefer, strategic product manager for pressing at Heimbach
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